George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", as well as his distinctive voice and phrasing. For the last twenty years of his life, Jones was frequently referred to as the greatest living country singer. Country music scholar Bill Malone writes, "For the two or three minutes consumed by a song, Jones immerses himself so completely in its lyrics, and in the mood it conveys, that the listener can scarcely avoid becoming similarly involved." Waylon Jennings expressed a similar opinion in his song "It's Alright": "If we all could sound like we wanted to, we'd all sound like George Jones." The shape of his nose and facial features earned Jones the nickname "The Possum".
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Saturday Night Theater was a long-running radio drama strand on BBC Radio 4. The strand showcased feature-length, middle-brow single plays on Saturday evenings for more than 50 years, having been launched in April 1943. The plays featured in the strand included stage plays, book adaptations and original dramatizations. For most of its history, programs ran for 90 minutes and were largely entertainment-centred, such as thrillers, comedies and mysteries.
Saturday Night Theater was noted as the major drama of the week on BBC Radio 4, until it was scrapped as a program strand in 1996. Shorter plays continued to be broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday evenings from 1996 until the relaunch of the channel's schedule in April 1998 by James Boyle, when single dramas were removed from the Saturday evening schedule. Since 1998, the main weekly play on the station has been The Saturday Play, a daytime program that runs for 60–90 minutes.
There have since been campaigns to bring back Saturday Night Theater, but in the context of BBC budget cuts, that have included the 2010 axing of Radio 4's Friday Play (established in 1998, when Saturday Night Theater was abolished), any return looks unlikely.
Several episodes are back in the OTTR library now.
OTRR certified A Case For Dr Morelle v1909 (1 CD/13 episodes) is available for download from Dropbox or OneDrive. Thanks to all those who made this collection possible.
These links will be available for 30 days.
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i9w4fwjc1iy373t/AAAFCz7ZTOKaZ7mYqGZ4WALTa?dl=0
OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al5Sbh6lIkj5jY9zZieQv363ESNVhA?e=8BDoIx
Series synopsis:
“A Case for Dr. Morelle” was a 13-episode series which ran weekly in 1957 on the BBC Light Programme from April 23 to July 16.
According to the author Ernest Dudley, the character began life in 1940 during World War Two air raids, as he was trying to think up a “different” kind of detective while also providing a comic role for the actress Jane Grahame, who was also his wife. The result, originally heard on the radio show Monday Night at Eight, involved the acerbic criminal psychologist Dr. Morelle and his eager-but-less-than-helpful secretary Miss Frayle.. In the 1957 series, Dr. Morelle was played by the English comic actor Cecil Parker, and Sheila Sim played the long-suffering and devoted Miss Frayle.. In addition to radio plays, Dudley wrote a stage play as well as a number of novels and short stories featuring these characters.
Audiences loved the opinionated and eccentric Morelle, whose disdain for his loyal secretary was an extension of his general lack of regard for humanity. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, who based his analysis on physical clues left at the scene of the crime, Morelle generally conducted his investigations via a series of interviews, although he sometimes included physical evidence in his analysis. He used his knowledge of criminal psychology to determine which of the suspects fit the psychological profile of the criminal. Often during the story, Miss Frayle would irritate the doctor by interrupting him as he was conducting an experiment or testing some scientific theory. His solutions to the crimes -- whether murder, blackmail, larceny or some other crime -- were always based on psychology.
Revision history:
V. 1909 updates
corrected mislabeled files
added 2 missing episodes
deleted log
1.0: Initial release
OTRR certified Fire Fighters v1908 (1 DVD) is available for download from Dropbox or OneDrive. Thanks to all those who made this ossible.
These links will be available for 30 days.
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o1i31apcyo3ptfu/AAA0G-jDa15g6Ws5KWjltQ5Oa?dl=0
OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al5Sbh6lIkj5jY0iEqgeQNjzgT50jQ?e=lycFnS
Series synopsis:
Firefighters was a syndicated series produced by Cincinnati’s William F. Holland Productions, Inc. in 1948. It was aired in various markets from coast-to-coast, including Portland, OR, Omaha, NE, and Washington, D.C., into the early 1950s. It followed the adventures of rookie firefighter Tim Collins and fire chief Bob Cody. Written by Frank Jones, Firefighters starred Cameron Prud’Homme and Lyle Sudrow. The program was lauded by local fire departments across the country for promoting fire safety and publicizing modern firefighting techniques.
Revision history:
1908: Added 10 episodes, courtesy of Jerry Haendiges
1.0: Initial release
OTRR certified Murder at Midnight v1907 (1 DVD) is available for download from Dropbox or OneDrive. Thanks to all those who made this collection possible. Note: there are 32 MP3 files and 22 FLAC files; not all the episodes are available as FLAC. There are two partial episodes that are FLAC only.
These links will be available for 30 days.
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n2gv06g2y63ns77/AAD-LbJprpjuwdDk3AXQxhBoa?dl=0
OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al5Sbh6lIkj5jYxasN8Luu3XIj-RSw?e=CycuFw
Series synopsis:
Murder at Midnight was a transcribed program of macabre tales frequently featuring a supernatural twist. Produced in New York and distributed by World Broadcasting System, the series was the brainchild of Louis G. Cowan, the man behind Quiz Kids six years earlier.
Fifty-two episodes were recorded from mid-April through December 1946. Robert Newman was hired as the show’s lead writer but a dozen other authors provided scripts during the program’s run. Among them were Joseph Ruscoll, Max Erlich and William Morwood.
Murder at Midnight was directed by Anton M. Leder, and hosted by Raymond Morgan, who delivered the memorable opening lines over Charles Paul's organ theme. Los Angeles’ KFI was the first station to air the series but it would eventually be heard across the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii.
Murder at Midnight continued to be aired in syndication until the early 1960s.
This synopsis is based on the authoritative research of Karl Schadow.
Revision history:
1907: Initial release
Life was okay for Geoff (Geoffrey Palmer) and Annabelle (Geraldine McEwan) until they both lose their jobs. Then there is Annabelle's aged, confused aunt who goes into hospital and needs to be looked after by the hapless couple. All looks black until they discover the impecunious aunt is worth a fortune.
To get hold of her cash, they need to get the aunt to sign a Power of Attorney, giving them access to her money. But if the aunt's solicitor believes the aunt to be senile, the Power of Attorney will not be valid.
Add to the mix Geoff's brother, a patient in a mental hospital for the previous 28 years and a man fixated about beards and famous painters, and things get complicated. 1990-12-13
To all members of Times Past.
Our yearly renewal for Times Past from the Ning platform comes up in April 2019. For those members who are in a comfortable position to help out with a donation, it would be greatly appreciated. Your support keeps Times past free from any bothersome advertisements which we all appreciate.
The support button is in the right top column of any page on the website. Thank you in advance to any who can help out at this time..
Robert
2001 Dramatisation of C S Forester's classic novel.
OTRR certified Counterspy v1901 (3 CDs) is available for download from Dropbox or OneDrive. Thanks to all those who made this collection possible.
These links will be available for 30 days.
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/52909kkjxd45bxx/AAAR-IP5pYpWyyv1gpyBCrRZa?dl=0
OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Al5Sbh6lIkj5jYU2FIuJU51FnyfWjw
Series synopsis:
The old time radio espionage and thriller, David Harding Counterspy, was brought to life by radio legend Phillips H Lord. Lord was an old time radio powerhouse, responsible for such shows as Gangbusters, Mr. District Attorney, We The People, and many more.
Airing on the NBC Blue radio station (later becoming ABC) and the Mutual Network from 1942 to 1957, this show helped fill the need of radio listeners who wanted some WWII and post WWII espionage. David Harding was the chief of the US Counterspies, a fictional organization. US Counterspies were involved in all sorts of espionage and counter-espionage against Japan's Black Dragon, and Nazi Germany's Gestapo.
It has been hinted at, but not proven that Phillips Lord was involved in some sort of espionage, or government work himself. But that's just a rumor. What is true though is that Lord had unique access to the inner workings of our country's crime and intelligence agencies. This came about because of the cozy arrangements he had while doing the Gangbusters radio show. Gangbusters had had J. Edgar Hoover's blessing and help, and he had a good relationship with the mysterious Hoover. It's believed that through Phillips', some of the stories came about.
At the beginning of David Harding Counterspy the main enemies were Germany and Japan. But after World War II ended, David Harding got to tangle around a bit with the commies. David Harding Counterspy also solved crimes here in the US also, from stolen car rings to drug smuggling, and everything in between. The main character of David Harding was played by four different actors through the run of the show, and the main recurring character is an agent Harry Peters, who was played by 3 different old time radio actors.
David Harding Counterspy had numerous sponsors over the years including Gulf Oil, Kraft Foods, Ex-Lax, etc., but the longest and most memorable is Pepsi-Cola. This old time radio espionage thriller had no problem getting sponsors. The scripts were good, and Counterspy was noted for the quality of the sound effects used. It also brought up some pretty interesting schemes, such as giving our cattle germs, to spread disease. Another one was putting a bomb in a dog collar.
There were over 800 episodes of David Harding Counterspy produced, but sad to say, there are only 67 episodes left for us to listen to today. There was also a movie, David Harding Counterspy, that was released in 1950. If you get a chance see it, it runs true to the old time radio series.
This synopsis is permission of www.eddiesotr.com.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is an adaptation of Tennessee Williams's classic 1950s drama set in the plantations of the American Deep South. Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a dysfunctional family as they fight over a dying patriarch's millions.
The Investigator (1954) was a radio play written by Reuben Ship and first broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on May 30 of that year. The play lampooned the actions of the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) and United States Senator Joseph McCarthy.
The play is memorable not only for its biting satiric tone, but also for its brilliant acting and production. The radio actor John Drainie provided an uncannily accurate imitation of Joe McCarthy. On more than one occasion, Drainie drove from his home in Toronto across the border to Buffalo to watch the hearings on television; he based his character on seeing the senator in action.
The play was denounced as communist propaganda by none other than Ed Sullivan, and the recording gained a certain status as an underground classic during one of the high points of the Great Red Scare of the McCarthy Era. .
The Investigator is top–notch drama from the golden age of radio and sounds as brilliant now as when it first aired.
Investigator - 01 - CBC (30-May-1954).mp3
Investigator - 02 - CBC (30-May-1954).mp3
OTRR certified Murder at Midnight v1.0 (2 CDs) is available for download from Dropbox or OneDrive. Thanks to all those who made this collection possible. Note: this is an unusual one. It was prepared in 2010, but may never have been released.
These links will be available for 30 days.
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kfb4dcmpf1i5etp/AACbduRwp2fTpgpY1VYqbuEva?dl=0
OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Al5Sbh6lIkj5jMMJrC71jG1zkL1Dxg
Series synopsis:
Murder at Midnight was an old-time radio show featuring macabre tales of suspense, often with a supernatural twist. It was produced in New York and was first heard in syndication between September 16, 1946 and September 8, 1947 on WJZ (now WABC). The show's writers included Robert Newman, Joseph Ruscoll, Max Erlich and William Norwood, and it was directed by Anton M. Leder. The host was Raymond Morgan, who delivered the memorable lines of introduction over Charles Paul's effective organ theme: "Midnight, the witching hour when the night is darkest, our fears the strongest, and our strength at its lowest ebb. Midnight, when the graves gape open and death strikes."
A total of 51 episodes were produced, though the last two were never aired. Ten shows were syndicated and rerun on Mutual in 1950. Though very entertaining at its best, the series' failure can perhaps be attributed to some wildly implausible stories.
Scott and Paul from Songcraft Podcast talk with the living legend about why we'll never hear all the verses she wrote for "Coal Miner's Daughter;" what she told Jack White about songwriting that he didn't "get;" how thinking nobody would ever hear her songs shaped her writing style; what she really thinks about Willie Nelson; how she reacted when her songs stirred up controversy; and why she doesn't give career advice.
John Creasey was a one man novel factory, writing (according to Wikipedia) over 600 novels under 28 different names. Upper class detective Richard Rollison (aka ‘The Toff’) featured in over 40 novels, though the BBC have only dramatised 2 of these.
The Honourable Richard Rollison reluctantly agrees to attend a wedding. Is he the only one that notices something strange about the bride? Murder and blackmail follow with Rollison seeking a first wife, a discovery in the Thames, and him as a suspect. He is Paris bound when the police stop him, but that is not allowed to get in his way as he attempts to solve the mystery and reveal the murderer’s identity. 1975-06-07. 6 parts
What is so special about a Sussex farm that three people want to buy it.? So desperate are the buyers that one at least will resort to kidnap or even murder to get their hands on it. The Toff is called in to investigate. 1977-04-23, 6 Parts
Toff on the Farm, The 01.mp3
Toff on the Farm, The 02.mp3
Toff on the Farm, The 03.mp3
Toff on the Farm, The 04.mp3
Toff on the Farm, The 05.mp3
Toff on the Farm, The 06.mp3
DEAD MEN'S SHOES by Simon Masters was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 9 June 1984. A heart attack faces Det Insp Jack Branigan with an early retirement party, sympathetic smiles from colleagues and the patronising chit-chat of keen young men like Ray Duerdon, obviously angling for his old job. But that evening, events unfold which are to pit experience against ambition.
Killing the Butterfly by Colin MacDonald was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 2 December 2006. A romantic thriller set on the sleeper between London Euston and Edinburgh. Two murder witnesses are put under police protection pending the High Court trial. But something goes wrong and they have to flee, never knowing whom it's safe to trust. A librarian and a lawyer's PA are thrust into Edinburgh's dark underbelly after witnessing a gangland execution. Though nervous of the consequences, Barker and Hannah agree to give evidence against the killers and are put under police protection until the case comes to court. But news of their whereabouts reaches the killer's friends and the pair have to run for their lives, never knowing who is friend and who is foe.
A Decent British Murder by Ken Whitmore was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 22 February 1980 Story: - (Please note it is an old recording) Colonel Victor Grace has invited a slightly eclectic bunch of people to spend Christmas with him at his remote house. As well as his batman Albert and his ex-jail-bird maid, his guests are his crime writer sister, the local chief constable, his late son's wife and her knife thrower partner.
Dr Salt is determined to leave Birkden, but when a patient of his suffering from chronic nephritis suddenly disappears and the police seem unconcerned, he becomes equally determined to find her. His persistence soon makes him some very powerful enemies. Dramatised for radio by Elizabeth Bradbury Produced by Roger Pine
OTRR-certified Soldiers of the Press v1.2 (1 CD) is available for download from Dropbox or OneDrive. Thanks to all those who made this collection possible.
These links will be available for 30 days.
OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Al5Sbh6lIkj5jO4uCgxBJ9b8IUtBcg
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8cbq2ssqki9dzpv/AAAQyR6ZXp1nsNad2x_rdx7ia?dl=0
Synopsis:
Soldiers of the Press is a war drama that was created in New York and syndicated by World Broadcasting System. Little is known about the series or the total number of episodes. Each episode is 15 minutes long and retold a recent news story from action during World War II. The series was narrated by actors portraying United Press correspondents including Walter Cronkite, Harrison Salisbury and many lesser knowns such as Ralph Teatsorth and Ann Stringer. The show was broadcast in syndication from 1942 to 1945. There are at least 40 episodes in circulation out of the 148 known to exist.
For an insider’s view of the show from Walter Cronkite click on July 21, 2003: 'Soldiers of the Press' at http://www.npr.org/news/specials/cronkite/
