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The Purple Land - (BBC Radio Dramatisation)

Posted by Robert on April 27, 2012 at 8:00pm

Download as mp3 The Purple Land converted to mp3 at Clip Converter

Published in 1885, The Purple Land was the first novel of William Henry Hudson, author of Green Mansions. The Anglo-Argentine naturalist distinguished himself both as one of the finest craftsmen of prose in English literature and as a thinker on ecological matters far ahead of his time.

In Davies' hands this 'road novel' becomes a fast paced romp in the tradition of Tom Jones, with a dash of Don Quixote for good measure.

It is an exuberant, wryly comic account of a young Englishman's imprudent adventures, set against a background of political strife in nineteenth-century South America. Eloping with an Argentine girl, young Richard Lamb makes an implacable enemy of his teenage bride's father. Leaving her behind, he goes ignorantly forth into the interior of the country to seek his fortune.

Whilst doing so he learns to hunt, ride, herd, love - even kill. On his way to becoming a man.

Hemingway alluded to this book in his masterpiece "The Sun Also Rises", claiming that "The Purple Land" is 'dangerous reading if read too late in life'.

Hopefully - it doesn't make for dangerous listening!

Cast:
Richard ..... David Tennant
Paquita ..... Denise Gough
Marcos/Major Domo ..... Danny Webb
Toribia/Grandmother ..... Carol Macready
Isidora ..... Lizzie McInnerney
Herdsman/Allday ..... Nigel Cooke
Paquita's father/Winchcombe ..... Richard Durden
Monica/Donna Mercedes ..... Jacey Salles
Cloud/Blanco Major ..... Nicholas Murchie
Epifanio/Chillingwoth .....Chuk Iwuji
Juez/Bartender/Blass ..... Trevor Martin
Cleta/Mother ..... Jane Slavin
Herdsman's Daughter/Margerita ...... Beth Cooke
Anita ...... Grace Horbury
Herdsman's Boy ..... Danny Concha

Music Composed and performed by
Ross Hughes
Esben Tjalve
Trumpet - Daniel Weitz

Script Editor - Eileen Horne

Producer/Director: Clive Brill

Outlaw - Series One by Steve DeWinter (Audiodrama)

Posted by Robert on April 27, 2012 at 8:29am

"Steve DeWinter's thriller brings his own retelling of the ultimate American legend, that of the lone ranger. Recorded with a full cast, musical score and sound effects, this re-imagining of America's favorite hero proves that one man can fight against insurmountable odds to keep the Wild West from falling into the hands of a ruthless tyrant."

Subscibe to Outlaw

Outlaw - Episode One (19.31 MB)	Dusty Knight is finally reunited with his brother only to have his past catch up with him at the same time. Dusty agrees to return to San Francisco to visit his dying father, only the road home is not without peril.
Outlaw - Episode Two (18.57 MB)	Dusty enters San Francisco only to discover there is more to his past then he even knew. Dusty talks with his father and is quickly introduced to the problems plaguing the family after his departure fifteen years ago.
Outlaw - Episode Three (18.75 MB)	The criminal element makes a move against the California Rangers and Dusty is forced to make a choice. With the California Rangers dead and the town overrun with bandits, the merchants demand protection, but Dusty can't do that without risking everything - and everyone.
Outlaw - Episode Four (15.3 MB)	Dusty gathers the merchants together to scare off the bandits, but not everyone is working towards the same goal and while Dusty continues to thwart the bandit's plans, they get closer to finding his true identity.
Outlaw - Episode Five (16.58 MB)	Dusty is captured and reunited with a lost relative, but only for a brief moment. Senator Hollister has other plans for this reunion.

Mickey Spillane - Kiss Me Deadly

Posted by Robert on April 22, 2012 at 8:30am

Frank Morrison Spillane (March 9, 1918 – July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American author of crime novels. He was known for the series of novels featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer, among other works. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold around the globe. Many of the Mike Hammer novels were made into movies, including the classic film noir Kiss Me Deadly (1955) and The Girl Hunters (1963), in which Spillane himself starred. In Kiss Me Deadly, Mike Hammer is driving south to New York city when he found a woman standing in the road. He picked her up, and learned she escaped from a sanatorium. Soon a dark sedan cut them off, the men attacked Mike and knocked him out. The now dead woman and Mike are placed in his car, then it is pushed over the cliff. What happens next? Read by Stacy Keach. (from boxcars711)

Mickey Spillane - Kiss Me Deadly Part 1

Mickey Spillane - Kiss Me Deadly Part 2

Mickey Spillane - Kiss Me Deadly Part 3

Mickey Spillane - Kiss Me Deadly Part 4

The Film

A 1955 film noir drama produced and directed by Robert Aldrich starring Ralph Meeker. The screenplay was written by A.I. Bezzerides, based on the Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer mystery novel Kiss Me, Deadly. Kiss Me Deadly is often considered a classic of the noir genre. The film grossed $726,000 in the United States and a total of $226,000 overseas. It also withstood scrutiny from the Kefauver Commission as being a film said to be designed to ruin young viewers, leading director Aldrich to write against the Commission's conclusions.

Kiss Me Deadly marked the film debuts of both actresses Cloris Leachman and Maxine Cooper.

Download Movie Here

Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, with Darren McGavin in the title role, is the first syndicated television series based on Mike Hammer, the hard-boiled private detective created by novelist Mickey Spillane. The series (produced from 1957 through '59) had a run of 78 episodes over two seasons. Episodes were filmed in black and white and filled a half-hour time slot. The show followed the adventures of New York-based gumshoe Mike Hammer as he regularly played judge, jury and executioner to an assortment of bad guys.

There is several episodes available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL550EE94E70AD5980&feature...

The New Mike Hammer was an American television series based on the exploits of the fictitious New York-based private detective Mike Hammer. The show starred Stacy Keach and was essentially a continuation of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, an earlier television program featuring an identical core cast. In fact, similarities between The New Mike Hammer and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer are so close that many often group the two shows together under the same "Mike Hammer" umbrella.

There is an episode on YouTube "The New Mike Hammer - Satan, Cyanide, and Murder (1984)" here

Interview with Stacy Keach

Death Valley Days s05e07 The Last Letter (w Clint Eastwood)

Posted by Robert on April 22, 2012 at 8:00am

Death Valley Days was a series of stories, all based in fact, revolving around the legends of Death Valley, California where borax was mined. Mostly human interest stories about the life in Death Valley and the surrounding area in the late 1800's.

"The Last Letter" was written by Ruth Woodman & directed by Stuart E. McGowan, with William Pullen, Clint Eastwood, Forrest Stanley, George Pembroke, Russ Todd, Joseph Sargent, Gregg Barton, Robert Sherman. Host: Stanley Andrews. Original air date: 8 December 1956.

Download: Death Valley Days s05e07 The Last Letter (w Clint Eastwood).mp4

Death Valley Days - The Oldest Law

Posted by Robert on April 22, 2012 at 7:30am

Death Valley Days was an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series. The series was sponsored by the Pacific Coast Borax Company (20 Mule Team Borax, Boraxo).

In "The Oldest Law", Jim Davis stars as a rancher called Colonel who single handed takes on a violent, corrupt town after his son is murdered.

Death Valley Days - The Oldest Law

The Byrds' Roger McGuinn Works To Preserve Folk (NPR)

Posted by Robert on April 19, 2012 at 5:30am

Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame singer and guitarist Roger McGuinn, best known as the front man for The Byrds, is considered a pioneer of folk rock. The band blended traditional folk songs with a rock beat and scored major hits in the 1960's including "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "Mr. Tambourine Man."

The Byrds disbanded in 1973, and McGuinn pursued a solo career, performing acoustically and returning to his folk roots.

In 1995, he created the Folk Den Project, an online series to store traditional folk songs that he records once a month. NPR's Neal Conan talks with McGuinn about The Byrds and his solo career, and about his work preserving folk music. (NPR)

30 Minute Interview

The Byrds' Roger McGuinn Works To Preserve Folk (NPR).mp3

There is probably over 200 folk songs you can download for free on the Folk Den site.

White Coolies (AU)

Posted by Robert on April 7, 2012 at 7:00am

Story of Australian Army Nursing Sisters who were in Malaya with the 8th Division A.I.F in 1941-1942. It is a true story taken from the diaries kept by Sister Agnes Betty Jeffrey, (14 May 1908 – 13 September 2000), who was taken captive by the Japanese Imperial Army and interned during her 31/2 years as prisoner of war. The first episode of this radio series aired on August 10, 1955.

This is a radio series that will leave an impression on you. You may cry, you may laugh, but being from a true story it is remarkable.

All Episodes

White Coolies (AU).zip

Singles

There was also a movie made in 1997 called "Paradise Road" which tells the story of a group of English, American, Dutch and Australian women who are imprisoned in Sumatra during World War II. It was directed by Bruce Beresford and stars Glenn Close as beatific Adrienne Pargiter, Frances McDormand as the brash Dr. Verstak, Pauline Collins as missionary Margaret Drummond (based on missionary Margaret Dryburgh), Julianna Margulies as American socialite Topsy Merritt, Jennifer Ehle as British doyenne and model Rosemary Leighton Jones, Cate Blanchett as Australian nurse Susan McCarthy and Elizabeth Spriggs as dowager Imogene Roberts.

Trailer:

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.