All Posts - Blog - Times Past

Seeing Ear Theater

Posted by Robert on April 30, 2023 at 6:30am

"Between 1997 and 2001, at the height of the dot-com bubble, the Sci-Fi channel decided to invest some money into producing a number of original audio stories under the banner of Seeing Ear Theater, essentially a “next generation” of radio plays for a modern audience. A talented team of script-writers, excellent actors and sound effects people crafted a series of remarkable episodes, breathing life into the stories of both classic writers, like Harlan Ellison and Frederic Brown, and modern writers, like Neil Gaiman and J. Michael Straczynski."

Kindred - Part 1 of 4 (10.7Mb)
Kindred - Part 2 of 4 (13.6Mb)
Kindred - Part 3 of 4 (6.1Mb)
Kindred - Part 4 of 4 (14.8Mb)
History of the Devil - Part 1 (10Mb)
History of the Devil - Part 2 (8.4Mb)
History of the Devil - Part 3 (7.8Mb)
History of the Devil - Part 4 (7.6Mb)
History of the Devil - Part 5 (9.6Mb)
Snow Glass Apples - Part 1 (12.3Mb)
Snow Glass Apples - Part 2 (8.9Mb)
An Elevator and a Pole - Part 1 (13.2Mb)
An Elevator and a Pole - Part 2 (12.8Mb)
The Martian Crown Jewels (16.1Mb)
The Time Machine - Part 1 (13.8Mb)
The Time Machine - Part 2 (14.8Mb)
Black Canoes (25.7Mb)
Titanic Dreams (10Mb)
The Moon Moth - Part 1 (10.8Mb)
The Moon Moth - Part 2 (14.4Mb)
The Lucky Strike - Part 1 (7.2Mb)
The Lucky Strike - Part 2 (10Mb)
A Good Knight's Work - Part 2 (NO PART 1 AVAILABLE) (4.1Mb)
The Jaguar Hunter - Part 1 (8.4Mb)
The Jaguar Hunter - Part 2 (6.6Mb)
Fire Watch - Part 1 (5.9Mb)
Fire Watch - Part 2 (7.6Mb)
Facade (11.1Mb)
Legend of Sleepy Hollow (3.5Mb)
A Dry Quiet War - Part 1 (8Mb)
A Dry Quiet War - Part 2 (6.3Mb)
Diary of A Mad Deity - Part 1 (4.8Mb)
Diary of A Mad Deity - Part 2 (5.7Mb)
Child's Play (16.5Mb)
In The Shade of the Slowboat Man (11.9Mb)
Greedy Choke Puppy (8.5Mb)
The Nostalgianauts (9.9Mb)
Knock (10.1Mb)
The Man Who Could Work Miracles (11.1Mb)
Breakaway, Breakdown (8.3Mb)
Emily 501 - Part 1 (5.7Mb)
Emily 501 - Part 2 (3.7Mb)
Marilyn or the Monster - Part 1 (6.3Mb)
Marilyn or the Monster - Part 2 (4.1Mb)
Sorry, Wrong Number (6Mb)
Jumping Niagara Falls (9.1Mb)
Feel The Zaz - Part 1 (6.2Mb)
Feel The Zaz - Part 2 (8.7Mb)
Neil Gaiman's Murder Mysteries - Part 1 (8.9Mb)
Neil Gaiman's Murder Mysteries - Part 2 (8.4Mb)
Propagation of Light in a Vacuum - Part 1 (5.4Mb)
Propagation of Light in a Vacuum - Part 2 (5.4Mb)
Meet The Neighbor (2.9Mb)
Orson The Alien (13.2Mb)
The Wheel - Part 1 (5.7Mb)
The Wheel - Part 2 (6.1Mb)
Daughter Earth - Part 1 (4.3Mb)
Daughter Earth - Part 2 (4.2Mb)
Other Worlds (5.1Mb)
Times Arrow, Time's Spiral (7.9Mb)
Alice In Wonderland - Part 1 (6.8Mb)
Alice In Wonderland - Part 2 (5.9Mb)
The Flat Edge of the Earth - Part 1 (7.9Mb)
The Flat Edge of the Earth - Part 2 (6Mb)
The Country Doctor (4.7Mb)
The First (and Last) Musical on Mars - Part 1 (7.2Mb)
The First (and Last) Musical on Mars - Part 2 (6.3Mb)
The First (and Last) Musical on Mars - Part 3 (6.2Mb)
George and the Red Giant - Part 1 (5.1Mb)
George and the Red Giant - Part 2 (5.3Mb)
The Bigger One (3.4Mb)
Too Late - An Experiment in Sound (3.4Mb)
The Signal-Man (6.8Mb)
A Clean Escape (6.8Mb)
Herd Mentality - Part 1 (6.1Mb)
Herd Mentality - Part 2 (6.5Mb)
Death Of Captain Future - Part 1 (7.4Mb)
Death Of Captain Future - Part 2 (5.5Mb)
Think Like a Dinosaur - Part 1 (5.8Mb)
Think Like a Dinosaur - Part 2 (5.5Mb)
Wanted In Surgery (10.6Mb)
The Oblivion Syndrome (11.3Mb)
Monkeys Paw (4.2Mb)
The Tell-Tale Heart (5.5Mb)
Into The Sun (5.8Mb)

Johnny Carson's Hafl-Century of NBC Comedy

Posted by Robert on April 30, 2023 at 6:20am

Hosted by Johnny Carson, this two-hour retrospective reviews 50 years of classic NBC radio and television comedy performances. It aired Thanksgiving Day in 1982 as a special with Carson presenting comedy excerpts from a variety of comedy genres and explains his take on each. Included are satirical sketches from Saturday Night Live, the irreverent comedy of Bob and Ray; and the topical comedy of humorist Will Rogers. Also included are excerpts from the radio series "The Lucky Strike Program" starring Jack Benny and "Maxwell House Coffee Time" with George Burns. Performances by Victor Borge, Fred Allen, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Lucille Ball, Abbott and Costello, Red Skelton, Ernie Kovacs, Steve Allen, W.C. Fields, Mae West, and Flip Wilson, among many others.

Johnny Carson 821120 Johnny Carson's Hafl-Century of NBC Comedy.mp3

The Elvis Presley Story

Posted by Robert on November 11, 2011 at 8:22pm

The Elvis Presley Story, produced and directed by Ron Jacobs, was first distributed by Watermark in 1971 as a 2-hour program. Following Presley's death in 1977, the original was updated and an additional hour was added making the story a total of 3 hours. The Elvis Presley Story was written by Elvis biographer Jerry Hopkins and narrated by long-time Los Angeles media personality Wink Martindale. This shows are packed full of interviews and music. The show being done in 1971 except the last added hour, the music recordings you can tell are from some of the original recordings. Quiet entertaining.

Elvis Presley Story 01.mp3

Elvis Presley Story 02.mp3

Elvis Presley Story 03.mp3

Pumpkin FM - Old Time Radio Network

Posted by Robert on April 4, 2023 at 10:30am

Most Old Time Radio enthusiast already have a huge collection of shows collected or downloaded to listen to, but sometimes it is just nice to listen to the radio around the house, while working, or just relaxing. Whatever the occasion, a favorite streaming internet radio station to listen to is the Pumpkin FM Old Time Radio Network. They offer not one, but eleven great old time radio channels for your entertainment. Each channel plays a mix of the best British and American classic radio shows.

Lux Radio Theater - South African

Posted by Robert on November 13, 2011 at 1:34pm

Here is a collection of South African Lux Radio Theater shows. Most all of these are excellent quality.

All Shows: Lux Radio Theater - South African.zip

The Lives of Harry Lime (HQ Set)

Posted by Robert on August 26, 2011 at 9:00pm

The Lives of Harry Lime (original British title The Adventures of Harry Lime) was an old-time radio program produced in London, England during the 1951 to 1952 season.

Orson Welles reprized his role of Harry Lime from the celebrated 1949 film adaptation of Graham Greene's novel The Third Man. The radio series is a "prequel" to the film, and depicts the many misadventures of con-artist Lime in a somewhat lighter tone than the character's villainy in the film.

Most episodes would begin with "The Third Man Theme" being played, abruptly cut off by an echoing gunshot. Then Welles would speak:

"That was the shot that killed Harry Lime. He died in a sewer beneath Vienna, as those of you know who saw the movie The Third Man. Yes, that was the end of Harry Lime ... but it was not the beginning. Harry Lime had many lives ... and I can recount all of them. How do I know? Very simple. Because my name is Harry Lime."

Although often cited as a BBC production, the series was one of a number produced and distributed independently by the prolific Harry Alan Towers. Only sixteen of the episodes were acquired and broadcast by the BBC in the UK. It was the first time that the BBC broadcast episodes of a dramatic series that it did not produce. The full series was syndicated to radio stations in the U.S.

All The Lives of Harry Lime (HQ Set).zip

Singles

The Enduring Popularity of Sherlock Holmes

Posted by Robert on November 1, 2010 at 7:20am

The ever-lasting popularity of Sherlock Holmes has contributed to hundreds of works based on the character. You can find old time radio shows, full cast dramatizations, stage and screen adaptations, readings of short stories and books; if you can think of it, it has been done. Even two episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation, the popular TV series, featured Sherlock Holmes.

If you have ever listen to audio recordings of Sherlock Holmes, or any audio book for that matter, the narrator, or what I like to call the storyteller, makes all the difference in how enjoyable the story is. Take for example narrator David Ian Davies from One Voice Recordings. The magnitude of distinctly unique voices he performs of the characters creates a magically ensconce and elegant listening experience. Listen to this sample from Audible.com of "Sherlock Holmes and the Shakespeare Globe Murders" narrated by David Ian Davies: Listen

Whatever has sustained this fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the enduring popularity of Sherlock Holmes will continue no doubt. Is it his savvy logical reasoning, his ability to take on almost any disguise, or his forensic science skills to solve a problematic case. Anyway for all of us Sherlockian enthusiast, it is not just another detective case to be solved, with Holmes it is an adventure.

Saturday Night Theater

Posted by Robert on November 27, 2019 at 6:00am

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.

Saturday Night Theatre

The Hound Of The Baskervilles ~ First Edition

Posted by David Knight on June 6, 2011 at 6:30am

I fulfilled a bit of a dream on Friday - I went and got myself a first edition of The Hound Of The Baskervillles!

Although I don't believe it's the best plotted Holmes story or novel, and I'm not a massive fan of it's ending, it's STILL my favourite ever book. It's opening and it's scene setting could literally define crime fiction, and it's as evocative of it's time and place as anything I've ever read.

As a child I had (and still have) an illustrated & abridged version of Hound Of The Baskervilles, published by Moby Books. Although I can't factually say it's the first book I ever owned, I can absolutely state it's the first book I ever fell in love with.

At round about the same time, I first heard The Hound in audio form! I borrowed a Listen For Pleasure double tape from Radlett Library, read by Hugh Burden. I guess I'd have been about 7 or 8 years old! I borrowed those tapes regularly. Those actual cassettes now belong to me too! It was pretty common for Hertfordshire Libraries to periodically sell off old stock in those days (and probably still is). Because I'd borrowed them so many times, when they were put up for sale the sweet librarian lady actually put them to one side until she next saw me! I remember rushing home to get 10p from my mum, so I could buy the tapes I must have already listened to a dozen or more times!

Moving forward approximately 35 years; I had zero intention of actually purchasing a first edition when I entered Colin Page Books (in Brighton, Sussex) on Friday.

Although it's a specialist antiquarian bookshop - they also do a lot of bargains too, and from the outside table I'd picked up an 80p Ted Allbeury!! That was the only reason I went into the shop last week. However, once inside I thought I might as well have a look. They had a first edition Jennings (Anthony Buckeridge) in a locked cabinet that caught my eye, so I asked to see it. The brief conversation that followed led me to ask if he had any rare Chandler's or ACD's; At this point I was told about the first edition of The Hound they had in stock.

More out of interest than anything else I asked how much it was and I was slightly surprised at the seemingly good price. I've looked into them in the past (on a few occasions), and I either simply didn't have enough money or I just thought they were TOO expensive. Most of the time it was simply I couldnt afford it. Even after I knew the price Colin Page was asking, I still didn't think I was actually on the verge of buying it - but then the guy actually offered to show it to me!

As soon as I picked it up I knew it was possibly gonna end up coming home with me.

Published by George Newnes, Southampton Street, Strand, 1902. For a book that is now 109 years old, it was in really good nick.

I had a good look at it and said I'd think about it. The chap was very friendly and he wasn't at all pushy. He clearly knew that selling one of these wasn't an everyday occurence. He asked me if I'd ever spent that much on a book before. The straightforward answer was no!!

As soon as I left the shop I googled first editions of The Hound and double checked what the current going rate was. I already half knew this one was really pretty reasonable! Less than 10 minutes later and I was back in the shop asking to have another look. I double checked that it wasn't missing any of the 16 Sidney Paget pictures (plates) and asked if there was any room for negotiation on the price. He offered to knock £100 off. I said yes and took the little terror home!

I'm very very pleased with it.

THE DAMBUSTERS (1954 dramatization of Paul Brickhill's best-selling novel about World War II)

Posted by Robert on March 25, 2012 at 8:30am

A 1954 dramatization of Paul Brickhill's best-selling novel about World War II. The documentary series focused on the 617 Dambusting Squadron and is full of air force adventure. There were 26 half-hour episodes, and the cast also featured Charles "Bud" Tingwell Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out on 16 &17 May 1943 by Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron, subsequently known as the "Dambusters", using a specially developed "bouncing bomb" invented and developed by Barnes Wallis. The Mohne and Eder Dams were breached, causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley, while the Sorpe dam sustained only minor damage. All 26 episodes in excellent condition

Background

During the height of World War II it was the target of British Bomber Command to damage and destroy as much of Germany's industry as possible. After all, it is industry that is at the heart of any war effort. After in depth studies and many attacks of the industrial areas in Germany, the British soon realised that after an attack, the factories were soon rebuilt and more importantly dispersed over a wider area which made them more difficult to attack again.

It quickly became apparent though that there were limitations to where industry could be located. All industry requires power and therefore it must be located within a reasonable distance from a power source. This changed the way in which Bomber Command thought about attacking Germany's industry. Instead of attacking the factories, attacking their power sources was a much better strategy. The main advantage of attacking power sources is that many more than one factory uses the same power source. Destroying one power source would therefore lead to disruption in many factories and industries.

Bomber Command's attention then turned to which power sources to attack to give maximum damaging impact on the industry in Germany. Three sources of energy were identified; coal mines, the Rumanian oil fields and the hydroelectric dams. Two of these were quickly discounted. Coal mines were relatively easily repaired or rebuilt and the RAF possessed no aircraft with a suitable range to attack the oil fields located in far east Germany.

Despite the problems with the other two targets, the hydroelectric dams of Germany's Ruhr Valley were probably the best targets. These dams supplied water and power to the industry of the Ruhr Valley which was the heart of Hitler's war machine, as well as controlling the water levels in canals that transported materials to and from the factories. Huge resources of coal and iron ore saw the Ruhr Valley grow into the heartland of the country's industry during the early 20th century. Along with many large cities in the surrounding area, the dams were built during the growth period to cope with the inevitable power and water requirements. It was estimated that one quarter of Germany's water was consumed by this industrial area.

Of the 20 massive dams constructed in the Ruhr Valley, six dams were selected as targets with three of these being the primary targets. The Mohne, the Eder and the Sorpe dams were the three primary targets. Between the Mohne and Sorpe, they held back 76% of the total water available to the industrial valley, one of the main reasons they were two of the primary targets. If breached these dams would bring the whole industrial valley to a stand still, causing massive damage to the steel industry devastating production of tanks, aircraft, guns and locomotives which were all vital to Germany's war effort.

Mohne Dam

Ironically, attacking the dams in Ruhr Valley was not a new idea. In anticipation of war, Britain began looking at industrial targets in the Ruhr as early as 1937. The dams were high on the target then, but these plans were shelved because of one major problem which eluded Bomber Command. How do you hit and breach a dam? - A problem which was far more complex than it appeared, especially over 60 years ago. Read More Here

All in One Zip File

Dambusters.zip

Single Episodes

Film

Download Movie Here

The Carter Sisters Show

Posted by Robert on December 23, 2011 at 7:30am

The Carter Sisters, (better known as their later moniker, The Carter Family) were an American singing quartet consisting of Maybelle Carter and her daughters June Carter Cash, Helen Carter, and Anita Carter. Formed during World War II, the group recorded and performed into the 1980s.

In the 1920s through the early 1940s, Maybelle Carter was part of the historic country music trio The Carter Family with her cousin Sara Carter and Sara's husband A. P. Carter. Maybelle's contribution to the group was singing harmony to Sara's lead vocal as well as playing guitar. Maybelle was married to A.P.'s brother Ezra Carter and had three children: June, Helen, and Anita.

In March 1943, when the original Carter Family trio stopped recording together after their WBT-AM contract ended, Maybelle Carter formed "Maybelle Carter & the Carter Sisters" with her three daughters June, Helen and Anita. Maybelle's daughters had frequently appeared with The Carter Family on their radio broadcasts of the early 1940's. The girls were young when the new act began: June at age 14; Helen, 16; and Anita, the youngest, at age 10.

The group was said to have been a mix of traditional songs of the original Carter Family with pop, gospel, and vaudeville comedy. Each daughter made her own contribution to the band.

Helen: vocals, guitar, and accordion
Anita: vocals, guitar, and bass fiddle
June: vocals, autoharp and comedy (June struggled with pitch problems and soon began to focus more on her
comedic addition to the group than her singing.

The group (originally from Poor Valley, Virginia) made their first move to Richmond, Virginia in 1943. (They were reported as having kept their travel low key, with their father Ezra driving the group in a van to and from their destinations.) The new group first aired on radio station WRNL in Richmond on June 1, 1943. This broadcast would serve as their first commercially sponsored program and their first radio debut as "Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters." The girls' next big break was offered to them by "Sunshine Sue" of WRVA-AM. In September 1946 the group was asked to be a part of The Old Dominion Barn Dance on WRVA. The show had just begun and started small, however by the end of its first year was selling out its 1,400 seat theater twice a night, every Saturday. The group soon became a headliner for the show. Having spent five years in Richmond, the girls were yet again offered a job opportunity, this time in Knoxville, Tennessee.

In 1948, towards the end of their time in Richmond, the girls were offered the chance to work for WNOX-AM in Knoxville. They accepted and were then played on both the evening show, Tennessee Barn Dance; and the daily show, Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round.

Carter Sisters.zip (All Shows)

carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_01_first_song_-_cimmaron_audition.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_02_first_song_-_country_girl.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_05_first_song_-_no_vacancies.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_06_first_song_-_eight_more_miles_to_louisville.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_08_first_song_-_plain_old_country_girl.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_13_first_song_-_stay_a_little_longer.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_14_first_song_-_wish_i_had_a_nickel.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_15_first_song_-_sugar_hill.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_17_first_song_-_divorce_c.o.d..mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_18_first_song_-_an_old_fashioned_hoedown.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_19_first_song_-_skip_to_my_loo.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_20_first_song_-_oklahoma_city.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_21_first_song_-_cindy.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_22_first_song_-_sourwood_mountian.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_23_first_song_-_a_feudin_a_fussin_and_a_fightin.mp3

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carter_sisters_4x-xx-xx_24_first_song_-_the_beautiful_morning_glory.mp3

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Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater

Posted by Robert on June 3, 2023 at 7:24pm

Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater is a local, grassroots theater group founded in 1982 with the purpose of helping to revive and extend the American genre of Radio Mystery Theater. Through a series of original radio mysteries and thrillers set on Cape Cod, the group’s programs have been heard on more than 225 NPR stations and distributed nationally across bookstores, libraries and the Internet

Humphrey Bogart - NBC Final Tribute

Posted by Robert on June 10, 2012 at 9:30am

Here is a final tribute to Humphrey Bogart that aired on NBC two days after his death on January 14, 1957.

Profile 57-01-16 Humphrey Bogart

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

Calfkiller On The Move

Posted by Robert on September 25, 2010 at 5:30pm

You may not of noticed, but I am bringing content from the old Calfkiller blogs and making part of, or available, to the Times Past community. The content I have posted on the Calfkiller blogs will be easily available here.
Have been asked often about the name Calfkiller. Some even said the name scared them. I am from the Cumberland Mountains area of Tennessee and one of the rivers here is called Calfkiller River. The name was taken from a Cherokee Indian Chief from this area of Tennessee, called Chief Calfkiller.

In the beginning old time radio had always been an interest to me and friends would ask for links to help in finding shows. The Calfkiller web page, or blog, was started just for friends to view links to content when I ran across something of interest. The name Calfkiller was easy to remember for anyone in the area and was just used for simplicity for just a few friends from the area. This was in the late 1990's, about the time Napster appeared.

Over time Old Time Radio started to make a come back, and search engines improved, mp3 players became more and more popular; and so did traffic to the Calfkiller blog. So I guess old Chief Calfkiller's name lives on in reference to Old Time Radio.

I started Times Past here on Ning shortly after they came on board as a platform, actually one of the first to sign up. I knew the interface had the potential to be a perfect place for the hobby of Old Time Radio. A lot better than anything I could ever come up with. It has been hard to move completely away from the Calfkiller blog, it has been a good refer for Time Past.

Now the Times Past community is growing with new members almost every day. Not just Old Time Radio fans, but also admirers of content from the post-era of Old Time Radio. I am thankful for the UK and others keeping the entertainment of radio alive today. There is some very creative and imagative minds writing and producing; as well outstanding actors from the UK keeping us old timers entertained, along with a whole new generation of new listeners.

I would like to thank all the members here at Times Past who have contributed content for all of us to enjoy, as well as contributors of the genre from other web sites who make content available. Whether any of you know or not, you are helping to preserve this content for future generations when we are gone.

Robert

THE BEATLES: The Days In Their Life

Posted by Robert on April 1, 2023 at 4:00pm

THE BEATLES: The Days In Their Life

A thirty-hour chronology tracing the life of four musicians who had a dramatic effect on directions taken by others. The group that inspired and redefined the boundaries of contemporary music.

Below is the press release accompanying the set from TM Productions at the time of release in 1981:

"The Beatles: The Days In Their Life" is a 30-hour chronological study of the band that did more to change the scope of popular music than any other force of the 1960's.
During the first 24 hours of the special, every song ever recorded by The Beatles is played, including several numbers never released. Because the producers have gained access to the original EMI masters, some songs previously heard only in mono are now in stereo.

The final 6 hours of the show trace the direction each of The Beatles took after the band dis-banded in December 1970. All information is completely up-to-date as of the date of release in 1981.

"The Beatles: The Days In Their Life" includes hundreds of interviews with The Beatles themselves and their associates, many of which have never been heard.
While "The Beatles: The Days In Their Life" is 30 hours long and is designed to run as a blockbuster, the show may also be stripped into one-hour segments if so desired.
This twenty-one volume set contains the entire Days In Their Life program as it was originally broadcast in the early Eighties. The Days In Their Life was originally pressed onto thirty vinyl LP records. It was these vinyl LPs that radio stations used as a source for their broadcasts. The collection presented here is sourced from one of these original broadcast vinyl LP sets.

Sample VOL 1:

The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 1
The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 2
The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 3
The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 4
The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 5
The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 6
The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 7
The Beatles: The Days In Their Life vol 8

All 21 Vol here in higher quality encodes.

Rogers of the Gazette

Posted by Robert on November 22, 2010 at 7:30pm

Rogers of the Gazette aired on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBS Radio starring Will Rogers Jr.(October 20, 1911–July 9, 1993), son of legendary humorist Will Rogers (1879–1935).

Homespun, slow-spoken Will is the friendly editor of a country newspaper who struggles against the pressures and prejudices of small-town life. He drops gems of wisdom in his razzing voice, perhaps in a questioning manner, of his humorist father.

Rogers of the Gazette 1953-10-22 Eula Horner And The County Fair

Download more shows in the Times Past OTR Archives

Here is a post I did back in May that ties in quiet well.

The Story of Will Rogers was a 1952 movie biography of humorist and movie star Will Rogers. Starring in the production was Will Rogers, Jr. Jane Wyman.

William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was a Cherokee cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor.

Known as Oklahoma's favorite son, Rogers was born to a prominent Indian Territory family. He traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), wrote more than 4,000 nationally-syndicated newspaper columns, and became a world-famous figure.

By the mid-1930s, Rogers was adored by the American people, and was the top-paid movie star in Hollywood at the time. Rogers died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post, when their small airplane crashed near Barrow, Alaska Territory.

Below is the original movie trailer, and also the radio version from Hollywood Radio Theater as AFRS called it. But also known as episode 812 of Lux Radio Theater. The radio version has the original stars Will Rogers, Jr. and Jane Wyman.

Kind of interesting to watch the movie trailer, and then listen to the radio version.

Hollywood Radio Theater (Lux AFRS) 53-01-12 (812) The Story of Will Rogers (HQ)

A Collection of Short Crime Fiction Stories

Posted by Robert on June 20, 2023 at 10:15pm

The KCRW Production "Mean Streets USA" is a collection of short crime fiction stories, a highly-produced series, recorded and produced at KCRW. It features detective stories by contemporary and classic mystery writers like Walter Mosley, Sue Grafton and Michael Connelly, read by Stacy Keach, Sharon Lawrence, Meschach Taylor, Tony Plana and others.

These were recorded off the internet, but the quality is decent.

MS 1 The Angry Man by Ross Macdonald read by Stacy Keach part 1

MS 2 The Angry Man by Ross Macdonald read by Stacy Keach part 2

MS 3 Silver Lining by Walter Mosley read by Meshach Taylor

MS 4 Serpents Dance by Jim Fusilli read by Tate Donovan

MS 5 The Parker Shotgun by Sue Grafton read by Harriet Harris

MS 6 The Dead Their Eyes Implore Us by George P. Pelecanos read by Tony Plana

MS 7 Cielo Azul by Michael Connelly read by John Michael Higgins

New Podcast "Times Past Western Theater"

Posted by Robert on May 26, 2011 at 10:00am

I had several request to renew the old westerns podcast. This time it will be under the new heading "Times Past Western Theater". It is handy to subscribe to a podcast and have the new content come automatically to your media player. Would welcome any suggestions for shows to add to the podcast. Leave your suggestions in the comments section below. The new home for the podcast and all the methods to subscribe can be found here. http://timespastwesterns.blogspot.com/

Jamaica Inn

Posted by Robert on August 15, 2023 at 8:42pm

In Jamaica Inn, at the heart of the bleak Bodmin Moor, young Mary Yellen soon discovers mysterious goings-on in the dead of night. But worse is yet to come as Mary finds herself helplessly ensnared in the deadly activities taking place around her.

Evocative, atmospheric and chilling, this adaptation of Jamaica Inn has all the hallmarks of a great adventure classic. A full-cast radio dramatisation of the novel by Daphne du Maurier. Dame Daphne du Maurier DBE (13 May 1907 - 19 April 1989) was a famous British novelist best known for her short story "The Birds" and her classic novel Rebecca, published in 1938. Both were adapted into films by Alfred Hitchcock and Rebecca was an Oscar-winning film.

Daphne du Maurier is often mistakenly categorised as a "romantic novelist", but she was in fact a major force in post-war horror and science fiction. The BBC is celebrating the centenary of her birth with an airing of all of her material in it's archives. Four episodes of approx one hour each in high quality MP3.

Episode 1: ---------- Cornwall, 1810. A coach slowly navigates the mire. Inside, Mary trembles at the fate that is taking her to Jamaica Inn.

Episode 2: ---------- Mary is now at her aunt and uncle's inn. Its brooding power gradually ensnares her in the dark schemes enacted behind its walls.

Episode 3: ---------- Forced to watch as another ship is lured to its doom by her uncle's gang, Mary is more determined than ever to exact revenge.

Episode 4: ---------- In the final part of Daphne du Maurier's novel, there's spying to be done on the conspirators and their dark schemes.

Jamaica Inn - 1 of 4.mp3

Jamaica Inn - 2 of 4.mp3

Jamaica Inn - 3 of 4.mp3

Jamaica Inn - 4 of 4.mp3