Narada Radio Company Audio Drama – Details, episodes & analysis

OLD-TIME RADIO ESSENTIALS Episode 55: The Great Gildersleeve (S5 Holiday Special)

Old-Time Radio Essentials returns with episode 55, and as we continue Season 5, we present Paul's pick, an installment of the NBC comedy series, The Great Gildersleeve, from 12/24/44. Come for the old-time radio, stay for the scintillating (that's one way of putting it) discussion afterwards!

As you listen, perhaps you'll learn if we feel this entry meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we four bring you, as our fifty-fifth number (but 6th official episode of S5), this episode of The Great Gildersleeve, from Christmas Eve, 1944. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

Please show your support of the podcast by doing any of the following...

To comment on how we might improve OTR-E, or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at f6point3@gmail.com . Put the word "Essentials" in the subject line.

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

Next Time: It's Pete's pick again, and he'll bring us, for our 1st number of 2026, special guest programmer (and fellow OTR podcaster) John Tefteller, who will be sharing an episode of You Bet Your Life, starring Groucho Marx. Join us then, won't you?

SIX-GUN SANTA CLAUS, A Jake Dimes Christmas Number

Western detective Jake Dimes returns for a third holiday adventure! At a family gathering in Celestial City, Jake and his sidekick Briar Buck tell the "one hundred percent true" tale of a youngster, living a hardscrabble existence in a small Arizona town, who gets a new lease on life through the kindness of a circus performer. Aside from the main story, two members of the family reveal some important news! Enjoy this new offering from the Narada Radio Company, and Happy Holidays to all of our listeners!

With the voice talents of:

Dana Gonsalves as JAKE DIMES

Victoria Fancki as CHRIS GREENSLATE DIMES 

Austin Beach as BRIAR BUCK 

Nancy Bueler as MOLLY SUTCLIFFE BUCK 

Joe Stofko as FRED GREENSLATE 

Glenn Hascall as SLIM SUTCLIFFE and

Debby Gonzales Ramirez as LUPE; with

Nick Wommack as TODD

Alan Clower as NEVADA

Andy Hartson-Bowyer as ACE GARLAND

Paul J. Patterson as COLONEL BRAGG

Mel Rose as FREDERICA "RICKY" DIMES

Additional voices by Pete Lutz

Cannonball Kelly as YOUR ANNOUNCER

*

Adapted, produced and directed by Pete Lutz, from a short story by Lee E. Wells. 

The Jake Dimes Theme was composed by Pete Lutz, arranged and performed by Dr. Ross Bernhardt. 

Music passages came from "The Winter's Passed" by Wayne Barlow; other music from the public domain with the exception of certain stings by Edward Champion.

OLD-TIME RADIO ESSENTIALS Episode 51: Wayne & Shuster

Old-Time Radio Essentials returns with episode 51, and as we continue Season 5, we present Patte's pick, an example of the Canadian comedy duo Wayne & Shuster, in which they present their famous routine, "Rinse the Blood Off My Toga" -- a sort of Julius-Caesar-meets-Mickey-Spillane. Come for the old-time radio, stay for the scintillating (that's one way of putting it) discussion afterwards!

As you listen, perhaps you'll learn if we feel this entry meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our fifty-first number (but 2nd official episode of S5), this episode of Wayne & Shuster, from 2-4-54. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

Please show your support of the podcast by doing any of the following...

To comment on how we might improve OTR-E, or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at f6point3@gmail.com . Put the word "Essentials" in the subject line.

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

Next Time: It's Paul's pick again, and he had nothing ready by the time we asked him what it was, but we're it'll be something...interesting. Join us then, won't you?

(Orig. launch date 7/24/20) Project Audion presents our recreation of an episode of Screen Guild Theatre, AKA Hollywood Soundstage. "The Ox-Bow Incident" was a best-selling book in 1940, a blockbuster Western movie in 1943, and adapted for the Screen Guild Theatre radio show no less than three times. Our version is from 1952. It's a story of vengeance and violence -- a gritty look at a group of men who turned into a mob.

"The Ox-Bow Incident" was directed by Pete Lutz / Corpus Christi, Texas and produced by Larry Groebe / Grapevine, Texas, and used a coast-to-coast cast of 14 people situated from Nova Scotia to San Francisco:

Paul Arbisi / Peoria, Illinois

John Bell / Alabaster, Alabama

Denise Cline / Nicholasville, Kentucky

Norman Cline / Nicholasville, Kentucky

Dana Gonsalves / Corpus Christi, Texas

John Mauldin / Nashville, Tennessee

Chris Messersmith / Dallas Texas

Ken Raney / Arlington, Texas

Carl Thomas / Rockport, Texas

Lothar Tuppan / San Francisco, California

Jack Ward / Halifax, Nova Scotia

Angela Young / Palm Coast, Florida

(Orig. launch date 5/7/21) Project Audion's 2nd season begins like our first season, with an episode of the classic radio drama Suspense. "Pearls are a Nuisance", aired on CBS 4/20/50, is a satirical detective drama based on a story by Raymond Chandler, which starred Ray Milland. Walter Gage is trying to track down some stolen pearls, and must call upon a gentleman of dubious morals to help him.

Our transcribed-live drama includes voice actors from California all the way to England:

Joe Mendell (UK) – Announcer

Pete Lutz (TX) - Harlow Wilcox, Henry

Doug Fain (TX) - Walter

Rhiannon McAfee (CA) - Ellen

Angela Young (FL) - Dora, Teller

Greg McAfee (CA) - Mr. Gallemore, Voice

Dana Gonsalves (TX) - Manager, Scandesi

Mr. Lutz directed, while Larry Groebe handled production and sound.

This latest Project Audion vintage radio recreation (orig. rel. 4/8/22) is an hour-long dramatization of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four...which was originally produced in August 1949, just months after the book, to great acclaim, was released. NBC University Theater adapted this scathing vision of a possible future where "Freedom is Slavery" and "Big Brother is watching you." Big Brother is part of our cultural currency now, but in 1949, "1984" was a new and daring novel, and this early audio adaptation feels fresh - and still terrifying.

WINSTON SMITH: Dana Gonsalves, TX

ANNOUNCER: John Bell, AL

O'BRIEN: Les Marsden, CA

JULIA: Jesirae Kesler, TX

MR. PARSONS & OTHERS: Tom Konkle, CA

MR. SYME: Jason Johnson, TX

MRS. PARSONS: Rachel Pulliam, MO

ASSORTED VOICES: Jessica Matthews, TX

CHARRINGTON, AMPLEFORTH AND DIRECTION: Pete Lutz, TX

MUSIC/FX/ASSTD. VOICES/PRODUCTION: Larry Groebe, TX

It's episode two of a new, limited anthology series from 63audio and the Narada Radio Company! Adventure Trail brings back to the Narada microphone The Old-Timer, a character first heard way back in the first season of Pulp-Pourri Theatre. He's back after all this time to spin a few yarns and tell some tall tales about adventures he's had over his long life, and this second outing is a prime example. Set in the 1940s or thereabouts, in "Demon an' Pithypuss" we hear about a pair of ranch hands (Rowdy Ransom and Mac McCorkadale) who are such close friends, that one can't itch without the other one scratchin', to hear Ol' Duff Moser, the ramrod, tell it. Mac and Rowdy are sure-fire winners in the upcoming rodeo's steer-tying competition, but their other event, a ballad-singing contest, causes their friendship (and rodeo partnership) to fall apart when they find they can't agree on the "right" words to an old song. With all the other hands' wages tied up in bets, things look pretty dire, and the other cowboys try all kinds of ways to bring these two back together.

CAST:

Gene Giggy as THE OLD-TIMER

Les Marsden as DUFF MOSER

John Bell as EDITOR STRAWN

Norman Cline as ROWDY RANSOM

David Ian as MAC McCORKADALE

Eugene Lutz as PINCH-POCKET PATTERSON

Mark Kalita as LINK CASSIDY

Pete Lutz as BIG-NOSE GEORGE and NICK SHORTRIDGE 

Jordan Bruster as JOE CLARK

Dana Gonsalves as AB BUNKER

With additional voices by Glenn Higbee, Glenn Hascall, and members of the cast.

Guitar for "Trail to Mexico" performed by Riley Lutz

ADVENTURE TRAIL theme and interstitial music composed and performed by Ed Champion

Melody for "Trail to Mexico" composed by Pete Lutz

Season Three of Old-Time Radio Essentials continues! This time it's Dave's pick -- but he's invited Essential Listener Marshal to choose something for us to enjoy and discuss.

And since we're on the subject of discussion, we hope to determine whether this entry meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our thirtieth number (but 5th official episode of S3), this episode of Mark Trail, from 3/22/50. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

Please show your support of the podcast by doing any of the following!

To comment on how we might improve OTR-E, or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at f6point3@gmail.com . Put the word "Essentials" in the subject line.

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

Next Time: An episode of Philo Vance!

In honor of Saint Paddy's day (March 17th), we've sent our intrepid reporter, Philboyd Studge, to New York City, home of the world's largest St. Patrick's Day parade, to interview someone who claims to be a leprechaun. You'll be "Wearin' o' the Grin" by the time it's over, don't ye know. Enjoy!

Season Three of Old-Time Radio Essentials continues! This time it's Pete's pick -- but he's invited Essential Listener Rick to choose something for us to enjoy and discuss.

And since we're on the subject of discussion, we hope to determine whether this entry meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our twenty-ninth number (but 4th official episode of S3), this episode of The Red Skelton Program, from 4/29/49. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

Please show your support of the podcast by doing any of the following!

To comment on how we might improve OTR-E, or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at f6point3@gmail.com . Put the word "Essentials" in the subject line.

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

Next Time: An episode of Mark Trail, and another guest programmer!