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The Classic Radio Hour - Volume 3 - Gunsmoke (Doc Holiday) & Author's Playhouse (The Man Who Woke Up
Back in the day radio was the medium; and its message was entertainment!Whatever you craved, radio delivered. Detectives, Mysteries, Westerns, Sci-Fi, Literature.This Golden Age really was crammed full of exciting, thrilling and downright brilliant programmes.These classic radio hours serve up a wide range of genres, stars, stories, and yes, entertainment.Let's jump right in.
Corrie Ford, John Meston (Author), Michael Romano, William Conrad (Narrator)
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The Classic Radio Hour - Volume 2 - Rocky Fortune (Oyster Shucker) & Gunsmoke (Billy the Kid)
Back in the day radio was the medium; and its message was entertainment!Whatever you craved, radio delivered. Detectives, Mysteries, Westerns, Sci-Fi, Literature.This Golden Age really was crammed full of exciting, thrilling and downright brilliant programmes.These classic radio hours serve up a wide range of genres, stars, stories, and yes, entertainment.Let's jump right in.
John Meston, Staff Writer (Author), Frank Sinatra, William Conrad (Narrator)
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The Classic Radio Hour - Volume 10 - The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (The Fifth of November) &
Back in the day radio was the medium; and its message was entertainment!Whatever you craved, radio delivered. Detectives, Mysteries, Westerns, Sci-Fi, Literature.This Golden Age really was crammed full of exciting, thrilling and downright brilliant programmes.These classic radio hours serve up a wide range of genres, stars, stories, and yes, entertainment.Let's jump right in.
John Meston, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), Basil Rathbone, William Conrad (Narrator)
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THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP MARLOWE, SEASON 1; 44-Episode Collection
Raymond Chandler’s famous private eye, Philip Marlowe, comes to life in this 44-episode collection of Season One of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe radio show, featuring the original cast recordings originally aired on the CBS Radio Network from 1948-1950. The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a fan favorite for its no-nonsense, hard-boiled approach to crime solving and is presented here in 44 commercial-free episodes. ℗ © Copyright 2020 byTimely Audio. Digitally remastered and edited from public domain recordings. Additional new content created and produced by Timely Audio © 2020, all rights reserved.
Gene Levitt, Kathleen Hite., Mel Dinelli, Milton Geiger, Raymond Chandler, Robert Mitchell (Author), Gerald Mohr, Howard Mcnear, Jeff Corey, Parley Baer, Roy Rowan, William Conrad (Narrator)
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In the early programs, Matt Dillon has a grudging tolerance for his deputy, Chester Proudfoot. Chester's primary purpose it seemed, both to Matt and the audience, was to essentially irritate Dillon. Whether it was his constant searching through desk drawers or putting sugar in his whiskey, Chester's idiosyncrasies defined the character more than anything else. As the show continued, however, the two men developed an easy friendship, one which many male listeners could relate to. Chester even saves Dillon's life at one point, then tells Matt he can't tell anyone, as it would only embarrass them both. Marshall Matt Dillon definitely and intentionally did not fit into the stereotypical western hero mold. His tactics were often roughshod and harsh and his words and personality often proved as sharp as his shooting. Gunsmoke writer John Meston used the program to break the white hat singing cowboy mold that so many other shows had latched onto. His goal, as he himself stated, was to obliterate that archetype and he used Matt Dillon to do it. Meston conceived and wrote Dillon as a man who at any moment could be as vicious as any of the outlaws he sought, and that made Dillon more realistic. Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 9.
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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The Gunsmoke theme is considered by many to be one of the most renowned pieces of music of classic radio themes. Rex Koury was hired to provide the music for the program, and while having experience on a variety of radio shows, Koury had never composed for a western before. As a matter of practice, Koury wrote the music for the show itself first, openers and bridges and the like, then he would write the theme, tying it all together. According to Koury, he wrote the Gunsmoke theme the morning of the show's first broadcast, after oversleeping, in ten minutes. One of the keys to the success of Gunsmoke most definitely was character development. With a concept built around basically four key cast members and a continual flow of other characters in and out each week, Gunsmoke endeared itself to its audience by allowing that core cast to grow over the years. Although originally conceived to be a 'Philip Marlowe of the West," Matt Dillon grew less hard-boiled and more compassionate and understanding. Portrayed early on much like a buzzard waiting for people to die, Doc Adams also evolved, maturing into a man dedicated to his work. Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 8
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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Without Conrad as the lead in Gunsmoke, it's doubtful if the "adult radio" program would have flourished during its nine-year run on radio. Not only did Conrad bring a sense of doleful gravitas to the role of Marshall Matt Dillon; but he helped Macdonnell and Meston flesh out the supporting characters of Chester Proudfoot, Miss Kitty, and Doc Adams. Still, in order for Gunsmoke to successfully work as radio's first truly "adult" Western, it needed far more than just a talented cast, great writers, and a terrific sound crew. It needed CBS's willingness to forego sponsorship until the program either flourished or floundered. And with CBS Chairman George Paley riding shotgun, Gunsmoke was given the time it needed to thrive. CBS Radio knew it had a winner with the Gunsmoke radio show, but, because network radio entertainment was in slow a decline, the CBS Radio sales department was unable to secure a sponsor for it. On July 5, 1954, Liggett and Myers, manufacturers of L & M Cigarettes, came on board. Prior to this time, CBS was sustaining the program at its own expense. With the addition of a sponsor, Gunsmoke had a much needed financial shot in the arm. Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 7.
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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While Norman Macdonnell and John Meston were openly relishing the opportunity to upend the highly popular romanticized clichés of the Old West in a new show green lighted by CBS and Paley; the producer and writer still had to tackle a major problem if they wanted Gunsmoke to succeed. Macdonnell and Meston need to find the ideal voice actor to give the newly christened Marshall Matt Dillon life. William Conrad was one the hardest working actor of all time. Conrad's distinctive voice carried a rich cacophony of emotional ranges that made him the a sought after actor during Radio's Golden Age. By some estimates, Conrad acted in over 7,500 radio episodes. Macdonnell didn't want to cast Conrad in the role of Marshall Matt Dillon because he thought the actor was over-saturated on the airwaves. Meston firmly believed that Conrad was the perfect choice for the role. So like any good partner in a creative endeavor, Meston set out to bring Macdonnell around to his line of thinking. Getting Macdonnell to agree to cast Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon proved to be far easier than Meston had anticipated. Macdonnell agreed to let Conrad audition for the role much to Meston's delight. Conrad read just a few lines before Macdonnell and Meston. With just reading a few lines, Conrad's portrayal of Dillon as a man isolated by loneliness and a tough life won Macdonnell over. Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 6.
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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Gunsmoke was an adult western and was the creation of writer, John Meston, and producer, Norman Macdonnell. With CBS Chairman William S. Paley in their camp, Macdonnell and Meston had a strong ally in creating their version of a gritty, authentic Western that eschewed the established Western pathos that had been set forth in such "juvenile" Western adventure radio programs like The Lone Ranger, Straight Arrow, Hopalong Cassidy, and The Cisco Kid that featured neat and tidy resolutions at the end of each half-hour show. While an argument can be made that The Cisco Kid was more "adult" in nature since almost every episode featured Cisco giving a passionate kiss to the damsel in distress of the moment, once all the action had settled down after the bad guys had been soundly defeated; neither Macdonnell and Meston wanted the stories they told to end with a neat and tidy happy ending with a near perfect hero. They also wanted their edgy - for the era - program to center around a flawed hero who made numerous mistakes and negatively impacted the lives he became involved with. Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 5
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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If Gunsmoke had followed the traditional, but strictly constrictive cookie-cutter programming format that most successful radio shows adhered to during the Golden Age of Radio, then it would have been a dismal, half-remembered failure of a great idea for a Western adventure series done in by the rigid production values of the era in which it was first produced. Yet, Gunsmoke's popularity amongst listeners and ratings successes were allowed to grow because of the network's willingness to produce a regularly scheduled show without a sponsor of any kind for the program's first two seasons. Gunsmoke came into existence because CBS Chairman William S. Paley was a great fan of hard- boiled detective stories - especially those featuring his favorite fictional detective Philip Marlowe. Paley, who was "the" majority stock holder in CBS at this time, was also a fan of the "adult" Western novels of Louis L'amour, Max Brand, and Tom W. Blackburn, just to name of few. Paley wanted a unique, hard-boiled Western radio show that centered on the adventures of the Philip Marlowe of the old West." Thrill to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 4.
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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It is 1872 and you are living 12 miles from town. Your wife is screaming in pain in her last stages of labor, about to give birth to your first born. You are frantic because you have no idea how to deliver a child. Suddenly, a horse drawn carriage pulls up out front. It is the doctor with his bag and his medical knowledge. You shout into the house to your wife that the doctor has arrived. Who is it? It is Doctor Charles Adams from Dodge City, Kansas, there to give assistance to this important event. He has been doing this type of thing for many years, birthing children, setting broken bones, and curing illnesses. He has even removed bullets from people, including the city's marshal, Matt Dillon. He is gruff at times, but he loves the people he tends and gives them the tender, loving care they deserve. Adams, portrayed by veteran actor, Howard McNear, is the only doctor in town and his importance there cannot be overstated, because without him, many people would have not survived the illnesses and injuries that overtook them. Everyone loves him as we become involved in the exciting, action filled stories of this early American town and its people. Variety Magazine, the show business journal, called Gunsmoke an amazing presentation, and The New York Times labeled it Something new and entirely exciting in radio. CBS Radio knew it had a winner. Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 3
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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In the 1870s, Dodge City, Kansas was located at the end of a very long cattle trail called The Great Western Cattle Trail, The Dodge City trail, or The Old Texas Trail. During the American War Between The States, the Civil War, cattle herds in the State of Texas had grown very large, since the south did not want beef delivered to the north during the conflict. As a result, at the end of the war, a method had to be found to market the animals by driving them north on cattle trails to cities that had access to the railroad. Herd attendants, or cowboys, were hired for the fourteen hundred mile drive, By the time they arrived at the railhead after sleeping in the open, eating miles and miles of dust, being served bad chuck wagon food, and enduring foul cattle smells, they were ready for a rip roaring time, which sometimes led to conflicts with the townspeople and the law officers who were protecting them. Gunsmoke was an adult western and was the creation of writer, John Meston, and producer-director, Norman Macdonnell. It absolutely took the country by storm. Variety Magazine, called it an amazing presentation, and The New York Times labeled it Something new and entirely exciting in radio. Program stories centered around the cattle town of Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870s. If there ever was a program that accurately depicted the raw violence and danger of the early American west, radio Gunsmoke was it. Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 2.
John Meston (Author), William Conrad (Narrator)
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