People, I can't believe I never posted this one three years ago! And we're coming up on the anniversary of the original launch date, too, September 3rd, 2021. I'm sorry to unintentionally hold back on ya, gang! This is actual Bob & Ray material, unlike the show four entries down from this one, which was written by Yr Obdt Svt. OK, enough apology, read on...

Not too many stars from the OTR era have also hosted Saturday Night Live and a Broadway show, but comic geniuses Bob & Ray did it - and so Project Audion salutes them with a re-creation of the offbeat, deadpan humor that aired on radio networks across the country for years starting in the early 1950s. John Bell in Alabama, and Pete Lutz in Texas take on the many characters created by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding in an assemblage of sketches - both familiar and obscure - designed to replicate the kind of free flowing absurdity they did so well. Larry Groebe is there as well, handling the production aspects from Dallas.

In case you're a stubborn type who doesn't want to scroll down to find the aforementioned "other Bob & Ray", here's a handy link to help you get there, ya ol' curmudgeon:

https://naradaradio.libsyn.com/project-audion-58-matinee-with-bob-ray

Old-Time Radio Essentials returns with episode 43, the 6th installment of Season 4! Pete, Paul and Patte present Paul's pick, an episode of the syndicated series Bold Venture, called "Black Tie Affair"!  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:

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 Essential Listener Andy along for the ride, as they discuss an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes!

In terms of sheer fun and laughter during radio's classic mid-century era, it's hard to beat the Phil Harris/Alice Faye show. A spinoff from Jack Benny, bandleader Phil Harris and his family found themselves in classic sitcom predicaments week after week. Now, Robert L. Mills, former writer for Bob Hope, has created another fresh script that brings all those characters -- including Frankie Remley, Julius, brother Willie, your friendly Rexall druggist and others -- back to life.

Project Audion's talented voice actors came together live with a virtual studio audience to create a delightful - and delightfully accurate - recreation of a radio comedy classic:

PETE LUTZ in Texas (Phil)

ANGELA YOUNG in Florida (Alice and Nurse Syringe)

DUANE NOCH in New Jersey (Remley)

JULIE HOVERSON in Washington (Julius)

BOB BEAUMONT in California (Willie/Doctor)

MEL ROSE in Pennsylvania (Phyllis/Little Alice/Store Patron)

HARRY MIDDLEBROOKS in California (Admiral)

RANDY KERDOON in Washington (Announcer)

ROBERT L. MILLS, in California, who also scripted the show (Druggist)

Production was handled in Texas by Larry Groebe

S2 E8 - The Golden Horseshoe, part 1

In this two-part adventure, the Tec is sent by a worried wife down to Tijuana, Mexico, to find her husband. Our hero has a swell time south of the border, but when he returns, he finds a house full of murder! Story by Dashiell Hammett, adapted and dramatized by Pete Lutz.

CAST:

Pete Lutz as THE TEC

Noah Diamond as VANCE RICHMOND

Amanda Sisk as MRS. ASHCRAFT

Carole Krohn as the LANDLADY

Jeff Moon as ED BOHANNON

Paul Arbisi as LUSK and JAMOCHA

John Bell as THE POLICE CAPTAIN, THE BARTENDER and PEDRO

Frank Guglielmelli as THE NEIGHBOR and THE COP

Angela Young as CORA and the STENOGRAPHER

Rhiannon McAfee as KEWPIE

Joe Stofko as the OLD MAN and

Jason D. Johnson as O'GAR

With Darren Rockhold as THE ANNOUNCER GUY

Music by Ross Bernhardt. Post-production and mixing by Fishbonius Sound Design.

PROJECT AUDION EPISODE 56 - The Jack Benny Program w/guest star James Stewart (orig. rel. 6/14/24)

Project Audion once again brings you laughs, with an all-new original episode of the Jack Benny Program sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes. This Audion Original was written for us by former Bob Hope staff writer Robert L. Mills. Jack Benny was his childhood comedy inspiration, and once again Mr. Mills has recreated that classic Benny style and humor so faithfully, it's like discovering a lost episode! This week, Jack has snagged Jimmy Stewart as his guest star, so the Benny gang (Mary Livingston, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Mel Blanc, and the rest) can stage their send-up of the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Also, after a trying violin lesson with Professor LeBlanc, Jack faces a tax audit which requires a trip to the IRS to explain some of his more mysterious deductions. Performing live in our virtual Zoom studio, our coast-to-coast cast and crew once again capture the sound of the Benny show right down to the studio audience. Tune in and join in the laughter! 

 JOHN BELL (as Jack) In Alabama

SCOTT MCKINLEY (as James Stewart) in New Jersey

ANGELA YOUNG (as Mary) in Florida

PAUL PATTERSON (as Rochester) in Georgia

PETE LUTZ (as Mel Blanc/Phil Harris) in Texas 

BOB BEAUMONT (as Dennis Day/Frank Nelson) in California 

RACHEL PULLIAM (as child) in Missouri 

KEN JEFFRIES (as Don Wilson) in California

LARRY GROEBE produced and directed from Texas

Old-Time Radio Essentials returns with episode 42, the 5th installment of Season 4! Pete, Paul and Patte present Patte's pick, an episode of the NBC Radio series The Phil Harris - Alice Faye Show, called "Improvement is Necessary"!  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:

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'll bring a surprise (translation: he has no idea yet)!

SUSPENSE, Episode 55

Premiered May 10, 2024

Suspense is one of classic radio's most highly-regarded dramas -- with good reason. It sustained a remarkably high quality level of dramatic tension for 20 years, as the many surviving recordings attest. But a handful of episodes are lost - and Project Audion now recreates one of them. "The Life of Nellie James" was intended as Suspense's premiere, but circumstances pushed it back to the third episode. It was performed once, live, on July 1, 1942, but never heard again. Until now -- as Project Audion, kicking off its fifth season, brings together a transcontinental cast in a live transcription of "The Life of Nellie James" from the original 1942 script. A dreadful murder takes place in the Simon James home, and justice is done ...or is it? It's a tale well-calculated to keep you in ...Suspense!

Featured in our cast are –

Patte Rosebank in Canada

Tim Burns in Kansas

Andy Hartson-Bowyer in Virginia

Richard Huitema in Florida

Mel Rose in Pennsylvania

Pete Lutz in Texas

Art Brown in California

Denny Thompson in Colorado

Frank Guglielmelli in Pennsylvania

Sharon Grunwald in New Jersey

Larry Groebe produced and directed from Texas

Old-Time Radio Essentials is back after a months-long hiatus, with episode 41, the 4th installment of Season 4! Pete, Paul and Patte present an episode of the ABC Radio series The Henry Morgan Show. This time it's Pete's pick, called "Morgan's Around the World Listening Post"!  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:

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

Next Time: It's Patte's pick again, and she'll bring an episode of The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show!

The Mutual Stage: A Cold Night's Death

The Mutual Stage returns with another exciting play, hosted by Jack Ward and starring the Narada Radio Company. This time, we present "A Cold Night's Death", adapted from a 1973 ABC-TV Movie of the Week and directed by Pete Lutz. NASA Scientists Robert Jones and Frank Enari are sent to the top of the world to take over a special primate-studies program on how extreme conditions affect life in space. Once they arrive, strange things start happening, that makes them wonder: are they studying the monkeys, or are the monkeys studying them?

CAST:

ANNOUNCER: Darren Rockhold

HOST: Jack Ward

VOGEL: Tom Konkle

 COOPER: Joe Stofko

CHAPPELL: Dana Gonsalves

ENARI: Gino Vianelli

JONES: Pete Lutz

PRIMATE SOUNDS: John Bell

MUSIC: Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Peter Lorre is an actor with such a distinctive voice and presence that even now, 60 years after his death, he's still instantly identifiable. It's surprising he didn't do more radio dramas, but he did host and star in "Mystery In The Air" in 1947. As a summer replacement show, there were only 17 episodes, and only 8 or so recordings exist -- so Project Audion asked Pete Lutz to create a NEW Mystery in the Air script. The result is both light-hearted and supernaturally spooky, and thanks to our transcontinental cast of talented voice actors, sounds just like an unheard episode from this terrific vintage series:

Pete Lutz in Texas

Lothar Tuppan in California

Jeff Billard in Massachusetts

Geri Elliff in Texas

Angela Young in Florida

John Bell in Alabama

Bob Beaumont in California

with Larry Groebe (in TX) handling sounds, music, and production

COMING SOON from The Mutual Stage and 63audio: 

A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH

Based on the 1973 ABC Movie of the Week -- screenplay by Christopher Knopf

Adapted, directed and produced by Pete Lutz

With voice talents of: Darren Rockhold - Tom Konkle - Joe Stofko - Gino C. Vianelli - Pete Lutz - Dana Gonsalves - John Bell - Jack Ward

Music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

LAUNCHES 2-25-24 RIGHT HERE!

Western hero Jake Dimes, Range Detective, is back for another very special holiday tale, "Santa Claus of Bitter Creek". Jake and his sidekick Briar Buck spin a Christmas yarn for their wives and in-laws when they all gather for the holidays: A cowboy who has lost his faith in Christmas gets it back in spades when he helps a youngster buy presents for his mother. It's a heart-warming tale that's perfect for Christmas! Written and directed by Pete Lutz – adapted from a short story by A. C. Abbott, and starring the Narada Radio Company.

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

Philboyd Studge as JEFF MITCHELL 

Isla Braly as BUD

Pete Lutz as MIKE GABBY 

Paul Patterson as JIM BAILEY and

Lisa Michaud as BUD'S MOTHER 

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

Mindstream Players Christmas Special. Written, edited, mixed and directed by Tom Konkle

Starring Kurtis Bedford as Dr. John Watson

Tom Konkle as Sherlock Holmes

Stephanie Stearns Dulli as Mrs. Hudson, Lady Arabella, Penelope Chutney-Featherstone

Pete Lutz as Barnaby Winklethorpe

Jude Gerard Prest as Figgy

Gino C. Vianelli as Humphrey Carruthers

Bob Clendenin as Algernon Butterworth

And ? as Madam Zepyra.

Old-Time Radio Essentials is back with episode 40, the 3rd installment of Season 4, and our fourth Holiday Special! Pete, Paul and Patte present an episode of the long-running Mutual series Nick Carter, Master Detective. This time it's Paul's pick, called "Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure"!  Will Pete dwell on technical details and miss the historical context? Will Patte compare this to something Canadian? Tune in and find out!

And since we're on the subject of finding things out, while you listen you'll learn if we feel this entry meets the following criteria:

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 an episode of The Henry Morgan Show!

SANTA'S STOLEN TOY SACK, A Jake Dimes Christmas Number

In this special Christmas Western adventure, originally released in 2020, Range Detective Jake Dimes returns to tell a heartwarming tale of the Old West, so have a seat and lend us yore ears, pard'ners! Adapted, produced and directed by Pete Lutz, from a pulp Western story written by S. Omar Barker. Starring THE NARADA RADIO COMPANY.

CAST:

Dana Gonsalves as JAKE DIMES

Glenn Hascall as MR. PINKELSON

Austin Beach as BRIAR BUCK

John Bell as POP JECKLIN

Owen McCuen as OLD JOE McGILLIS

Agnes McCuen as CAP

Eloise McCuen as KITTY

Aubrey Miller as MARTHA and

Sebastian Ruiz as EDDIE

with additional voices by Lisa Michaud, Philboyd Studge, Ana Ruiz, Evy Elizondo, Crosby Miller, Eva Huckaby, Ian Robertson and Jacqueline Robertson.

Music passages came from "The Winter's Passed" by Wayne Barlow, plus the traditional Christmas carols "Wexford Carol" and "The Holly and the Ivy".

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

THE CELLAR Miniseries 3.5: Far Below

The Cellar's third miniseries concludes with this adaptation by Pete Lutz of one of the most famous pulp-horror tales to appear in Weird Tales magazine! Robert Barbour Johnson's story of a special squad of the NYPD, assembled to combat strange subterranean creatures in the subway tunnels, was voted the best story ever to appear in those pages. Mr. Lutz's adaptation takes a few liberties with the story, but only enough to keep it moving along at a good clip. We think you'll approve! Thanks for joining us for this year's miniseries, and be sure to come back next year for our fourth outing in...The Cellar! NARADA RADIO COMPANY

THE CELLAR Miniseries 3.4: The Renegotiation

The Cellar Miniseries continues with this thrilling retelling, by Kevin Kordis, of an old folktale. In order to save the people of his village from marauders, a blacksmith must enter into an agreement with the agent of a mysterious figure. Some years later, he feels that he should revisit this situation with the agent. The agent doesn't agree, but the smith is...quite persuasive. Mr. Kordis wrote this play for the 2019 Cellar Scriptwriting Competition, and received Honorable Mention. We're very proud to be finally presenting it.  This episode has the added thrill of having been edited and mixed in a single marathon production session lasting approximately 10 hours! We hope you enjoy it.

The Cellar theme by Tom Rory Parsons

Incidental music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Produced & directed by Pete Lutz

THE CELLAR Miniseries 3.3: Gear Jammin'

The Cellar Miniseries continues with this exciting horror tale by Mark Slade, with characters taken from a 1970s TV series, Movin' On, but with a supernatural element the creators of that series never dreamed of adding! Sonny and Will, long-haul truckers who share driving duties, are down on their luck as usual. A stranger offers them a considerable amount of money to carry a strange parcel cross-country, with the usual unforeseen consequences. This episode has the added thrill of having been edited and mixed in a single marathon production session lasting approximately 12 hours! We hope you enjoy it.

The Cellar theme by Tom Rory Parsons

Incidental music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Produced & directed by Pete Lutz

THE CELLAR Miniseries 3.2: Four Bros in a Deer Camp

In this quirky tale by Will Anderson and Pete Lutz, four friends drive out to the country on what's intended to be a deer-hunting weekend, but some vandalism and hijinks result in some supernaturally dangerous consequences. It's the 2nd of 5 planned episodes for this third miniseries of The Cellar!

BIG STAGE AUDIO THEATRE: Laura

Adapted, produced and directed by Pete Lutz, from the screenplay by Jay Dratler, et al., this full-length presentation brings the story to life in your imagination. 

With the voice talents of:

Carole Krohn as LAURA

Les Marsden as WALDO LYDECKER

Tom Konkle as MARK McPHERSON 

Rachel Pulliam as ANNE TREADWELL  

Dana Gonsalves as SHELBY CARPENTER and

Geri Elliff as BESSIE; with

Additional voices by Pete Lutz and 

Darren Rockhold as the ANNOUNCER

Music composed and performed by Dr. Ross Bernhardt.

NBC BEST PLAYS: The Petrified Forest, originally aired 9-20-1953; remade for Sonic Summerstock Playhouse 2023 by the Narada Radio Company

In the midst of the Great Depression, Alan Squier, a failed writer, now a disillusioned, penniless drifter, wanders into a somewhat frowzy roadside diner in the remote town of Black Mesa, Arizona, at the edge of the Petrified Forest. Here he meets owner Jason Maple, his daughter Gabrielle, and Gramp, Jason's father, who regales anyone who will listen with stories of his adventures in the Old West with such characters as Billy the Kid. Eventually the diner is overrun by gangsters, headed up by Duke Mantee, who has escaped prison and is being chased down by the law.

The Petrified Forest was a 1935 stage play by Robert E. Sherwood, made into a 1936 film that starred the principal actors of the stage play, Leslie Howard (Squier) and Humphrey Bogart (Mantee). 

CAST:

Darren Rockhold as ANNOUNCER

Les Marsden as GRAMP MAPLE

Gino C. Vianelli as BOZE HERTZLINGER

Bobby Vela as the TELEGRAPH LINEMAN

Paul Arbisi as JASON MAPLE

Carole Krohn as GABBY MAPLE

Ebony Rose as PAULA

Chuck Wilson as MR. CHISHOLM

Stephanie Stearns Dulli as MRS. CHISHOLM

Carl Thomas as JOSEPH

David Ian as JACKIE and the RADIO VOICE

Dana Gonsalves as DUKE MANTEE

Duane Noch as RUBY

Tre' Minor as SLIM

Frank Guglielmelli as the LEGION COMMANDER

Pete Lutz as ALAN SQUIER

Music was sourced from the public domain.

Recorded over Zoom in July 2023, with actors from Texas, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Originally released 8/13/23 on the Mutual Audio Network as a feature of the 2023 Sonic Summerstock Playhouse festival.