Project Audion recreates an extraordinarily rare and early lost episode of the classic audio drama Suspense. When CBS premiered the the show in June 1942, it wasn't immediately evident that it would become one of the all-time great radio dramas, running for 20 years and nearly 1000 stories. Indeed, in this (just Suspense's fifth-ever episode, from July 15, 1942), while all the typical ingredients are in place (in this instance, a murder aboard a moving train) the show hadn't quite yet settled into the style that would soon define classics like 1943's "Sorry, Wrong Number." Heard for the first time in 80 years, our recreation of this lost Suspense episode -- "The Witness on the Westbound Train" -- is taken from the single known surviving script. It features the same transcontinental cast of vocal actors who appeared in Project Audion's very first episode, along with additional talented voices who have appeared in Project Audion shows during the past three years.

The Cast: 

MARK: Pete Lutz, TX

JOE: Doug Fain, KY

DORIS: Patte Rosebank, Canada

CONDUCTOR: Denny Thompson, CO

LAWRENCE / RANDOLPH: John Mauldin, TN

BILL / BAGGAGEMAN: Dick Huitema, FL

ANNOUNCER / WAITER: Robert Stevenson, IN

DIRECTION / PRODUCTION / SOUND: Larry Groebe, TX

THE MAN WITH NO FACE, originally released in April 2020 on the Mutual Audio Network, is an adaptation by Pete Lutz of a short story by G. M. Benson, originally published in the 1920s. This tale of psychic phenomenon has been brought into the present day, and has suffered not a bit, we believe, by its slight modernization. NARADA RADIO COMPANY

CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

THE DOCTOR: Julia Eve

MRS SMITH: Angel Leigh McCoy

MR SMITH: Pete Lutz

MUSIC COMPOSED BY Dr. Ross Bernhardt

PROJECT AUDION #41: Life With Luigi - "Luigi's Toothache"

This month Project Audion recreates a classic radio comedy based on a timeless premise. As a nation of immigrants, the clash of old and new cultures in America has offered authors an unending supply of humorous situations. "Life with Luigi" mined this comedic vein from 1948 to 1953. Each week, small-town Italian Luigi Basco struggled to navigate the complexities of his new American life, supported by his friends from Italy, Germany, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia. It's full of charming stereotypes with broadly entertaining accents, it's-a great, innocent fun. In this episode, Luigi's aching tooth leads him into the unfamiliar world of medical specialists...

Luigi: Jacob Palka, IL

Pasquale: Pete Lutz, TX

Schultz: Larry Groebe, TX

Announcer / Horowitz / Man: Ken Jeffries, CA

Olson / Doctor: Paul Arbisi, IL

Miss Spaulding / Rosa: Donna Patton, TN

Directed by Mr. Palka and produced by Mr. Groebe

"Burn" was adapted for audio and directed by Pete Lutz, from a story in Eerie Tales #1, a one-shot comic book publication from 1959. First released in April 2020 on Mutual. (SUSPENSE)

Our cast consisted of the following players:

Rich Frolich as CHICK HEALY

Pete Lutz as MAC O'MALLEY and JOJO

Old-Time Radio Essentials is back with episode 37, the Season 3 finale! Pete, Paul and Dave present an installment of the long-running series "Counterspy". The usual free-wheeling discussion follows, with Paul, Dave and Pete weighing the merits of this particular episode. Will they love it, or hate it, or try to waterboard it? 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: Pete brings us, for our season 4 opener, a double-feature of The Fred Allen Show, with both guest-starring Orson Welles (it's a tradition, ya know)!

THE MUTUAL STAGE: Charade

Hearkening back to such classic series as Lux Radio Theatre and Mercury Theatre On the Air, The Mutual Stage presents all-new adaptations of films and stage plays, sourced from the public domain. In our inaugural effort, director/producer Pete Lutz has assembled an Oscar-worthy cast to bring you his adaptation of the hit 1963 film, CHARADE. Get set for comedy, adventure, and romance, as we tell the story of a recent widow whose husband stole a quarter of a million dollars -- and now his partners want that money back! NARADA RADIO COMPANY

CAST:

Darren Rockhold as THE ANNOUNCER

Jack Ward as THE HOST

Greg McAfee as GRANDPIERRE, BARTHOLOMEW, MARINE

Karim C. Kronfli as PETER JOSHUA

Rhiannon McAfee as REGGIE

Gwendolyn Lim as JEAN-LOUIS

Lisa Michaud as SYLVIE

Dana Gonsalves as GIDEON and BRITISH DELEGATE

Pete Lutz as TEX, GENDARME, EMBASSY TELEPHONE OPERATOR, MONSIEUR FELIX

Ian Federgreen as "BARTHOLOMEW"

Chuck Wilson as SCOBIE

Tanja Milojevic as ITALIAN DELEGATE

Carole Krohn as FRENCH DELEGATE

Geri Elliff as FUNERAL ATTENDANT, WAITER, VENDOR, CRUIKSHANK'S SECRETARY

MUSIC BY Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Adapted, produced & directed by PETE LUTZ

Old-time Radio Essentials continues its 3rd season with an episode of Let George Do It – "There Ain't No Justice"! This one's Dave's pick, and it sparks quite an animated discussion. Who will like it? Will anybody hate it? Why wonder? 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: Paul brings us, for our season finale, an episode of David Harding: Counterspy!

PROJECT AUDION #38 -- The Jack Benny Program, "Mutiny on the Bounty"

Think you've heard almost every Jack Benny radio show? Try one that was just written! Project Audion presents a recreation newly penned by Robert L. Mills, former staff writer for Bob Hope. Project Audion has gathered the classic Benny gang, guest stars Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen, and a virtual studio audience for a half hour of laughter, including a send-up of "Mutiny on the Bounty." Our transcontinental cast of voice actors even recorded this show live via Zoom on a Sunday night at 7. 

Featuring the talents of...

JACK BENNY: Scott R. McKinley, NJ

CHARLIE MCCARTHY / EFFIE KLINKER / MR. KITZEL: Duane Noch, NJ

EDGAR BERGEN: Larry Groebe, TX

MARY LIVINGSTONE: Denise Cline, KY

PHIL HARRIS: Norman Cline, KY

DENNIS DAY / FRANK NELSON: Bob Beaumont, CA

STAGE HAND / SHELDON LEONARD / MEL BLANC: Pete Lutz, TX 

DON WILSON: Ken Jeffries, CA

...and produced and directed by Larry Groebe

S2E3: One Hour

The Tec is called in when a print shop owner is run down in the street by a stolen car. He goes looking for the perps, and when he finds them, the secret they're keeping may cost our hero his life! Adapted by Pete Lutz from the story by Dashiell Hammett.

CAST:

ANNOUNCER: Darren Rockhold

THE TEC: Pete Lutz

RICHMOND: Noah Diamond

CROSTHWAITE: Paul Arbisi

COFFEE: Jeff Moon

SOULES: Mark Kalita

THE OLD MAN: Joe Stofko

OTHER VOICES: John Bell

Theme and incidental music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Mixing and sound design by Fishbonius Sound Design

We proudly present the Narada Radio Company and their solitary holiday offering -- but it's a lulu, kiddies!

Based on the hit stage play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, and adapted for radio several times in the 1940s (and from two of which productions ours is derived), The Man Who Came to Dinner is a rollicking comedy that tells the story of a tyrannical celebrity who gets injured around Christmastime in a small town in Ohio; and of his eventual comeuppance by his friends and loved ones. Filled with colorful characters and comical situations, this is a Holiday Treat that can't be beat.

Adapted from the 1949 Hotpoint Holiday Hour and 1950 Lux Radio Theatre broadcasts, directed and produced by Pete Lutz. For entertainment purposes only, no infringement is intended. Our Narada Radio Company players were...

 Darren Rockhold as Your Announcer

Les Marsden as Sheridan Whiteside

Victoria Fancki as Maggie

Rhiannon McAfee as Lorraine Sheldon

Geri Elliff as Mrs. Stanley

Duane Noch as Mr. Stanley

Rachel Pulliam as Miss Preen

Stephanie Stearns Dulli as Sarah

Bob Beaumont as Dr. Bradley

Jessica Mathews as Harriet Stanley

Dana Gonsalves as Bert Jefferson

Tom Konkle as Beverly Carlton and

Pete Lutz as Banjo, Radio Voice, Michaelson, Expressmen, and Westcott

Music was by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Old-time Radio Essentials continues its 3rd season with an episode of Birds Eye Open House – "Groucho Brings a Turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner"! This one's Pete's pick, or rather, that of his special guest, Essential Listener Noah Diamond*. Noah's an actor, author, podcaster, Marxian Scholar, and off-Broadway Groucho impersonator, not to mention a very funny guy, so you can imagine the discussion of this episode's merits by Noah and our three co-hosts will be sparkling and rapid-fire and exceptionally funny. But why imagine it? 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: Dave brings us an episode of Let George Do It!

*Noah's body of work (and possibly his body) can be found at noahdiamond.com 

THE CELLAR Miniseries 2, Episode 2: The Game, by John Bell & Becky Beach

In this specially curated collection for Halloween 2022, we will be presenting a wide selection of new, old-time radio (and other) horror programs. For our ninth, we are proud to present . 

In this new production, "The Game" by John Bell and Becky Beach, the Third Place winner in The Cellar's scriptwriting contest in 2019, made especially for World Audio Drama Day 2022, a laid-back guy and his prudish date go to the home of a fun-loving couple for game night. Some experiments with a Ouija Board lead to the unexpected arrival of an uninvited guest, who insists on taking over the evening...and a few other things! 

CAST:

CADAVERA QUIVRY: Angela Young

ANNOUNCER: Robin Robbins

BOB:  Dana Gonsalves

ALTON:  Pete Lutz

SHARON: Angela Young

ELLEN:  Rachel Pulliam

THE STRANGER: John Bell

Directed by Pete Lutz

Produced by John Bell

Theme music composed and performed by Tom Rory Parsons

THE CELLAR Miniseries 2, Episode 1: Terror on Edge Island, by Adrian Cory

In this new production, "Terror on Edge Island" by Adrian Cory, the First Place winner in The Cellar's scriptwriting contest in 2019, made especially for World Audio Drama Day 2022, a small band of climate scientists travel to an island off the coast of Norway to study the effect of climate change on its fjords and permafrost, with a secondary study of the prehistoric, primitive life that once thrived there. What else they find is something you'll soon find out for yourself! 

CAST:

CADAVERA QUIVRY: Angela Young

ANNOUNCER: Robin Robbins

PROFESSOR LINFORD NOBLE: Jordan Scavone

DR GUNTER SCHMIDT: Thomas Rippert

DR GARY STILES: Les Marsden

DR ANNE HOLLOWAY: Angela Young

CANUTE: Orlando Segarra

Produced & Directed by Pete Lutz

Theme music composed and performed by Tom Rory Parsons

Old-time Radio Essentials continues its 3rd season with an episode of Broadway is My Beat – "The Lars Nielson Murder Case"! This one's Paul's pick, and there's lots of police procedural-goodness in the selection, followed by fast-paced discussion of its merits by the three co-hosts. Will our upstairs neighbor call the cops on us for talking too loud? 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: Pete uses his turn to bring in a special guest!

S2E2: Zigzags of Treachery, part 2

In the conclusion of our Season 2 premiere,  the life of an innocent woman hangs in the balance, and only a letter can save her – if the Tec can find it in time! Adapted from the Continental Op story of the same name by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in the March 1, 1924 issue of "Black Mask" magazine. Starring The NARADA RADIO COMPANY

Adapted and directed by Pete Lutz

Post-production by Fishbonius Sound Design

Theme and certain musical passages by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Darren Rockhold as YOUR ANNOUNCER

Pete Lutz as THE TEC

Noah Diamond as ATTORNEY VANCE RICHMOND

Jason D. Johnson as O'GAR

Frank Guglielmelli as MR. STACEY

Jeff Moon as DR. ESTEP 

Geri Elliff as EDNA ESTEP

Mark Kalita as DICK FOLEY

Jordan Bruster as BOB TEAL

Paul Arbisi as LEDWICH and HAMMETT'S VOICE

Rachel Pulliam as THE MAID and

Joe Stofko as THE OLD MAN 

I had some bandwidth left over at the end of the month, that I didn't want to see go to waste, so I decided to post this fun musical program that I had on cassette and converted to digital. Enjoy!

In their final appearance for the 2022 Sonic Summerstock Playhouse, the Narada Radio Company proudly presents a remake of Lux Radio Theatre's LES MISERABLES, from the 1952 film starring Michael Rennie, Robert Newton and Debra Paget. 

ANNOUNCER: Darren Rockhold

JEAN VALJEAN – Les Marsden 

JAVERT – Pete Lutz 

COSETTE – Rhiannon McAfee 

ROBERT – Greg McAfee 

JUDGE/PROSECUTOR/GUSTAVE – Larry Groebe 

RIMBAUD/GENFLOU – Paul Arbisi 

BISHOP – Karim Kronfli

MME. MAGLOIRE – Pam Pailes 

CORPORAL/COCHESPAILLE – Dave Robison 

SILVERSMITH – Jack Ward 

MENTOU - Ross Bernhardt

FANTINE – Carole Krohn 

MATHIEU/REVOLUTIONARY – Lothar Tuppan 

BREVET/DUPUY – John Bell 

MARIUS/BYSTANDER – Dana Gonsalves 

Director/Producer: Pete Lutz

Music by Ross Bernhardt

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS - Originally released 10/2/20

Project Audion's live-transcribed cross-continental Zoom-based production for October [2020] is an episode from Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre On the Air from 1938. No, not the "War of the Worlds" which everyone knows, but "Around the World in 80 Days" which aired the week before. Welles, John Houseman, and Howard Koch condensed Jules Verne's 1872 novel into a fast-paced 60 minutes, and fewer than 20 characters (which we handle by doubling each actor's part.) Phileas Fogg's journey started October 2, 1872 at about 9 PM: Project Audion's recreation premieres exactly 148 years later!

In our sterling cast:

Paul Arbisi / Illinois

John Bell / Alabama

Norman Cline / Kentucky

Aileen Corpos / Texas

Dana Gonsalves / Texas

Larry Groebe / Texas

Pete Lutz / Texas

Les Marsden / California

Pete Lutz directed, and Larry Groebe produced

The Saint - "the Robin Hood of modern crime" and star of scores of books, TV shows, movies, and also a well-remembered radio series - is Project Audion's latest radio recreation. Vincent Price was urbanely brilliant as Simon Templar on the radio, but he only came to the show in 1947. The first series aired in 1945 with Edgar Barrier, and no recordings exist.

Project Audion's vintage script of the episode "The Million Dollar Day" was only the 4th-ever episode. This Saint has sidekicks! We were also lucky to speak with Saint expert Ian Dickerson in England for a pre-show interview, and doubly lucky to locate a still-working SONOVOX (and experienced operator Ken Justiss) to recreate the once-famous sound effect of the "Bromo-Seltzer Train."

Our transcontinental transcription recording session was challenged by electrical storms and some camera glitches, but we pulled it off!

Our cast includes:

THE SAINT: Les Marsden, CA

HOPPY/JANITOR: Pete Lutz, TX

PATRICIA: Rhiannon McAfee, CA

MONTEIRO: Dana Gonsalves, TX

KUZELA: Frank Guglielmelli, PA

FERNACK/ANNOUNCER: John Bell, AL

Mr. Lutz directed this episode, and Larry Groebe produced, managed sound, and growled.

(Orig. rel. 8/14/22) The United Artists of Mutual present: Danse Macabre, a segment from a 1938 broadcast of The Royal Desserts Hour. Written by Arch (Lights Out) Oboler, this short piece describes how composer Camille Saint-Saëns might have been inspired to write the piece that made him famous.

With the voices of John Bell as Old Jacques and The Stranger; and Pete Lutz as Rudy Vallee and Saint-Saëns. Mr. Bell and Mr. Lutz also play the voices of the ghosts in the graveyard.

(Orig. rel. 8/14/22) The United Artists of Mutual present: More Bob & Ray! Recorded especially for Sonic Summerstock Playhouse 2022, it features Jeff Billard in the roles of Bob Elliott, and Pete Lutz as the many voices of Ray Goulding, in a half-hour of zany sketches. Enjoy!

1. Show open/Public Service Message

2. Fern Ock Veek, Sickly Whale Oil Processor

3. Einbinder Flypaper commercial

4. Happy Birthday, Ken Vose!

5. Anxiety!

6. Monongahela Metal Foundry commercial

7. Search for Togetherness

8. Mr. Science

9. Closing

S2E1: Zigzags of Treachery, part 1

In our Season 2 premiere, a man comes face-to-face with his past, and his wife gets blamed for the mess he leaves behind! Adapted from the Continental Op story of the same name by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in the March 1, 1924 issue of "Black Mask" magazine. Starring The NARADA RADIO COMPANY

Adapted and directed by Pete Lutz

Post-production by Fishbonius Sound Design

Theme and certain musical passages by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

CAST:

ANNOUNCER: Darren Rockhold

THE TEC: Pete Lutz

VANCE RICHMOND: Noah Diamond

STACEY: Frank Guglielmelli

LUCY COE: Rachel Pulliam

DR HUMBERT ESTEP: Jeff Moon

EDNA ESTEP: Geri Elliff

DICK FOLEY: Mark Kalita

BOB TEAL: Jordan Bruster

LEDWICH: Paul Arbisi

BOYD: John Bell

THE OLD MAN: Joe Stofko

Series created by Pete Lutz & Mark Slade

FIND THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (8 EPISODES) HERE AT NARADA RADIO COMPANY!

Today is a good day to listen to Bad Day at Black Rock, Project Audion's latest radio drama recreation. We're going far afield with this 1959 show, because by this time in America, television had killed off the great radio movie adaptation series like "Lux Radio Theatre." In other countries like Australia, radio drama still thrived through shows like Caltex Theatre. They adapted Bad Day at Black Rock from the gritty, Oscar-nominated 1955 drama with Spencer Tracy, where one man takes on a dying town that harbors a dirty secret. Now Project Audion recreates it with a transcribed-live coast-to-coast cast which includes:

MACREEDY: Les Marsden (CA)

SMITH/JENKINSON: Pete Lutz (TX)

COLEY/ANNOUNCER: Tom Konkle (CA)

DOC: Dana Gonsalves (TX)

SHERIFF/CONDUCTOR 2: John Bell (AL)

PETE: Austin Hanna (TX)

HASTINGS: Gino Vianelli (CA)

LIZ: Jesirae Kesler (TX)

VOICE/SAM/CONDUCTOR 1: Larry Groebe (TX)

Pete Lutz directed, & Larry Groebe produced

(Orig. rel. 7/24/22) Please enjoy part two of this special re-enactment of a classic radio play (adapted from a famous film and stage play). Twentieth Century is a screwball comedy, with laughs and situations that come at you as rapidly as the railroad train for which it's named. Listen and enjoy! 

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Les Marsden as OSCAR JAFFE

Rhiannon McAfee as LILY GARLAND

Dana Gonsalves as OWEN O'MALLEY

Pete Lutz as OLIVER WEBB and McGONIGLE

Lothar Tuppan as MAX JACOBS, LLOYD, and GERMAN ACTOR 1

John Bell as MR. CLARK and the COP

Rachel Pulliam as SADIE

Tom Konkle as GEORGE SMITH and ANNOUNCER

Carl Thomas as UNCLE RUFUS and THE PORTER

Larry Groebe as THE CONDUCTOR

Jesirae Kesler as ANITA and MISS SCHULTZ

Gino Vinanelli as FLANNAGAN, POP, and GERMAN ACTOR 2

Victoria Fancki as VALERIE and the WOMAN ON THE TRAIN

Jason D. Johnson as FATHER and the MAN ON THE TRAIN and

Jack Ward as STANLEY, the SHERIFF, and the WESTERN UNION MAN

Music by Ross Bernhardt

Special thanks to Rick Tribble for providing the "Rail Sounds" LP that furnished most of the...um...rail sounds. 

(Orig. rel. 7/24/22) Please enjoy part one of this special re-enactment of a classic radio play (adapted from a famous film and stage play). Twentieth Century is a screwball comedy, with laughs and situations that come at you as rapidly as the railroad train for which it's named. Listen and enjoy! 

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Les Marsden as OSCAR JAFFE

Rhiannon McAfee as LILY GARLAND

Dana Gonsalves as OWEN O'MALLEY

Pete Lutz as OLIVER WEBB and McGONIGLE

Lothar Tuppan as MAX JACOBS, LLOYD, and GERMAN ACTOR 1

John Bell as MR. CLARK and the COP

Rachel Pulliam as SADIE

Tom Konkle as GEORGE SMITH and ANNOUNCER

Carl Thomas as UNCLE RUFUS and THE PORTER

Larry Groebe as THE CONDUCTOR

Jesirae Kesler as ANITA and MISS SCHULTZ

Gino Vinanelli as FLANNAGAN, POP, and GERMAN ACTOR 2

Victoria Fancki as VALERIE and the WOMAN ON THE TRAIN

Jason D. Johnson as FATHER and the MAN ON THE TRAIN and

Jack Ward as STANLEY, the SHERIFF, and the WESTERN UNION MAN

Music by Ross Bernhardt

Special thanks to Rick Tribble for providing the "Rail Sounds" LP that furnished most of the...um...rail sounds.