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Dave

Dave Whittier, CA Member Since 2010

I'm a big fan of SF/F/Horror, and all things in between and out.

HELPFUL VOTES
182
ratings
REVIEWS
114
52
FOLLOWERS
FOLLOWING
34
7
  • "The Best Trick or Treat Ever"

    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The story of Orson Welles adapting The War of the Worlds on the radio one Halloween and terrifying a ridiculous amount of the United States is kind of legendary today, but as someone who'd never heard it before, I wasn't sure if it'd live up to the legend or not.

    It does, and it's a lot of fun to hear and imagine people listening to it when it originally broadcast. The moments of silence between reporters or military personnel when they go off the air unexpectedly just hangs there, and you can imagine the genuine dread that must've inspired (and still does, for those of us unafraid to use our imaginations).

    I recently listened to Wells' original novel (narrated by Simon Vance) and I was impressed how much Orson Welles channeled that here - particularly the scene toward the end with the artillery man. It's a very solid adaptation, and a genuine piece of Americana.

    It does sound like an old production, but it's well worth listening to if you've ever been curious about how Welles and Wells created possibly the best Trick or Treat in the world.

    More

    The War of the Worlds (Dramatized)

    • ORIGINAL (59 mins)
    • By Mercury Theatre on the Air
    • Narrated By Orson Welles
    Overall
    (244)
    Performance
    (137)
    Story
    (140)

    One of the most memorable programs in broadcast history, the Halloween Eve 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds set off a nationwide panic that's almost unimaginable today. Presented by the Mercury Theatre on the Air and its creatve genius, Orson Welles, the drama based on H.G. Wells' classic novel tells the story of a Martian invasion of Earth.

    Sandy says: "Classic"
  1. The War of the Worlds (Dr...
  2. .

The Talented Mr. Welles

The Best of the Best

Customer Favorites

  • UNABRIDGED
    Orson Welles, William Johnstone, Bret Morrison, Agnes Moorehead, Margot Stevenson, Marjorie Andersen, Grace Matthews

    The Shadow: Knight of Darkness

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 16 mins)
    • By Orson Welles, William Johnstone, Bret Morrison, and others
    Overall
    (96)
    Performance
    (39)
    Story
    (39)

    Radio Spirits is very pleased to present radio's greatest crime fighter, The Shadow, in this new collection of 18 digitally restored and remastered episodes selected from the classic series. Featuring Orson Welles, William Johnstone and Bret Morrison each in the title role, this set also includes the first release of two newly discovered and previously lost episodes starring Orson Welles as Lamont Cranston and The Shadow - "The Old People" and "The Vocie of the Trumpet".

    Ken says: "amazing"
  • A Sam Spade Audio Double-Feature Starring Howard Duff, Volume 1

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 19 mins)
    • By Dashiell Hammett
    • Narrated By Bill Mills, Howard Duff
    Overall
    (35)
    Performance
    (19)
    Story
    (19)

    This Audio Archive presentation of The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective, contains two complete, 30 minute,Sam Spade radio shows. Each episode is introduced by old radio aficionado and collector Bill Mills, who shares interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes and informative facts about the program and its stars.

  • The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: Old Time Radio - 105 Shows
    Play The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: Old Time Radio - 105 Shows

    The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: Old Time Radio - 105 Shows

    • ORIGINAL (48 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Raymond Chandler, Gene Levitt, Robert Mitchell, and others
    • Narrated By Gerald Mohr, Jeff Corey, Howard McNear
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Philip Marlowe is a fictional private eye created by Raymond Chandler. Marlowe first appeared, under that name, in The Big Sleep, published in 1939. The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a radio series featuring the Marlowe character. It first aired 17 June 1947 on NBC radio and moved to CBS radio a few months later. By 1949, it had the largest audience in radio. The CBS version ran for 114 episodes. While many fans of classic hard-boiled detective stories are familiar with Chandler's novels and short stories, few have heard these radio shows.

    LLLukas says: "Brilliant Hard Boiled Detective Stories."
  • Brave New World (Dramatized)
    Play Brave New World (Dramatized)

    Brave New World (Dramatized)

    • ORIGINAL (1 hr)
    • By Aldous Huxley
    • Narrated By Aldous Huxley
    Overall
    (14)
    Performance
    (12)
    Story
    (12)

    The CBS Radio Workshop was an experimental series of productions, subtitled "radio's distinguished series to man's imagination" that ran between 27 January 1956 and 22 September 1957. The premiere production was Brave New World, narrated by Huxley himself, with a complicated sound-effects score that evidently took a long time to construct, and comprised a ticking metronome, tom-tom beats, bubbling water, an air hose, a cow's moo, an oscillator, and three kinds of wine glasses clicking together.

  • The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe: Old Time Radio - 52 Episodes
    Play The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe: Old Time Radio - 52 Episodes

    The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe: Old Time Radio - 52 Episodes

    • ORIGINAL (4 hrs and 24 mins)
    • By Rex Stout, Louis Vittes
    • Narrated By Sydney Greenstreet, Don Stanley
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Nero Wolfe is an armchair detective created in 1934 by Rex Stout. Like many great detectives from the classic era, Nero Wolfe made the jump to radio and television. Five radio series have been produced starring Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin. These episodes come primarily from The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe which aired on NBC radio from October, 1950 to April, 1951.

    Connie says: "This book has 10 episodes, not 52"
  • Robert Heinlein Radio Dramas
    Play Robert Heinlein Radio Dramas

    Robert Heinlein Radio Dramas

    • ORIGINAL (1 hr and 46 mins)
    • By Robert Heinlein
    Overall
    (122)
    Performance
    (50)
    Story
    (50)

    This collection features four classic, dramatized Robert Heinlein stories: "Universe", "Requiem", "The Green Hills of Earth", and "The Roads Must Roll".

    Chris says: "Heinlein at his Best"
  •  
  • Adventures of Nero Wolfe Vol. 1
    Play Adventures of Nero Wolfe Vol. 1

    Adventures of Nero Wolfe Vol. 1

    • ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 30 mins)
    • By Adventures of Nero Wolfe
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This collection of the Adventures of Nero Wolfe contains five episodes of the classic radio series:

    The Shakespeare Folio (12/15/1946)
    Stamped for Murder (10/20/1950)
    Case of the Careworn Cuff (10/27/1950)
    Case of the Dear Dead Lady (11/3/1950)
    Case of the Careless Cleaner (11/17/1950)

  • War of the Worlds (Dramatized)
    Play War of the Worlds (Dramatized)

    War of the Worlds (Dramatized)

    • ORIGINAL (51 mins)
    • By Orson Welles
    • Narrated By Orson Welles
    Overall
    (16)
    Performance
    (15)
    Story
    (14)

    On the evening of October 30th, 1938, Earth went to war with Mars. Martians invaded New Jersey! Here is the famous panic-inducing broadcast that shook the world, starring Orson Welles.

    Ken says: "The classic that shook the world"
  • Orson Welles: The Ultimate Collection
    Play Orson Welles: The Ultimate Collection

    Orson Welles: The Ultimate Collection

    • ORIGINAL (60 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By Orson Welles
    Overall
    (31)
    Performance
    (26)
    Story
    (24)

    If you are a lover of old-time radio and a fan of Orson Welles, you won't want to miss this treasure chest of legendary Orson Welles radio broadcasts! With his flair for the sensational and innovative, Welles captured audiences' attention with his 1930s CBS weekly drama series The Mercury Theatre on the Air, later renamed The Campbell Playhouse, which featured hour-long dramatizations of classic books. His 1938 production, The War of the Worlds (an H. G. Wells adaptation) was especially memorable, as were many other productions, each featuring talented voices and actors.

    Sandy says: "Sixty Hours of great radio Plays"
  • Our Miss Brooks: Volume Two
    Play Our Miss Brooks: Volume Two

    Our Miss Brooks: Volume Two

    • ORIGINAL (8 hrs and 54 mins)
    • By Eve Arden, Jeff Chandler, Gale Gordon, and others
    • Narrated By Eve Arden
    Overall
    (2)
    Performance
    (2)
    Story
    (2)

    Pay attention class! Here are 18 more entertaining episodes of America's most engaging English Teacher - Our Miss Brooks!Today's lessons have less to do with language and more to do with love, as the falteringly forward Connie Brooks (Eve Arden) continues her quest for the romantically reserved Mr. Boynton (Jeff Chandler). Overseeing, and undermining, our heroine is the peevish Principal Conklin (Gale Gordon). And, dutiful student Walter Denton (Richard Crenna) is always on hand - along with side-kick Stretch Snodgrass - for Miss Brooks misadventures.

    Heather says: "Pure Entertainment"
  •  
  • Ray Bradbury Radio Dramas
    Play Ray Bradbury Radio Dramas

    Ray Bradbury Radio Dramas

    • ORIGINAL (1 hr and 57 mins)
    • By Ray Bradbury
    Overall
    (63)
    Performance
    (28)
    Story
    (28)

    This collection features four classic, dramatized Ray Bradbury stories: "To the Future", "And the Moon Be Still as Bright", "Dwellers in Silence", and "Marionettes, Inc."

    Jennie says: "Average"
  • Burns and Allen: Home Fires 11.17
    Play Burns and Allen: Home Fires 11.17

    Burns and Allen: Home Fires 11.17

    • ORIGINAL (3 hrs and 54 mins)
    • By George Burns, Gracie Allen
    • Narrated By George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bill Goodwin, and others
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    In the spring of 1947, Gracie turned her eye toward things that are fresh and new: a new hat, a new hemline, and a new home. The real estate wrangling of Beverly Hills most brilliantly befuddled wife finds the Burnses bunking with various members of the cast, occupying a janitor's apartment, and even living seperately at the YMCA/YWCA. All's well that ends well...but, until then it's hilarious!

  • Audio Archive Presents Dashiell Hammett's 'The Thin Man': A LUX Theater Episode Plus Special Commentary
    Play Audio Archive Presents Dashiell Hammett's 'The Thin Man': A LUX Theater Episode Plus Special Commentary

    Audio Archive Presents Dashiell Hammett's 'The Thin Man': A LUX Theater Episode Plus Special Commentary

    • UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 15 mins)
    • By Dashiell Hammett
    • Narrated By William Powell, Myrna Loy, Bill Mills
    Overall
    (60)
    Performance
    (36)
    Story
    (36)

    Here is the classic 60-minute Lux Radio Theater adaptation of the 1930s movie hit, recreated with the original film stars and director! This Audio Archive feature presentation delivers William Powell and Myrna Loy, who reprise thei roles as Nick and Nora Charles, the sophisticated lovers at the heart of Dashiell Hammett's immortal romantic-mystery masterpiece, The Thin Man.

    donna says: "I still love the thin man!"
  • Judy Garland Radio Movies Collection
    Play Judy Garland Radio Movies Collection

    Judy Garland Radio Movies Collection

    • ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 30 mins)
    • By Lux Radio Theatre, Screen Guild Players
    • Narrated By Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Dick Powell, and others
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
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    (0)

    Cherished actress and singer Judy Garland stars in this collection of radio dramatizations that brought Garland's films to the nation's airwaves. Plus, the programs feature the films' original casts.

  • Family Theater
    Play Family Theater

    Family Theater

    • ORIGINAL (8 hrs and 46 mins)
    • By True Boardman
    • Narrated By Natalie Wood, James Cagney, Tyrone Power, and others
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Father Peyton of the Holy Cross Fathers wanted to inspire his country with a radio program. Footing the expense of the show himself, he arranged for some of the biggest names in radio and film to donate their services, and for a network to provide the broadcast time. The series that resulted featured heartwarming stories for audiences nationwide. The commercial breaks were filled only with an earnest, non-sectarian appeal for family prayer, reminding listeners that "The family that prays together stays together."

  • Nick Carter: Master Detective: Volume 1
    Play Nick Carter: Master Detective: Volume 1

    Nick Carter: Master Detective: Volume 1

    • ORIGINAL (8 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By David Kogan
    • Narrated By Lon Clark, Helen Choate, Charlotte Manson, and others
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This collection stars Lon Clark as Nick Carter, Master Detective - that "most famous of all man-hunters" - in 18 riveting whodunits selected from this long-running radio series! Joining the private eye in these tales of detection is Helen Choate and Charlotte Manson as Nick's Girl Friday Patsy Bowen, John Kane as Scrubby Wilson, and Ed Latimer as Sgt. "Matty" Mattison. These fantastic episodes, originally released in our long out-of-print cassette collection, are now available in digital from the Radio Spirits Archives Collection.

  • Strange Puzzles: The Shadow
    Play Strange Puzzles: The Shadow

    Strange Puzzles: The Shadow

    • ORIGINAL (8 hrs and 23 mins)
    • By Edith Meiser, Walter Gibson
    • Narrated By Orson Welles, Bill Johnstone, Bret Morrison, and others
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Music, madness, death, and darkness face amateur criminologist Lamont Cranston and The Shadow. In the midst of the most classic of mystery motifs - from foreboding castles to frame ups - he unravels each remarkable riddle. From elusive treasure to conclusive evidence: How? Why? And, who dunnit? Let your curiosity lead you through two newly discovered Orson Welles episodes, available here for the first time since their original broadcasts in 1938 - "He Died at Twelve" and "The Black Buddha."

  • Baby Snooks: Why, Daddy?: Baby Snooks
    Play Baby Snooks: Why, Daddy?: Baby Snooks

    Baby Snooks: Why, Daddy?: Baby Snooks

    • ORIGINAL (4 hrs and 9 mins)
    • By Phil Rapp
    • Narrated By Fanny Brice, Hanley Stafford
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Fanny Brice described Snooks as "my kind of youngster, the type I like. She has imagination. She's eager. She's alive. With all her deviltry, she still is a good kid, never vicious nor mean." Perhaps, but Daddy and Robespierre may beg to differ. Neither Daddy's time, pet projects, nor peace of mind are safe from Snooks' reliably relentless intrusions. As for how she treats her younger siblings and what she thinks of them…well, the fact that she tries to trade them for cats pretty much says it all! And, corporal punishment doesn't seem to have much effect on this cheeky child.

  •  
  • Doctor Death #3 April 1935
    Play Doctor Death #3 April 1935

    Doctor Death #3 April 1935

    • ORIGINAL (5 hrs and 59 mins)
    • By RadioArchives.com, Zorro
    • Narrated By Joey D'Auria
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    The maddest of the Mad Scientists - Doctor Death - starred in his own bizarre pulp magazine in early 1935. He consorted with demons, elementals, zombies, disinterred mummies, and other unclean denizens of Hell. Standing against him were the Secret Twelve, a band of the top U. S. civil and business leaders, headed by Jimmy Holm, a millionaire criminologist and occultist. One of the rare unabashedly supernatural series the pulps ever produced, Doctor Death returns in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today's listeners.

  • The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: Old Time Radio - 105 Shows
    Play The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: Old Time Radio - 105 Shows

    The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: Old Time Radio - 105 Shows

    • ORIGINAL (48 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Raymond Chandler, Gene Levitt, Robert Mitchell, and others
    • Narrated By Gerald Mohr, Jeff Corey, Howard McNear
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Philip Marlowe is a fictional private eye created by Raymond Chandler. Marlowe first appeared, under that name, in The Big Sleep, published in 1939. The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a radio series featuring the Marlowe character. It first aired 17 June 1947 on NBC radio and moved to CBS radio a few months later. By 1949, it had the largest audience in radio. The CBS version ran for 114 episodes. While many fans of classic hard-boiled detective stories are familiar with Chandler's novels and short stories, few have heard these radio shows.

    LLLukas says: "Brilliant Hard Boiled Detective Stories."
  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective: Old Time Radio - 122 Shows
    Play Richard Diamond, Private Detective: Old Time Radio - 122 Shows

    Richard Diamond, Private Detective: Old Time Radio - 122 Shows

    • ORIGINAL (49 hrs and 43 mins)
    • By Blake Edwards
    • Narrated By Dick Powell, Virginia Gregg
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    Richard Diamond, Private Detective is a detective drama which was on radio from 1949 to 1953 and on television from 1957 to 1960. Dick Powell starred in the Richard Diamond, Private Detective radio series as a rather light-hearted detective who often ended the episodes singing to his girlfriend, Helen (played by Virginia Gregg).

  • Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Oldtime Radio Shows
    Play Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Oldtime Radio Shows

    Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Oldtime Radio Shows

    • ORIGINAL (66 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Radio Revival
    • Narrated By Old Time Radio
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    This is an collection of Inner Sanctum Mysteries, an oldtime radio show from the 1940s and 1950s. If you love a good horror story, you'll love these. You get all these (and many others plus more of the same genre):

    • Homicidal Maniac
    • The Tell-Tale Heart
    • Song of the Slasher
    • Murder Comes to Life
    • Death on the Highway
    • The Scream
    • Island of Death
    • Man From Yesterday
    • Color Blind Formula
    • Desert Death

  •  
  • The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe: Old Time Radio - 52 Episodes
    Play The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe: Old Time Radio - 52 Episodes

    The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe: Old Time Radio - 52 Episodes

    • ORIGINAL (4 hrs and 24 mins)
    • By Rex Stout, Louis Vittes
    • Narrated By Sydney Greenstreet, Don Stanley
    Overall
    (1)
    Performance
    (1)
    Story
    (1)

    Nero Wolfe is an armchair detective created in 1934 by Rex Stout. Like many great detectives from the classic era, Nero Wolfe made the jump to radio and television. Five radio series have been produced starring Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin. These episodes come primarily from The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe which aired on NBC radio from October, 1950 to April, 1951.

    Connie says: "This book has 10 episodes, not 52"
  • I Was a Communist for the FBI
    Play I Was a Communist for the FBI

    I Was a Communist for the FBI

    • ORIGINAL (7 hrs and 19 mins)
    • By Cvetic Matt
    • Narrated By Dana Andrews
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    In 1941, the FBI asked citizen Matt Cvetic to join the Communist Party and report back on their activities. After emerging in 1950 to testify before congress about his experience, his exploits were chronicled in magazines, on the silver screen, and in a taut and entertaining radio series suggested by his real life adventures: I Was a Communist for the FBI. Starring Dana Andrews as Cvetic, this exciting radio series conveys the machinations of the Communists in the U.S. during the period.

  • War of the Worlds: The Radio Show that Changed the World
    Play War of the Worlds: The Radio Show that Changed the World

    War of the Worlds: The Radio Show that Changed the World

    • ORIGINAL (55 mins)
    • By H. G. Wells, Howard Koch (adaptation)
    • Narrated By Carl Phillips, Orson Wells
    Overall
    (0)
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    (0)
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    (0)

    This is the "so-called" reason the government won't reveal all they know about UFOs. The panic from this broadcast was significant. Although Orson Welles, Mercury Theatre and the Columbia Broadcasting System couldn't "soap the windows" of their listeners the night before Halloween back in 1938, they could annihilate the world for them. And that's exactly what they did with this radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' famous novel, War of the Worlds.

  • The Bickersons, Volume One
    Play The Bickersons, Volume One

    The Bickersons, Volume One

    • ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 59 mins)
    • By Philip Rapp
    • Narrated By Don Ameche, Frances Langford
    Overall
    (0)
    Performance
    (0)
    Story
    (0)

    The Bickersons reigned supreme for five years as America's favorite radio couple. Like their name suggests, they spent many a night bickering, mainly over the fact that Blanche has to suffer through John's buzz saw-like snoring. The interplay between husband and wife, as they sarcastically banter back and forth, is what makes this show so great and why listeners continue to praise this "combative comedy."