Project Audion: Classic Audio Dramas for Modern Times

Project Audion: Classic Audio Dramas for Modern Times

Larry Groebe

Network Radio of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s - the precursor to today's podcasting - was a golden era for Audio Theatre. Project Audion selects the most interesting examples of these vintage audio plays - often from lost scripts that haven't been heard or performed in decades - and recreates them in real-time using top-notch voice actors from across the country and vintage production techniques. The result: a timeless treat for your ears.

"The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" recreation of lost 1945 classic detective audio drama

"The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" recreation of lost 1945 classic detective audio drama

Project Audion brings you "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," recreating an episode which has remained unheard for eighty years. There's no more famous detective, real or imagined, than Holmes. His creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, pretty much defined the mystery-detective story, and 138 years later Holmes and Watson are still part of popular culture. In 1945, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce portrayed them weekly on the Mutual Radio network. Our selected script (which aired only once, on January

Feb 15, • 45:18

"The Burns & Allen Show" live tribute recreation of classic audio comedy of the 1940s

"The Burns & Allen Show" live tribute recreation of classic audio comedy of the 1940s

Long, long before George Burns became the senior citizen movie star of films like "The Sunshine Boys" and "Oh God!" he was familiar to radio and television audiences across the country as the grounded half of the comedy couple Burns and Allen, with real-life wife (and vaudeville partner) Gracie Allen playing the ditzy dame of the duo. Theirs was a 25-year run on the airwaves, and now for Project Audion, Pete Lutz has penned a fresh new Burns and Allen script that recalls the best of their radio

Jan 11, • 39:43

"Philip Marlowe: The Three Wise Guys" live recreation of lost noir detective audio drama from 1948

"Philip Marlowe: The Three Wise Guys" live recreation of lost noir detective audio drama from 1948

Our Christmas present for you is a lost episode of the classic detective drama "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" with a holiday theme! Because Audion's previous Philip Marlowe restoration became its most popular episode ever, we returned to our archives to unearth a Marlowe script which hasn't been performed or heard since December 19, 1948 -- "The Three Wise Guys." "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" ran for three years on network radio, with new noir-ish tales from  author Raymond Chandler's d

Dec 21, 2024 • 40:01

"The Jack Benny Program: Casablanca" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy show of the 1940s

"The Jack Benny Program: Casablanca" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy show of the 1940s

The Jack Benny Program returns with a delightful all-new radio episode penned by former Bob Hope staff writer Robert L. Mills just for Project Audion. Jack and his regular gang - Mary Livingston, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, and Rochester - send up the movie classic "Casablanca" with  some of the movie's original cast in guest starring roles.  Jack takes the Humphrey Bogart part, inevitably. Join project Audion's talented transcontinental voice actors as they perform together in real time (like the

Nov 30, 2024 • 35:50

"Johnny Dollar: The Damiani Diamond Matter" live tribute recreation of classic noir detective audio drama

"Johnny Dollar: The Damiani Diamond Matter" live tribute recreation of classic noir detective audio drama

"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" was the last detective standing at the end of radio drama's original classic era, outlasting everyone else - Sam Spade, Richard Diamond, Sherlock Holmes, The Saint, Phillip Marlowe and dozens of others. "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" is arguably better-loved now than he was in the middle of the 20th century. Now Project Audion presents a new Johnny Dollar script, written by Patrick Keating in the style of the original episodes, and transcribed

Nov 9, 2024 • 40:55

"Lights Out: Burial Services" recreation of lost 1936 classic horror audio drama

"Lights Out: Burial Services" recreation of lost 1936 classic horror audio drama

Brought back to life after nearly 90 years buried at the Library of Congress, Project Audion recreates the very first script Arch Oboler created for NBC's famous late night horror drama "Lights Out." Lights Out stories gave the listener free rein to imagine the worst. And in the hands of a master storyteller like Oboler, the worst could be terrifying indeed - like a good campfire ghost story, reinforced with sound effects.  "Burial Services" took a simple, horrifying premise - being buried alive

Oct 12, 2024 • 34:35

"Romance: Pride & Prejudice" live recreation of 1947 romantic-comedy audio drama

"Romance: Pride & Prejudice" live recreation of 1947 romantic-comedy audio drama

For fourteen years beginning in 1943, the CBS Radio network brought its listeners "Romance" - an anthology of half-hour love stories both classic and new, serious and comic. A story like Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" would seem to be a particular challenge to condense to a single half-hour, but Romance captured the essence of the tale in a brisk, highly entertaining adaptation that was performed three times during the show's long run. The vintage mid-century recordings sound muddy and are

Sep 14, 2024 • 39:56

"The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show" recreation of classic radio situation comedy series

"The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show" recreation of classic radio situation comedy series

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

Aug 31, 2024 • 35:12

"Matinee with Bob & Ray" - tribute recreation of the classic radio comedy duo

"Matinee with Bob & Ray" - tribute recreation of the classic radio comedy duo

Project Audion invites you to some light summer fare: the Audion Original "Matinee with Bob & Ray." This is Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding like you've never heard before, because it's made of fresh sketches in tribute to "The Two and Only." For those who are NOT intimately familiar with Biff Burns, Komodo dragons, or the Slow Talkers of America, the comedic duo of Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding was formed (legend has it) by accident, in the mid-1940s when a  baseball game broadcast was rained out an

Aug 10, 2024 • 33:08

"Philip Marlowe" live recreation of lost 1949 episode from classic noir detective radio drama

"Philip Marlowe" live recreation of lost 1949 episode from classic noir detective radio drama

In the long lineup of fictional hard-boiled detectives, Philip Marlowe stands out as one of the earliest and best. Raymond Chandler's creation first reached print in the early 1930s, then went on to memorable adaptations in film, television, and of course radio. "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" had a solid four-year run of well over 100 episodes on CBS. Still, a handful of recordings are lost today.  Now Project Audion recreates one of these missing episodes - "The Quiet Number" - directly fro

Jul 13, 2024 • 45:54

"Jack Benny Program: The Man Who Knew Too Much" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy series

"Jack Benny Program: The Man Who Knew Too Much" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy series

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 Livingst

Jun 15, 2024 • 36:23

"Suspense: The Life of Nellie James" recreation of lost 1942 classic audio drama

"Suspense: The Life of Nellie James" recreation of lost 1942 classic audio drama

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 A

May 11, 2024 • 47:13

"The Man Called X" recreation of the lost debut episode of this 1944 comedy-mystery audio drama

"The Man Called X" recreation of the lost debut episode of this 1944 comedy-mystery audio drama

A spy caper always makes for a good show. Start with a suave man of mystery, sprinkle in some far-off exotic locales, and stir in some evil enemies of democracy and beautiful women. The result: James Bond? No, "The Man Called X" -- which broadcast several hundred episodes on network radio from 1944 through 1952. Unflappable British actor Herbert Marshall originally played American agent Ken Thurston, AKA the man called X.  Project Audion now recreates the very first episode of "The Man Called X,

Apr 13, 2024 • 41:50

"The Damon Runyon Theatre" tribute recreation of classic 1949 radio audio drama series

"The Damon Runyon Theatre" tribute recreation of classic 1949 radio audio drama series

The "Damon Runyon Theatre," a syndicated radio series from 1949 relating stories of New York's "guys and dolls" -- mobsters and dames, gamblers and frails, saints and sinners -- which newspaperman and sportswriter Damon Runyon colorfully brought to life in decades of short stories. They may have been gangsters, but they often had hearts of gold underneath - plus a unique present-tense way of speaking which has come to be known as "Runyonesque."  The Damon Runyon Theatre recorded 52 charming half

Mar 9, 2024 • 34:58

"Jack Benny Show: Witness for the Prosecution"  tribute recreation of classic radio comedy series

"Jack Benny Show: Witness for the Prosecution" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy series

Just premiered for the International Jack Benny Society annual convention, and now available to all: a "new" episode of the classic Jack Benny radio show newly penned exclusively for Project Audion by Bob Hope comedy writer Robert L. Mills. Here, Jack and the gang do a send up of the movie "Witness for the Prosecution" - with W. C. Fields in a guest-starring role.  Here's what Mr Mills said after hearing the final product: "This as near perfection as any living humans could possibly recreate a 7

Feb 24, 2024 • 42:05

"Crime Classics" live recreation of audition script of classic 1953 true crime audio drama

"Crime Classics" live recreation of audition script of classic 1953 true crime audio drama

Premiering tonight (2/9) at 9 PM Eastern, Project Audion recreates a shocking tale of love, hate, conspiracy, and murder - all the more so for being a true story that took place in 1778. "The Crime of Bathsheba Spooner" tells the story of the first woman executed for murder in the United States. It was the audition script for a new CBS radio drama series - "Crime Classics" --  a sort of mid-century predecessor to today's true-crime podcasts, created by some of radio's finest actors, writers, di

Feb 10, 2024 • 41:03

"Mystery In The Air" Tribute recreation in the style of 1947 Peter Lorre audio drama

"Mystery In The Air" Tribute recreation in the style of 1947 Peter Lorre audio drama

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

Jan 13, 2024 • 41:25

"The Big Story: Joe Saldana" recreation of true-crime audio drama from December 20, 1950

"The Big Story: Joe Saldana" recreation of true-crime audio drama from December 20, 1950

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! Big Story radio drama recreated by Project Audion! Newspaper reporters were once heroic figures - exposing rackets and corruption, taking down the powerful and giving voice to the powerless. The "Big Story" series from audio drama's original classic era (the mid 20th century) celebrated the newspaper reporter - selecting true headlines and converting them into gripping dramas, much like Dragnet did with police.  Audion's December offering is a story set during th

Dec 9, 2023 • 39:44

"The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show" tribute recreation of classic Golden-Age radio comedy series

"The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show" tribute recreation of classic Golden-Age radio comedy series

In the late 1940s and early 1950s the Phil Harris-Alice Faye radio series was a masterclass in radio comedy. Harris (charming, egotistical, smooth, Southern) and Faye ( grounded, smart, and only occasionally the movie star) were surrounded by eccentric regulars like Elliot Lewis as Phil’s band buddy Frank Remley, and Walter Tetley as the little kid Julius - and each week the happy result could be heard in the gales of laughter from the live studio audience. Today, Harris is best remembered as th

Nov 11, 2023 • 39:59

"Lights Out: The Dark" Recreation of January 19, 1938 episode

"Lights Out: The Dark" Recreation of January 19, 1938 episode

Who was it who made that phone call to the emergency room -- the one that set off the horrible chain of events that took place in The Dark? Project Audion recreates the episode "The Dark" from LIGHTS OUT - one of classic radio's most imaginatively gruesome shows. It's an episode show that hasn't been heard in its complete form since January 1938! "Lights Out" was the work of  master radio dramatist Arch Oboler, and he memorably redid "The Dark" 25 years later as a highly abridged adaptation for

Oct 14, 2023 • 33:11

The Lone Ranger: Episode 266, October 12, 1934

The Lone Ranger: Episode 266, October 12, 1934

The Lone Ranger has got to be the most famous fictional character to come out of old time radio...every generation knows him, even if they don't know his radio origins. And those radio origins go WAY back - the Masked Man has been around 90 years, since 1933! But  the radio version of the Lone Ranger has hundreds of episodes we'll never hear - because the show wasn't recorded from 1933-1937. A shame, because these earliest years would let us listen to the series and characters evolving into the

Sep 9, 2023 • 40:07

"Pat Novak for Hire: A Trunkful of Trouble"

"Pat Novak for Hire: A Trunkful of Trouble"

The short-lived noirish radio detective series "Pat Novak for Hire" is probably better loved now than it was in the late 1940s, thanks to its darkly-comic quips and the dry-as-dust performance of Jack Webb in the title role, just before his breakout turn on "Dragnet." Pat Novak - the man, like the show - was one of those "hard-boiled" types - he may bounce or crack, but he doesn't break easily. Pat Novak shows are famed for their Raymond Chandler-esque plots and style, where the lead character n

Aug 12, 2023 • 37:33

Tales of Tomorrow: "Syndrome Johnny"

Tales of Tomorrow: "Syndrome Johnny"

It's the year 2090. There are signs that a pandemic is coming - a pandemic which will kill millions of innocent people - again. Because it's happened before. But this time, just maybe, we know what - or who - is causing it...and a chance to stop it. That's the setup for "Syndrome Johnny," a lost episode from a nearly-forgotten science-fiction anthology radio drama from 1953 called "Tales of Tomorrow." The television version of "Tales of Tomorrow," which actually came before the radio edition, is

Jul 14, 2023 • 41:52

"Fibber McGee & Molly": A brand new episode based on the classic 1940s radio comedy show

"Fibber McGee & Molly": A brand new episode based on the classic 1940s radio comedy show

Project Audion revisits one of the funniest, most beloved radio comedies of the 20th century. Fibber McGee and Molly tickled the radio audience for so long - more than a quarter of a century - that it spawned the very first-ever spinoff shows... and recurring gags like Fibber's hopelessly overstuffed closet and quips like Molly's "t'ain't funny, McGee" remained part of shared American pop culture long after the series left the airwaves. Part vaudeville act, part sitcom, the series stared real-li

Jun 10, 2023 • 37:40

Suspense: "The Witness On The Westbound Train"

Suspense: "The Witness On The Westbound Train"

Project Audion recreates an extraordinarily rare, 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 in

May 21, 2023 • 37:29

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