Month: March 2018

EP2464: Rocky Fortune: The Twice-Murdered Man

Frank Sinatra

In a bar, Rocky and a friend who’s an insurance actuary search the bar for the one person in the building who’s a murderer.

Original Air Date: March 9, 1954

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EP2463: Mister Keen Tracer of Lost Persons: The Moonless Night

So lost, I'm fading

photo credit: Greyframe So lost, I’m fading viaphotopin (license)

A woman calls Mr. Keen in to find her missing uncle.

Original Air Date: January 6, 1944

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Audio Drama Review: The Red Panda Adventures, Season 2

Season 2 of the Red Panda features twelve more adventures featuring the Red Panda. It stars Greg Taylor, who also writes the series. Clarissa Der Nederlanden Taylor plays his sidekick Kit Baxter (aka the Flying Squirrel.

Season 2 took what worked in Season 1 and expanded on the Red Panda’s world. We meet some of the Red Panda’s agents. In the previous season, the idea of agents was abstract. In the episode, “When Darkness Falls,” we finally meet some of the operatives, including a police officer and local businessmen. Note the Shadow magazines also gave the hero a team of undercover operatives throughout the city. That likely influenced Taylor. The Red Panda’s agents make several appearances in Season 2 and make a solid addition to the series.

Having established our heroes, the series reveals more backstory in “Secret Origins.” The title likely references a 1986-90 DC Comic series. In the episode, we learn how Kit Baxter met the Red Panda for the first time. “The Big Top”  presents the Red Panda with a moral dilemma.

Throughout the first season, the Red Panda’s foes were mostly thugs and supervillains. In “The Black Hand,” we get the first real case of the Terrific Twosome of Toronto battling the supernatural. The Red Panda deals with a threat to his secret identity in, “The Hidden Door.”

In the season finale, “The World Next Door,” the Red Panda has a crossover with the more comedic Original universe. A character from its future is out to steal something the Red Panda is trying to protect.

Beyond this, the Red Panda continues to dish out justice to villains who could have been on the Shadow. The Red Panda programs’ quality has improved from Season 1. Occasionally, the sound effects or a performer will be off. Other than that, the Red Panda found its groove in Season 2. There’s not a bad episode among this bunch. It’s sure to delight fans of the golden age of radio and superheroes.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

You can listen to Season 2 of the Red Panda here.

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EP2462: Dragnet: The Big Dream

Jack Webb

Friday and Smith investigate a $5,000 liquor store hold up.

Original Air Date: March 29, 1953

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EP2461: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Low Tide Matter

Mandel Kramer

Johnny is called in by an insurance agent who fears a wealthy man is going to be murdered by his business partner.

Original Air Date: June 18, 1961

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EP2460: Boston Blackie: Blackie Framed for Horse Room Thefts

Richard Kollmar

A man decides to commit a series of robberies of horse racing betting rooms and frame Boston Blackie for it.

Original Air Date: March 25, 1947

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AWR0040: Les Miserables: The Trial

Amazing World of Radio

Javert offers his resignation after a man is caught and identified as Val Jean. Val Jean has to decide whether to reveal his true identity and risk everything.

Original Air Date: August 6, 1937

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EP2459: Richard Diamond: The Missing Night Watchman

Dick Powell

Diamond is hired to find a missing night watchman who disappeared with $50,000 in consigned jewels

Rebroadcast Date: June 21, 1953

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EP2458: Rocky Fortune: Honor Among Thieves

Frank Sinatra

Rocky tries to help a doctor who has to account for $25,000 in missing drugs and a drug addict son who is behind it.

Original Air Date: March 2, 1954

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EP2457: Night Beat: The “Bug” Killings

Frank Lovejoy

Randy is investigating a series of murders where the killer calls the police in advance of each killing.

Original Air Date: September 25, 1952

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Video Theater 0127: Dragnet: The Big Trunk

Friday and Smith investigate the murder of a washed-up actress who lived in a theatrical rooming house.

Original Air Date: January 17, 1954

Season 3, Episode 19

EP2456: Dragnet: The Big Informant

Jack Webb

Friday and Smith are trying to track down a team of safe burglars. Their search leads them to a man who denies involvement but is glad to help.

Original Air Date: March 22, 1953

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Audio Drama Review: The Complete Bowdrie Dramatizations, Volume 1


Random House dramatized many of Louis L’Amour’s short stories, mostly with one-shot characters. However, they also dramatized all eighteen L’Amour stories featuring Texas Ranger Chick Bowdrie.

The Collected Bowdrie Dramatizations, Volume 1 features six hour-long Bowdrie adaptations. It begins with “McNelly Knows a Ranger,” the story of how Bowdrie became a Ranger. It was written much later, but it established what led Bowdrie to become a Texas Ranger.

The series is fascinating. As a Texas Ranger, Bowdrie wanders throughout the wide expanse of the State of Texas. He has to act alone, hundreds of miles from headquarters with no other law around. Occasionally, local law enforcement is present but complicit in crimes. Many of the stories require Bowdrie to play detective before tracking down the criminal. L’Amour makes these work as good Western stories and as well-constructed mysteries.

All the dramatizations on this release are excellent, with high production values and good acting. However, two stories are particularly noteworthy.

“The Outlaws of Poplar Creek” features a stunning cave scene which is one of the tensest you’ll ever hear on an audio drama.

In “Bowdrie Follows a Cold Trail,” Bowdrie stumbles on a dead body at an abandoned homestead. The story portrays how Bowdrie uncovers clues at the crime scene. He also discovers how the victim built his dream ranch for his family, only to be murdered and have them disappear. Bowdrie pledges to bring the man’s killer to justice, no easy task in the wilds of Texas. A lot isn’t said but can easily be inferred by the listener. The scene shows a subtle use of emotion to reveal an aspect of Bowdrie’s character.

Note one episode includes a recording of L’Amour talking about his research into the Old West.

My only issue is one aspect of Bowdrie’s character is not believable as written. We’re told repeatedly Bowdrie could have ended up walking “the outlaw trail.” Bowdrie is so morally upright from his first story that it’s just not plausible. Reathel Bean’s straight-laced portrayal in the audio drama amplifies that wholesomeness.

Overall, these are six fine stories of law, order, and justice in the Old West, written by a master of the genre. It’s well worth a listen.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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EP2455: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Big Date Matter

Bob Bailey

After finishing a case in Miami, Johnny has to drive up to Sarasota. If he doesn’t, it could send another insurance agent to jail. Then Johnny meets a mysterious woman and finds himself investing a robbery.

Original Air Date: Sometime in the first half of 1961

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EP2454: Boston Blackie: The ‘Sam Fisher’ Murder

Richard Kollmar

One of the city’s best-dressed men doesn’t remember his past and then turns to Blackie for help. He takes a cab after meeting with Blackie and the cabbie turns up dead.

Original Air Date: March 18, 1947

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