Before there was Indiana Jones, there was Allan Quartermain. King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard introduced readers to that intrepid adventurer in 1885.

Hollywood has never quite gotten the story right, as the temptation to add a romantic subplot and change details is irresistable. However, the Colonial Radio Theatre’s production of the story starring Jerry Robbins was fantastic and faithful to the original story.

The plot begins when Quartermain is approached on a boat by a Captain Good and Sir Henry Curtis to engage in a search for Sir Henry’s lost brother, who was last seen years before searching for King Solomon’s mine. Quartermain agrees to go provided that a stipend is guaranteed for his son should anything happen to him and a share of the treasure in the unlikely event he survives.

To follow the trail of Sir Henry’s Brother, the trio must trek across treacherous terrain through unknown parts of Africa. A native African named Umbopa goes along for the journey, but it’s obvious he’s hiding something from the rest of the group.

Once again, Colonial Radio Theatre shows the power of radio, as you’re transported back to Victorian Africa and the extremes of weather on the journey to King Solomon’s Mine. CRT successfully captures the mystery, wonder, and excitement of this unforgetable story that features epic battles, legendary treasures, and political intrigue.   This is a fantastic production for fans of Men’s Adventure.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

Note: If you are an Audible Member, the digital download of these programs are only $2.95 each which is a fantastic price for these great productions.

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If you grew up in the 1950s, when you think of Zorro as Guy Williams in the Disney series. Or if you grew up in the late 80s and early 90s, Duncan Regehr may have provided your vision of Zorro. Others may remember Antonio Banderas as Zorro and for many classic film buffs, it is without a doubt Douglas Fairbanks who defines the character in the silent film version.

Zorro did make it to radio in 1957, in a short-lived serial based on the Curse of Capistrano, however only two episodes of this series survive.

Zorro has been interpreted and reinterpreted so many times throughout the years that it’s hard to remember that Zorro originiated in the pulp magazines in stories by Johnston McCulley. may have passed Zorro by for the most part, modern producers of radio drama have picked up the torch.

The Colonial Radio Theatre  brought two of these stories to radio in Zorro and the Pirate Raiders and Zorro Rides Again.

Summaries

In Zorro and the Pirate Raiders, the commandante of the pueblo, Captain Ramon, forms an alliance with cutthroat pirates to  raid the pueblo and split the booty. Ramon also orders the pirates to kill Don Diego de la Vega and kidnap his bride-to-be. Zorro thwarts the attack on Don Diego with the help of other caballeros and then pursues the pirates across the sea.

In Zorro Rides Again, Zorro has retired after The Pirate Raiders but is forced to return when an imposter begins to commit injustices in the name of Zorro. Zorro must clear his name and find the imposter before friends turn against him and the government executes.

Review

These Zorro productions are superb swashbuckling adventures.  Each feature length adventure was filled with action, adventure, and surprise twists throughout the story. The sound effects were amazing, and help to transport you back to Old California.

There were differences between this production and most Zorro adaptations. The biggest was that Zorro had allies: twenty caballeros who fought alongside him. This is a stark difference between modern productions which have Zorro fighting a lone battle against evil, which has become the trend.  However, the CRT’s version of Zorro remains faithful to the original vision of McCulley.

Zorro and his caballeros are courageous and gallant, living by a code of honor.  McCulley’s vision of Zorro was as a North American version of the knights of old and this really shows through in the Colonial Radio Theater production.  The cast from the stars to their supporting players were all excellent. In particular, Sam Donato shined in the role of Sergeant Garcia.  Oftentimes, the role of the Sergeant in Zorro is often played as buffoon or coward, but Donato’s portrayal was more nuanaced, and there was a lot more to Sergeant Garcia than meets these eyes.

There were very few flaws in these productions, and they were  a result of being faithful to the source material, so I can’t complain about them. I will say that when a radio drama features a fight between two guys with knives in their mouths, the theater of the mind has to work overtime to supply the images.

Overall, these are great productions that represent Zorro as he was meant to be and provide hours of fun and excitement.

Note: If you are an Audible Member, the digital download of these programs are only $2.95 each which is a fantastic price for these great productions.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

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Colonial Theatre released the third of its Perry Mason Audio dramas, “The Case of the Lucky Legs.”  Like with the first two, this is an audio drama based on the original Perry Mason novels of the 1930s, but produced in the 21st Century.

Perry Mason is retained initially to take legal action against a beauty contest promoter who cheated small town businessmen and a local young woman by promising her stardom as winner of a Lucky Legs contest and then leaving her high and dry in Hollywood. When Perry goes to have a discussion with the con man, he finds the man murdered.

Perry finds himself dodging the police until he can find the truth, questioning the witnesses, not even sure who is client is as the man who gave a retainer for $5000 to file the lawsuit keeps changing who Perry is supposed to represent.

The recording is quite a bit shorter than the previous Perry Mason stories that Colonial Theater had done and the length worked for this story. It really created a very tight and well-paced mystery. The plot is full of twists and surprises. At one point, Perry even hires another detective agency to spy on Paul Drake’s operative who are working for the man who paid him.

If there is one criticism I had for the production, it was that role of the winner of the Lucky Legs contest had a voice that didn’t fit the part. She sounded more like 14 rather than 21.  Still, that’s a minor flaw in a brilliant production. I can hardly wait for Colonial’s next installment.

Note: If you are an Audible Member, the digital download of this production is only $2.95 which is a fantastic price for this great production.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

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