The Leonard Lopate Show hits the airÂwaves every weekÂday in New York City, typÂiÂcalÂly preÂsentÂing four interÂviews with culÂturÂal figÂures. If you tuned in this MonÂday, you found Leonard on vacaÂtion and actor ChristoÂpher Walken fillÂing in. We know Walken can act. But can he carÂry a radio show? LisÂten in on the web, iTunes, or stream below…
Listen to Brave New World for Free: Dramatized Version Read by Aldous Huxley
The CBS Radio WorkÂshop was an “experÂiÂmenÂtal draÂmatÂic radio antholÂoÂgy series” that aired between 1956 and 1957. And it preÂmiered with a two-part adapÂtaÂtion of Aldous HuxÂley’s now clasÂsic 1932 novÂel, Brave New World. HuxÂley himÂself introÂduced and narÂratÂed the proÂgram, and now this clasÂsic radio draÂma has resurÂfaced online. You can lisÂten to Part 1 and Part 2 below. The mp3s will be perÂmaÂnentÂly housed in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Audio Books.
Part 1
Part 2
The War of the Worlds: Orson Welles’ 1938 Radio Drama That Petrified a Nation
Back in the late 1930s, Orson Welles launched The MerÂcury TheÂatre on the Air, a radio proÂgram dedÂiÂcatÂed to bringÂing draÂmatÂic, theÂatriÂcal proÂducÂtions to the AmerÂiÂcan airÂwaves. The show had a fairÂly short run. It lastÂed from 1938 to 1941. But it made its mark. DurÂing these few years, The MerÂcury TheÂatre aired The War of the Worlds, an episode narÂratÂed by Welles himÂself that led many AmerÂiÂcans to believe their counÂtry was under MarÂtÂian attack. The legÂendary proÂducÂtion was based on H.G. Wells’ earÂly sci-fi novÂel, also called The War of the Worlds, and you can lisÂten to the clasÂsic radio proÂducÂtion here, or above.
The MerÂcury TheÂatre also adaptÂed a series of othÂer major novÂels, includÂing DracÂuÂla, TreaÂsure Island, and The Count of Monte Cristo. And then there’s DickÂens. In 1938 and 1939, The MerÂcury TheÂatre proÂduced two verÂsions of Charles DickÂens’ A ChristÂmas CarÂol. In the 1938 verÂsion (get mp3), Welles played the role of Scrooge. The 1939 verÂsion (mp3) feaÂtures Lionel BarÂryÂmore (yup, the grandunÂcle of Drew BarÂryÂmore) playÂing the same role. You can lisÂten to these shows and othÂers at this web site dedÂiÂcatÂed to The MerÂcury TheÂatre on the Air.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Orson Welles Explains Why IgnoÂrance Was the Genius Behind CitÂiÂzen Kane
VarÂiÂous films directÂed by (or starÂring) Orson Welles can be found in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
Ira Glass on the Art of Story Telling
Since 1995, Ira Glass has hostÂed and proÂduced This AmerÂiÂcan Life (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), the award-winÂning radio show that presents masÂterÂfulÂly-craftÂed stoÂries to almost 2 milÂlion lisÂtenÂers each week. What’s the secret sauce that goes into makÂing a great stoÂry, parÂticÂuÂlarÂly one primed for radio or TV? Glass spells it out in four parts. Part 1 (above) gets into the buildÂing blocks of a good stoÂry. Part 2 talks about the imporÂtance of findÂing the right stoÂry. Part 3 reasÂsures you that creÂative excelÂlence takes time to develÂop. It also comes with hard work. And Part 4 flags comÂmon errors to avoid. Give Glass 17 minÂutes, and you will be a betÂter stoÂryÂteller for it…
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Public Radio on the iPhone
Here’s a quick fyi for iPhone users: The PubÂlic Radio Tuner, a free app availÂable on iTunes, gives you (free) access to hunÂdreds of pubÂlic radio streams from across the US. Released in late JanÂuÂary, the Tuner brings togethÂer feeds from NPR, AmerÂiÂcan PubÂlic Media, and PRI, among othÂers. This is a handy way to lisÂten wireÂlessÂly to local news and culÂturÂal proÂgramÂming, plus many well-known shows (All Things ConÂsidÂered, Fresh Air, Car Talk, etc.) So far, the app works like a charm. You can downÂload it here, or visÂit this web site to learn more about this new iniÂtiaÂtive.
LastÂly, if you don’t have an iPhone, then this page does a good job of aggreÂgatÂing pubÂlic radio feeds, and you can always lisÂten to them as podÂcasts on your comÂputÂer or mp3 playÂer. DefÂiÂniteÂly worth a look…
Vintage Radio Archive: The Lone Ranger, Abbott & Costello, and Bob Hope
This web page doesÂn’t look like much, but it housÂes a great deal. Put simÂply, the page plugs you into an archive of 135
vinÂtage AmerÂiÂcan radio shows, spanÂning from the 1930s to the 1950s. This was the height of AmerÂiÂca’s radio days. And when you lisÂten to the recordÂings, it won’t take long to realÂize that AmerÂiÂca was a very difÂferÂent counÂtry then (politÂiÂcalÂly, socialÂly and culÂturÂalÂly) than what it is today. The list feaÂtures some well-known clasÂsics. Take for examÂple, the Abbott and CostelÂlo Show, Bob and Ray Show, Bob Hope Show, Burns and Allen Show, Mel Blanc Show and MilÂton Berle Show (detect a patÂtern yet?). Then, you can also lisÂten in on episodes of GunÂsmoke, Jack BenÂny, The Lone Ranger, The CisÂco Kid, Father Knows Best and the AdvenÂtures Of Philip MarÂlowe. For those who want to expeÂriÂence the clasÂsics of old-time AmerÂiÂcan radio, or what mainÂstream AmerÂiÂcan enterÂtainÂment used to be, this audio archive should keep you busy for a good long while.
RelatÂed WebÂsite: AnothÂer colÂlecÂtion of vinÂtage radio audio clips can be found here.
RelatÂed ArtiÂcle: Radio fans should look back at our artiÂcle on the famous Orson Welles radio broadÂcast from 1938 — The War of the Worlds. ReadÂers can access here an audio file of the origÂiÂnal broadÂcast that sent the US into hysÂterÂics. It’s well worth a lisÂten if you haven’t heard it before.
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