October 7, 2011
NEW Radio Set: Claudia, Volume 6
Since the inception of the soap opera on radio, various things have been part and parcel of that genre; melodrama, tear jerking storylines, scandal and rumor, and enough deceit to fill a bathtub. In 1947, however, a new twist on that formula hit the airwaves thanks to the sponsorship of Coca Cola. And this new take on soap operas had a name. Claudia.
"Claudia" told the tale of Claudia and David Naughton, newlyweds, just beginning their married life. Young, enthusiastic, and very much in love, they weren't suffering from any medical problems, suspicions, or ungrateful children. Instead, they were simply facing the many challenges of any new marriage in the years following World War II - finding an apartment, getting used to each other's quirks, and learning to live together as husband and wife.
The very elements that made Claudia different from other soap operas quickly became its strengths. There were very few "tune in tomorrow" hooks that most soaps used to lure listeners back. People came back to "Claudia" for the interesting, fully developed characters, the lighthearted banter, and the familiarity of their day-to-day situations.
Based on the literary works of Rose Franken, "Claudia" began as short stories. Immensely popular, those grew into a series of best selling novels and then in 1941, were adapted into a Broadway play, with a young actress named Dorothy McGuire in the title role. Claudia was a breakout role for McGuire; one that brought her to Hollywood to reprise the role in the 20th Century Fox film version, released in 1943 and co-starring Robert Young as David. Based on that film's success, 1946 found them together again in "Claudia and David," a sequel to the earlier film. Due in large part to the success of the two "Claudia" movies, in 1947, the D'Arcy advertising agency decided to bring the characters to radio in a five-a-week quarter-hour serial on behalf of its client, Coca-Cola. This was the third attempt to bring the story of Claudia to radio and would be followed by a try as a TV series as well.
Due to the diligent work of Radio Archives, all 390 episodes of the series, which had an eighteen-month run, have been located and preserved to the highest standard. This sixth volume of 24 episodes continues on where the others left off, marching through Spring and toward the start of Summer 1948. Heard today, "Claudia" remains wonderful entertainment, notable for both its lighthearted tone and the believable interplay between its characters and will make a fine addition to any Old Time Radio Fan's collection! Order your 6 Hour CD set today for only 17.98 or Download the entire volume for $11.98! Only from Radio Archives!
Radio Archives, well known for high quality audio collections, introduces a new category of Old Time Radio! Are you a fan of fast paced, action packed adventures? Do you enjoy larger than life heroes, over the top villains, and impossible plots and schemes? Whether or not you're a Mystery, Western, Science Fiction,or simply a fan of Adventure and Suspense, Radio Archives has what you're looking for in its new category, Pulp Radio!Pulp means many things to many people. Historically, Pulp refers to fiction magazines that were printed on cheap wood pulp paper. The paper was coarse with rough edges. Publishers found this cheaper to produce and began turning out magazines that ran around 128 or so pages and only cost a dime. For ten cents, readers could encounter far away lands, lost civilizations, thugs with guns, cowboys and Indians, and anything else fiction writers of the day came up with.
Although first introduced in the 1890s, Pulp magazines really came into their own in the 1930s and 40s. This was due in large part to the popularity of what have come to be known as the Hero Pulps. Take a poll today on what Pulp heroes the public remembers, any that have a clue what Pulp is will likely say, "Doc Savage" or "The Shadow" or "The Spider." Well-versed armchair fans might even rattle off "The Black Bat" or "The Avenger." Hero Pulps provided readers with stories about ideal men fighting for right and justice against insurmountable odds.
Although Hero Pulps are the most fondly remembered by some, Pulp magazines provided the stage for so many other genres. Nearly regardless of a reader's taste in fiction, it could be found in a Pulp magazine. Western, Action Adventure, Sports, Mystery, Crime, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, even Romance Pulps dominated newsstands and kiosks all over America. That is, until the early 1950s when for various reasons, Pulp magazines faded from view.
In an effort to explain why Pulp has had the impact it has, many have come up with definitions of what Pulp is. Most include Pulp being fast paced and plot oriented with clearly defined, larger than life protagonists and antagonists and creative descriptions, clever use of turns of phrase and other aspects of writing that add to the intensity and pacing of the story. Any of that sound familiar, radio Detective fans? Or how about those of you who enjoy a good frontier shootout on your favorite western show? Looking at that definition, it is clear that Pulp had not only an impact on later mediums, but definitely shared characteristics with a source of entertainment that experienced its golden age simultaneously with the Pulps. That entertainment that we now call Old Time Radio.Like Pulp, Old Time Radio covers many genres and many styles of storytelling. There are shows, though, that fit squarely into what many would consider to be Pulp. Detective programs, particularly, fit the model extremely well. In the space of a little over twenty minutes, radio writers had to introduce the detective, establish the cast of characters, set up the mystery to be solved, throw in one or two red herrings or a fight scene, and then resolve everything. These detectives were tough, heroic men and stood out in one way or another, like Richard Diamond and his singing, Johnny Dollar and his expense account, or Nero Wolfe and his eccentricities. And the bad guys, always some grand plan to dupe money out of someone or even larger schemes. Some would call stories like that plot oriented, fast paced fiction with larger than life heroes and villains. Here at Radio Archives, we call it Pulp Radio.
And Pulp Radio doesn't stop at hard-boiled gumshoes, either! Western lawmen and the desperadoes they tangled with week in and week out on the radio rode the same trails as their Pulp cowboy counterparts. Astronauts and aliens on the airwaves fit the bill for larger than life and fast paced! And even characters that first found life in the Pulps lived even longer thanks to Radio. Pulp Radio is full of mayhem and monsters, good and evil, and stories that still today ring true with Fans of great Heroic Fiction of any medium.
Titles that you'll find in Radio Archives' Pulp Radio section include:
The New Adventures of Michael Shayne - Jeff Chandler's rugged voice adds to the pace and intensity of this Pulp type detective program from beginning to end, bringing Brett Halliday's fictional detective to explosive life!
The Shadow of Fu Manchu - Sax Rohmer's Villain of All Villains continues his life of Tyranny and Evil in this relentlessly fast paced radio show!
The Planet Man - This Sci-Fi show definitely walks the line between Camp and Pulp, but has all the ear markings of excitement, over the top characters, and life and death situations it needs to be Pure Pulp!
Luke Slaughter of Tombstone - Westerns, prime Pulp territory, shined just as brightly in Radio's Golden Age. The adventures of Luke Slaughter have all the toughness, six guns, horses and outlaws that it takes to make a Western tale great Radio Pulp!
If you're a Pulp fan looking for something that sounds like what you love to read, then the shows in Radio Archive's Pulp Section are just what you've been after. The fact that aspects of Pulp can be found in Old Time Radio adds a whole other level of enjoyment for Pulp Fiction readers. Not only can you get the visceral excitement of following adventure on the written page, but you can hear stories in the same vein, tales that make your heart beat faster and even sometimes make your blood run cold. Rapid fire dialogue and matching action, characters that fire the imagination, and everything else you love about Pulp can be found in the shows in Radio Archive's Pulp Radio!
And if you're an Old Time Radio enthusiast intrigued by fast paced, exciting adventures, then you've come to the right place! Detective fans that peruse this new section may find that the same elements that appeal to them in their whodunits also are part and parcel to frontier tales and space operas. Likewise, cowboy aficionados might find just as much pistol shootin' and desperadoes in a mystery or crime show! Not convinced yet? Then hear for yourself by picking up one of the collections in Radio Archives' Pulp Radio section today!
'Pulp Radio' is a registered trademark of Roger Rittner Productions, Inc., used with permission.
The Spider Strikes! In First Audiobook
One of pulp fiction's most popular vigilante avengers comes to audiobooks for the first time in Prince of the Red Looters, the first Spider audiobook from RadioArchives.com. Prince of the Red Looters is available now in both a deluxe six-CD set and MP3 digital download.
Producer/Director Roger Rittner says, "Prince of the Red Looters is an astounding accomplishment, wedding dynamic narration from two unique stars of stage and screen, specially selected sound effects, and a complete period music score."
This action-packed story features Nick Santa Maria and Robin Riker narrating and voicing the character parts. "They've done outstanding work in this exciting novel-length adventure of the classic pulp hero, The Spider," Roger says.
In Prince of the Red Looters, The Spider faces one of his most cunning criminal enemies — The Fly! The Fly's ruthlessly efficient crime organization commits a chain of bold and deadly atrocities on New York City, while The Fly taunts The Spider in a series of ever more dangerous duels.
"The sword fights will have listeners sitting on the edge of their seats," Roger says. "Prince of the Red Looters will be a stunning addition to RadioArchives.com's audiobook line."
Prince of the Red Looters inaugurates Will Murray's Pulp Classics, a new series of pulp-related audiobooks from RadioArchives.com. Each entry in the series is a classic pulp adventures personally chosen by Will Murray, one of the country's foremost experts on all things pulp.
"I'm very excited to present to listeners some of my favorite pulp stories in this engaging format," Will says. "This first Spider audiobook is a grand launch to the series."
Listeners who have previewed Prince of the Red Looters are enthused:
Prince of the Red Looters is available now in a six-CD set, priced at $19.98, with original cover art and a special bonus audio feature of Will Murray explaining the genesis of The Spider. The audiobook is also available as an MP3 Digital Download, including the special bonus feature, at just $13.98.
"Prince of the Red Looters is a listening experience that will thrill every fan of audiobooks and pulp fiction," Roger says.
Doc Savage Audiobooks Continue to Delight Fans
2011's 'Summer of Doc Savage' continues into the Fall, as RadioArchives.com's first two Doc Savage audiobooks, Will Murray's Python Isle and White Eyes continue to attract and delight Doc fans as well as those just discovering the greatest adventure hero of the 1930s.
RadioArchives.com customer Eugene Dungan says,
"I just wanted to let you know that I have really enjoyed your two Doc Savage audiobooks, Python Isle and White Eyes. Please tell all your people to keep up the great work. I am looking forward to buying all of the audiobooks that you come out with."
Python Isle, narrated by Michael McConnohie, and White Eyes, narrated by Richard Epcar, are available in impressive CD sets, as digital downloads, and also in special Signed Director's Editions.
One of pulp fiction's most popular vigilante avengers comes to audiobooks for the first time in Prince of the Red Looters, the first Spider audiobook from RadioArchives.com. Prince of the Red Looters is available now in both a deluxe six-CD set and MP3 digital download.
Producer/Director Roger Rittner says, "Prince of the Red Looters is an astounding accomplishment, wedding dynamic narration from two unique stars of stage and screen, specially selected sound effects, and a complete period music score."
This action-packed story features Nick Santa Maria and Robin Riker narrating and voicing the character parts. "They've done outstanding work in this exciting novel-length adventure of the classic pulp hero, The Spider," Roger says.
In Prince of the Red Looters, The Spider faces one of his most cunning criminal enemies — The Fly! The Fly's ruthlessly efficient crime organization commits a chain of bold and deadly atrocities on New York City, while The Fly taunts The Spider in a series of ever more dangerous duels.
"The sword fights will have listeners sitting on the edge of their seats," Roger says. "Prince of the Red Looters will be a stunning addition to RadioArchives.com's audiobook line."
Prince of the Red Looters inaugurates Will Murray's Pulp Classics, a new series of pulp-related audiobooks from RadioArchives.com. Each entry in the series is a classic pulp adventures personally chosen by Will Murray, one of the country's foremost experts on all things pulp.
"I'm very excited to present to listeners some of my favorite pulp stories in this engaging format," Will says. "This first Spider audiobook is a grand launch to the series."
Listeners who have previewed Prince of the Red Looters are enthused:
"It's excellent. Really held my attention. I think it works wonderfully."
"An exceptional job."
"The results are amazing."
Prince of the Red Looters is available now in a six-CD set, priced at $19.98, with original cover art and a special bonus audio feature of Will Murray explaining the genesis of The Spider. The audiobook is also available as an MP3 Digital Download, including the special bonus feature, at just $13.98.
"Prince of the Red Looters is a listening experience that will thrill every fan of audiobooks and pulp fiction," Roger says.
Doc Savage Audiobooks Continue to Delight Fans
2011's 'Summer of Doc Savage' continues into the Fall, as RadioArchives.com's first two Doc Savage audiobooks, Will Murray's Python Isle and White Eyes continue to attract and delight Doc fans as well as those just discovering the greatest adventure hero of the 1930s.
RadioArchives.com customer Eugene Dungan says,
"I just wanted to let you know that I have really enjoyed your two Doc Savage audiobooks, Python Isle and White Eyes. Please tell all your people to keep up the great work. I am looking forward to buying all of the audiobooks that you come out with."
Python Isle, narrated by Michael McConnohie, and White Eyes, narrated by Richard Epcar, are available in impressive CD sets, as digital downloads, and also in special Signed Director's Editions.
The legendary Master of Men returns in two classic stories from the 1930s. First, a spider should be able to catch a fly, but this particular Fly has other plans in mind! In "Prince of the Red Looters" (1934), you'll join Richard Wentworth as he battles a criminal mastermind more lethal, more ruthless than any he has encountered before. So confident is the Fly of his own abilities that he dares challenge The Spider himself to a duel - to the death! Then, in "The City That Dared Not Eat" (1937), New York City staggers under a vicious crime wave aimed at controlling the very food supply! Mass murder, wholesale poisoning -- nothing is beyond the maniac leading a gang of ruthless killers in their battle for supremacy. While The Spider matches guns and wits against an army of crime, the city starves! These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each story. Available from RadioArchives.com for only $14.95.
NEW Pulp Fiction Reprints
In a world where evil and danger loomed at every corner, a time when no one knew what might be waiting for them in the dark, a place where the future was in no way certain, a trembling populace reached out for an escape and found it in Pulp Magazines! That same doorway to Adventure, those tales of Heroes tried and true are available still today as classic pulp novel reprints from Radio Archives! Need a break from your reality? Find it in Pulp Fiction here at Radio Archives!
Spider Pulp Doubles #21
The Spider fights his way through two classic tales! First, The Spider squares off with The Corpse Broker! For a ten percent commission on murder, the Master of the Green Death guarantees immunity from the police! The Spider sets out to stop wholesale slaughter that turns the dead green! Next, The Spider marches against the Volunteer Corpse Brigade! Deadly plague-germs are used against the nation as Smiler Miordan crushes all who oppose him. The Spider, himself stricken with the virus, takes on the criminal Underworld Union! All of this available for $14.95 from Radio Archives!
Doc Savage, Volume 51: Halloween Special
The Pulp Era's legendary superhero follows terror trails in two classic thrillers. First, the Man of Bronze journeys to "The Land of Fear" to discover the deadly secret behind the "skeleton death" that dissolves human flesh to the bone. Then, a grisly vampire murder in the lobby of his own headquarters building leads Doc Savage and his beautiful cousin Patricia in pursuit of "The Fiery Menace." Enjoy these tales and extra features for only $14.95 at RadioArchives.com
The Knight of Darkness investigates deadly vampire attacks in two heart-stopping chillers and a classic radio mystery! First, the Shadow must battle a giant vampire bat and enter the dangerous "Garden of Death" to discover the secret behind a deadly drug monopoly. Then, The Shadow enters haunted Haldrew Hall to investigate "The Vampire Murders" in a sequel to the legendary Victorian thriller, "Varney the Vampire." BONUS: "Vampires Prowl by Night," a lost thriller from the Golden Age of Radio! All of this and more available now for $14.95 from RadioArchives.com.
Review of "The Land of Terror" from Doc Savage, Volume 14
By Dr. Art Sippo
Doc Savage's old chemistry tutor, Jerome Coffern, asked him to dinner to seek his help. While waiting for Doc to arrive, Dr. Coffern is assaulted and struck dead by a heavy led pipe. His attackers use an air pistol to fire a hollow metal capsule onto the body and a strange reaction ensues. The body along with the lead pipe and part of the sidewalk disintegrate into a vile cloud of gray ash. All that is left is Coffern's left hand and the wrist watch that Doc Savage gave him. When Doc arrives mere moments later, he finds this and he immediately sets out to avenge his teacher.
The evil mastermind Kar discovered an irresistible weapon: the Smoke of Eternity. It is a universal solvent that can destroy flesh, metal, even stone. Jerome Coffern knew the secret of this new weapon and was going to reveal it to Doc but he was brutally assassinated before he could. Now Doc and Kar begin a life and death struggle. They will battle to a standstill in New York and the body count rises as the stakes get higher.
Doc traces the secret of the Smoke of Eternity to a recent expedition to the Indian Ocean in which Jerome Coffern and another chemist, Gabe Yuder, were joined by adventurer Oliver Wording Bittman. Bittman was a friend of Doc's father who saved Clark Sr.'s life by killing an African lion on safari. The three men found a strange volcanic land they called Thunder Island studded with minerals unknown elsewhere on earth and harboring all manner of extinct monsters including dinosaurs, flying reptiles, and enormous mammals. This is the most foreboding place on Earth. Doc saved Bittman from Kar's henchmen and allowed him to join in the expedition back to Thunder Island. Gabe Yuder is the only one of the three that is unaccounted for and it seems that he is the villain Kar. Doc and his men travel to Thunder Island and confront danger on all sides, including a battle with a Tyrannosaurus Rex!
This is the second Doc Savage story in the original print order and it hit the newsstands in March 1933. It remains one of the best. Doc has not developed his code against killing at this point and he takes out several villains spectacularly. It should be noted that this story was on the newsstands the month before the movie King Kong which opened on 7 April 1933.
Own Land Of Terror today in Doc Savage Volume 14 for only $12.95 here at RadioArchives.com!
The evil mastermind Kar discovered an irresistible weapon: the Smoke of Eternity. It is a universal solvent that can destroy flesh, metal, even stone. Jerome Coffern knew the secret of this new weapon and was going to reveal it to Doc but he was brutally assassinated before he could. Now Doc and Kar begin a life and death struggle. They will battle to a standstill in New York and the body count rises as the stakes get higher.
Doc traces the secret of the Smoke of Eternity to a recent expedition to the Indian Ocean in which Jerome Coffern and another chemist, Gabe Yuder, were joined by adventurer Oliver Wording Bittman. Bittman was a friend of Doc's father who saved Clark Sr.'s life by killing an African lion on safari. The three men found a strange volcanic land they called Thunder Island studded with minerals unknown elsewhere on earth and harboring all manner of extinct monsters including dinosaurs, flying reptiles, and enormous mammals. This is the most foreboding place on Earth. Doc saved Bittman from Kar's henchmen and allowed him to join in the expedition back to Thunder Island. Gabe Yuder is the only one of the three that is unaccounted for and it seems that he is the villain Kar. Doc and his men travel to Thunder Island and confront danger on all sides, including a battle with a Tyrannosaurus Rex!
This is the second Doc Savage story in the original print order and it hit the newsstands in March 1933. It remains one of the best. Doc has not developed his code against killing at this point and he takes out several villains spectacularly. It should be noted that this story was on the newsstands the month before the movie King Kong which opened on 7 April 1933.
Own Land Of Terror today in Doc Savage Volume 14 for only $12.95 here at RadioArchives.com!
High quality Audio, Pulp, and Classic DVDs! And at a fantastic price! Why, that's the Radio Archives Deal of the Day!
The Deal of the Day is actually Three Deals at All Times! No limits! No minimum amount! Simply Great Products at Unbelievable Prices!
Every Day a Different Item is available at 10% Off.
If you're into Pulp, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days to pick up a great Pulp deal at a 10% discount!
For The Next Two Weeks Only - 10 Hours of Radio's Greatest Shows for 25% off!
Discover the magic of radio's Golden Age with this handpicked selection of shows. Your mind's eye will come alive with timeless mystery, comedy, science fiction and detective shows. Experience the greatness of the Nelson Family, Don Ameche and Francis Langford, as well as the genius of Ray Bradbury, Willis Cooper, Orson Welles, Jack Webb, and many more in this ten hour collection.
The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The Aldrich Family, Baby Snooks, Beulah, The Bickersons, Big Town, The Bill Stern Colgate Sports Reel, Boston Blackie, Night Beat, Casey, Crime Photographer, Dimension X, X-Minus One, The Fred Allen Show, The Great Gildersleeve, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, Lights Out, The Lux Radio Theatre, Orson Welles Meets H.G. Wells, Pat Novak, For Hire, The Saint, The Unexpected, Lights Out. And it can be yours for $22.49, 25% off the regular price until October 20th at RadioArchives.com!
October Deal Of The Month - Bing Crosby: Screen Legends Collection for 50% off
Actor and crooner Bing Crosby had a rich, long film career and this collection features some of the best of his lesser-known films. Crosby is joined by costars such as Anthony Quinn, Joan Blondell, Gloria Jean, Betty Hutton, and more! And Bing lends his voice to such classics as "Sweet Leilani," That Old Black Magic," "Ac-cent-u-ate the Positive," and many others! The collection is a great cross-section of Crosby's career and shouldn't be missed by fans of him or of American films of the 1930s and 1940s. The movies included are:
Waikiki Wedding (1937, directed by Frank Tuttle)
Double or Nothing (1937, directed by Theodore Reed)
East Side of Heaven (1939, directed by David Butler)
If I Had My Way (1940, directed by David Butler)
For the month of October this classic collection of Crosby films is half price at $13.49 from Radio Archives! Look for the yellow 'Deal Of The Day' price tag in the upper right hand corner of the home page and click it for a great deal Every Single Day from RadioArchives.com!
Comments From Our Customers!
D. Ernie Frick:
Your news letter is awesome.
Charles T. St. George:
I was just thinking how far Radio Archives has come since the days of snail mail. You deserve all the credit for making the right changes.
I was just thinking how far Radio Archives has come since the days of snail mail. You deserve all the credit for making the right changes.
If you'd like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We'd love to hear from you!
The products you've read about in this newsletter are just a small fraction of what you'll find waiting for you at RadioArchives.com. Whether it's the sparkling audio fidelity of our classic radio collections, the excitement of our new line of audiobooks, or the timeless novels of the pulp heroes, you'll find hundreds of intriguing items at RadioArchives.com.
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