Atlas Old Time Radio

Atlas Old Time Radio is now OTRZilla.com

2006-09-26T19:31:00.000-05:00

Atlas Old Time Radio has been upgraded. It is new and improved, and has been renamed:

www.otrzilla.com

You will find that all the content here has already been moved to the new site.

Please update your bookmarks accordingly.

Going forward, Atlas Old-Time Radio will no longer be updated. Instead, new downloads will be added to www.otrzilla.com only.

According to the poll results, you guys want more detective programs along with some horror programs. In the future, you will find all that and more at www.otrzilla.com.

I hope you like the new site.

Suspense - Donovan's Brain

2006-09-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

This version of "Donovan's Brain" aired in two parts in 1944, and features Orson Welles.

It was unusual for Suspense to break a story into two parts, and did so only on three other occasions during the show's twenty-year run.

Part 1 was broadcast on CBS on January May 18, 1944, with part 2 airing the following week.

Be aware that the file sizes are large at approximately 13M each, but the sound quality is quite good.

Download part 1: Suspense_44-05-18_Donovans_Brain-1.mp3
Download part 2: Suspense_44-05-25_Donovans_Brain-2.mp3

Suspense - The Kandy Tooth Caper

2006-09-19T15:47:00.000-05:00

"The Kandy Tooth Caper" is a unique hour-long episode of Suspense, but you could actually consider it an extended episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade. William Spier was the producer and director of both programs. This script was the combination of two half-hour The Adventures of Sam Spade episodes that aired in 1947.

This hour-long episode features the regular The Adventures of Sam Spade cast of Howard Duff and Lurene Tuttle, and marks the return of the character of Kasper Gutman.

Also unique to this broadcast is that it features a pseudo interview with Howard Duff near the beginning.

Originally broadcast on CBS on January 10, 1948.

Download: Suspense_48-01-10_The_Kandy_Tooth_Caper.mp3

got OTR?

2006-09-18T12:06:00.000-05:00

Non-US visitors of this blog, of which there are many, may not be familiar with the "got milk?" slogan which has become a part of American pop culture in recent years.

Anyway, here is a parody of that slogan with an old-time radio twist.

Got OTR?

Sherlock Holmes - The Manor House Case

2006-09-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

"Diamond In the Sky" was originally broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System on October 15, 1945, and sponsored by Petri Wine.

Download: SherlockHolmes_45-10-15_The_Manor_House_Case.mp3

Box 13 - Diamond In the Sky

2006-09-09T23:33:00.000-05:00

Anthother one from Box 13.

"Diamond In the Sky" was originally broadcast on the Mutual network on November 21, 1948.

Download: Box13 48-11-21 Diamond In The Sky.mp3

Box 13 - One Of These Four

2006-09-05T20:52:00.000-05:00

"Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything -- Box 13." That is the classified ad that fiction-write Dan Holiday ran in the newspaper in order to get ideas to use in his novels. Box 13 aired for one year on the Mutual network between 1948 and 1949, and starred film actor Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday.

This episode is title "One of These Four", and was originally broadcast on the Mutual network on May 8, 1949.

Download: Box13 49-05-08 One Of These Four.mp3

Sam Spade - The Missing Newshawk Caper

2006-09-02T23:20:00.000-05:00

Here's another from The Adventures of Sam Spade.

Originally broadcast on July 18, 1948.

Download: SamSpade 48-07-18 The Missing Newshawk Caper.mp3

The Whistler - The House on Sycamore Road

2006-08-29T23:15:00.000-05:00

Normally The Whistler has a plot that centers around a pile of cash or a cold-hearted spouse. This episode has both.

Originally broadcast on October 15, 1945, and sponsored by Signal Oil.

Download: Whistler_45-10-15_The_House_on_Sycamore_Road.mp3

The Whistler - The Silent City

2006-08-29T22:51:00.000-05:00

The Whistler was a popular program that ran on West Coast CBS affiliates from 1942 to 1955. Each episode followed a standard formula: an average Joe is tempted by an opportunity to change his lot in life, but he must quietly commit a crime to take full advantage. In the end his guilt is exposed by some overlooked detail, or more often, a simple twist of fate.

Originally broadcast on April 12, 1948, and sponsored by Signal Oil.

Download: Whistler 48-04-21 The Silent City.mp3

Adventures By Morse - The Girl on Shipwreck Island

2006-08-26T16:18:00.000-05:00

Adventures By Morse was an adventure/mystery radio series created by Carlton E. Morse. The program was aired in a serial format, offering a new 30-minute episode each week.

The stories themselves follow the adventures of Captain Bart Friday and Skip Turner, whose exploits take them around the globe, often working as mercenaries for foreign intelligence or scientific expeditions.

Carlton E. Morse also created the popular, and similar, I Love a Mystery series.

Download "The Adventure Begins" (1 of 3)
AdvMorse 44-06-17 The Girl on Shipwreck Island.mp3

Download "The Pirate is a Fighting Man" (2 of 3)
AdvMorse 44-06-24 The Girl on Shipwreck Island.mp3

Download "More About Gracie Than Meets the Eye" (3 of 3)
AdvMorse 44-07-01 The Girl on Shipwreck Island.mp3

Sherlock Holmes - The Speckled Band

2006-08-25T18:39:00.000-05:00

Here's another from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Harry Bartell, who was the announcer for the program as well as the visitor of the elderly Watson at the beginning of each show, went on to become a prominent radio actor himself. He appeared on many episodes of Escape and Suspense.

Originally broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System on November 12, 1945, and sponsored by Petri Wine.

Download: SherlockHolmes 45-11-12 The Speckled Band.mp3

Sherlock Holmes - The Limping Ghost

2006-08-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes aired regularly from October 2, 1939 to July 7, 1947. Through most of the run, Sherlock Holmes was played by Basil Rathbone and Dr. Watson was played by Nigel Bruce. If you don't mind the use of overdone organ stabs, these programs are solidly entertaining.

Originally broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System on September 3, 1945, and sponsored by Petri Wine.

Download: SherlockHolmes 45-09-03 The Limping Ghost.mp3

Suspense - The Hitchhiker

2006-08-19T10:46:00.000-05:00

Here is an early episode from Suspense, guest starring Orson Welles. Even though the quality of this recording is only so-so, "The Hitchhiker" is a classic episode and is definitely worth a listen, especially if you've never heard it.

Welles does a convincing job of making his character sound ill at ease throughout.

Originally broadcast on CBS on Spetember 2, 1942.

Download: Suspense 42-09-02 The Hitchhiker.mp3

Sam Spade - The Adam Figg Caper

2006-08-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

This is one of the few The Adventures of Sam Spade episodes available from 1947. Listen for the banter between Sam and Effie near the beginning when they are trying out the Memo Robot. Somehow they get each other laughing and come very close to falling out of character. They just barely recover in time for Sam's retelling of the caper.

Sam's loyal secretary Effie Perrine is played by actress Lurene Tuttle, sometimes called the "First Lady" of radio.

Originally broadcast on CBS on October 5, 1947.

Download: SamSpade 47-10-05 The Adam Figg Caper.mp3

Sam Spade - The Hot Hundred Grand Caper

2006-08-02T21:59:00.000-05:00

For my money, The Adventures of Sam Spade, featuring Dashiell Hammett's hard-boiled detective Sam Spade, is one of the most entertaining OTR detective programs out there. Sure, Philip Marlowe and Richard Diamond are good shows too, but Sam Spade seems like a cut above, especially the programs featuring Howard Duff in the title role.

Originally broadcast on CBS on September 19, 1948.

Download: SamSpade 48-09-19 The Hot Hundred Grand Caper.mp3