RAS #723 – Passport to Peril: Riding The Trade Winds

This week on Ron’s Amazing Stories, we set sail with Trade Winds, a globe-trotting mystery filled with romance, danger, and old-school Hollywood polish. Originally released as a motion picture in 1938 by United Artists, Trade Winds was directed by Tay Garnett and based on his own story. The film starred Fredric March and Joan Bennett and delivered a stylish murder mystery that spanned oceans and continents.

Tonight’s presentation comes from Lux Radio Theatre, which adapted the story for radio and first broadcast it on March 4, 1940. This version stars Errol Flynn as Sam Wye, a charming, globe-hopping detective on the trail of a fugitive heiress—played once again by Joan Bennett. The cast also features Mary Astor and Ralph Bellamy, making this a true Hollywood showcase brought straight to the airwaves.

We’ll also wrap things up with a listener Q&A, where Ron shares why old time radio remains such a powerful—and personal—connection to history.

Sit back, relax, and let the trade winds carry you away.

In This Episode

An introduction to Trade Winds and its 1938 film origins
A look at Lux Radio Theatre and its Hollywood radio adaptations
Errol Flynn takes the lead as globe-trotting detective Sam Wye
A listener question about Ron’s passion for old time radio
Why classic radio dramas are time capsules worth revisiting

Ron’s Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible – You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories.

Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you’re from. I will read it if I can. Links are below.

Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron’s Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin.

Program Info: Ron’s Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

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RAS #722 – Danger Has Two Faces: A Gunsmoke Double Feature

This week on Ron’s Amazing Stories, we saddle up for a classic Gunsmoke double feature, featuring two gripping radio dramas that show danger wearing very different disguises. Set in and around Dodge City—a real town and proudly known as the Cowboy Capital of the World—these stories highlight why Gunsmoke became one of the most important series in radio and television history. At the center stands Marshal Matt Dillon, facing threats born of desperation, ambition, and the belief that violence creates legends.

One story traps Matt in a snowbound cabin with killers who have already crossed the line. The other brings danger directly into Dodge City, carried by a man eager to make a name for himself at the wrong end of a gun.

Two stories. Two kinds of danger. One lawman.

In This Episode

An introduction to Gunsmoke and its lasting place in American fictional history
The real Dodge City and why it matters to the legend
“The Cabin” (December 27, 1952): A blizzard, a remote cabin, and fugitives who leave no room for mercy
“There Never Was a Horse” (September 19, 1953): A gunman seeks reputation by challenging the wrong man
How both stories explore violence, justice, and the true cost of reputation in the Old West
As always, thank you for listening and keeping the spirit of classic radio alive.

Ron’s Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible – You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories.

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RAS #721 – When Nature Turns Savage: Tales from Escape

Ron’s Amazing Stories opens the door to one of radio’s most celebrated suspense anthologies—Escape. Known for its tales of danger, obsession, and the darker corners of human (and animal) behavior, Escape rarely pulled its punches. In this double feature, we explore what happens when the natural world breaks its unspoken contract with mankind.

Our first story, “A Shipment of Mute Fate,” stars Jack Webb in a harrowing tale of obsession and deadly cargo. A hunt for the world’s most dangerous snake—the legendary bushmaster—leads to a sea voyage where danger coils silently in the shadows.

Our second story, “The Birds,” is based on the chilling work of Daphne du Maurier. Set in post–World War II England, it tells the story of a quiet community suddenly and violently besieged by flocks of birds acting with terrifying purpose. The tale later inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, but its radio version remains just as unsettling.

Two stories. Two species. One warning. Nature is patient… until it isn’t./

In This Episode

An introduction to the classic radio series Escape
“A Shipment of Mute Fate,” starring Jack Webb
The deadly legend of the bushmaster snake
A brief discussion on cats, reflexes, and snake encounters
“The Birds,” based on the story by Daphne du Maurier
How both tales reflect the fear of nature gone wrong

Ron’s Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible – You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories.

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Dimension X Presents: Two Expeditions to Mars

This week on Ron’s Amazing Stories, we turn our attention skyward to one of the most influential works of science fiction ever written — The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. First published in 1950, Bradbury’s interconnected stories of Mars weren’t really about rockets or planets. They were about us — our memories, our habits, and the things we carry with us wherever we go.

Tonight’s program features two outstanding radio adaptations from NBC’s classic series Dimension X, bringing Bradbury’s Mars to life through sound and imagination alone.

In This Episode

A personal reflection on discovering The Martian Chronicles in a high school English class
A brief history of Ray Bradbury and the creation of The Martian Chronicles
“Mars Is Heaven!” — a haunting early expedition where Mars feels a little too familiar
“—And the Moon Be Still as Bright” — the fourth mission to Mars, and the cost of changing a new world
A reflective commentary on Bradbury’s warnings, radio storytelling, and why these stories still matter today

Bradbury once said he wasn’t trying to predict the future — he was trying to prevent it. Decades later, his stories still ask the same quiet question: when we reach somewhere new, do we listen first… or do we remake it in our own image?

Ron’s Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible – You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories.

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RAS #719 – Wings in the Gathering Storm: Flight Command

In this episode of Ron’s Amazing Stories, we return to the tense days of 1940, when the world was already at war—and America was watching the storm clouds gather.

The Story comes from Lux Radio Theatre: the radio adaptation of the MGM film Flight Command. Released in 1940, the film starred Robert Taylor, Ruth Hussey, and Walter Pidgeon, with all three reprising their roles for radio. It was the first Hollywood film to openly glorify the American military after the outbreak of World War II in Europe—arriving a full year before the United States entered the conflict.

The story follows Navy Ensign Alan Drake, a rookie pilot assigned to an elite fighter squadron known as the “Hellcats.” Struggling with early mistakes and a damaging misunderstanding, Drake must ultimately prove his skill, courage, and character during a dangerous test of new blind-landing equipment.

In the opening segment, Ron explores Flight Command’s place in history and its quiet role in preparing audiences for the realities ahead. Before the story begins, we look at the real-life inspiration behind the film’s squadron: Fighting Squadron 8 (VF-8), one of the Navy’s early elite aviation units.

In the closing segment, Ron discusses the real-world invention that made the film’s dramatic finale possible—the early instrument landing systems that allowed pilots to land safely in zero-visibility conditions, forever changing aviation. A story of duty, discipline, and courage in uncertain times—this is Flight Command.

Ron’s Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible – You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories.