In this blog we will take a look at the “Suspense Story” of one of 0ld time radio’s greatest achievements, Suspense. The show was subtitled “radio’s outstanding theater of thrills” and it maintained that mission statement throughout its run. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors, and directors. Plot-lines, for the most part, followed a perfected formula. The hero is dropped into a hostile or bizarre situation and solutions were suspended until the last possible second.

Its very first episode, recorded in July of 1940, was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It was part of the CBS summer series called Forecast. This series tested possible shows for public approval. Hitchcock decided on, The Lodger, to bring to the airwaves. This happened to be a favorite of both his and its star Herbert Marshall. Even with some hiccups it was well received by the pubic and Suspense would become its own series in 1942.

One of the programs earliest successes and its single most popular episode was Lucille Fletcher’s “Sorry, Wrong Number.” It was about a bedridden woman (Agnes Moorehead) who panics after overhearing a murder plot on a crossed telephone connection. You can listen to this episode on Ron’s Amazing Stories Episode #3 and then again in Episode #43. In the later Jim Harold joins the program to talk about his views on this amazing story.

The early years were rough for Suspense because it had no sponsors. Then in 1944 Roma Wines bought the show and kept it going through 1948.  After another brief period of sustained episodes, Autolite Spark Plugs would take over until 1954. The highest production standards and the use of famous film actors made sure that the ratings were maintained. The series expanded to television on CBS from 1949 to 1954, and again in 1962. The final broadcast of Suspense was on September 30, 1962 and is often cited as the end of the Golden Age of Radio. That episode was sponsored by Parliament cigarettes.

There you have a brief history of this OTR powerhouse. If you look through the episodes here at the RAS you will see that Suspense is one of our most used series. This is not an accident and I go on record that I am a true fan.

Thanks for reading,

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast:

As you might guess from the blog this week that that Thursday’s podcast will have an episode of Suspense. What you may not predict is that it will be, that very first attempt by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940. Also, on the show there will be a dramatic reading of Gray Eagle and this Five Brothers. Should be a good one.

You can listen to this podcast this Thursday (1/07) at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

December 17, 2015 – Two Sharp Knifes (RAS225)
December 24, 2015 – Christmas break 2015
December 31, 2015 – Called to be a Soldier (RAS226)
January 07, 2016 – A story from Suspense (RAS227)
January 14, 2016 – Undertakings with Stanley Swan (RAS228)
January 21, 2016 – (RAS229)
January 28, 2016 – (RAS330)

Welcome to Ron’s Amazing Stories – The Blog. How does Ron find it? This time we are going to take a look at how I pick the programs you hear on the podcast and how I find these gems. I get emails asking these two questions so often, I decided to give you a mini-guide on how it gets done.

How do I pick the shows you hear?

This is actually harder than finding them. When I pick the programs I use on air I have to think about a quite a few things. The most important one may surprise you. I have to make sure that series and episode are not copyrighted. Most of the OTR programs are either public domain or creative commons, but there are a few still owned by the original holders or someone has bought the rights.
The second aspect I look at is. Could anyone find this subject matter offensive. Why this check? Simple, something’s in the 1940s have a completely different meaning then they do today. (Example: The word Gay). Also, I try to avoid shows that promote cigarette smoking.
Another thing I look at is. Does the program translate well to our century? This one is a judgment call, but I think I have done a pretty good job of picking stories that are as good today as the were eighty years ago.

How to find these great programs on your own?

Ever wonder if you could do your own podcast? Have you ever wondered, “Where does Ron get all those great old stories?” I can safely say that everything comes from two basic websites.

LibriVox.org: This site is simply amazing. They provide 1000’s of audiobooks, shorts and stories for free. They are read by volunteers who do their very best to make what you hear, fun to hear. Virtually any book that is in the public domain can be found on their site. Also, if you can’t find it you can even request it. I take a lot of the short stories you hear on “As Read By” from Librivox.org.

Archive.Org: This site has a fascinating history that I might tell one day in another blog. What you can’t you find on archive.org? Music? Check. OTR Programs? Check. Old news broadcasts? Yes! You can uncover just about any recorded material on the planet that is in the public domain. It is supported by us, operated by us and should be used by us. Nearly everything you hear on Ron’s Amazing Stories was found on this site. Start by typing archive.org into your browser and hang on.

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this Thursday we will have a crime and punishment edition. It will tell the story of Theo and Dianna’s roadtrip turned bad, one from Phillip Marlowe and a short story about a truy desperate group of folks.
You can listen to this podcast this Thursday (12/10) at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

November 26, 2015 – The Psychic Bystander (Horror Express 10)
December 03, 2015 – Science is fiction (RAS223)
December 10, 2015 – The Green Flame (RAS224)
December 17, 2015 – (RAS225)
December 24, 2015 – Christmas break 2015
December 31, 2015 – An Interview with Major Wayne Smalls US Army Retired. (RAS226)

“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”  ― Philip Pullman

Since telling our stories is the goal at Ron’s Amazing Stories, I thought we should take a moment and talk about how it is all done. I get a lot of emails on this subject. The types of questions I get are everything from, “Who hold the copyrights?” to “Do I get paid?”  Another question I get a lot is “How do I get my story to you?” In this blog I am going to answer these queries and use this as future reference for those wanting to submit a story for the show.

Who Holds the Copyrights?

A very simple answer to this question. Anything you write and submit to me belongs to you. I will ask your permission to use it. Keep in mind that I hold the copyrights to the show not your personal work. If I do a replay of that show I will not ask you again for permission because, the show belongs to me. I am not going to go into all the laws surrounding this. The best source on the internet is copyright.gov. If you ever have concerns about copyright, you can register your document there or simply mail yourself a copy of your work.

Please Note: I plan to someday write a book called Ron’s Amazing Stories. It will include the stories submitted by my listeners gently edited by me. You will be given credit by name, but no proceeds from the book.

Do I Get Paid?

No. All stories are donated to the show. I will not give you a cash reimbursement. This has happened a few times. People send me a great story they have written and when I contact them to get permission to use it they quote a cash dollar price. One gal wanted a percentage of the show’s profits and future royalties! If you want money for your work Ron’s Amazing Stories is not the place.

How do I get my story to you?

The most common way to get your story to me is to go to the main website at http://raspodcast.com, click on the contact button and tell me that you have a story you want to submit. I will contact you via email to get your story and permission to use it.

A lot of people have a great story, but don’t want to write it. In these cases, we will set up a time to talk on the phone and you can tell your story to me. Then I will write it and read it on the show. This happens a lot! Of course, you can tell your story in your own voice on the show. So far only one person has done this. Mr. Ray Peyton, on episode 201 called Toy Story, did it. Brave thing to do and it turned out great!

Another way to get me your story on the show is to email it to me. You can send your story, art, photos or anything that goes with it to ronsamazingstories@gmail.com.  Be sure to include your permission or a call back number.

Please note: If I write your story for you, I will send you a copy. You still own it and I will still need your permission to use it.

Telling Our Stories

Well that’s it. You should have everything you need to submit your stories to me. If you want your story heard, I want to tell it. I’s that simple. Telling our stories is the most important thing we do here on the RAS. So please share your thoughts, ideas and tales with us. A story not told is a story lost.

Still have questions? Contact me and let’s talk.

Thanks for reading,

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this Thursday we head to the future with a great story from Dimension X, we will answer some listener’s emails and of course there will be surprise or two. So be sure to join us and be ready to adventure in time and space!

You can listen to this podcast this Thursday (12/03) at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

November 26, 2015 – The Psychic Bystander (Horror Express 10)
December 03, 2015 – Science is fiction (RAS223)
December 10, 2015 – (RAS224)
December 17, 2015 – (RAS225)
December 24, 2015 – Christmas Break 2015
December 31, 2015 – New Years Eve Special! (RAS226)

This show has been transcribed. What does that mean in terms of old time radio? How did OTR work back then? In the the days before magnetic tape, producers of the 30s, 40s and even into the 50s, had to record their programs.  This blog is on how the magic was done.
First let’s start with the definition of transcription.  It is the process by which genetic information represented by a sequence of DNA nucleotides is copied into newly synthesized molecules of RNA, with the DNA serving as a template. Or, another way to say it, it is a written or recorded representation of something.
So our transcription in terms of radio, actually means, that it was recorded to a disc. “Recorded” was a term that was known, of course, but not used very much in Radio’s Golden Age. During the era, it was also considered very important to distinguish which shows went out live and which weren’t. So, if a show was transcribed it was announced as such. Live shows were considered the Cadillac and transcribed programs the Hyundai. The “transcription taboo” was purely a network thing. Syndication stations had no other method but transcriptions to get their shows. With the development of high-fidelity magnetic tape in the years following World War II recordings became accepted.
Transcriptions, in the early days, were done using a cutting lathe and acetate discs. Programs were normally recorded at 331⁄3 rpm on 16 inch records. When cutting a disc the vacuum from a water aspirator was used to pick up the waste material and deposit it in a water-filled bottle. In addition to convenience, this served a safety purpose, as the cellulose nitrate thread was highly flammable and a loose accumulation of it combusted violently if ignited.
Most broadcasts were recorded in a studio or a network-owned station. These places might have four or more lathes. Two were required to capture a program longer than 15 minutes.  Without at least two lathes, content would be lost while discs were flipped over or changed. When a number of copies of a transcription were required, as for the distribution of a syndicated program, they were produced by the same process used to make ordinary records.
So, there you have the process on how transcription worked. Some of these huge discs remain out there and can be purchased as memorabilia. You probably would find it very difficult finding a player for these monsters. But hey, they do look quite impressive on a wall.

This Week’s Podcast:

On Thursday’s podcast we will present a brand new western series to Ron’s Amazing Stories. It is a classic and you won’t want to miss this debut. It is called Frontier Town and made its run in 1949. The show ran for 47 episodes and was canceled because it was transcribed.  It was aired in syndication on different stations on different days and different times. Bottom-line, it was impossible to follow.
You can listen to this podcast this Thursday (11/12) at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

November 5 – GE Theater presents: The Tokin
November 12 – A western round-up with Frontier Town.
November 19 – We will have a replay for Thanksgiving Break
November 26 – Author Louisa Oakley Green (Horror Express #10?)

So, we have comic books, but where did they come from? After all everything has a beginning.

For the beginning of the comic you would have to go back to the pulp heroes. “Pulps” were small 10 cent books, sold on the newsstands and were published from 1896 through the 1950s. They were usually filled with action heroes going to exotic places and having adventures. Among these heroes were Doc Savage and The Shadow. While these guys did extraordinary things, they weren’t called superheroes. However, they had their influence on what was to come.
The Phantom made his debut on February 17th, 1936. He was the first costumed hero and was created by Lee Falk. The Phantom was a normal “human” person. He fought crime with bravery and death defying stunts. He was one of the first characters who used a mask to hide his true identity. This, of course, would become the hallmark of most superheroes and crime-fighters to follow.
There is a lot of discussion on the origins of the first real comic book. Most agree it was Action Comics #1 which was first published in June of 1938. Why was this one so special? It introduced greatest superhero of all time, Superman. We would go on from there and enter what would be called the golden age of comics (Late 30’s through the 50’s). Much of what we see today was developed during this age and would catapult a billion-dollar industry.
If you want to learn more about the history of Comic Books and Superheroes I recommend: Super-history: Comic Book Superheroes and American Society, 1938 to the Present by Jeffrey K. Johnson. This study views American history from 1938 to 2010 through the lens of superhero comics, revealing the spandex-clad guardians to be not only fictional characters but barometers of the place and time in which they reside.

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this week Jacob Edwards joins us to talk about the current state of comic books and it major stakeholders DC and Marvel. He also introduces us to an episode of the Blue Beetle. BB was one of the first comic book heroes to get his start on old time radio in the 1940s and go on to have good success in the comics.
You can listen to this podcast this Thursday (09/03) at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

August 27: CBS Radio Mystery Theater – Circle of Evil
September 03: A new story from the Blue Beetle introduced by our friend Jacob Edwards!
September 10: Time for a detective drama
September 17/24: Working on getting a Civil War historian
October 01: The Fifth Annual Month of Spooky Begins!