RAS #713 – Lucky Jordan

This week on Ron’s Amazing Stories we head back to the world of Hollywood radio drama with Screen Director’s Playhouse. It’s the third time in a few weeks we’ve featured Alan Ladd — and this one helped shape his signature tough-guy style. (Links to those other stories: Shane and Beyond Glory)

The story is Lucky Jordan, based on the 1942 film directed by Frank Tuttle. It’s about a smooth gangster drafted into the Army who finds himself on an unexpected road to redemption. The radio version aired in 1951 and ran a full hour, giving it time to capture the wit, grit, and heart of the original film. If you love sharp dialogue, strong characters, and classic sound design — this one delivers all three.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy Alan Ladd in Lucky Jordan from Screen Director’s Playhouse!

Available wherever you listen to podcasts

Runtime: 59:11 minutes (including commentary)

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 #712 – Into the Inner Sanctum

This week marks the final chapter of our Month of Spooky, and we’re ending it with a creaking door and a chill in the air. It’s a double dose of fright from one of old-time radio’s finest — Inner Sanctum Mysteries. We’ll hear two unforgettable tales:

Dead Man’s Vengeance (October 7, 1944) – A chilling story where the host himself, Raymond, becomes the target of a supernatural hit list.
The Corridor of Doom (October 23, 1945) – Starring the great Boris Karloff, this haunting tale follows a man lost in a hospital corridor that may lead straight into madness.

Between the stories, Ron dives deep into Inner Sanctum’s eerie history — its creaking doors, its pun-loving host, and its strange ability to make us both laugh and shiver. He also reflects on why we like to be scared and what keeps these old tales alive more than 80 years later.

So, pull up a chair, dim the lights, and join us for one last visit to the shadows.

What You Will Hear

The chilling world of Inner Sanctum Mysteries
A discussion on why fear entertains us
Insights into Boris Karloff’s legendary career
Classic audio from two of radio’s creepiest stories
A fond farewell to the Month of Spooky

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 #710 – It Happened on Lost Man’s Bluff

It’s week two of the Month of Spooky! Join Ron as he dives into two classic horror tales from The Hermit’s Cave — a chilling radio series that haunted the airwaves from the late 1930s to the mid-1940s. Between stories, Ron explores why we love to be scared, how horror thrived on the radio, and why the imagination can out-creep any special effect.

What You Will Hear:

The eerie history of The Hermit’s Cave
Why people crave the spooky side of life
Story 1: It Happened on Sunday – When a day of rest turns to terror
Story 2: The House on Lost Man’s Bluff – A haunted house and a terrible secret
Discussion: Horror on the radio versus horror on the big screen
Closing thoughts on why these old stories still give us chills

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 #701 – Voices from the Static

On Ron’s Amazing stories this time, we drift deep into the crackle and hiss of late-night shortwave radio. What begins as idle tuning on a battered Zenith Trans-Oceanic turns into something much stranger: two complete old-time radio programs surfacing on a signal that shouldn’t exist.

First, from the hypnotic and unsettling world of Quiet, Please, we hear “Whence Came You?” (1948) — a slow-burn tale of an archaeologist in Egypt who discovers far more than ancient ruins. Then, without warning, the dial delivers us into the grim territory of Lights Out with “Knock at the Door” (1942), a short, shocking story that might have you keeping the lights on tonight.

But the night has one more surprise: a fleeting, unexplained transmission — a whisper, a burst of Morse code, and a voice warning, “…don’t let him open the door—” before vanishing into silence. Was it an atmospheric fluke? A hidden rebroadcast? Or did we stumble into a station that exists somewhere beyond the usual airwaves? Tune in, lean close, and decide for yourself.

Featured Stories:

Quiet, Please – “Whence Came You?” (Feb 16, 1948)|
Lights Out – “Knock at the Door” (Dec 29, 1942)

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 #700 – The Secrets of Scotland Yard

This is episode #700 of Ron’s Amazing Stories! Can you believe it? Seven hundred episodes of time travel through tales, truth, and the occasional trench-coated raccoon. More on that in a bit. Today’s journey starts deep in the heart of Secrets of Scotland Yard, the legendary radio drama that pulled back the curtain on some of Britain’s most chilling cases. We’ll share two classic episodes, each steeped in mystery, crime, and a touch of old-world British grit:

Featured Stories:

“The Man with the Violin: The Charles Peace Case”

Meet Charles Peace—by day, a violinist and gentleman. By night, a rooftop-scaling, disguise-wearing, cold-blooded killer. His tale winds through 19th-century rooftops and courtrooms, ending, as many true crimes do, with a noose and a gasp. Bonus Ron Fact: Charles Peace inspired a 1949 British crime film, and every bit of his story—from obsession to execution—is documented history.

“Just A Matchstick And A Duster”

A peculiar little tale about two ordinary items and a rather extraordinary crime. Though no concrete history backs this one up, the mystery remains… and sometimes, that’s the fun of it.

Special Segment: Don’s Astounding Stories Hits 700

In celebration of our 700th episode, we share the completely true and not-at-all embellished tale of Don’s Astounding Stories, a podcast that defied logic, common sense, and multiple cease-and-desist letters to reach its own 700-episode milestone. From answering machines to AI co-hosts and spam busts, this satirical tribute reminds us all: you don’t need polish to have persistence. You just need Don… and possibly a backup host made of kitchen appliances.

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