POWDER RIVER - SEASON 6

GABRIEL CLARK joins the cast of POWDER RIVER as "Levi Curtis" for the 6th season which premiere's on Sirius XM Radio, Ch. 30, on OCT. 5th.

SHANA DIRIK stars as Jocelyn Prescott in C-R-T's new hour long series BEACON HILL, which will premiere SUN. DEC. 30th, on Sirius XM, Ch. 80.

STOCK UP FOR HALLOWEEN LISTENING

We have produced A LOT of spooky programs over the years, and with Halloween coming up next month, you might want to check out some of our productions that might put a chill up your spine! Note: these links are for CD's on Amazon. All shows are also available for download on Audible.Com and iTunes.

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW  Ichabod Crane, a lanky, lean, superstitious school master, arrives to teach the children of Sleepy Hollow. As he vies for the attention of the lovely Katrina Van Tassel, his rival for her attention is the town rowdy, Brom Bones. Brom tries to scare Ichabod away with local superstitions and ghost tales. Soon enough the ill-fated schoolmaster encounters a terrifying legend come to life —The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Meticulously adapted to stay true to the mood and flavor of the book Washington Irving is most famous for, this Colonial Radio presentation won the Charles Ogle Award for the Best Fantasy Production of 2005.

VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS - Vol. 1  The Tinglers — from an original story by Mark L. Miller In this sequel to the Vincent Price classic The Tingler, Dr. Chapin and his crew search for a primitive tribe with ties to the elusive creature that is spawned from fear with a grip like iron. What they find in the dark jungle gives new meaning to the word terror! Fade Away — from an original story by Nick Lyons Private Eye Frank Wood is investigating the mysterious break-ins at the home of a wealthy old man named Jack Leonard. Is there really an intruder or is Jack losing his mind—seeing someone, or something, that isn't really there? Canus — from an original story by Chad Helder In this macabre tale where gothic horror meets the perversions of science, a young boy must survive a bizarre rite of passage—he must confront a creature deep within a mad scientist's dungeon! Road Rage — from an original story by Darren G. Davis and Paul J. Salamoff An advertising executive involved in a little fender-bender must suffer through a nightmare— the retribution of a sinister adversary with a twisted mind.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (Release Date Oct 1) 

Within Each Man, There Lies the Capacity for Infinite Good… and Infinite Evil. Dr. Henry Jekyll: Good-natured, friendly and sociable. Mr. Edward Hyde: Misanthropic, violent and uncontrollable. Prosecutor Gabriel John Utterson, a friend of Jekyll’s, is about to be plunged into the worlds of both men – and will discover the terrifying secret that binds them. From the rain-slicked streets of London to the innermost depths of the human psyche, the award winning Colonial Radio Theatre proudly brings Robert Louis Stevenson’s masterpiece to chilling, nightmarish life.

VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS - Vol. 2
THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES – The Deadly Comedy Based on a story by Adriano The disfigured criminal genius Dr. Phibes rises from the dead once again to torment his arch-enemy, Scotland Yard Inspector Harry Trout, with another macabre murder. Phibes has murdered a famous stage actor in a bizarre and grisly fashion, but this is only the first stage of his twisted plan to rid himself of his enemies and achieve his black heart's deepest desire —immortality for himself and his late wife, Victoria. FAMILY OF THE NIGHT Based on a story by Chad Helder Children are kidnapped and taken to a secluded compound where they are given new names and then wait to be "adopted" by parents who are vampires. A very scary episode of Vincent Price Presents! RUE THE DAY Based on a story by Chad Helder A high school English class studies Edgar Allan Poe's macabre masterpiece, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." Inspired by the horrific tale of a razor-blade-wielding orangutan, the brightest and most insane student in the class uses his secret psychic power to carry out a hideous and unimaginable revenge against his classmates. THE TELL TALE TAPE Based on a story by Brent Schoonover Popular radio show couple, Benny and Betty, have hit a snag in their off-air relationship. Low ratings and a new romantic interest threaten to put Benny out of a job for good. With the stress building, Benny's inner turmoil finally surfaces in a horrific fashion. Will this be enough to silence the voices in Benny's head for good?

JARREM LEE - GHOST HUNTER Vol. 1 Meet Jarrem Lee, Ghost Hunter (or as he prefers to call it, a psychical detective). With the help of college student Arthur Bennett, he embarks on a series of spine tingling and exciting adventures in the world of the dead. Episode 1: THE TOLLINGTON HALL CASE.  Sir Frederick Carmichael asks Lee to visit Tollington Hall, where a ghost haunts the attic each night. Episode 2: THE ANCIENT BURIAL BARROW. A demon is trying to escape from a grave discovered during an archaeological dig. Episode 03: LORD WENTWORTHS STATUE. A colletor becomes obsessed with a strange statue that becomes more life-like each day. Episode 04: PROFESSOR TAYLOR'S FINAL EXPERIMENT. A dying Professor has a plan to cheat death.

VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS Vol. 3
The Seven Lives of Dr. Phibes - Dramatized by M.J. Elliott, from a story by Mel Smith, Clark Castillo, Paul H. Birch. As the new world prepares to ring out the old millennium, Inspector Trout arrives in New York City to be greeted by a series of macabre murders and the knowledge that his arch-nemesis, Dr. Anton Phibes is behind them! Trapped - Dramatized by Deniz Cordell, from a story by Nick Lyons After being rescued from a flood by a man named Brandon, a married couple soon learn the hard way that their savior is in fact not what he seems. The Effigy - Dramatized by M.J. Elliott, from a story by Paul J. Salamoff A journey past a forbidding cornfield becomes a nightmare for 9-year-old Bobby Hollister when the local bullies force him to retrieve the mask from the nightmarish scarecrow that watches over the crop. Things aren't always what they seem in this new tale of terror because stuffing and straw are not the only thing sheathed beneath the scarecrow's mask! The Best In the Universe - Dramatized by Jack J. Ward, from a story by Paul J. Salamoff Assignments on frontier planets always irritated intergalactic mob hitman Randall Stiles and his partner Jake Mackey and this mission would soon prove why. What starts out as a seemingly routine pick-up turns quite deadly in this sci-fi tale that takes the listener on an unexpected ride to the outer edge of the known Universe.

JARREM LEE - GHOST HUNTER - Vol. 2
Meet Jarrem Lee, Ghost Hunter (or as he prefers to call it, a psychical detective). With the help of college student Arthur Bennett, he embarks on a series of spine tingling and exciting adventures in the world of the dead. JARREM LEE - GHOST HUNTER Episode 05: The Disappearance of James Jephcott. A boy walks into his bedroom and disappears without a trace. Jarrem Lee is called in to investigate. JARREM LEE – GHOST HUNTER Episode 06: The Terror of Crabtree Cottage. Is Crabtree Cottage a porthole to the world of demons? A family calls on Jarrem Lee to help. JARREM LEE – GHOST HUNTER Episode 07: The Haunting of Private Wilkinson. A soldier who was killed in a training accident returns to haunt the army base. JARREM LEE – GHOST HUNTER Episode 08: The Mystery of Grange Manor. When a young lady inherits Grange Manor, her dead ancestors do not approve.

 VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS - Vol. 4
The Gothic horror tradition of film icon Vincent Price is revived in these twisted radio plays that transplant the best of the horror genre into innovative and bizarre landscapes for these unforgettable stories, which include horrific transformations, twisting plots, perversions of science, labyrinthine castles, Gothic dread, surreal revelations, and a little unexpected genre-bending. Now, The Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air in Association with Bluewater Productions brings you Vincent Price Presents - featuring stories of horror and suspense inspired by some of Mr. Price’s most famous films, as well as creating new frightening tales with the assistance of his estate. Now .... turn the lights out .... sit back ... and welcome .... to the macabre world of Vincent Price. WITCHFINDER – Based on a story by Mark L Miller In 1635, Matthew Hopkins was one of the most notorious witch hunters in recorded history. But how did he become such a ruthless persecutor of evil? Find out why no one is safe from the wrath of the Witchfinder General in this one-shot prequel to the cult classic film also known as The Conqueror Worm. PAWNS – Based on a story by C Edward Sellner In an original tale of the macabre, it's a story of heroes, monsters and damsels in distress. But in this tale nothing is quite as it seems... When a young biker comes to the rescue he finds himself caught up in a fight for his life. Can he save the girl? And if so, who will save him?! 'Pawns' is a thrill-a-minute run through the woods! THE GREEN ESTATE – Based on a story by Neal Bailey. It seemed a simple mission: burn the evil house while holding its demons at bay using Erich Zann's violin. But they didn't expect to wake the Great Old Ones. Behold the consequences of a quest for personal revenge in the material world when demons of the next dimension takes notice. DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE – Based on a story by Paul J. Salamoff Something has come back for Charlie. It has pulled itself up from the murky depths and its brought death with it. In this terrifying new morality tale from Vincent Price, Charlie and his sister Jillian learn the hard way that sometimes its what you don’t do that comes back to haunt you.

VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS - Vol. 5
(Release Date: Oct 1) SPIRIT RADIO – from a story by William Tooker. When his hot-air balloon crashes, a wealthy playboy finds himself perched on the brink of two worlds.  His only hope of returning to the life he once knew: a mysterious radio the inhabitants of the island are obsessed with. A SKUNK’S TALE – from a story by Chad Helder. In this special episode of Vincent Price Presents, adorable forest animals meet the apocalyptic zombie horde! Young Stevie the Skunk only wants to stink like the other boys at school. When he makes a devil's bargain with a sinister and powerful owl all hell breaks loose. Don't miss this twisted tale of adolescent angst and zombiehood. It's only cute until the horror begins. THE HOUSE OF THE RAVEN – from a story by Clay & Susan Griffith. Aubrey Pitt is a 1930s magician/gentleman detective known as The Raven. He is a suave fixture of high society as a crime solver and occult expert. When the Raven is summoned to a mysterious meeting with a wicked old colleague, he is presented with a puzzle worthy of his extraordinary talents. If he fails to solve it, he dies. If he succeeds, he lives in misery. The House of the Raven is a sinister tale of mystery and magic, demons and cocktail parties, and lederhosen as only Vincent Price could imagine!  

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QUICK UPDATES

Today we are recording three new episodes of POWDER RIVER. We also have a photo shoot lined up for later in the week for upcoming CD covers, as well as a sneak preview being held on Saturday for a new production being released soon.

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST continues in Post Production, as does JEEVES AND WOOSTER, the first of which will be released on CD and DL in January. BEACON HILL is also in post, with a broadcast date set for Dec. 30th.

Casting is underway for our fourth, and final, Robert Louis Stevenson adaptation, THE BLACK ARROW. We will record this in October.

On Thanksgiving Day we will unveil our new production of THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ in a special 2 hour presentation on Sirius XM Ch. 80. It will be released on CD and DL Dec. 5th.

New on Amazon - our production of Jules Verne's THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS. We recorded this in early 2001 and it was originally released on cassette in the large CIVIL WAR STORIES box set. At that time our Civil War library consisted of GETTYSBURG. Penton (Our publisher) wanted 10 cassettes. So - I wrote/produced SHILOH (2 cassettes) RED BADGE OF COURAGE (2 cassettes) ADVANCE AND RETREAT (1 cassette) ALABAMA (1 cassette) and BLOCKADE (1 cassette) These, with GETTYSBURG, gave us 10 Cassettes. It also meant I had to write a lot of scripts in a very short period of time.
THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS, a short story by Verne, was the last completed, and was the toughest to do, as it was written and recorded during my Mom's final days in her battle with cancer. It was recorded a week before she passed away. I don't remember too much about the recording session for this one - it was a tough one to get through. They were very dark days.  Brilliance is releasing THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS for the first time on CD. Listening to it 11 years later, I think it's a solid little show.

THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS on AMAZON - CD

Last week we were scheduled to record TOM CORBETT - SPACE CADET. DANGER IN DEEP SPACE. Late in the afternoon, our actor playing Tom wrote to me and said he was coming down with something. He was willing to do the session, but was concerned he may not sound the same as he did in our first CORBETT production. I called him, and after a few minutes decided that it was off just enough to sound like Tom was smoking two packs of Lucky Strikes a day - so the better part of valor was to postpone the session. This is not an easy thing to do - nor is re-scheduling. With two leads in college, I knew we would have to wait until December.

I emailed the entire cast, and got confirmations back from everyone.  The one that made me laugh - as his emails usually did, was from one of our listeners favorite CRT Players - Hugh Metzler. Here is the email:

rest easy my friend - maybe some "Rocket Juice" or a "Martian Fizz" is in order later this afternoon on the veranda - transmission received - Hugh out

 Hugh was cast as "Shinny" described in the script as a "grizzled old space coot." For the first time in 7 years, he was FINALLY going to be able to do his Walter Brennan impersonation. It is spot on. I figured, sure, what the hell, as most kids today don't know who the real Walter Brennan was, and Hugh had been wanting to sneak it into a show since he played Judge Parker in a Powder River episode. I thought the time was right, and I knew he would deliver a wonderful performance.

Just a few hours after writing the above email response to me, Hugh was gone. He passed away unexpectedly late that evening at his home. I, along with everyone else who knew him and worked with him, was devastated. Suddenly people who you would bet money on to wax eloquent were at a total loss of words. 

Unexpected. No long good-bye. No good-bye. It was like turning off a light switch. And it was horrible.

I never worked with him on stage, so I don't have all those wonderful theater stories that go with the territory of performing live. I've done my share of live theater, but never worked with Hugh. It was on radio, at CRT, that we recorded close to 100 shows. Hugh would always arrive early to help set things up, and often times was the last one to leave to help me break things down. That's how he was. One of his recent sessions with me was in Episode 2 of BEACON HILL, which we recorded on July 9th. Hugh had a small role (he played leads, he played small parts - and he always had fun), and since the series revolves around a wealthy Boston family in 1898, a couple of days later he sent an email, telling me to look in my mailbox. I did so, and he had dropped off a book for me, BOSTON'S IMMIGRANTS, with a note saying that he thought I "might find it in interesting browse." How thoughtful was that? It really struck me, the fact he he had the book at his home, he knew I was writing about that period in time, and thought it might be useful to me. It will be, I can assure you.

I don't ever recall him coming to a recording session in a bad mood. I really can't. He always showed up happy and smiling. Some of his comic turns in various shows are priceless, and I will treasure them. I wish we had done more comedy. 

The recording sessions we had during the winter of 2008 for KING SOLOMON'S MINES are VERY memorable to me. Most recording sessions I don't remember; we tape so many during the year that after a while, they all blend together. Well, KSM's was memorable because we had so much fun!  Recording sessions are not usually fun. They're work. Well, J.T. Turner, myself, and Hugh played the three leads (Prof. Curtis, Quatermainm and Capt. Good). God, did we laugh. The show, if you ever get a chance to hear it, is quite serious, but what went on behind the scenes was just pure fun!  We laughed so much it is amazing we got a show out of it (and a big hit for CRT as well). We re-united for SOLUTIONS INC but the behind the scenes laughs were not there and the sessions went back to work. The three of us were on a JEEVES AND WOOSTER which is a delight, and Hugh really shines in that one, and the three of us were in a VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS episode or two, but again - the laughs of those KSM' days have never been topped. That one was special.

He played several roles in our CAPTAIN BLOOD, and he was Gardner the Gardner in BUCK ALICE AND THE ACTOR ROBOT. Awaiting release on Dec. 5th is THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ, where he plays Oz the Magnificent. 

 One of his best roles came with ZORRO AND THE PIRATE RAIDERS and ZORRO RIDES AGAIN, playing the Pirate villain, Bardoso. Another fun session, and he had a ball. Wonderful performance. 

The last recording session he had with us was when he played Lord De Canterville in THE CANTERVILLE GHOST, again with myself and J.T.  

 When I think of Hugh, what comes to mind? One of the kindest souls I ever met. No attitude, no demands, no feeling of self importance ... just a genuine, down to earth man, who happened to have a ton of talent. He could match anyone at the microphones. He delivered some comedic lines that are priceless in their timing and execution; and he could do a melt down scene that would break a cold heart (FADE AWAY comes to mind). 

 He really was that Royal Navy Officer exploring the interior looking for King Solomon's Mines; he really was that Pirate Captain losing his patience with Zorro, he really was Father Peregrine in The Martian Chronicles. What I am saying is that he made every character real. His acting was so understated and underplayed that you believed he was actually that person.  Same voice, different characters, but that little something was different each time, and it is that "little something' that no one has ever been able to explain in the actors who have had it.  It's natural, its subtle, and it is very rare. Hugh was our Spencer Tracy at CRT. He did comedy, he did drama, he did epic - with ease. I also think of him and Tracy because they both had the same acting style - plant your feet on the ground, look the other guy in the eyes, and tell the truth. Do that, and you got it made.

I went to his wake this afternoon. I paid my respects as did many, many others who were still shocked at what has happened.

After that I went to Gloucester, to the ocean. I love the ocean at night. There is something about the lapping water on the beach that is calming. Didn't stay as long as I normally would have. Must be the age in me.

Went to a pub in Gloucester and sat at an outside table, with a beer. Watched the idle fishing boats, most likely embarking on another adventure in a few hours as their crews work harder than we land lubbers know. The deck at the pub was quiet, the lights were dim, Gulls were overhead in the darkness giving out their lonely cries that seem to enhance the salt air ... and the constant water lapping against the boats as the tide came in. A beautiful setting. Dreamlike. Far from my reality.

I drank a toast and silently said good-bye. I'll see you at sundown, Hugh.

quick update

Recording continues this week with another episode of BEACON HILL, and the final song (which we just added) to the STAR ANGEL score, which will take 2 days to record with Chorus and lead vocal. 

LOGAN'S RUN - AFTERMATH and VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS - Vol 4 are "officially" released this week, even though Amazon started shipping them a few weeks ago; still, I guess on other sites they don't release till the 9th (or 7th, I can't remember the actual release date)

Our William F. Nolan trilogy will conclude with LOGAN'S RUN - REBIRTH. As with the other two productions, we hope to record in the winter and release the show in the summer of 2013. We have not assigned a writer yet who will dramatize the Bluewater Comic by Paul Salamoff. The LOGAN'S RUN series has been a lot of fun to work on, and it's been a real honor to be able to bring this classic sci-fi story to life in audio.

That's all for now. It's 4:20AM in Boston and the birds are starting to chirp outside. Oh, how I hate mornings.

TOM CORBETT II

NEWS FLASH - Andrew Tighe, Mark Thurner and Mark McGillivray return as Tom, Astro, and Roger in C-R-T's TOM CORBETT - SPACE CADET - DANGER IN DEEP SPACE. Production begins in August for an early 2013 release. Seth Adam Sher will produce.

ALL NEW EPISODES! ALL NEW MUSIC BY THE INCREDIBLE JEFF GAGE! SAME GREAT SCRIPTS BY M.J. ELLIOTT - AND THE SAME GREAT PERFORMANCES BY J.T. TURNER IN HIS MOST FAMOUS RADIO ROLE - CRT BROUGHT  FATHER BROWN BACK TO RADIO - AND HERE HE STAYS!

On July 3, CRT was awarded THE MARK TIME AWARD for Excellence In Audio Production for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES and LOGAN'S RUN - LAST DAY. While no one from CRT was able to attend the event in Minneapolis, Firesign Theatre legends DAVID OSSMAN and PHIL PROCTOR accepted the award on our behalf. Many thanks to the Mark Time Awards judges. This is our 6th win since 2005! Pictured are (on stage) Phil and David, and Jerry Stearns at the podium.