THOSE THRILLING DAYS OF YESTERYEAR . . . By Tom Rizzo

Every morning before dawn, I strap on an arm band that holds my iPod, slip on a pair of wireless earbuds, and head to the streets to walk for an hour or so. 

 

But, I'm not listening to music. On my iPod are more than 1,500 Podcasts--mostly old radio shows of every genre you can imagine. Many of the Podcasts are old time radio Westerns. These programs are great sources of entertainment. Not only do they help pass the time on my walks, they keep me connected to a past that required listeners to make full use of their imaginations.

The actors were outstanding. Sound effects functioned as effective imagery, appealing to a range of human senses that helped deepen the audience's understanding of story.

One moment, you may hear dialog exchanged with the sound of a babbling mountain stream in the background. Or, the dramatic sound of gunshots exchanged in a fierce battle between the good and the bad guys.

Sometimes, all that was needed to set the stage for the right amount of tension or suspense was the sound of a character's breathing.

There were other sounds too. Doors being opened and closed. Coffee or liquor being poured. Horses galloping across the radio dial. The crackle and pop of a campfire. A dog barking. Maybe a baby crying. Based on dialog, sound effects, and scene-setting musical scores, listeners were able to add their own splashes of color and strokes of reality across a canvas of the imagination.

I didn't realize how many different Westerns were available back when radio was king. Among them:

    •    Gunsmoke  

    •    Have Gun Will Travel
    •    Frontier Gentleman
    •    The Lone Ranger
    •    Fort Laramie
    •    The Roy Rogers Show
    •    The Six-Shooter
    •    Death Valley Days
    •    Maverick
    •    Hopalong Cassidy
    •    The Cisco Kid
    •    Red Ryder
    •   . . . and many, many more.

In the Fifties, the western improved its entertainment value when writers created more complex story lines, laced with psychological motivations for the protagonist and antagonist. 

 

Dubbed adult westerns, these radio dramas were often referred to as "the thinking man's western"--the antithesis the traditional shoot-em-up style of western.  

The actors, of course, were key to the success of these mostly 30-minute productions. If you listened to a lot of radio, you'd eventually hear the same voices on multiple productions. But, you had to pay attention. Most of these men and women were skillful enough to alter their voices so they matched the theme or genre of a particular program. 

For this month ... a snapshot look at three of the most skillful radio professionals.

• WILLIAM CONRAD starred in Gunsmoke, which took place in Dodge City in the mid-1880s. 

The program is considered by many the greatest radio drama ever primarily because of its authenticity, thanks to superb acting and creative sound effects.

It is difficult to imagine anyone else but Conrad playing radio's Marshal Matt Dillon. Thanks to his deep, resonant voice and veteran acting skills, he brought an unparalleled believability to the part. 

Before taking the role, he was already a prolific radio actor. In fact, he almost didn't land the role because of his extensive exposure on other radio shows.

Conrad narrated the radio drama anthology, Escape, on which all the Gunsmoke regulars happened to work. He also served as narrator for the TV shows, The Fugitive, The Invaders, Tales of the Unexpected, Rocky and his Friends, and The Wild World of Animals. In all, he worked in more than  7,500 radio productions.

When producers turned to James Arness to play Dillon on the TV series, it deeply upset Conrad. But, his short and heavy physical stature worked against him for what producers had in mind for the TV version.

Before taking on the role of Matt Dillon, Conrad made his motion picture debut in the 1947 film, The Killers.

Conrad eventually made it to theTV screen. He played the featured role in Nero Wolfe, as well as the district attorney lead in Jake and the Fat Man. Conrad also starred as detective Frank Cannon in Cannon. After it was cancelled, he remarked, "Cannon was crap. I was delighted to see it canceled."

And, Conrad once served as the voice of The Long Ranger on Saturday morning cartoons.

• JOHN DEHNER starred in two radio Westerns: Have Gun Will Travel and Frontier Gentleman. 

Have Gun Will Travel opened September 1957 on television first--one of the few such instances. The radio show debuted more than a year later in November 1958. 

HGWT featured a gun-for-hire by the name of Paladin who tried to resolve any assignments he accepted in a peaceful way, preferably without violence.

Frontier Gentleman revolved around a character named JB Kendall, a disgraced British Army officer on personal exile in the West. The show lasted only one season, a victim of television's growing influence.

Dehner, before hitting the airwaves, worked a variety of jobs. They included WWII army publicist, disc jockey, pianist, and animator. He once worked for Disney as an Assistant Animator. In fact, he drew the owl sequences in Bambi, and the Beethoven sequence in Fantasia.

He certainly ranks as among the best radio actors. But, based on his background and accomplishments, Dehner had the talent and commitment to be the best at whatever career he chose.
After leaving Disney, he joined the Army where the military made full use of his language and media skills in a public relations capacity. 

After the service, he went into radio as an announcer, news reporter, and news editor in California. Dehner, in fact, won a Peabody Award for his coverage of the first United Nations Conference.

But he followed his heart into acting and, along the way, appeared as a cast member in nearly every network prime-time hit. His versatile voice and acting skills kept him among the busiest radio performers in the industry.

Dehner played characters in a number of radio westerns as well as old time radio shows such as Suspense, Johnny Dollar, Phillip Marlowe, Let George Do It and Rogers of the Gazette.

• BRACE BEEMER first became associated with The Lone Ranger as an announcer. 

But after the accidental death of Earle Graser in 1941, Beemer assumed the role of the masked legend of the Plains. 

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear . .  .

The program, which debuted on WXYZ radio in Detroit, ran for hundreds of episodes between January 1931 and September 1954. 

George Senius/Seaton held the role for five months in 1931, Graser between 1933 and 1941, and Beemer from 1941 to 1954.

He got his first radio job in 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana, and happened to be the first ever radio personality to broadcast the Indy 500.

Beemer lent a booming voice to the part of the Lone Ranger. He stood six-feet-three, and personified the values and ideals that producer George W. Trendle and writer Fran Striker wanted to communicate through a character who played hardball with the lawless, but demonstrated understanding and kindness towards the law-abiding.

Beemer's size worked for and against him in one instance. Larger than most young men of his age, he managed to enlist in the Army and serve with the America Expeditionary Forces during World War I. He got wounded in combat, sent home, and discharged when officials discovered he was only 14.

Since Beemer played the role longer than anyone else, he's the most famous of the Lone Ranger actors. In fact, his voice was so closely associated with the role that Clayton Moore - who played the masked man on TV, imitated Beemer's speech patterns in the early episodes of the TV series.

Listening to these old, and sometimes scratchy, radio shows helps release the neurons of nostalgia. 

I remain amazed at the production quality of some of these old Westerns and other programs. Not only the acting, but the skill in blending sound effects that provided for a much richer listening experience.

But, the real truth is that it's still so darn much fun to listen. 

An Internet search will reveal countless sources from which to download recordings of these shows. Here are three different sites to start, if you're so inclined. 

• Gunsmoke
• Have Gun Will Travel
• Frontier Gentleman
• The Lone Ranger

# # # 

21st CENTURY WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW -- Meg Mims

I'm wondering if the good old western film genre, the type we loved, with a die-hard American wild west hero like the Duke, or Shane, Jimmy Stewart, or even Clint Eastwood goes up against the villains and toughing it out, who triumphs and survives... you know that type. IS IT DEAD? Have western movies made a comeback?

Let's review the 21st century of western movies, starting with... um. Okay, I had to dig for the ones I'd missed. It seemed dead for a while there. Like, dust. I have to admit there were a lot of TV movies made and miniseries including the remake of Around the World in 80 Days with Pierce Brosnan and Jackie Chan, but I'm talking the big screen. Film - those big reels (now replaced by digital copies) spinning a stream overhead, and a dark theater with those cushy seats, sticky floors, with a bucket of buttered popcorn at your elbow.

1999's WILD, WILD WEST was actually "steampunk" western, when steampunk was first getting hot. Should we classify it as a traditional western? Eh. I thought it was rather fun and Kenneth Branagh sure made a great villain. I suppose it's up for debate. 2000's THE CLAIM had mixed reviews, and SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL was considered hellish. But let's not forget Jackie Chan, who did a hilarious romp through the old west in 2000's SHANGHAI NOON with Owen Wilson -- who reprised their roles for 2005's SHANGHAI KNIGHTS. It's not the Duke, it's not Paul Newman and Robert Redford, or even Clint Eastwood, but when you peel away the martial arts and acrobatics, the Chinese backstory of Chan's character, the goofiness of Wilson and his fake twang, it's still good guy vs. bad guys and a genuine fun time in the old west -- or in London.

And then the tumbleweed started rolling... although western movie fans had to wait a few years before a slew of western movies started hitting the big screen again. AMERICAN OUTLAWS debuted in 2001, with Colin Farrell and Scott Caan, a remake of the Jesse and Frank James story. TEXAS RANGERS stomped all over Texas history, from what the reviews state. The animated film SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON came out quietly in 2002. Next wwas 2003's OPEN RANGE -- a Kevin Costner film where he wisely included Robert Duvall and Annette Bening. Who wouldn't love a film about the old days of grazing cattle across the open prairie versus the fencers, plus a villain who owns the sheriff and town... it's also on my TBW (to be watched) list. THE MISSING also came out, with Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett, but I missed it. Glad I missed GANG OF ROSES, though, pretty trashed. And any sequels of that.

In 2004, RENEGADE came out, along with THE ALAMO, another miss (dang!) with Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton and Jason Patric -- a remake of the John Wayne-Richard Widmark classic made back in 1960 -- along with  HOME ON THE RANGE, a cute and fun animated film from what I heard. All three are also on my list. But not the western horror DEAD BIRDS, though.

Who doesn't remember the success of HIDALGO? It also won a Spur Award for Best Drama Script in 2005. I loved it. The movie may have played off hero Viggo Mortenson's Lord of the Rings' popularity, but he sure can ride a horse and seemed convincing (for a Dane) as Frank Hopkins. The movie is based on a "legend" of a horse race in 1891, in Arabia, pitting an American mustang against pure-blood Arabian horses. Whatever the legend, or half-truths about Frank and the Ghost Dance, it sure made for great storytelling. And Omar Sharif also helped. Such a great actor. Also out that year, the sequel with Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones for THE LEGEND OF ZORRO -- which was nearly as good as The Mask of Zorro back in 1998 with these two. I liked them both. PURGATORY (which won a 2000 Spur Award for Drama Script) had an interesting premise, with a town in the old west where dead legends got a chance at redemption (or failure) before going to their reward (or punishment). I am putting it on the TBW list. Not so BROTHERS IN ARMS, panned worse than 2003's Gang of Roses.

BROKEN TRAIL came next, in 2006, which was marvelous with Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church. Another Spur Award winner -- for Best Western Drama Script (Fiction), in 2007 -- and while it aired as a miniseries on television, I couldn't help including it here. It wove two historical events together, the slave trade of Chinese women taken upon arrival in San Francisco to serve as prostitutes in the American west, plus the herding of horses to sell to the British Army at the end of the 19th century. I enjoyed the complex story, the characters, the villains and the bittersweet ending. So great. So much better than the inaccurate, dark and getting progressively darker Hell on Wheels' TV series.

I'm not even going there with The Quick and the Undead. Nope.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD -- a mouthful, indeed, for a film title, won the 2007 Spur Award for Best Western Drama Script (Fiction) and starred Brad Pitt. That should have made it a mega-hit, except I'd never heard of it. Reviewers certainly loved it. Probably worth a look, since the classic 1939 film with Henry Ford as Frank James and Tyrone Power as Jesse is stuck in my head. I'll have to add it to the list.

Another 2007 film, SERAPHIM FALLS, pitted Pierce Brosnan against Liam Neeson in a revenge-fueled post-Civil War story. I suppose you could say it was sort of a remake of Clint's The Outlaw Josey Wales, but not as good. I still enjoyed the movie. Two solid actors, even if it seemed an endless pursuit with a 'how can they survive so much with all that violence' type of reaction. And hey, Wes Studi was in the film too! Can't go wrong there.

BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE also came out the same year, with Aidan Quinn and Anna Paquin, which according to some reviews, is rather an inaccurate account of historical events. Missed this one, along with SEPTEMBER DAWN which dealt with a Mormon massacre.

3:10 TO YUMA brought Russell Crowe and Christian Bale together (or should I say pitted them against each other), in a suspenseful western that may or may not have lived up to the classic with Glenn Ford. I personally prefer Crowe in this movie, who seems more believable as an outlaw. Glenn Ford was too nice! The story is solid, the details authentic, and the gunplay perhaps a bit much but hey, western film lovers have been literally dying to see more films such as this.

And then in 2008, THERE WILL BE BLOOD was set in turn-of-the-century California, with Daniel Day Lewis who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in his role of Daniel Plainview, silver miner turned oil tycoon. It's a pretty dark movie, from what I hear, so I may bypass it. But hey, California *is* in the west after all, and has tons of great history. And another missed film was GONE TO TEXAS with Sam Elliott. Dang. Chalk another one on the list.

Next, actor Ed Harris (also the director, producer, co-author of the script) and Viggo Mortenson starred in the 2009 film APPALOOSA. Friends and mercenary peacekeepers, they were pitted against a villainous Jeremy Irons -- based on Robert B. Parker's bestselling novel. Pardon me if I'm totally out of the loop about Parker's books -- he has a string of best-selling western books. I admit I only saw it because I love Viggo -- although I didn't care for his goatee in the film -- but my feelings were mixed. It seemed a bit convoluted in terms of story, and didn't have much of a point in my opinion. Except -- if your friend kills so you can have a future with the one you love, will she resent you forever? I don't know. The details were spot-on for a western, however. A horror-western also came out that year, THE BURROWERS, a miss in my book, but hey, it was set on the Dakota prairie. THE LAST RITES OF RANSOM PRIDE was seriously panned.

Have you noticed the number of movies coming out each year? YEEHAW!

In 2010, the Coen brothers remade TRUE GRIT in a far more faithful adaptation of the Charles Portis' book. It won the Spur Award for Best Western Drama in 2012. But people complained that Jeff Bridges wasn't good enough to fill Duke's boots. I thought he did a fine job, and I much prefer Hailee Steinfield's portrayal of Mattie than Kim Darby. (Sorry, Kim, you were too old and you should have worn a long-haired wig in a loose topknot, at the very least). Even Matt Damon improved on Glen Campbell's LaBoef. I enjoyed seeing the Duke and Kate Hepburn in the (fictional) sequel, Rooster Cogburn, which came out after the original True Grit film. I have my doubts the Coens will bother. Too bad.

THE WARRIOR'S WAY also came out, along with MEEK'S CUTOFF and JONAH HEX. No idea if they're good/bad.

2011's RANGO was so fun -- and I don't care if animated films aren't seen as traditional westerns. I truly LOVED this movie. What a cool premise -- a green (and greenhorn) chameleon is stranded out west, meets some interesting characters and is seen as an unlikely hero. Loved Roadkill, Iguana Beans and other "townspeople" animals in Dirt -- plus the Spirit of the West... fabulous story, wonderful characters, a good solid and heart-of-gold ending. It may not be easy being green in Rango, but in my opinion Johnny Depp ought to have kept this as his "western tour-de-force" instead of tackling Tonto of the Black-Crow-head.

Another movie that came out that year, BLACKTHORN, begins with an intriguing premise. What if Butch Cassidy didn't die in Bolivia, and is tired of living as an ex-Pat and wants to see his old friends back home? From what I hear, Sam Shepard gives a solid performance. I'm putting it on my TBW list -- although some reviewers say it's nowhere near the Paul Newman-Robert Redford Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid romp of the 70s. Still, might be interesting to see. Yup, the list. Not so for THE LEGEND OF HELL'S GATE, despite being based on Texas history, or YELLOW ROCK.

And another -- COWBOYS AND ALIENS -- was a fun romp (at first) in the old west with a visit from an alien race, but took itself a bit too serious in the middle and end. I loved the beginning. Who can fault Daniel Craig for getting amnesia and wakes up with some weird-looking gadget on his arm, that will end up saving the old west town and its residents? And Harrison Ford as a bad guy who is redeemed -- another great plot point, but the mystical part ruined the fun in my opinion. Still, it was good to see the attempt. They tried to make it like Independence Day. Sort of...

I missed all of these 2012 films: DJANGO UNCHAINED which won director/writer Quentin Tarantino an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, plus a Golden Globe and a Spur Award for Best Western Drama Script (Fiction). Sam Elliott's I WILL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER, which is supposedly a far more accurate depiction of the Nez Perce tribe's flight to Canada. Both AMBUSH AT DARK CANYON and DAWN RIDER were not well received. Surprisingly, the "are-you-serious?" hit ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER might not have been set in the west, but come on! Honest Abe, hunting fang-studded vamps! That is definitely on my TBW list.

2013 brought in THE GALLOW-WALKERS (another zombie fest, oh no!), A NIGHT IN OLD MEXICO, also with Robert Duvall, SWEETWATER with Ed Harris and January Jones, and the butchery (or scream-fest, depending on your point-of-view) of THE LONE RANGER. Need we say more? Did it put the kibosh (or a slash from El Kabong, for Quick Draw McGraw fans) on future western films? Did it signal the coming wave of comical westerns reflecting the tongue-in-cheek Blazing Saddles?

I rather doubt it, not with this year's coming films THE REDEMPTION OF HENRY MYERS, THE HOMESMAN, THE SALVATION, DOC HOLLIDAY'S REVENGE, FORSAKEN, HOT BATH AND A STIFF DRINK, plus 2015's JANE GOT A GUN and BONE TOMAHAWK plus others. Wow! Keep 'em coming, that's what we say. Don't forget this month's A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST -- it might not be as funny as The Lone Ranger. Then again, it might be better! Hey, Liam Neeson's in it. You might be able to see the whole movie by clicking here.

One thing is for sure. Western films for the big screen ain't exactly dead and buried. Yet.

Award-winning mystery author Meg Mims -- also one-half of the writing team of D.E. Ireland -- lives in Southeastern Michigan with her husband, a 'Make My Day' Malti-poo dog and a sweet Lhasa Apso-mix rescue dog -- the "hero" of Santa Paws. She loves writing novels, short novellas and short stories, both contemporary and historical. She earned a Spur Award, a Laramie Award and an M.A. from Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction program.