#83 The Alamo (CRT)

There's a proud list of names connected to the Texas revolution. There are those that everyone knows: Houston, Travis, Crockett, Bowie. And there are those that perhaps only Texans will recall: James W. Fannin Jr., Old Ben Milam, Juan Seguin, James Butler Bonham, Erastus "Deaf" Smith, and Mirabeau B. Lamar. They are the names of lore and of history. They are the blood that Texas is built on. Not all were at the Alamo but all were part of the fight for independence from Mexico and General Santa Anna.

In this production Colonial Radio Theater brings to life the most memorable event in Texas history... The Alamo. The story is told from the standpoint of young David Cummings an actual Alamo defender from Pennsylvania and begins when he answers the call for volunteers in the Texas Revolution. Cummings heads to Texas meeting a number of characters along the way. Colonial brings the events and choices these defenders faced front and center staying close to the historical account. There are, however, times when Colonial takes liberties for the sake of entertainment value. (Cummings is presented as being 16 but was actually 27 when he died at the Alamo.) Overall this is a very good production with solid dialogue and realistic sound effects. This is a show that will have you saying "Texas has yet to learn to submit to any oppression, come from what source it may" faster than you can say Sam Houston.

http://www.amazon.com/Alamo-Jerry-Robbins/dp/product-description/1929244053

#82 The 4:50 From Paddington - Miss Marple (BBC)

June Whitfield gives another stellar performance as the spinster sleuth from St. Mary Mead. This time Elspeth McGillicuddy has come from Scottland to visit her old friend Miss Marple. On the way, she sees a woman strangled in a passing train. However, only Miss Marple believes her story as there is no evidence of wrongdoing. So Miss Marple sets off to find where the body could be hidden and bring a killer to justice. If you like great mystery then 4:50 From Paddington's the ticket. If you like great mystery and a female lead then Miss Marple's your gal.

From the BBC:

When Elspeth McGillicuddy is the only witness to a brutal murder - for which not even a body is in evidence - it takes all of Miss Marple's remarkable ingenuity to discover the key to a secret which lies buried within a decaying country house. This BBC Radio full-cast dramatization stars June Whitfield as the deceptively mild Miss Marple.

http://www.amazon.com/Paddington-Full-Cast-Radio-Drama-Audio/dp/0563524294

#81 Anne Manx and the Trouble on Chromius - Radio Repertory

Here kitty, kitty! Claudia Christian (Babylon 5) is back as Anne Manx. The beautiful Claudia Christian give another great performance in this thrilling and action packed tale. So if you're looking for adventure on a galactic scale then Chromius is the place to be and Anne Manx is person to take you there.

From RR:

Claudia Christian is back as Anne Manx, the Galaxy's smartest, toughest, most durable private investigator! Chromius is a backwater world whose President Josephson has replaced democracy with tyranny. Patriots are planning a revolt to restore liberty, and Annie is caught in the crossfire and then thrown right into the midst of the struggle. Trying to help Archie (Andy Hallett) and Wendy (Paris Jefferson), a couple of citizens caught up in the fight for freedom, the story becomes a nightmare maze of danger, betrayal, and ulterior motives. It takes all the courage, fighting skill and detective genius Manx can muster just to stay alive as things heat up -- and to figure out the shocking truth.
Action, mystery, action, danger, action, humor, action, and suspense all pile in on each other as the story grows. (Did we mention it's got plenty of action?) Great writing, superb performances, and excellent sound design are all tied together with a complete original musical score.
The Trouble On Chromius keeps your mind on the very edge of its seat!

http://www.rrca.com/

#80 Perry Mason and The Case of the Lucky Legs

It's mystery Colonial Radio Theatre style as they bring you Perry Mason and The Case of the Lucky Legs. Tall, heavy-set, dignified and handsome, Frank Patton was a promoter. He was also a crook. His racket of running contests for girls with beautiful legs was technically within the law, and gullible, small-town chambers of commerce were his victims. There were complaints, but no prosecutions. Frank was a very careful man. But when Perry Mason finally caught up with him, Frank Patton was a very dead man..

If you're looking for the Raymond Burr Perry Mason you remember from television this isn't it. This full-cast audio production is based on the book by Erle Stanley Gardener and Perry is a much tougher character. Though the books are different from the TV series the stories are well suited for radio drama. Production value is good. Acting is passable. Overall CRT's presentation of Perry Mason and the Case of the Lucky Legs is enjoyable. Jerry Robbins is Perry Mason, Diane Capen is Della Street and J.T. Turner is Det. Paul Drake.
 
FROM CRT:

The Case of the Lucky Legs is the story of a confidence man who promoted fake beauty pageants in small California towns. Marjorie Clune was one of his winning victims, "The Girl with the Lucky Legs". She was promised a Hollywood movie contract, but the scam artist fled with the money. Marjorie fled too, left her hometown in shame to try and “prove” herself in Hollywood. Perry Mason is hired to track her down, but when the deceitful pageant promoter turns up murdered, Marjorie becomes the prime suspect in this “edge of your seat” murder mystery.

http://www.amazon.com/Perry-Mason-Case-Lucky-Legs/dp/1455804223

#79 The Outcasts of Poker Flat - HTE

California (1850). Poker Flat is a rough and tumble town out of control and the citizens want it cleaned up. In doing so John Oakhurst (a professional gambler) is run out of town along with "The Duchess" (a saloon girl), "Mother Shipton" (a brothel owner), and Uncle Billy, (the town drunkard and suspected robber). Half  way to their destination the party meets up with pair of young lover's (Piney Woods, a fifteen year old girl and Tom Simson, a young man) who have run away to get married. What happens from there is a tragic tale of western proportions. Poker Flat is very different from a Louis L'Amour western as it leaves out the western romanticism and retains the gritty, realistic feel of the old west. Forest Tucker (F-Troop, Chisum) stars in this full-cast western. Produced and directed by Yuri Rasovsky.

From HTE:
Although both Harte's popularity and critical admiration for his work have declined since his death, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" (1869) remains an important piece of American literature and one of the best tales of the rough-and-tumble days of the California Gold Rush In his use of the Western setting and local color, Harte proved to be a model for other authors, including Mark Twain, whose career he helped launch. Indeed, the familiarity of many of Harte's characterizations — the quick-witted gambler or the prostitute with a heart of gold — attest to the durability of his impact on popular culture.

http://www.irasov.com/outcasts.htm

#78 The Adventures of Captain Hudson -ACE

If you like period piece dramas then this one's a good choice. Audio Cinema Entertainment puts together a fine production with The Adventures of Captain Hudson - The Lost Mines of Paradise. 

From ACE:
This is the story of reluctant hero, Captain Jim Hudson and the crew of his state of the art DC-3 cargo plane. The story primarily takes place in 1936 where we find that Captain Hudson, is just trying to make an honest buck in the dawn of the air cargo business. Central to the story is his home base at Mercury Airfield in the Coastal town of Crescent Cove, California. From there, Hudson and his pals embark on unexpected adventures as they journey into the forgotten desert regions of the Southwestern U.S. As one thing leads to another, things begin to go terribly wrong.

http://www.captainhudson.com/index.html

Radio Drama Contest - $5000 Prize - Script or Already Produced Play

New Radio Theater is holding a radio drama contest.The winner gets $5000. If you have a script you'd like to have produced or a 30 minute radio drama you've already produced then go to the New Radio Theater website and check out their contest rules and directions for submitting your work. Better hurry, the clock is ticking.

http://newradiotheater.com/