Dramatic Listening... The Podcast Where You Learn English By Listening To Radio Plays

Photo by Bigstock Photo: Jr CasasFIORELLO: You are all mine. Even if you never move or spit fire, and just sit there and rust for fifty years, you’re mine! Ray Bradbury's sci-fi, The Rocket, scenes 5 and 6: In today’s episode, Fiorello Bodoni tries to get back to just living. He’s trying to forget about rockets and Mars so that he won’t have to face disappointment again. His reality is the small world of his junkyard, his broken down machinery, and a family that is relying on him to provide for them.   Turning Down the Chance of a Lifetime: In our last episode, Fiorello was trying to choose who would get to go to Mars — his wife, one of his children, or himself. When logical reasoning couldn’t settle it, he turned to drawing straws. But even that failed. Of course, they all wanted to go, but what it came down to was a deep fear that their chance of a lifetime would make the others jealous and destroy their relationships. Feet on the Ground: With his hopes dashed, Fiorello returns to his work in the junkyard

Photo by lucianvenutian, CC BY-SA. Fiorelli's best laid plans are reduced to drawing straws to decide who gets to go. FIORELLO: Here, now, I have straws here. All long but one. The short straw wins. Understand? We’ll choose. Paulo! Choose!   A Friend Opposes His Best-Laid Plans Fiorello Bodoni has to decide who gets to go on the rocket trip to Mars. His friend, Bramante, warns him that no one could truly be happy for the one who gets to go. If Fiorello goes, his children would always think of the rocket and become sick with desire like their father is. According to Bramante, wanting something that is so unrealistic is unhealthy. Fiorello’s wife would become bitter over it. None of his family could just be happy for the one who has the opportunity. No matter who goes to Mars — him, his wife, or one of the children — it would just result in unfulfilled dreams and bitter jealousy that would eat away at the others. What a damper Bramante has put on Fiorello's best-laid plans! He really is a wet blanket! Who Qua

Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Rocket’, Scenes 1 and 2 [00:00 ~ 05:22] Photo by Bigstock Photo: anatoliy_glebThe rocket spattered the concrete launching apron somewhere west of Kansas City. It climbed a firey ladder and arced eastward over the sleeping land. Lovers looked upward and traced its path with drowsy fingers. Sci-fi fan or not... Whether you are a science fiction fan or not, I think you will like this story. It's a story that we can all relate to about yearning for our heart's desire . It’s called, “The Rocket”. It’s a short story of Ray Bradbury’s that was first published in 1950 under a different title, "Outcast of the Stars". The following year (1951), it was included in one of Bradbury’s short story collections called ‘The Illustrated Man” with a new title, The Rocket. It was then adapted into a radio drama by Ernest Kinoy in 1952 as a part of the NBC Presents: Short Story series. That’s the one we will be listening to. Ray Bradbury: Ray Bradbury, an American writer who lived from 1920-2012, is well known

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, The Stanley Springs Matter, Scenes 11 & 12 ~ The Persuasive Power of a Gun: Photo by Bigstock Photo: ElnurJOHNNY DOLLAR: I want to know where Anne Salazar is.NORMAN STEGER: I didn’t know you were acquainted.JOHNNY DOLLAR: Yes, you did. Tell me what you did with her.Woman in violence and discrimination concept It Takes Extreme Measures to Get Johnny Out of Stanley Springs: Anne is nowhere to be found. She must be in trouble. Taking some extreme measures, Johnny comes to Anne’s rescue and figures out a way to get out of Stanley Springs. No longer undercover, Johnny carries a gun. With it, he is able to persuade Childs to take him to Steger and ultimately to Anne. Steger doesn't think Dollar will use the gun, but Johnny shoots and wounds him. Childs is sure it's murder, but Johnny knows he only injured Steger. With his new-found authority backed by the persuasive power of a gun, Johnny is able to push Childs around and get what he wants. In one fell swoop, he is able to  save Anne a

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar -- Scenes 9 & 10 Photo by Bigstock Photo: Innovated CapturesNORMAN STEGER: For a textile writer, you seem to know quite a bit about these things. JOHNNY DOLLAR: I think we understand each other now, Stager. NORMAN STEGER: I hope you do." When Confronted with the Truth, Bluff Steger shows interest in Johnny's assessment of the Stanley Springs company. He wants to know what he thinks of Philips committing suicide. Johnny's answer will let Steger know if Johnny is a threat to his secret operations or not. Johnny quits tip toeing around and plainly states, 'It wasn't suicide." When confronted with the truth about Philips’ death, Steger acts like it doesn't matter to him what Johnny thinks. He says he's sure Johnny has no hard evidence against him. Since Steger seems so nonchalant about it, Johnny risks going for the phone to get word out. Steger instructs Childs to deal with this threat and Johnny takes a beating. Caring for the Wounded Later, Anne and Johnny share a few tender moments

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Stanley Springs Matter, Scenes 6-8 Photo by Bigstock Photo: Quality Stock Arts JOHNNY DOLLAR: I’m going to get word out. I’m going to call the nearest Treasury Department office. ANNE: Oh, no, Johnny! This is Stanley Springs. The company owns everything and Stager has thought of everything. There’s only one telephone in town. That’s in the company office.   A surprising tip: Johnny is having a hard time finding his supposed whistleblower, Phillips. When Anne gets off work at 4 in the morning, he talks to her. He takes the risk of blowing his cover to earn her trust. He lets her know who he really is and why he’s there. By doing this, he finds out what Anne knows. Phillips is, indeed, the whistleblower - the one who sent the mysterious note.  Surprisingly, it is through a tip from Childs that he finds Phillips. Why does the company seem to want him to find some things out? It's a real 'cat and mouse game' that the Stanley Springs company is playing with Johnny - letting him thi

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Stanley Springs Matter, Scenes 4 & 5 Photo by Bigstock Photo: YsbrandCosjinNORMAN STEGER: I’ve had my doubts about himfor quite a while. I think there’s something wrong with him.JOHNNY DOLLAR: Like what?NORMAN STEGER: Something about his past that he’s hiding. I’ve even thought he may have a criminal record. When he met you, it was almost like he was afraid you’d come out here after him. Johnny's cover bores him: Johnny carries out his undercover investigation by spending a good part of the day counting bales of cotton. As a journalist writing an article for the textile magazine, this was necessary. Little did he know that while he was carrying out the sleepy counting job, Steger was making sure Phillips wouldn't be talking. When the 5 o'clock bell rang and everyone got off work, Johnny went in search of Phillips, but Phillips was nowhere to be found. Surprisingly, Steger gives him a lead. The run around: Steger  said he had sent Phillips home early with a stomachache. Now, the

Johnny Dollar and the Stanley Springs Matter, Scenes 2 & 3 Image by Bigstock Photos: studiostoks"It seemed to me that she, as well as I, was leaving things unsaid. And I wondered if her warm friendly approach wouldn’t be a good method of finding out why any stranger dropped into Stanley Springs." Setting and Main Characters: Photo: By NOAA George E. Marsh Album, theb1365, Historic C&GS Collection - Public Domain The town was dusty, set in a depression of the desert that’s called Stanley Springs Valley. It was a company-built town, two dirty streets, saloons, a few cafes, a few stores made up the center of town. The rest was a cluster of identical white dwellings.   Undercover: Johnny Dollar hops off the bus in Stanley Springs. Most likely, very few passengers got off with him. Stanley Springs isn't exactly a tourist destination. It's a company town. It has one industry only and the businesses in the town are really just there to serve the employees of that company. Johnny has arrived undercover, pretendin

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Stanley Springs Matter, Scene 1 Photo by Bigstock Photo: JacobLundED: Here’s the letter I mentioned to you. Very brief. JOHNNY: Hmm, unsigned. He’s not generous with details, is he? ED: No, nothing but a bald accusation. Johnny Dollar, Freelance Investigator Johnny is a freelance investigator. He was known for padding his expense account -- writing down costs a little higher than they really were, or just spending more than was really necessary and enjoying the good life. When we listen to these old dramas now, his prices sound mighty cheap, but really they weren't. Most hard-boiled detectives had a strong sense of justice, and that was more important to them than a big pay off. Johnny wants to see justice done too, but he also sees his clients, insurance companies, as rich and able to afford his services. Johnny hires himself out on contract assignments to insurance companies. He is usually working the insurance angle on a case — before paying an insurance claim, the company

Photo by Bigstock Photo: palangsiNeighbor: This gas is terrible. I’ll get the window open.Francis: Oh, Casey! Casey, Darling!Neighbor: There, that’s better! It’ll air out in a minute. Where is it coming from?Francis: The stove. I turned it off. Do you think he… A Critical Moment Well, the tension comes to a head in today’s episode. You’ll remember, in our last episode, Francis was pretty upset at Casey. The flowers he sent to another woman didn’t go to a little old lady, but to a young woman recently divorced. It really seems like Casey has been playing with Fran’s heart. She is rightfully upset. But in today’s episode, when Casey is about to slip away from her for good, Fran realizes how much he means to her — love is proven through crisis. Sometimes it is in those critical moments in life, when the situation could just as easily go one way as the other, when there is a lot at stake — a lot that could be lost, we act decisively. Those moments call for quick decisions. They cut through all of the doubts tha

Photo by Bigstock Photo: Bialasiewicz"I thought I recognized the name," said Aggie. "It's here in the paper right on the front page."   Things really heat up in today's episode. Relationships go through some rocky times, and Francis and Casey's is no different. In our last episode, Francis became suspicious that Casey was dating other women when Casey had her send roses to a woman named 'Viva Cramer'. When Casey explained that Viva had practically raised him, Francis realized that this woman wasn't a girlfriend and she quickly got over her worries. But in this episode, Francis hears some news about Viva Cramer. Aggie reads it to her from the morning paper. (This really must be a small town newspaper because Aggie finds the news of Viva's divorce right on the front page.) It isn't so much the divorce that bothers Fran as it is Viva's age. When she hears that Viva is only 31 years old, she immediately thinks, "What a scoundrel! He has another woman!" When Casey drops in, he is met with sarcasm and a cold sh

Photo by Bigstock Photo: Heatray "To be more explicit, I'd like two dozen red roses," Casey announced. Casey, playboy or  man of purpose? As this episode begins, we see Francis at work in her flower shop when Casey comes in. Francis and Casey start dating, but they also have a business relationship. When your girlfriend runs a flower shop, this might not be the wisest thing to do. But people often mix business with pleasure. A businessman might take an important client out for a game of golf. While the client is enjoying the game of golf, he is more likely to feel good about doing business with this man. There is a good chance that he ends up agreeing to a big business deal before their game is done. Let’s see how Francis and Casey do at mixing business with pleasure. The drive to the countryside was a 'swell' date, but in today's world, Francis would have called it 'awesome'. The next day, Casey shows up at the flower shop and has two-dozen roses sent to a woman. How could Francis not have felt a little a

Photo by Bigstock Photo: PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek"I deduce you live somewhere below, and I know you own a cat which is named, quaintly enough, Ambrose, but where do we go from there?" What is a Hostage of Love? "Hostage of Love" is a romance, a love story. Can love take you hostage? A hostage, after all, is someone who is taken captive and used by their captors to negotiate deals to get whatever it is that they want. The hostage's freedom has been taken away from him. That doesn't sound much like a love story!  In this story, we don't have a hostage taking, but in English, we use the word hostage in another way as well. A hostage can be a person who is controlled by something else. It doesn't have to be a 'bad man' that controls the hostage. You might be a hostage to something or of something, like love. So a hostage of love is someone who is overpowered by strong feelings of love. Their emotions control them more than their rational mind. They make choices based on their emotions instead of making the best

Photo by Bigstock Photo: Karimala Barrie: I, uh, swiped a photograph of the son off his bureau top. This, Max. Max: Hmm. Barrie: Handsome kid, huh? Max: Yes, strapping. Blood Money, Part 7 [23 min 00 sec ~ 27 min 32 sec] This episode wraps up the Blood Money case. Barrie cracks the case. He explains his new theory to Max and reconstructs the crime. Scene 13: Questioning another suspect In Scene 13, Barrie goes to the university campus to question Stewart Blake. Stewart immediately confesses to the murder, but Barrie Craig is not convinced. He seems rather proud of his act of bravery and says his father would not have had the guts to do it. He is even able to show Barrie his receipt for the $300 retainer fee he paid to Max Marcy to find Barbar -- and it is initialed M.M., most likely Max Marcy. The receipt links him to the crime, but it is not the only conclusion we can draw. He may have really intended to sue Anatol Barbar, not murder him. So why would an innocent man confess to murder? Stewart sees that

Blood Money — Part 6 Scene 12 [19 min 31 sec ~ 23 min 00 sec] Photo by Bigstock Photo: stokkete Wynn Blake looked every inch his role in life — gray, distinguished, with a stiff aristocratic spine, a polished surface veneer, with only one thing marring him — his eyes. I’d never seen sadder eyes.   Barrie Craig visits Wynn Blake, his prime suspect. Blake has become his suspect because he had motive – he was named in Anatol Barbar’s letter as the man being blackmailed. Barrie knows that blackmail victims sometimes turn on their oppressor. Perhaps they have no more money to turn over to the blackmailer. Perhaps they've just 'had enough' and cannot tolerate being victimized any longer. You can hardly blame the victim for wanting to get out from under the blackmailer's thumb, but can murder ever be justified? Isn't there a better way, a legal way? Why not report this abuse to the police? Of course, that would mean coming clean with whatever the blackmailer has on you, but choosing to take the law into your own

Max: Yeah, these new ramifications, a lot of it none of our business as private operatives. Should we drop the investigation? Blood Money, Part 5, Scene 11 Barrie, Craig — Confidential Investigator [17 min 31 sec – 19 min 31 sec]   Barrie shares what he has learned from Neala Ghallard with Max Marcie. They discuss their prime suspect, his likely motive, and the implications of going on with their investigation. In other words, if they continue investigating this murder, how is it going to end? Will they be satisfied with what they find out and who they have to punish or will the name of an outstanding citizen be ruined? Max wants to back off, stop investigating. He hopes he can persuade Barrie to do the same. But this is where we see Barrie Craig’s character come through — he remains loyal to his own sense of justice. If it turns out that someone from the upper class has committed this murder, Barrie Craig thinks that person should be punished just like anyone else. They should not get off easy just because t

[Bigstock Photo by zurijeta] Old friends and business associates pay their last respects to Anatol Barbar. Parting with an old friend In part 4 of Blood Money, Barrie Craig is somewhat at a loss for what to do. He has no clue to follow that could lead him on to the next phase of his investigation, so he retraces his steps to Amar Serrebi, the rug dealer and corresponding secretary for the Oriental carpet dealers' trade association. Barrie starts out by pressing him for names of some old friends of Anatol Barbar. Serrebi's memory is jogged and he tells Craig about a woman who used to work in Mecca Bazaar with Barbar, but no one has seen her for several years. In hopes of drawing out this lead, Barrie turns to the topic of the funeral arrangements. He thinks that if news gets out that it is a pauper's funeral and that Barbar will be buried in a potter's field, his old friends and acquaintances would feel sentimental, remember old times, and feel the need to show up at the funeral to pay their last respects to h

Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator - Blood Money, Scene 6 & 7 Photo by Bigstock Photo: gualtiero Max: He escaped you? Barrie: Totally. He was staked out somewhere on one of the roofs. On that, frankly, I never figured. The Hard-Boiled Detective's Code of Ethics: Before we get on with the story, I want to say a little more about the hard-boiled detective’s code of ethics. This is the moral code that guides his decisions. In the last podcast, I mentioned that the hard-boiled detective is: dedicated to his client has to remain objective, therefore he doesn’t get too close to his client loyal to his profession (helping the older detective b/c it seems like the right thing to do) above all, he is loyal to his own personal sense of justice Today, I’d like to add a few more items to that list: economical in his expenses and personal habits (He's not going to surprise Max Marcy with a big bill; instead, he says, “Its free, just pay my expenses” – and there is no mention of expensive/comf

In "Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator — Blood Money, Scenes 3, 4, & 5 Photo by Bigstock Photo: Yatso Max: When I found the fire, I knew at once you’d find Anatol Barbar dead. Loyalties of the Hard-Boiled Detective We’ve met Barrie Craig now and we can begin to identify some of his characteristics that make him a fairly typical hard-boiled detective. We heard him chat with Max Marcy and take on a job for him. He showed care and concern for the older detective, rather than feeling competitive. He even agreed to work for nothing, just asking Max to pay for his expenses. A hard-boiled detective lives by a set of rules, a code of ethics. This code defines what he considers right and wrong, moral and immoral. But sometimes the rules of his code conflict with one another. In Blood Money, we see some potential for conflict. For example, these three rules could conflict: 1. be dedicated to your client 2. be objective, therefore don’t get too close to your client 3. be loyal to your profession Barrie is dedicat

  Photo by Brian Harrington Spier [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia CommonsAMAH SERRIBI: I have been privileged. Ah, you are perhaps interested in a fine Bocara rug, at great sacrifice price.BARRIE CRAIG: Mr. Serribi, please! Let go of my coat lapels! Barrie Craig Helps a Fellow Private Eye Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator is a hard-boiled detective radio play that aired from 1951-1955. This play is called "Blood Money" which is money gained at the expense of someone else. One man gets the money easily, but it costs another man, perhaps in terms of his human rights, his freedom, or his life. I have broken the play into several parts. Part 1 is both scene 1 and 2. In Scene 1, Barrie Craig is asked to do a job to help out an older detective, Max Marcy. He needs to find a man called Anatol Barbar. They discuss the older man's financial situation and why he can't really retire. Max doesn't have much money saved up to retire on. They both agree that they barely make enough to live on. And yet, it is a tough j