+ Leroy Nelson Olmsted, Jr., aka Nelson Olmsted, (January 28, 1914, Minneapolis, Minnesota - April 8, 1982, Los Angeles, California) was an actor in films, recordings, radio and television from the 1950s to the 1970s. Sometimes billed as Nelson Olmstead, he was best known for an unusual NBC radio series, Sleep No More (1952), in which he narrated his own adaptations of terror tales and science-fantasy stories. Ben Grauer was the program's announcer. After study at the University of Texas, Olmsted began in radio in the late 1930s as an announcer for WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas. When he launched Black Night (1937-39), a late night 30-minute horror series, it was only a local program, but it created a sensation, with mail arriving at WBAP from ten states. A review in Radio News took note of the chilling music (by Gene Baugh) and horrific sound effects (by A.M. Woodford). Produced by Ken Douglass, the series began November 5, 1937 with Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart" and then continued on with original scripts by Virginia Wiltten. Olmsted starred and was heard in a variety of different roles. Within a year, the impact of Black Night catapulted Olmsted to New York, where he was immediately established as NBC's resident storyteller, a position he held for over a decade, beginning with The World's Greatest Short Stories (1939, 1944, 1947) and Dramas by Olmsted (1940-41). Today, Olmsted is best remembered for his spoken word recordings released by the Vanguard Recording Society. One of these was the LP version of Sleep No More!-WikiPedia Click here to read more about Sleep No More
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Please enjoy these 19 old time radio episodes:
| Air Date | Title | Synopsis | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04.24.1957 | evening strange orchid |
+ "Evening" "The Flowering Of The Strange Orchid". A middle aged man carries on an imaginary roman... | |
| 04.17.1957 | homecoming and aunt cassie |
+ "Homecoming" "Aunt Cassie". A crazed young man with a gun visits his old girl friend. Also, a gh... | |
| 04.10.1957 | sleep no more (19) a passenger to bali |
+ "A Passenger To Bali". An evil revolutionary boards a tramp steamer. The captain can't get rid o... | |
| 04.03.1957 | sleep no more (18) the bet the clerk's quest |
+ "The Bet" "The Clerk's Quest". Two million dollars are bet that a man can voluntarily spend fift... | |
| 03.20.1957 | sleep no more (16) the woman in grey a suspicious gift |
+ "The Woman In Grey" "The Suspicious Gift". A man discovers that everyone he likes suddenly dies.... | |
| 03.13.1957 | sleep no more (15) the escape of mr trimm |
+ "The Escape Of Mr. Trimm". A very well-done story of suspense. An escaped convict is prevented f... | |
| 03.06.1957 | sleep no more (14) thus i refute beelzy the bookshop |
+ "Thus, I Refute Beasley" "The Bookstore". A young man sees a stranger who doesn't exist, or does... | |
| 02.27.1957 | to build a fire and 3 skeleton key |
+ "To Build A Fire" "Three Skeleton Key". A man all alone in the Yukon starts to freeze to death. ... | |
| 02.06.1957 | banquos chair and the coward |
+ "Banquo's Chair" "The Coward". A ghost catches a killer. Also, a man about to fight a duel finds... | |
| 01.30.1957 | sleep no more (11) the jilting of granny weatherall escape |
+ "The Jilting Of Granny Witherall" "Escape". A dying old woman recalls the days of her youth. Als... | |
| 01.23.1957 | sleep no more (10) i am waiting browdean farm |
+ "I Am Waiting" "Browdian Farm". A man catches a series of glimpses into the future. Also, a ghos... | |
| 01.09.1957 | the waxworks and the man and the snake |
+ "The Waxwork" "The Man and The Snake". An impoverished journalist accepts the assignment of spen... | |
| 12.26.1956 | death of olivia bicai fishhead |
+ "Death Of Olivier Becaille" "Fish-Head". The system cue is added live. + The first story to be h... | |
| 12.19.1956 | the storm |
+ "The Storm" "Annabelle Lee". Sustaining. + The Storm is a chilling story about a woman who comes ... | |
| 12.12.1956 | three oclock |
+ "Three O'Clock". Sustaining. + Three O’Clock is a masterly chiller by William Irish. When a man... | |
| 12.05.1956 | over the hill and man in the black hat |
+ "Over The Hill" "The Man In The Black Hat". Part of the final public service announcement has be... | |
| 11.28.1956 | mr mergenthwirkers lobblies and august heat |
+ "Mr. Mergenthwirker's Lobblies" "August Heat". Nelson Olmsted dramatizes two stories. A strange ... | |
| 11.21.1956 | conquerors isle |
+ "Conqueror's Isle". A flyer is forced down on a strange island and discovers a race of superior ... | |
| 11.14.1956 | marius |
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SLEEP NO MORE
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