Lovecraft on the Radio

[j. d. worthington]

Now, I know there were productions of some of HPL's stories years ago "when Radio was King", but recently there seems to be another attempt to bring the Old Gent's work to the sonic airwaves...

Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: At the Mountains of Madness

At the Mountains of Madness, no less! I've got to admit... I'd love to hear an attempt at this one, especially considering this was a production of the same people who did the silent Call of Cthulhu film, which is very impressive.

Does anyone else know of other productions of recent vintage? Is there anyone out there who remembers the original radio productions? Drop a line... this could get very interesting... and very strange.......

[ravenus]

Oh this sounds very exciting. I'll definitely be looking for the CD, since I would definitely want the artwork and other goodies associated with it (not seen it at Amazon, though ). Please if someone knows where the CD is available, post here.

Edit: Found the Store

[ravenus]

Have ordered for this CD, the Call of Cthulhu DVD (great movie, I've seen it) and hey, I also liked the Cthulhu Bibliophile T-shirt

[j. d. worthington]

You'll have to let me know what you think; but I've a feeling I'm going to be saving my pennies for this, and the Testament of Randolph Carter (despite the quality of the actual film -- that is, the actual stock -- I've heard it's worth it for those who are -- like me -- true HPL fans).

Enjoy!

[Monkey Eggs]

"A Shoggoth on the Roof!" I must have that mug.

Could any stories lend themselves to narration as well as Lovecraft's? I think not.

[j. d. worthington]

Another something on HPL on the radio: an interview with S. T. Joshi:

The A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net - Program Information

Nothing really new here, but for those new to HPL (or those just interested) definitely worth listening to...

[Curt Chiarelli]

I don't know how "recent" you'd care to go back J.D., but by any chance have you heard the HPL albums narrated by Roddy McDowell and David McCallum dating back to the late 1960's?

My "dream team" production would have had Boris Karloff narrating the Old Gent's work for the now defunct Caedmon label! As it stands, his recording of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Christmas Tree along with Basil Rathbone's reading of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, Vincent Price's The Raven and James Mason's Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville are nothing less than the epitome of this peculiarly 20th century artform.

[j. d. worthington]

I've never had the pleasure of hearing the McDowell album -- not even seen a copy, though I've heard of it. But I had a copy of the McCallum Haunter of the Dark -- my only complaint about that one was that it had to be edited slightly to fit on a disc at the time... now, of course, with CDs that wouldn't be necessary. A very good rendition, I thought; even the abridgement was done very well.

Yes, Karloff would have made a good choice to read HPL -- I used to have both volumes of Tales of the Frightened, the Mercury recordings... made the mistake of loaning them out and they got tossed in the trash as a result! I finally tracked down volume I last year, but I've still not found the second... or, rather, not at an affordable price (something over $100 is the best I've seen, and that's just more than my pocketbook will take... a pity, as I first heard these when I was a very young lad -- about 5 -- and have loved them ever since, not only for Karloff's wonderful voice, but for the fascinating electronic score done for the stories, which is often very evocative).

Ah, yes, the old Caedmon label! I once heard their recording of selections from the Malleus Maleficarum -- I'd call that the preferred way to deal with that particular piece, frankly... much more interesting than reading most of it, believe me! Nice selection there, Curt! Those are some impressive recordings indeed!

[Curt Chiarelli]

Although no one can outdo Karloff (in my opinion, anyway), who do you think, out of all the modern actors practising today, would be appropriate for narrating Lovecraft?

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Curt Chiarelli

Although no one can outdo Karloff (in my opinion, anyway), who do you think, out of all the modern actors practising today, would be appropriate for narrating Lovecraft?

Ooof! That's a tough one! I think, because of his style, someone with a more subdued, even laconic delivery would be better, to allow the gradual buildup of the emotion... it would make the final crescendo much more effective, I think. Also, I think someone with a reasonably deep voice might be a good choice, though someone who had a genuine Yankee accent might not be a bad choice, either, for some of the pieces. I'll have to think on that one....

Just for the resonance of the voice, and the fact that his delivery is often very quiet and subdued, Tony Todd comes to mind, interestingly enough (though HPL would probably be having a fit if he heard that.... then again, perhaps not; he was quite sensitive to the subtleties of oral delivery with such tales, so -- even with his ethnic phobias -- he might be able to appreciate the choice). The problem is that so many of today's actors rely on being seen as well as heard... they've not worked with radio, for example, to help hone reliance on sound alone to carry so many subtleties and nuances, the way that many of the older actors had. So it would take some serious thought.....

[mogora]

I loved the HPLHS's "At the Mountains of Madness". This is a true must-have for HPL fans.

The Atlanta Radio Theater Company has also put out a few Lovecraft adaptations including At the Mountains of Madness and Shadow Over Innsmouth, but I didn't enjoy them very much.

Although no one can outdo Karloff (in my opinion, anyway), who do you think, out of all the modern actors practising today, would be appropriate for narrating Lovecraft?

Hmmm....maybe the guy who played Lovecraft in Out of Mind.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by mogora

Hmmm....maybe the guy who played Lovecraft in Out of Mind.

Christopher Heyerdahl? Hmmm. It's a thought. Certainly I think he could do some of the stories very well, especially if he captured that particular accent again... then again, his voice might do well for them in general. Might be worth someone making such a suggestion, as they already have Jeff Combs reading "Herber West -- Reanimator" on disc, and it seems to be doing respectably; so we might see more of this sort of thing soon. And Lovecraft is definitely a writer whose work is very nice when read aloud.... Try "The Tomb", for instance, using the preferred text, with the emphases on certain words one might not other wise notice... it changes the entire feel of the story, and gives a different slant to the whole.