Ron's Amazing Stories

What happens when three very different people find themselves at the end of the road? On this episode of Ron's Amazing Stories, we're taking a departure from our usual fare with a remarkable radio drama from the golden age of broadcasting. Our featured story is The Petrified Forest, presented by Lux Radio Theatre on April 23, 1945, starring Ronald Colman and Susan Hayward. Set in a lonely roadside diner in the Arizona desert, the story brings together a disillusioned writer, a young waitress dreaming of a better life, and a dangerous gangster on the run. What begins as an ordinary encounter becomes a powerful exploration of love, dreams, desperation, and the meaning of life. Originally written for the Broadway stage by Robert E. Sherwood in 1935, The Petrified Forest became a celebrated 1936 motion picture starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart. Bogart's performance as Duke Mantee helped establish him as a major Hollywood star. But it's the 1945 radio adaptation that caught Ron's attention. With minimal sound effects and extraordinary performances, this drama demonstrates just how powerful the spoken word can be. And there's something else worth listening for: the live studio audience. Their laughter, reactions, and moments of silence add another dimension to an already remarkable performance. A listening suggestion: Put on your headphones, settle in, and pay attention to the dialogue. Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

It's a dark and stormy night, and somewhere in the city, a hard-boiled detective is waiting for his next case. Grab your fedora and trench coat, because this week on Ron's Amazing Stories, we're exploring the fascinating world of old-time radio detectives! First, on The RAS Signal, we begin a two-part journey through the history of radio detectives. In Part One, we'll discover how crime-solving found its way onto the airwaves and how the detective became one of radio's most enduring characters. Then we travel back to December 4, 1934, for Calling All Cars and an episode titled Don't Get Chummy With A Nightwatchman. A robbery at a local laundry sends police searching for clues and the men responsible. This early police procedural offers a fascinating glimpse into real-life crime investigation during the 1930s. And don't miss the original Rio Grande gasoline commercials! Rather than simply interrupting the program, these advertisements sometimes become part of the story itself. So settle in for a little mystery, some radio history, and a trip back to the days when detectives wore fedoras and even police officers had time to talk about gasoline. Featured on this episode: The RAS Signal #6 — The Radio Detective, Part One: The History Calling All Cars — Don't Get Chummy With A Nightwatchman (December 4, 1934) Runtime: 1:01:48 Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

Welcome to a special Halloween edition of Ron's Amazing Stories! This year, we're doing things a little differently. Instead of our traditional Month of Spooky, we're celebrating with one big Day of Spooky! We have two classic tales from Inner Sanctum Mysteries, one of the most memorable horror programs from the golden age of radio. Our first story takes us down a lonely road where picking up a hitchhiker might be the worst decision you'll ever make. Our second brings the terror much closer to home, where an ordinary evening becomes a fight for survival. Along the way, Ron explores what made Inner Sanctum so effective and how a story from 1946 can tell us something about the world that created it. Turn down the lights, settle in, and enjoy A Day of Spooky 2026! Our Stories The Hitchhiking Corpse (January 23, 1950) From Inner Sanctum Mysteries, an Irish truck driver encounters a mysterious woman along a lonely road. She has an unusual request involving an abandoned mill, her family's troubled past, and a journey to Moon Hollow. What follows is a supernatural tale with one of the creepiest endings in the series. Murder Comes at Midnight (September 9, 1946) Our second Inner Sanctum story takes us inside a home where a woman and her sleeping child face an unexpected and terrifying visitor. With nowhere to run, she must decide how to survive. It's a gripping psychological thriller that raises an interesting question: What would you do? After the story, Ron looks at its portrayal of women in the years immediately following World War II and considers how audiences in 1946 might have reacted differently than listeners today. Did You Miss the Month of Spooky? We want to hear from you! Did you enjoy having one Day of Spooky, or would you rather see the traditional Month of Spooky return in 2027? Send Ron an email or leave a message on Facebook. Your feedback might just help the Month of Spooky rise from the grave! Happy Halloween from Ron's Amazing Stories! Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

On Ron's Amazing Stories, we're taking a trip through time—not by looking back at history, but by listening to moments when history was simply everyday life. We begin in 1943 with Arch Oboler and Lights Out! in a tale called "Lord Marley's Guest." A woman arrives at a manor determined to steal Lord Marley away from his wife. She gets exactly what she wants, although it isn't quite what she had in mind. The original wartime commercials have been left intact, giving us a fascinating little time capsule from World War II America. Then, on The RAS Signal, we explore the history of radio itself. From an early recording of Woodrow Wilson to Edward R. Murrow reporting from wartime London, and finally Apollo 11, we'll hear how radio brought some of the twentieth century's biggest moments directly into people's homes. We finish with As Read By and a humorous science-fiction story from 1959. "We Didn't Do Anything Wrong, Hardly," written by Roger Kuykendall and read by Fatima. It tells the story of some kids who do something rather remarkable—they build a spaceship and take it for a test flight. Today, that's history. Back then, it was just Tuesday. On the Show Lights Out! – "Lord Marley's Guest" (September 7, 1943) The RAS Signal – A Short History of Radio As Read By – "We Didn't Do Anything Wrong, Hardly" by Roger Kuykendall, read by Fatima Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

This week on Ron's Amazing Stories, we're heading into space with two very different science fiction stories. We begin with "Universe," based on the classic story by Robert A. Heinlein. Imagine a gigantic spaceship traveling between the stars, where generations of people have lived and died aboard the ship. There's just one problem: they've forgotten they're on a spaceship at all. Then on "As Read By", Phil Chenevert reads "Project Hush" by William Tenn. It follows a top-secret Army mission to establish a military base on the Moon. But when the team arrives, they discover someone may have gotten there first. Also this week, Q/A with Ron returns. Ron answers five listener emails covering X Minus One, listener-submitted stories, the return of author interviews, my interview with a former NBA All-Star, and where I find and restore the old-time radio programs heard on the podcast. Featured Stories: "Universe" X Minus One Original Air Date: May 15, 1955 Based on the story by Robert A. Heinlein Radio Adaptation: George Lefferts "Project Hush" Written by William Tenn Originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, February 1954 Read by Phil Chenevert Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

This week on Ron's Amazing Stories, there really isn't a theme. Instead, Ron has three things he likes and wants to share with you. First up is The RAS Signal. This time we take a look at the remarkable career of character actor John Dehner. From radio to television and the movies, Dehner became one of those familiar voices and faces who seemed capable of playing just about anyone. Then we hear Dehner as English newspaper correspondent J. B. Kendall in the complete audition episode of Frontier Gentleman. The story is "The Remittance Man," recorded on January 29, 1958. Kendall arrives in the western town of South Sunday, meets a sheriff claiming to be Frank Clanton, and before long Billy the Kid becomes part of the story. Finally, As Read By returns with "Untechnological Employment" by E. M. Clinton, originally published in the November 1962 issue of Analog Science Fact · Science Fiction. Told through a series of TWX communications, the story takes us into the problems of launching rockets when even modern technology can't do much about the weather. It is read for us by Tysto, a regular contributor to LibriVox.org. Also, stick around after Ron says goodbye for a special montage of original old-time radio commercials. Featured on the show: The RAS Signal — John Dehner Frontier Gentleman — "The Remittance Man" — January 29, 1958 As Read By — "Untechnological Employment" by E. M. Clinton — Read by Tysto Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

On Ron's Amazing Stories this week, we're bringing back an old-fashioned RAS Double Feature. When television began finding its way into American homes, radio had to change. But what happened to all those actors whose faces had existed only in the imaginations of radio listeners? Many of them made the jump to television—and some became even bigger stars. Our two stories feature four familiar radio voices who did exactly that: Jack Webb, Raymond Burr, John Dehner, and William Conrad. In This Episode Geranium Plant — Jack Webb stars as wisecracking waterfront detective Pat Novak, with Raymond Burr as Inspector Hellman. What begins as a simple job delivering a geranium plant quickly turns into murder. The Adversary — John Dehner plays Captain "Honest" Weatherby in this adventure from Escape, with William Conrad narrating. There's a sunken ship, a fortune in pearls, a questionable crew, and some very serious questions about how that ship ended up on the bottom. From Radio to Television — Along the way, we look at how Webb, Burr, Dehner, and Conrad carried their talents from the microphones of old-time radio to the television screen. Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

On Ron's Amazing Stories this week, you asked for it... and that's exactly what you're going to get. This episode is built around listener emails and questions. We bring back an old RAS favorite, Johnny Is It True, with four stories from the history of the podcast. Elena wants to know if creepy listener stories are coming back. Caleb asks if Ron is real, how he researches the show, and whether he actually has a radio background. And Gideon has a request. After hearing a clip during our recent episode about sound effects, he wanted to hear the entire Gunsmoke story about the white buffalo. So we're making that happen. In This Episode Johnny Is It True Returns — Four stories from the history of Ron's Amazing Stories. Some involve listeners, some involve Ron doing questionable things behind a microphone... and at least one isn't quite what it seems. Are Listener Stories Coming Back? — Elena from Savannah, Georgia asks about the old creepy listener stories and whether These Are Your Stories might someday return. Q&A With Ron... Sort Of — Caleb from Boise, Idaho asks if Ron is an AI voice, how he researches the podcast, and what kind of radio background he actually has. Around The Bend — A familiar RAS song makes an appearance before we say goodbye. Featured Story Gunsmoke — "The Buffalo Killers" (June 7, 1952) Gideon from Burlington, Vermont heard part of this early Gunsmoke episode during our recent look at old-time radio sound effects and asked to hear the whole thing. William Conrad stars as Marshal Matt Dillon in a story involving two murdered buffalo hunters and one very unusual clue — a white buffalo pelt. It's an action-packed early episode of Gunsmoke, but listen closely to the sound effects. The horses, doors, footsteps, background sounds and, yes, plenty of gunfire help create a Dodge City you don't simply hear... you can almost see. Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

On Ron's Amazing Stories this week, we're taking a trip through history — although perhaps not the kind you remember from school. We'll begin with the return of an old RAS segment, Not So Important Times in History. This time, we look at an international crisis that happened practically in my own backyard that nearly started a war between the United States and Great Britain. Then Suspense puts its own fictional spin on history with A Friend to Alexander, a strange tale involving dreams, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, and a famous duel. Finally, we climb aboard the old-time-radio time machine with You Are There. CBS reporters take us back to July 11th, 1804, to cover the Burr-Hamilton duel as though it were happening live. And somewhere along the way, we may even find out what happened to a pig. In This Episode • Not So Important Times in History: The Pig War — The strange 1859 incident that brought American and British forces face-to-face over the shooting of a pig. • Suspense: A Friend to Alexander — A man's dreams about Aaron Burr begin taking on some disturbingly familiar faces. Originally broadcast August 3rd, 1943. • You Are There: The Burr-Hamilton Duel — CBS turns one of America's most famous historical events into a live radio news report. Originally broadcast January 11th, 1948. Our surviving recording is incomplete. Featured Stories A Friend to Alexander from Suspense — August 3, 1943 History provides the inspiration for this unusual Suspense story about a man whose dreams carry him into the world of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. But when the people in those dreams begin resembling people from his own life, history and reality start getting a little too close for comfort. The Burr-Hamilton Duel from You Are There — January 11, 1948 You Are There had a wonderful idea: take CBS radio reporters and send them into the past to cover history as breaking news. This time the microphones are waiting in Weehawken, New Jersey, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr prepare for their famous duel. Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

On Ron's Amazing Stories this week, we're listening a little differently. Our main focus is sound effects and the remarkable people who created them. On The RAS Signal, we explore how sound-effects artists could build an entire world using little more than everyday objects, ingenuity, and a well-placed microphone. Then we head into the Inner Sanctum for a tale involving murder, revenge, thirty pieces of silver, and one very unusual clock. We'll also bring back another old RAS favorite — Q&A with Ron — with listener questions about the changing podcast and how classic science-fiction radio created sounds for things that didn't even exist. In This Episode The RAS Signal: Sound Effects — A look behind the microphone at the artists, equipment, and techniques that helped listeners see with their ears. Inside the Inner Sanctum — We talk about producer Himan Brown, Raymond Edward Johnson, that famous squeaking door, and how commercials became part of the program itself. The Judas Clock — A classic 1945 episode of *Inner Sanctum Mysteries*, presented with its original Lipton Tea commercials intact. Q&A with Ron Returns — Mary and Brandon ask about the direction of the podcast, while Leo takes us back into the world of classic radio sound effects — including spaceships, magnetic tape, electronic circuits... and even a cow. Featured Story The Judas Clock — Inner Sanctum Mysteries (April 17, 1945) Thirty years ago, a man was murdered using a strange clock said to require the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot for his betrayal of Jesus. Now the murdered man's son has returned — and he has plans for The Judas Clock. This episode includes its original commercials. Inner Sanctum often blended its advertising directly into the program, and removing the Lipton Tea spots would take away part of the character and atmosphere of the original broadcast. Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron