Published May 28, 2025 by

Lost & Found: Leslie Nielsen's "A Walk in New York" (1958) | Rumsey Retro Radio

Lost & Found: Leslie Nielsen's "A Walk in New York" (1958)

Vintage radio microphone Did You Know? This CBC radio drama predates Nielsen's comedy fame - recorded just two years after Forbidden Planet!

Leslie Nielsen in 1950s CBC studio

A Canadian in New York

Discovered in the CBC archives by Rewind host Michael Enright, this 1958 "documentary-drama" hybrid stars a young Leslie Nielsen as a Saskatchewan-born actor chasing Broadway dreams. Key details:

  • Part of CBC's Project series (1958-1968), created to "bring excitement back to radio"
  • No surviving credits - identified by Nielsen's voice and Regina birthplace reference
  • Time capsule of 1950s NYC: Subway sounds, taxi rants, and neon-lit ambition
  • Pre-comedy Nielsen: A rare dramatic performance pre-Airplane!

🎙️ Behind the Mic:

"The producer Harry Boyle reportedly gave his team one directive: 'Make radio dangerous again.' This raw, semi-improvised piece delivers."
- Rewind (CBC Radio, 2023)

✉️ "Nielsen's delivery of homesickness ('that awful wave... longing for fresh air and clean sheets') reveals the actor's dramatic range we rarely saw later."
- Audio historian Clara Bensen

The Audio Walk

🚶 Excerpt: Nielsen's Opening Monologue

"I'm a Canadian, and I wanted to be a great actor. I was 19 years old and green, ambitious, and scared too... I came with $40 and no friends to that melting pot of 8 million human beings. 8 million plus one—New York."

(Sound: Grand Central Station crowd noise swells)

📻 Full Episode

🎧 Listen

Runtime: 60 mins • CBC Project 58

🗽 NYC Soundscape

"The drilling of street crews, taxi drivers cursing traffic, and that blinking bar sign across from my $8/week room..."

Nielsen's Radio Odyssey

Long before "Don't call me Shirley," Nielsen's voice work included:

🎭 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (Radio)

Mr. Grainger in "The Magic Shop"

🎭 The Nutcracker and the Mouseking -2004

Voice of the Mouse King

🎭 Lights Out (1950s)

Early U.S. radio drama appearances

Which Leslie Nielsen role is your favorite?

Frank Drebin? Commander Adams? The Naked Gun himself? Email your picks!

Listener Memories

From the mailbag...

James (Toronto)

"Hearing Nielsen's dramatic timing in the taxi scene—where he lets real cab drivers rant—you can already sense the deadpan genius he'd later perfect."

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Canadian Old Time Radio

Published May 05, 2025 by

Soundings: Jeff Green’s Visionary Radio Sci-Fi Universe

Soundings: Jeff Green's Visionary Radio Sci-Fi Universe

Vintage radio microphone Did You Know? The series was recorded using binaural audio technology for immersive 3D soundscapes!

Jeff Green, creator of Soundings

Ottawa's Answer to Twilight Zone

Produced from 1985-1989 by multimedia artist Jeff Green, Soundings delivered mind-bending science fiction through CBC Radio and international broadcasts. This indie production stood out for its:

  • Cinematic binaural sound design (recorded with Neumann KU-81i dummy head microphone)
  • 45-minute episodes designed for perfect cassette recording
  • Cyberpunk comedy (Spaxter series) alongside psychological horror
  • Original music by Charles Fairfield and Ian Tamblyn
  • International acclaim from NPR to Australia's ABC

🎙️ Behind the Scenes:

"We recorded 'Spaxter' in an empty swimming pool for natural reverb. The actors wore roller skates during chase scenes to create Doppler effects."
- Jeff Green, 1986 interview

"The 'Somebody Talking To You' cassettes were actual customized mixtapes we mailed to listeners who wrote in."
- Sound engineer Charles Fairfield

Dive Into the Soundscape

🔮 "Spaxter" Preview:

SPAXTER: "The meld in my head was buzzing like a hornet's nest. Osiris wasn't just another two-bit pharaoh wannabe - he'd bought the actual Great Pyramid."

LOUELLA: "So let me get this straight... you're going to stop a god by throwing a cocktail party?"

(Sound: Pyramid door grinding open with alien hum)

Complete Soundings Collection

🏆 Award-Winning Radio

  • 2x ACTRA Best Radio Program (1988, 1989)
  • NY Festivals Silver Medal (1990)
  • Mark Time Award for Best Sci-Fi Audio
  • ASFSFA Hall of Fame for "Spaxter"

Join Our Audio Adventure

Subscribe for weekly discoveries in vintage radio:

  • 📡 Rare audio finds like Soundings
  • 🎙 Behind-the-scenes production stories
  • 📻 Exclusive digital mixtapes for subscribers

"Your newsletter introduced me to Soundings - now I'm hooked on vintage radio drama!"
- Subscriber Margaret K.

Canadian Old Time Radio

Published May 03, 2025 by

Nightfall: CBC’s Groundbreaking Horror Radio Anthology

Nightfall: CBC's Groundbreaking Horror Radio Anthology

Vintage radio microphone Did You Know? The show's chilling theme was created using a waterphone and cello bow!

Nightfall Original CD Cover

Canada's Answer to The Twilight Zone

Airing from 1980-1983 on CBC Radio, Nightfall terrified listeners with its psychological horror stories. Created by Bill Howell, the show stood out for its:

  • Unsettling realistic sound effects
  • Twist endings that outdid The Outer Limits
  • Distinctive Canadian settings (from Toronto alleys to Yukon cabins)
  • No-holds-barred approach to horror (CBC's first "parental warning" show)
  • Legendary voice actors like Henry Ramer (narrator) and John Stocker (the iconic "falling man")

🎙️ Behind the Screams:

"We used real autopsy recordings for 'The Psychiatrist' episode. The switchboard lit up with complaints!"
- Sound designer David Millar, 1982 interview

✉️ "The script called for a scream, but I told the director that when you suddenly fall, you gasp - you don't scream. That's why the opening is so terrifying."
- John Stocker (the falling man and voice of Beastly in Care Bears), via subscriber Patte

Experience the Terror

📻 Complete Series

🎧 Archive.org Collection

All surviving episodes (1980-1983)

📜 Classic Episode

🎧 "The Contract"

(Aired Jan 28, 1983 - chilling finale)

🎭 Fan Favorite

🎧 "The Repossession"

Featuring John Stocker as conjoined twins
(Recommended by Patte)

🔮 "The Contract" Preview:

LAWYER: "Signing binds you forever, Mr. Carter. There are no expiration clauses."

CARTER: "What's this red ink? It feels... warm."

(Sound: Distant heartbeat grows louder)

Which Canadian radio horror should we cover next?

The Vanishing Point? The Hitchhiker? Email your suggestions like Patte did!

Share Your Memories

"We love hearing from fellow Nightfall enthusiasts! Did you:

  • Hear these episodes when they first aired?
  • Work on the production?
  • Spot an error we should fix?

Interesting comments may be shared in future updates (with your permission).

Listener Memories

From the mailbag...

Patte

In the opening of "Nightfall" episodes, Henry Ramer was the narrator, and John Stocker was the man who suddenly falls backwards into the abyss. Both Henry and John voiced hundreds of commercials, and John still voices cartoon characters too, notably Beastly in the original 1980s "Care Bears" series. He told me that the script originally called for the "Nightfall" falling man to scream in terror. But he told the director that, when you suddenly find yourself falling, you involuntarily gasp; you don't scream. The director agreed, and that's why the "Nightfall" opening is so terrifying. John played both conjoined twins in the episode "The Repossession". It's one of my favourites!

Added: May 4

From the mailbag...

James (BC)

"I worked as a CBC intern in '82. The waterphone used for the theme was kept locked in a special case - musicians had to sign it out like library books!"

Added: May 3

✉️ Share Your Story

Comments may be edited for length/clarity.

Radio waves Join Our Horror Radio Club

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- Subscriber Margaret K.

Canadian Old Time Radio