Old Time Radio (OTR) Science Fiction: Dimension X

Stories in time and space ... told in future tense!

Thanks to the Old Time Radio Researchers at yahoo groups, we now have the complete series available for download. The following descriptions are from the CD documentation.

Dimension X was first heard on NBC April 8, 1950, and ran until September 29, 1951.
Strange that so little good science fiction came out of radio; they seem ideally compatible, both relying heavily on imagination. Some fine isolated science fiction stories were developed on the great anthology shows, Suspense and Escape. But until the premiere of Dimension X - a full two decades after network radio was established - there were no major science fiction series of broad appeal to adults. This show dramatized the work of such young writers as Ray Bradbury, Robert (Psycho) Bloch, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Kurt Vonnegut. In-house script writer was Ernest Kinoy, who adapted the master works and contributed occasional storied of his own.
Dimension X was a very effective demonstration of what could be done with science fiction on the air. It came so late that nobody cared, but some of the stories stand as classics of the medium. Bradbury's "Mars Is Heaven" is as gripping today as when first heard. His "Martian Chronicles" was one of the series' most impressive offerings.
Dimension X played heavily on an "adventures in time and space, told in future tense" theme. Actors who worked regularly on the show included Joe Di Santis, Wendell Holmes, Santos Ortega, Joseph Julian, Jan Miner, Roger De Koven, John Gibson, Ralph Bell, John Larkin, Les Damon, and Mason Adams. It was directed by Fred Weihe and Edward King. The deep-voiced narrator was Norman Rose.
The series played heavily on the "X" factor in the title, as did X-Minus One a few years later. The signature was boomed out of and echo chamber as "DIMENSION X X X X X x x x x x . . . "


Download Links:

• MP3 CD 1 686.2 MB
• MP3 CD 2 654,4 MB
• Single Episodes from archive.org
• http://www.otr.net/?p=dimx 32 episodes for RealMedia

Episode guide

Series: "DIMENSION X"
NBC SUSTAINING FIRST SERIOUS SCIENCE FICTION RADIO SERIES
NARRATOR: Norman Rose
DIRECTORS: Fred Wiehe and Edward King
WRITERS: Ernest Kinoy (Adaptor and in-house Writer), Ray Bradbury,
Robert Bloch, Robert Heinlein, Issac Asimov, Kurt Vonnegut

1. THE OUTER LIMIT (1950-04-08) (PREMIER PROGRAM)
Story of an
experimental rocket plane which
disappears for ten hours when it only
had fuel for ten minutes. The pilot
tells an incredible story of an alien
contact. Graham Doar wrote the
original and Ernest Kinoy adapted it
to radio. Stars Joseph Julian, Wendell
Holmes and Joe DeSantis. 30 min.

2. WITH FOLDED HANDS (1950-04-15) The story is about the robots made to
serve man, but which were inefficient
and bungling until a new brand appears
on the market, and then.. John Dossell
of the NBC staff wrote the script and
it stars Alexander Scourby. 30 min.

3. REPORT ON THE BARNHOUSE (1950-04-22) A professor's assistant makes this
EFFECT report of his association with the the
man who developed the ability to alter
physical objects and events by the
power of his mind alone. Script by
Claris Ross and the show starred Bill
Quin, Ed Jerome and Karl Webber. 30 min.

4. NO CONTACT (1950-04-29) Tale by George Lefferts involves a
frustrating barrier of some kind which
the Earth ships have crashed against
... or that's what Earth thinks!
Starring Luis van Rooten, Donald Buka
and Cameron Prud Homme. 30 min.

5. KNOCK (1950-05-06) The last man on Earth sat in a room.
there was a knock on the door."
Ernest Kinoy adapted, stars are Arnold
Moss, Luis Van Rooten and Joan
Alexander. 30 min.

6. ALMOST HUMAN (1950-05-13) This story is about an android who is
taken over by a criminal for "proper"
training. The hood has the tables
turned on him by the creature which is
"Almost Human". Script is by George
Lefferts and featured in the cast are
Santos Ortega and Jack Grimes among
others. 30 min.

7. THE LOST RACE (1950-05-20) A great race is discovered to have
spread at one time across the
universe, hundreds of thousands of
years ago, but as Earth men explore
the galaxies they find only rubble
until a disabled ship lands near some
perfectly preserved ruins and solves
the mystery. Adapted by Ernest Kinoy
and featuring Matt Crowley, Roger De
Koven and Joseph Julian. 30 min.

8. TO THE FUTURE (1950-05-27) (Ray Bradbury's, "The Fox In The
Forest") A couple touring Mexico are
approached by a strange man who is
convinced they have escaped back into
the past from a totalitarian state of
the future. Adapted by Ernest Kinoy
and stars John Larkin and Jan Minor. 30 min.

9. THE EMBASSY (1950-06-03) A man goes to a private investigator
with a plea for help to find a group
of Martians that he says are on Earth.
Adapted by George Lefferts and starred
Joseph Julian and Barry Kroger. 30 min.

10. THE GREEN HILLS OF EARTH (1950-06-10) Account of blind singer of the space
ways that wants to return to Earth.
Tom Glazer put the words to tunes and
was backed by a trio in this
production. 30 min.

11. THERE WILL COME SOFT (1950-06-17) The first tale is a story of an
RAINS/ZERO HOUR automated house after a war. The
second tale is about children playing
a strange game all over the country, a
game they call "Invasion". Script by
George Lefferts. Cast included Denise
Alexander, Rita Lynne and Roger De
Koven. (Today was the beginning of
the Korean War!) 30 min.

12. DESTINATION MOON (1950-06-24) Under threat of governmental ban a
team of rocket men rush to get off to
the moon. The cast included Joe de
Santis and Wendell Holmes. (War
Bulletin From Korea About 3/4 Through) 30 min.

13. A LOGIC NAMED JOE (1950-07-01) Tale of computers that tend to most of
the needs of man. Suddenly they
overcome their electronic censors and
start attending to all of their needs.
Script by Claris Ross, NBC staff
writer. (War Bulletin at Start) 30 min.

14. MARS IS HEAVEN (1950-07-07) An expedition to Mars from Earth
discovers that the houses look like
Earth houses in the 1920's. Ernest
Kinoy adapted and featured in the cast
were Peter Kapell and Wendell Holmes. 30 min.

15. THE MAN IN THE MOON (1950-07-14) Story begins with a broadcast by the
Federal Missing Persons Bureau which
is interrupted by a sos. Triangulating
to locate the offender, they discover
that the message came from the Moon.
As of yet, no one has been to the
Moon. Script by George Lefferts and
featured in the cast were Luis Van
Rooten and Santos Ortega. 30 min.

16. BEYOND INFINITY (1950-07-21) A scientist in Europe has invented a
machine that will shrink objects to
the size of atoms and beyond. Original
script by Villiers Gersen and featured
in the cast were Les Damon, Lada
Staviski, E. A. Krumschmidt and Joe De
Santos. 30 min.

17. POTTERS OF FIRSK (1950-07-28) Story about natives of a remote world
who are mysterious about the beautiful
pottery they make, and for a good
reason. Script by Ernest Kinoy and
Karl Weber, Wendell Holmes and Raymond
Edward Johnson were in the cast. 30 min.

18. PERIGI'S WONDERFUL (1950-08-04) Tale about a government official whose
DOLLS daughter finds a doll maker in
Washington capable of producing dolls
that talk. Original script by George
Lefferts. The cast included Les
Tremaine, Joan Alexander and Joe De
Santis. 30 min.

19. THE CASTAWAYS (1950-08-11) Story begins with a test of a new bomb
on a Pacific Isle. The military is
having trouble with the natives who
will not leave because their ancestors
were "Castaways" from the "Bird
Canoe". Original script by Ernest
Kinoy and in the cast were Santos
Ortega, Greg Morton & many more. 30 min.

20.THE MARTIAN CHRONICALS (1950-08-18) Stories about the colonization of Mars.
This adaptation of Ray Bradbury's book
of related tales so titled is
skillfully brought to radio by Ernest
Kinoy and starred Inga Adams, Roger De
Koven and Donald Buka. 30 min.

21. THE PARADE (1950-08-25) Story involves the Martians hiring an
ad agency to stage a parade which will
herald their arrival. Original script
by George Lefferts and the cast
members were Joe Curten, Barry Kroger
and Alexander Scourby. 30 min.

22. THE ROADS MUST ROLL (1950-09-01) Drama about future when cars and
trucks are replaced by giant rolling
roads and the engineers who maintain
them. Script by Ernest Kinoy. In the
cast were Wendell Holmes, Ralph Bell
and many more. 30 min.

23. THE OUTER LIMIT (1950-09-08) Story of an experimental rocket plane
which disappears for ten hours when it
only had fuel for ten minutes. The
pilot tells an incredible story of an
alien contact. Graham Doar wrote the
original and Ernest Kinoy adapted it
to radio. Stars Joseph Julian, Wendell
Holmes and Joe DeSahtis.
Rebroadcast of 04/08/1950 program. 30min.

24. HELLO TOMORROW (1950-09-15) The tale takes place in the fourth
millennium, long after the atomic wars
have ravaged the surface back in the
second millennium. In the subterranean
society, the atomic mutants are
outcasts and the genetically pure
human strains mate scientifically.
Original story by George Lefferts. The
show starred Nancy Olson. (War
Bulletin at Start) 30 min.

25. DR. GRIMSHAW'S (1950-09-22)The narrator describes what follows as
SANATORIUM an account found in a fountain pen
cover. Then a detective tells the
story of how he discovered a phony
burial of an inmate of the titled
Sanitorium and got admitted as a
patient to find out the true story.
Script by George Lefferts and in the
cast were Karl Weber and Roger De
Koven. 30 min.

26. AND THE MOON BE STILL (1950-09-29) An expedition to Mars finds all the
AS BRIGHT Martians dead from chickenpox, brought
to Mars by earlier expeditions by the
Earth men. The Earth men enjoy
themselves in callous disregard of the
beautiful artifacts left behind,
except for one man who acts
differently. Script by Ernest Kinoy
and in the cast were Alexander Scourby
and Wendell Holmes. 30 min.

27. NO CONTACT (1950-10-28) Tale by George Lefferts involves a
frustrating barrier of some kind which
the Earth ships have crashed against
... or that's what Earth thinks!
Starring Luis van Rooten, Donald Buka
and Cameron Prud Homme. Rebroadcast
of 04/29/1950 program. 30 min.

28. THE PROFESSOR WAS A (1950-11-05) The story begins when a newspaper gets
THIEF a call saying Grant's Tomb has
disappeared, but came back. It happens
again and a reporter and salty
city-desk-man like in the old movies
goes for the story. Script by George
Lefferts and in the cast were Arthur
Maitland, John Larkin, and John Gibson
as the professor. 30min.

29. SHANGHIED (1950-11-12) Tale about a man who is kidnapped on
the evening before he is to be
married. The star ship he is put on is
one of the fleet he owns. Ernest Kinoy
scripted this tale. Stars John
Sylvester and Bill Griffis. 30 min.

30. COMPETITION (1950-11-19) The story about colonists that are
going to various worlds. Then they get
an announcement that they must choose
one world that they all will be put
on. Script by Ernest Kinoy and it
stars Les Tremaine and Elaine Ross. 30 min.

31. UNIVERSE (1950-11-26) Drama about inhabitants of a giant
spaceship that have been traveling so
many generations that they think the
ship is the universe. George Lefferts
scripted the tale and the large cast
included Mason Adams & Peter Kapeell. 30 min.

32. THE GREEN HILLS (1950-12-24) Account of blind singer of the space
OF EARTH ways that wants to return to Earth.
Tom Glazer put the words to tunes and
was backed by a trio in this
production. Although not a Christmas
Program, there is a Christmas message
by President Harry Truman at the
start. rebroadcast of 06/10/50. 30 min.

33. MARS IS HEAVEN (1951-01-07) An expedition to Mars from Earth
discovers that the houses look like
Earth houses in the 1920's. Ernest
Kinoy adapted and featured in the cast
were Peter Kapell and Wendell Holmes.
Rebroadcast of 07/07/1950 program. 30 min.

34. THE MARTIAN DEATH (1951-01-14) A Martian colonist's recollection of
MARCH an incident in his youth when he
accompanied the spider-like Martians
on their last trek from the
Earth-imposed reservations, back to
their mountain homes. Original story
by Ernest Kinoy. 30 min.

35. THE LAST OBJECTIVE (1951-06-03) The story about an underground
war-ship. Script by Ernest Kinoy and
in the cast were Lawson Zerbe, Ralph
Bell, Wendell Holmes and Jack Grimes. 30 min.

36. NIGHTMARE (1951-06-10) Tale of a computer operator's
discovery of an alarmingly increasing
rate of accidents. Original story by
George Lefferts with John Gibson and
Rita Lynne in the broadcast. 30 min.

37. A PEBBLE IN THE SKY (1951-06-17) Future when Earth is a backward
radioactive planet peopled by
inferiors while it's former colonies
rule the universe unaware of their
origins. Script by Ernest Kinoy. The
cast includes Santos Ortega & Susan
Douglas. 30 min.

38. CHILD'S PLAY (1951-06-24) Humorous tale of a man who
accidentally receives delivery of a
toy from the future, a " build-a-man
kit." George Lefferts adapted the
story and Leon Janney, Karl Weber and
Patsy Cambell were cast members. 30 min.

39. TIME AND TIME AGAIN (1951-07-12) Story takes place in the near future.
A soldier fighting on American soil is
wounded and transported back to 1945
where he is a thirteen year-old again
with his memory of the future intact.
Script adapted by Ernest Kinoy and the
cast included David Anderson and
Joseph Cotten. 30 min.

40. DWELLERS IN SILENCE (1951-07-19) Tale of Earth men returning to Earth
from colonies on Mars after nuclear
war wasted Earth. They come upon an
old scientist that has a young family.
George Lefferts did the script and
the cast members included Peter
Kapell, Bill Griffis and Gertrude
Warner. 30 min.

41. COURTESY (1951-07-26) Story about Earth explorers on the
planet Landro. They need a plague
serum they don't have and must get it
from the natives. 30 min.

42. UNIVERSE (1951-08-02) Drama about inhabitants of a giant
spaceship that have been traveling so
many generations that they think the
ship is the universe. George Lefferts
scripted the tale and the large cast
included Mason Adams & Peter Kapeell.
Rebroadcast of 11/26/1950 program. 30 min.

43. THE VELDT (1951-08-09) Futuristic house has a nursery and the
walls can be changed by the children
to any locale or give the illusion of
it. Script by Ernest Kinoy and the
cast included Leslie Wood, Bill Quinn,
Joan Alexander and Byat Alexander. 30 min.

44. THE VITAL FACTOR (1951-08-16) A ruthless tycoon desires space travel
at all costs. Lastly he finds a
scientist that has an anti-gravity
device. Cast members include Raymond
Edward Johnson, Luis Van Rooten and
John McGovern. 30 min.

45. UNTITLED STORY (1951-08-23) A politician who purchased an elixir
of life hires a detective to
investigate the seller. George
Lefferts did the script and it
included George Petrie, Ann Sargeant
and Bernard Lenrawl in the cast. 30 min.

46. MARIONETTES, INC. (1951-08-30) Husbands that want the night out have
androids that can replace them when
they are away. Scripted by George
Lefferts. The cast included Kermit
Murdock, Martin Rudy and Ross Martin. 30 min.

47. FIRST CONTACT (1951-09-08) Two ships meet in a remote galaxy
which is the home of neither. Both
want to follow each other home to see
where the other lives, but don't want
the other to know where they live.
Script by Howard Rodman. 30 min.

48. KALEIDOSCOPE (1951-09-15) Story of two men floating in space and
the woman on Earth awaiting the return
of one of them. George Lefferts
adapted the script. The cast included
Joan Alexander, Joe DeSantis and Leon
Janney. 30 min.

49. REQUIEM (1951-09-22) Tale of a millionaire that wants to
die on the Moon. Script by Ernest
Kinoy. The cast included Bill Quinn,
Rod Hendrickson and Own Jordan. 30 min.

50. NIGHTFALL (1951-09-29)
Story of a world where night only
takes place once in 2500 years due to
multiple suns. Night is approaching
and scientists are worried about what
takes place as records of the last
night don't exist. Script by Ernest
Kinoy. The cast included Cameron Prud
Homme and John McGovern. Last show
of the series. 30 min.