WXYZ Radio Drama Studio

by CHAZ Daugherty

Title

WXYZ Radio Drama Studio

Artist

CHAZ Daugherty

Medium

Drawing - Pen And Ink

Description

"THE L0NE RANGER", "THE GREEN HORNET", SGT. PRESTON OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE and the "CHALANGE OF THE YUKON".
This is a drawing showing the layout of the radio studios where those famous shows originated at WXYZ in Detroit, back in the "Golden Age of Radio," in the '30s, '40s, and '50s. Those shows have since moved on to television and the movies... but this is where they all started. I was fortunate to have been a member of the cast of two of those show during their final years, playing various rolls. But many people have asked how those radio dramas were performed, how did they do the sound effects, and many other questions about how those historic programs created what they used to call "The Theater of the Mind." You can see there were two separate but connected studios: one for the actors, and one for the sound effects people, and a control room looking down into both studios. I have noted with symbols where the cast and crew performed. You'll note the two 6-foot long benches in the acting studio, one of which is currently in my basement. The two chairs in the corners of the acting studio that say "LR" and "T" were reserved for the Lone Ranger and Tonto. The red dots show the location of the microphones hanging from the ceiling. The "Hole" was a little anti-room closed off by two doors allowing the sound people to enter the acting studio for certain sound effects like fist fights. You'll notice there was only one mike hanging in the acting studio. When there was a crowd scene off in the distance the actors would do their shouting etc. in the "hole" with the door to the acting studio opened just a little, and as the Lone Ranger and Tonto approached the scene, the 'crowd' actors would gradually open the door and approach the mike in the acting studio to give the feeling that the Lone Ranger and Tonto were riding toward the scene. The three turn tables in the control room were for music and some sound effects that had been pre-recorded. You'll note the VIP seating area for sponsors etc. And you can see the large windows to the studios. Any other questions, you'll have to email me. Enjoy, CHAZ

Uploaded

November 16th, 2020

Statistics

Viewed 2,108 Times  -  Last Visitor from New York, NY on 09/28/2023 at 8:53 AM

Colors

Embed

Share

Sales Sheet

Tags