Showing results by author "Mr Punch" in All Categories

Mr Punch Presents: Sunset Boulevard, nominated for 11 Academy Awards, Billy Wilder’s brilliant 1950 film is about the flamboyant silent-movie star Norma Desmond played by Gloria Swanson and her pitiful attempt to stage a comeback to the silver screen through her friendship with a young, opportunistic screenwriter, played by William Holden. Re-created for the radio with the original stars in this special radio production.

The Philadelphia Story, known as Hollywood's most sophisticated and sparkling romantic comedy, tells the story of Philadelphia heiress Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) who is preparing for her second marriage, when Dexter Haven (Cary Grant), her first husband, re-enters her life on the day before her wedding, determined to spoil things. Holiday Inn is the story of Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) who is head over heels in love with Linda Mason (Dinah Shore), in this radio version of the Irving Berlin musical, featuring the smash hit songs 'White Christmas' and 'Easter Parade'.

Mr Punch Presents: National Velvet, telling the story of Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Taylor), the idealistic English farm girl with a passion for horses, who wins the spirited steed ‘Pie’ in the local town lottery. Her infectious enthusiasm encourages the embittered jockey Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney) to train the horse ‘Pie’ for the Grand National - England's greatest racing event.

Mr Punch Presents: It’s a Wonderful Life, the irresistibly heart-warming story of George Bailey, who is prevented from committing suicide by the elderly angel Clarence, who takes him on a journey back through his life to show him how the town of Bedford Falls would have been had he never lived. Originally directed by the celebrated Frank Capra, it is performed here for radio with James Stewart, Victor Moore and Donna Reed recreating their original roles.

Mr Punch Presents: It Happened One Night, the winner of five Oscar’s including Best Picture is Frank Capra’s classic romantic comedy, telling the story of a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert) who falls in love with a cynical reporter (Clark Gable) on a cross-country bus trip across America.

Mr Punch Presents: All About Eve, the Oscar-winning story of the self-effacing and ambitious actress Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) who cleverly manipulates her way into the life of ageing Broadway star Margo Channing (Bette Davis). This venomous depiction of show business and backstage life has become a classic story of ambition and betrayal and one of Hollywood's all-time masterpieces.

Mr Punch has been around for a long time, but he's never before had his own podcast! Join Mr Punch on a series of whirlwind adventures.

Dorothy Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth in 1771, being one year younger than her brother William. After their mother died in 1778, they were separated and did not return to the Lake District until 1794, when they spent two happy months walking around the hills near Keswick, eventually settling down at Grasmere in 1799. The journals that Dorothy kept are remarkable for the detailed observations she makes of the surrounding countryside and people, often providing glimpses of poverty and suffering, as well as displaying her complete love affair with nature.

In this exciting adaptation of the novel by H.G. Wells set in 1900, we join the eccentric professor Cavor and the rakish free loading Charles Bedford on their extraordinary journey to the moon in a huge metal sphere resplendent with drape curtains, gentleman’s arm chairs and brass fittings. Once upon the moon’s surface they discover more than they bargained for—within the centre of the moon there is life! Taken prisoner by the calculating Selenites, our heroes and their crew are soon subjected to mind experiments and terror.

Meet Max Carrados, the celebrated blind detective who can read a newspaper headline with the touch of his fingers and shoot a villain by aiming at the sound of his beating heart. In The Eyes of Max Carrados, our hero discovers a story of murder, suicide and a desperate daughter’s quest to clear her father’s name.

As the First world War rapidly approaches, we arrive in a sleepy south coast town where Max Carrados, the celebrated blind detective, is soon investigating the sudden death of the local museum curator. All is not as it seems, as our blind hero finds himself on the cliff top in a duel to the death with the ruthless German spymaster who is the one who knows The Secret of Headlam Height.

Max Carrados, the celebrated blind detective is lured to Stratford-upon-Avon following an explosion by a band of determined suffragettes. Faced with the ingenious mind of Mr Rigby Lacksome, Max and his trusty servant Parkinson must solve the riddle of the missing body of William Shakespeare.

In Blonde for Danger, our handsome desperado, Norman Conquest, aka 1066, has to pit his wits against the evil crook Bosworth Field. But who is the beautiful blonde he finds lying in the middle of the road and who is she hiding from? And where exactly does J.J. Pace, the famous racing car designer fit into this?

In Killer Conquest, the dashing hero with a nose for trouble and rake-hell disregard for danger returns in a breathless crime-smashing adventure. With his trademark ‘1066’ and his resourceful partner Pixie, he keeps up good cheer and marches on while he biffs the baddies.

In Miss Dynamite, our gentleman adventurer, having met a beautiful young lady in the middle of the night soon finds himself on the trail of a gang of jewel thieves. Is the pretty girl as innocent as she seems? Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend? Can ‘1066’ solve the mystery of Miss Dynamite? A nail-biting, edge of your seat, roller-coaster thriller.

Norman Conquest is off to the theatre, when our fast-talking, hard-hitting adventurer finds himself accused of assaulting a pretty young lady on the underground. It’s only when our hero '1066' discovers that the young lady is the victim of a mysterious blackmailer known as 'The Voice' that he marches into yet another hell-for-leather action packed adventure in search of the baddies.

A fascinating glimpse into some of the most notorious crimes and trials of the last 100 years. Using the original trial transcripts, eyewitness accounts and contemporary newspaper reports, we witness the actual events that made each trial a cause célèbre of its day.

At 9 a.m. on Wednesday 13th July 1955, Ruth Ellis became the last woman to hang in Britain. Convicted of shooting her unfaithful lover, David Blakeley, in cold blood, as he stood by his sports car on Easter Sunday—the calm and dignified court appearance of this mother of two young children and the furore that accompanied her sentence, ensured that this trial was to have a memorable place in the annals of British justice.

Join us for an exhilarating and immersive adventure through 500 years of history, told entirely in the words of those who were there. With their artless prose and their polished & witty gossip, these are the men and women who have shaped our past. Brought to life by an award-winning all-star cast of 30 celebrated actors, including Charles Dance, Harriet Walter, David Suchet, Maureen Lipman, Timothy West, Jenny Agutter and many more.

Set during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, we meet Max Carrados, the celebrated blind detective who can read a newspaper headline with the touch of his fingers and shoot a villain by aiming at the sound of his beating heart...and Norman Conquest, the fast talking, hard hitting adventurer with a nose for trouble and a hell-rake disregard for danger, who keeps up good cheer while he biffs the baddies...and not forgetting Ben, the chivalrous and perky non-descript little man, whose thumbs itch just before ‘something ‘orrible ‘appens’.