LITERARY LEGENDS

These are dramatized versions of nineteenth-century fiction from radio's heyday: A TALE OF TWO CITIES, two H.G. Wells stories, THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, and LES MISERABLES. The listener should expect neither faithful renditions nor, despite some famous players, great performances. Rather, this anthology represents the mainstream of 1940s’ American broadcasting, with its wonted nonthreatening, accessible, audience-pleasing sound. Though sometimes pretentious and dumbed-down, the productions never bore. As usual with Radio Spirits releases, great pains have been taken to restore the old recordings. Y.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]