The Witch's Tale
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:36 pm
The Witch's Tale
by Alonzo Deen Cole (w/ introduction and editing by David S. Siegel)
Dunwhich Press, 1998
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
This is a WONDERFUL book for fans of OTR Horror. I never realized how great a writer Alonzo Deen Cole was until I read his scripts-- and there are 13 of them reprinted here in this soft cover book. They are not dated at all, unlike the radio broadcasts, which are somewhat stilted by the 1930s theatrical style acting, and overall lack of music or detailed sound effects. Don't get me wrong, those short comings actually add some charm to the radio series, and I really wish they were all saved instead of so many having been lost, but what I'm saying is that the writing really conveys the horror to this day, even though it is in script form.
My only regret is that the introduction by David Siegel wasn't longer. I craved more information about Cole and the series, though David did a great job telling his tale. I just didn't want it to end. Cole kept all the transcriptions, and then threw them away when in moved in the 1970s, when he judged no body cared any more. What a loss! At least the bound scripts were kept though, thank God, I only wish they would publish them all! Cole's a delightful writer, and it's amazing how well these ancient stories hold up. Siegel deserves real credit for spear heading this project.
The sad part is that today, so few appreciate Cole's genius, both in making and writing his show, the first regular radio horror program. The fact that the vast majority of the shows were destroyed and all but these 13 scripts remain unpublished is a terrible heartbreak and loss for OTR.
If you enjoy OTR horror shows, GET THIS BOOK. You can probably find a copy on add-all used books (not a store, but a search engine of used books). (http://used.addall.com) I found my used copy there for $10 to $20 bucks. That's under a penny a page and a delight at twice the price-- or more!
250 pages, a handful of photos.
by Alonzo Deen Cole (w/ introduction and editing by David S. Siegel)
Dunwhich Press, 1998
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
This is a WONDERFUL book for fans of OTR Horror. I never realized how great a writer Alonzo Deen Cole was until I read his scripts-- and there are 13 of them reprinted here in this soft cover book. They are not dated at all, unlike the radio broadcasts, which are somewhat stilted by the 1930s theatrical style acting, and overall lack of music or detailed sound effects. Don't get me wrong, those short comings actually add some charm to the radio series, and I really wish they were all saved instead of so many having been lost, but what I'm saying is that the writing really conveys the horror to this day, even though it is in script form.
My only regret is that the introduction by David Siegel wasn't longer. I craved more information about Cole and the series, though David did a great job telling his tale. I just didn't want it to end. Cole kept all the transcriptions, and then threw them away when in moved in the 1970s, when he judged no body cared any more. What a loss! At least the bound scripts were kept though, thank God, I only wish they would publish them all! Cole's a delightful writer, and it's amazing how well these ancient stories hold up. Siegel deserves real credit for spear heading this project.
The sad part is that today, so few appreciate Cole's genius, both in making and writing his show, the first regular radio horror program. The fact that the vast majority of the shows were destroyed and all but these 13 scripts remain unpublished is a terrible heartbreak and loss for OTR.
If you enjoy OTR horror shows, GET THIS BOOK. You can probably find a copy on add-all used books (not a store, but a search engine of used books). (http://used.addall.com) I found my used copy there for $10 to $20 bucks. That's under a penny a page and a delight at twice the price-- or more!
250 pages, a handful of photos.