February 6, 2025 • 22 mins
Brown was a prolific and inventive producer and packager, but he was also, as he said, “a sound guy” who shaped the sound of his shows, both in the Golden Age, and when he established CBS Mystery Theater in 1974s. This episode will explore his influence on sound design, and the distinctive “signatures” of his shows. It will also explore what sound effects and sound design contribute to a drama, and Audio Maverick’s own sound designers will share some of their secrets.
Credits
- Executive Producers: Melina Brown, Sarah Montague
- Executive Director, CUNY TV: Chiqui Cartagena
- Director of Production, CUNY TV: Susan Iger
- Producer/Director: Sarah Montague
- Narrator: Margot Avery
- Concept and Script: Sarah Montague
- Associate Producer: Corinne Wallace
- Audio Production intern: Lucia Funaro
- Audio Engineer, CUNY TV: Lisa Gosselin
- Senior Audio Engineer, CUNY TV: Richard Kim
- Mixing: Lisa Gosselin
- Sound design and final mixing: John DeLore and Bart Warshaw
- Staff photographer, CUNY TV: Laura Fuchs
- Script editor: Allison Behringer
- - Composer: Allison Leyton-Brown
- Archivists, CUNY TV: David Rice, Catriona Schlosser
- Closed Caption Coordinator: Amy Monte
- Branding and Graphic Design: Shae McMullin
- Publicity & Marketing: Multitude
Excerpts from the Himan Brown Oral History courtesy of Directors Guild of America, Inc. www.dga.org. All rights reserved.
- Audio Maverick was produced at THE HIMAN BROWN TV AND RADIO STUDIOS at CUNY TV, and made possible by the Radio Drama Network
About Us
The history of radio crackles to life with Audio Maverick, a 9-part documentary about one of the most visionary figures in radio, Himan Brown. Explore the Golden Age of radio through Brown's life, as we travel from the birth of audio drama to the programs that brought millions of families into their living rooms every night.
CUNY TV and the Himan Brown Archive assemble the story of how radio became an entertainment medium through archival audio of some of the most famous audio dramas, contemporary interviews with media scholars, and discussions with a new generation of audio mavericks that he inspired. New episodes monthly.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
♪♪
[ Door creaking ]
>> That's a creaking door.Well, you knew that.
But it's not just anycreaking door.
It's the opening of oneof Himan Brown's
most iconic radio programs,"Inner Sanctum mysteries."
(00:22):
And this is "Audio Maverick,"
a celebration of Brown'slife and work.
>> Come in. Oh. Very good.
>> We've already metmany versions of Himan Brown
in the course of this series --
the second-generation Jewfrom Brownsville...
>> I spoke only Yiddish.
>> The aspiring performer...
>> I was not afraidof audiences.
>> The even more aspiringproducer,
the Golden Age success story.
(00:44):
>> I like to feelthat we were pioneering.
>> But we haven't yet touchedon Brown's artistry.
>> Sound, to me, is sucha necessary part of radio drama.
>> I'm Margot Avery.Stay tuned.
(01:06):
The 1930s and '40swere radio's golden age,
when Brown flourishedas a packager and producer.
A lot of radio shows at the timewere pretty formulaic.
>> In those days,we didn't break things up.
So you had a signature frontand back.
>> The ColumbiaBroadcasting System presents
a new comedy...>> "My Friend Irma."
(01:27):
>> The signatures wereusually musical.
>> Starring Marie Wilsonas Irma, Cathy Lewis as Jane,
with John Brown as Al.
>> Today,most producers and creators
have access to massivesound libraries,
where they can find musicfrom all genres
that can be downloadedat the click of a mouse.
But Brown hada different resource,
(01:48):
one that today seemslike an incredible luxury.
>> In those days, every networkhad its house orchestra.
NBC had a staff of 70 or 80 men.
>> The NBC Symphony Orchestra,as it was called,
was under the direction ofthe legendary Arturo Toscanini.
>> And the men wereon a weekly wage,
(02:09):
so they'd give you 10 or 20of the men from the orchestra
to do something special for you,
and you could hire someoneto write scores and do things.
>> Most of them werethese generic orchestra swells,
but he got bored with that,
even though he could getcustomized music.
And that's where hisinventive signatures come in.
(02:31):
Brown was ahead of his timein using solo musicians
to create these signatureopeners and closers.
For example,there was David Harum,
a show about a folksyAmerican banker.
>> We bring you the story
that has thrilled Americafor generations,
the true-to-life storyof David Harum,
the kindly little countryphilosopher
who makes life worth livingby helping those who need help,
(02:51):
and by outwitting thosewho are too clever
and scheming in helpingthemselves.
>> So I thought, how niceif I had a voice, a clear,
good country voice witha guitar. That would do for me.
>> The man he hired was TexRitter, a country-music pioneer.
>> ♪ ...you're no differentnow ♪
>> Brown was very hands on,
(03:12):
often finding promising soloiststo set the scenes of his shows.
His first serial, "Mariethe Little French Princess,"
featured an accordion,and "Joyce Jordan,"
his drama about a woman intern,
glided into its openingwith a harp,
an effectthat he was pleased with.
>> The harp,
(03:33):
the glissandos of the harp,were very, very effective.
>> Brown doesn't comment on it,
but it's a soft openingto a show
in which a woman strugglesfor a place in a man's world.
It may have been a way
to invite a traditional audiencein before introducing the show's
still daring premise.
[ Harp plays ]
(03:54):
But even though Brown hadsome creative control,
he wanted to pushpast dependency on music,
even material he commissioned,
to shape the characterof a piece.
>> And this is why I became sucha devoted creator of sounds.
I believed in sounds.
>> And he really meant sounds.
Each of his iconic programs hadwhat he called a sound signature
(04:18):
that reflected the identityof the show.
"Dick Tracy" in hot pursuit...
>> Stand by."Dick Tracy" is on the air.
[ Siren wailing ]
[ Whistling ]
>> "The Saint," an elusive,wraith-like character
on little cat feetthat lead us into the plot...
[ Whistling continues ]
And Browne completelyrepurposed one
(04:39):
of old-time radio'sworkhorses...
[ Organ playing ]
...the Hammond organ.
Inventor Laurens Hammondhad succeeded
in reproducing the sound ofthe vast traditional pipe organ
electronically,filing his first patent in 1934.
His instrument was small, with akeyboard that was easy to play,
(05:00):
and it quickly becamepopular at public events
and private performances.
And an early black radio host,the Reverend Cobbs,
introduced the instrumentto broadcast.
Its wheezy,
ghostly sound was put into theservice of every type of drama
to signal an emotional crux,a revelation,
a thrilling plot device.
(05:22):
[ Organ plays ]
To Brown,this constant use of the Hammond
in the era's musical scoresfelt overdone.
He discovered another potentialuse for this bonsai version
of an organ --metaphorical sound effects.
>> I felt that the Hammondorgan was banal to me.
It was really a sound effect,
(05:44):
and I proved that when I didmy "Inner Sanctum Mysteries."
>> This thrills-and-chills show,which debuted in 1941,
gave Brown plentyof opportunities to experiment.
>> I used the Hammondas an adjunct to sound
so that when the gunshotwent off,
the Hammond imitated the gun.
(06:06):
The scream, the Hammond imitatedthe scream.
And I used it for the effectof wind
or to stalk a killer and thingslike that.
>> You've got to lovethe offhand "stalk a killer"
and things like that.
Brown was completely ruthlessin the service of a good story.
It was a kind of"in the moment" composition.
(06:28):
♪♪
Today, when you listento a podcast
and hear music or sound effects,
all of that was usually addedafter the recording,
sourced from digital libraries.
A handful of contemporaryproducers record on location,
the way one would for a film.
That wasn't the casein the 1930s.
(06:49):
Radio in the Golden Agewas live.
Any sounds the audience heardwere created at the same time
the actors were performingtheir scenes.
>> Sound effects in the '30swere all manual
and all doneby a sound-effects man.
You had recordings,acetate recordings,
that on them had automobilesand trains
(07:11):
and all the airplanesof the time and so on.
But everything elsewas pretty much done by hand.
Doors were opened and closed.
Phone bells,which I still do by hand.
[ Bell rings ]
>> But Brown's second creativeera was quite different.
By the timehe resurrected suspense drama
with "CBS Radio MysteryTheater," in 1974,
(07:33):
his productions were hybrids.
They were fully recordedin one session,
with the effects rolled insimultaneously.
>> And don't you ever come back![ Door slams ]
>> The method is called"live to tape."
But then they were massagedfor broadcast,
which might mean redoingan effect
that didn't work wellthe first time
(07:53):
or sweetening the mixwith some additional sounds.
>> Howard. Howard!>> Oh, it's you, Meanie.
Waiting for mein all this wind and rain.
>> With the adventof the cassette tape in 1963,
Brown was able to producesome of these sound effects
beforehand, which enabled himto plug and play
and to preserve liveaction sequences for later use.
(08:16):
For example...
>> So the car is driving alongand goes into a skid
and hits the side of the railing
and tumbles over and thencrashes and bursts into flame.
I needed three sound-effects mento do that.
>> In his 1974 interview withthe Directors Guild of America,
(08:39):
Brown reflects on how theseinnovations changed his process.
>> Today, my sound manbuilds this up in an hour
the day before.
>> Actually,he had three sound-effects guys
during the runof "CBS Radio Mystery Theater,"
but at different times.They were Jimmy Dwan,
Jerry McCarthy,and Peter Prescott.
But Brown still rememberedwith respect the cadre of pros
(09:01):
he would haveworked with in the past.
>> In the '30s and '40s,
the sound-effect man wasan elitist.
It was a very special world.
>> And still is.
When Brown spoke withthe Directors Guild,
he told the interviewer
that live sound-effectsconstruction was a lost art.
But as with vinyl recordsand turntables,
(09:23):
this practice resurfaced.
>> I often feel like I knowthe script as well as
the director does.
I know where all the beats are.
I know where everything happens.
>> Tony Brewer has been workingas a live sound-effects designer
in radio and audio dramasince the 1980s.
He got his start withOtherworld Media,
(09:45):
the producers of thedocumentary "Empire of the Air,"
which helped usto understand the early history
of radio in episode one.
And now Brewer tells uswhat live sound effects bring
to a performance.
During the performanceof a play,
he's behind a table with all hissonic props laid out.
>> For me, working live,
(10:06):
everything kindof has to be at arm's reach.
So, you know, I like to keepthings in close on the table
and everything is rightbehind me.
That's moreof a performance thing.
So I'm not walking acrossthe stage to go get something.
Everything is very closeand right around me.
>> What he especially likesis the challenge
of working in real time.
(10:27):
>> You have to hit your mark,
and you have to hit itconsistently every time.
I'm fortunate that someof the shows I've worked on,
I think the vast majorityof them
have been just a one-and-done.
You rehearse and maybeyou get a couple of rehearsals.
You do the table read and thena couple of run-throughs,
and then you do it once live,
and maybe there's a recordingand that's it.
>> City folks have Uber,but the drivers out there
(10:49):
can't find any place herein the country.
So we've got Goober.Just go ahead and dial it up.
[ Rotary phone dialing ]
>> Brewer says the creative teamon a show
is often looking for a blendof the real and the imagined.
>> And here's your ride!
>> That looks likea 1956 Farmall tractor.
(11:13):
>> Most often they wantsomething that sounds bigger,
that sounds more,something that's hyper-real,
somethingthat doesn't sound realistic.
They don't wantan actual object.
They want something that soundslike the real object plus,
some sort ofintangible quality
that makes it soundeven more like itself.
(11:33):
>> Woof woof woof.
>> [ Barking ]
Himan Brown's creaking door isthe quintessential example.
[ Door creaking ]
He used it as the openerfor "Inner Sanctum Mysteries"
and, in fact, first pitchedthe show with that title
until his buyer saidit lacked class.
And then when Brown returnedto broadcast radio
(11:56):
with "CBS Radio MysteryTheater," there it was again.
[ Door creaking ]
That door was Brown'sportal into the strange
and phantasmagoric.
>> Come in.
(12:18):
>> But he also used soundto signify characters.
>> How do you say fat man?
I didn't want to say itmusically.
I wanted to say it with a sound.Well, to me,
finally, the most expressivesound of a fat man
is a fat man's laugh,because his laughter,
which comes right from his bellywith the shaking
(12:38):
and the shaking of the foldsof flesh,
really set the scenefor what was to come.
>> This is such a great exampleof Brown himself
embodying the characterhe has conceived.
Places were also treatedlike characters.
In episode five,
(12:58):
we heard the powerful opening toBrown's "Grand Central Station."
Worth repeating.
[ Train whistle blowing ]
For the gentlemandetective Bulldog Drummond,
a British import...
>> Bulldog Drummond,what did I need?
I needed London. What is London?
London is the foghornsand Big Ben and so on.
(13:24):
>> Out of the fog,out of the night,
and into his American adventurescomes Bulldog Drummond.
♪♪
>> And, of course, sound conveysaction, as well as atmosphere.
Here's a chase scene from anepisode of "Bulldog Drummond."
>> Come on!This way to the stairs.
(13:44):
>> You can probably hear
that the footsteps havebeen created in a studio.
They don't sound live.
[ Footsteps ]
>> Right up at the topof the building,
>> Which way now?>> I don't know.
>> And fight scenes,
so plentifulin Golden Age crime shows?
>> Aah![ Clattering ]
Tony Brewer says they wereusually a composite.
(14:05):
>> The actors definitely workwith the foley artists.
The foley artist is punchingthemselves to make the hits,
but the actors are the onesdoing the grunting
and "Aah! Oh!"You know, that sort of thing.
>> Watch out, Frank!
[ Clattering ]
>> Sound effects used to referto sounds created physically
(14:25):
for radio broadcast.
Foley, namedfor sound designer Tom Foley,
was the same practice for film.
Now they are often usedinterchangeably.
In the 1980s,
when Brown was producing"CBS Radio Mystery Theater,"
lightweight portablerecording equipment created
new opportunities.
(14:46):
Brown was excited by the abilityto go into the field.
>> To go out and recordthe sounds of nature,
the sounds of birds.
>> You may find my little familyhave some peculiar beliefs,
habits, quirks, thingsthat appear different to you.
(15:07):
>> Portable recording equipmenthad actually been around
in some form since the 1920s
but didn't come into general useuntil the 1980s.
Much as Brown respectedlive sound-effects artists
and their repertoireof synthetic effects,
he was happy to moveinto a new era of production
where he wasn't dependenton them.
>> I didn't need a man CalledBrad Barker, strangely enough,
(15:31):
to make me dog sounds,
and the technical endof our business
became more sophisticated.
Everything else began to fit in.
[ Dog barking ]
>> Brown could be a bitelliptical in his recollections,
but here he seemsto be commenting on the fact
that a sound-effects man,almost always a man,
had to be a kind of actor,creating scenes with objects.
(15:53):
But soon the real worldbecame more
and more the source of sounds.
>> Here's the gate.
What a view.
The channel is very calm today,isn't it?
>> Uncommonly so.
Gwen? Gwendolyn?Come and meet
a top-notch feature writerfrom the Times.
(16:14):
That beautiful girl walkingtowards us,
believe it or not,is from America.
>> And sometimes Brownwent in search of them himself.
Most publicity stillsof Brown show a dapper man
in front of a mic,
or directing a starin an obviously staged shot.
But one picturefrom the archives
(16:34):
shows him in a dinghyin shirtsleeves,
clearly conducting a scenefrom some play.
Live sound effects, or foley,
helped create a listener'sexperience of people,
places, and thingsin a radio narrative.
But today, most audioprograms are post-produced,
meaning they are not liveand are constructed
(16:56):
after the actors haverecorded their scenes.
And so new terms have evolvedto describe
how these dramatic works areshaped and supported by sound.
We hear the term "sound design"much more,
and it means more than soundthat supports action...
>> Put down that gun.
>> Or locates usin the narrative.
(17:17):
>> I knew you would returnto Chicago.
>> It's what helps createthe sonic identity of a show.
It's not too much of a stretchto think of sound design
as a form of semiotics,the study of sounds and symbols.
>> Come in.
>> Oh. Very good.
>> That's the start of our show.
(17:38):
And if you've been keepingcompany with Audio Maverick,
then you've been listening tothe work
of our wonderful sounddesigners and engineers.
>> I think that if I'm havingfun doing the sound design,
it's going to be funfor the listener.
>> That's John DeLore.
>> The hope is thatyou really feel
like you're immersedin a whole new world.
>> And that's Bart Warshaw.
And as sound designers,
(17:59):
they are often using the toolsand sounds at their fingertips
to transport audiencesinto different spaces.
For example,
they could put mein the middle of a dark forest
in the middle of the night.
[ Animals hooting ]
And with just a little scoring
can suggestthat maybe I'm in danger.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
And just like that,
(18:20):
I'm sitting by a peaceful riveron a spring morning.
[ Birds chirping ]
But for this show,
they're using their toolsto repurpose the vocabulary
of Golden Age radioto accentuate
and pace our episodes.
>> In a series like"Audio Maverick,"
you know, we're tellingthe story of Himan Brown.
And so part of what we're tryingto do through sound design
(18:42):
is bring the listener closer tothe sound of radio at that time.
And sometimes that'sa scoring choice,
and other times it's sort ofusing the old-time radio effects
to give it that texture.
>> And what we're doing isa continuation
of the pioneering workthat Himan Brown was developing.
We're trying to captivateaudiences by taking them
(19:03):
out of the studio and puttingthem into these new places,
times, and worldsthat we create for them.
>> So now you knowour trade secrets
and that they connect usto the worlds of Himan Brown.
>> I think that listenersback then could hear
that Himan Brown and his team
were having fun doingwhat they were doing.
(19:23):
So I think that is alsoconnective tissue
between what we're doingon this show and what he did.
It's just fun.
>> This kind of thingis a lot of fun,
but the real reason for doing itis to honor Himan Brown,
creator of sounds,
who was able to explorethe medium and its possibilities
in the two different erasof his producing life.
(19:47):
How astonished he would beby today's rich universe
of sounds and sources,
by reels of tape and cassettesand cartridges
replaced by algorithmsand mouse clicks.
But it wouldn't change anythingabout what he believed
was the core ofall successful audio production,
the partnershipwith the listener.
(20:07):
>> Because it setsyour imagination going.
The better the sound,the more perfect the sound,
the more ingenious the sound,
the more I call upon youto develop it for yourself
and become a part of everythingthat I'm projecting.
>> Next up,a new era for Himan Brown.
(20:29):
Join us for episode seven, "TheGolden Torch Keeps Burning,"
where we'll hear about hiscreative work as script editor,
director, and producer.
I'm Margot Avery. Stay tuned.
"Audio Maverick" is producedand directed by Sarah Montague,
who also writes the scripts.
(20:49):
Our executive producers areMelina Brown and Sarah Montague.
CUNY-TV's executive director isChiqui Cartagena.
The director of productionis Susan Iger,
and Deborah Labadie is CUNY-TV'schief operating officer.
The associate producer
for "Audio Maverick"is Corinne Wallace,
and our audio production internis Lucia Funaro.
(21:12):
"Audio Maverick" is narratedby Margot Avery.
Our technical team at CUNY
includes senioraudio engineer Richard Kim
and audio engineer and programmix engineer Lisa Gosselin.
Our staff photographer isLaura Fuchs.
Our archivists are David Riceand Catriona Schlosser.
Our closed captioncoordinator is Amy Monte,
(21:33):
and the script editor isAllison Behringer.
Our theme was composedby Allison Layton-Brown.
Sound design and final mixing
are by John DeLoreand Bart Warshaw.
Multitude Productions handlesour publicity and marketing.
Excerpts from the Himan Brownoral history courtesy
of the Directors Guildof America, Inc.,
(21:53):
www.dga.org.All rights reserved.
"Audio Maverick" is a productionof CUNY TV.
♪♪
[ Door creaking ]
>> That's a creaking door.Well, you knew that.
But it's not just anycreaking door.
It's the opening of oneof Himan Brown's
most iconic radio programs,"Inner Sanctum mysteries."
(00:22):
And this is "Audio Maverick,"
a celebration of Brown'slife and work.
>> Come in. Oh. Very good.
>> We've already metmany versions of Himan Brown
in the course of this series --
the second-generation Jewfrom Brownsville...
>> I spoke only Yiddish.
>> The aspiring performer...
>> I was not afraidof audiences.
>> The even more aspiringproducer,
the Golden Age success story.
(00:44):
>> I like to feelthat we were pioneering.
>> But we haven't yet touchedon Brown's artistry.
>> Sound, to me, is sucha necessary part of radio drama.
>> I'm Margot Avery.Stay tuned.
(01:06):
The 1930s and '40swere radio's golden age,
when Brown flourishedas a packager and producer.
A lot of radio shows at the timewere pretty formulaic.
>> In those days,we didn't break things up.
So you had a signature frontand back.
>> The ColumbiaBroadcasting System presents
a new comedy...>> "My Friend Irma."
(01:27):
>> The signatures wereusually musical.
>> Starring Marie Wilsonas Irma, Cathy Lewis as Jane,
with John Brown as Al.
>> Today,most producers and creators
have access to massivesound libraries,
where they can find musicfrom all genres
that can be downloadedat the click of a mouse.
But Brown hada different resource,
(01:48):
one that today seemslike an incredible luxury.
>> In those days, every networkhad its house orchestra.
NBC had a staff of 70 or 80 men.
>> The NBC Symphony Orchestra,as it was called,
was under the direction ofthe legendary Arturo Toscanini.
>> And the men wereon a weekly wage,
(02:09):
so they'd give you 10 or 20of the men from the orchestra
to do something special for you,
and you could hire someoneto write scores and do things.
>> Most of them werethese generic orchestra swells,
but he got bored with that,
even though he could getcustomized music.
And that's where hisinventive signatures come in.
(02:31):
Brown was ahead of his timein using solo musicians
to create these signatureopeners and closers.
For example,there was David Harum,
a show about a folksyAmerican banker.
>> We bring you the story
that has thrilled Americafor generations,
the true-to-life storyof David Harum,
the kindly little countryphilosopher
who makes life worth livingby helping those who need help,
(02:51):
and by outwitting thosewho are too clever
and scheming in helpingthemselves.
>> So I thought, how niceif I had a voice, a clear,
good country voice witha guitar. That would do for me.
>> The man he hired was TexRitter, a country-music pioneer.
>> ♪ ...you're no differentnow ♪
>> Brown was very hands on,
(03:12):
often finding promising soloiststo set the scenes of his shows.
His first serial, "Mariethe Little French Princess,"
featured an accordion,and "Joyce Jordan,"
his drama about a woman intern,
glided into its openingwith a harp,
an effectthat he was pleased with.
>> The harp,
(03:33):
the glissandos of the harp,were very, very effective.
>> Brown doesn't comment on it,
but it's a soft openingto a show
in which a woman strugglesfor a place in a man's world.
It may have been a way
to invite a traditional audiencein before introducing the show's
still daring premise.
[ Harp plays ]
(03:54):
But even though Brown hadsome creative control,
he wanted to pushpast dependency on music,
even material he commissioned,
to shape the characterof a piece.
>> And this is why I became sucha devoted creator of sounds.
I believed in sounds.
>> And he really meant sounds.
Each of his iconic programs hadwhat he called a sound signature
(04:18):
that reflected the identityof the show.
"Dick Tracy" in hot pursuit...
>> Stand by."Dick Tracy" is on the air.
[ Siren wailing ]
[ Whistling ]
>> "The Saint," an elusive,wraith-like character
on little cat feetthat lead us into the plot...
[ Whistling continues ]
And Browne completelyrepurposed one
(04:39):
of old-time radio'sworkhorses...
[ Organ playing ]
...the Hammond organ.
Inventor Laurens Hammondhad succeeded
in reproducing the sound ofthe vast traditional pipe organ
electronically,filing his first patent in 1934.
His instrument was small, with akeyboard that was easy to play,
(05:00):
and it quickly becamepopular at public events
and private performances.
And an early black radio host,the Reverend Cobbs,
introduced the instrumentto broadcast.
Its wheezy,
ghostly sound was put into theservice of every type of drama
to signal an emotional crux,a revelation,
a thrilling plot device.
(05:22):
[ Organ plays ]
To Brown,this constant use of the Hammond
in the era's musical scoresfelt overdone.
He discovered another potentialuse for this bonsai version
of an organ --metaphorical sound effects.
>> I felt that the Hammondorgan was banal to me.
It was really a sound effect,
(05:44):
and I proved that when I didmy "Inner Sanctum Mysteries."
>> This thrills-and-chills show,which debuted in 1941,
gave Brown plentyof opportunities to experiment.
>> I used the Hammondas an adjunct to sound
so that when the gunshotwent off,
the Hammond imitated the gun.
(06:06):
The scream, the Hammond imitatedthe scream.
And I used it for the effectof wind
or to stalk a killer and thingslike that.
>> You've got to lovethe offhand "stalk a killer"
and things like that.
Brown was completely ruthlessin the service of a good story.
It was a kind of"in the moment" composition.
(06:28):
♪♪
Today, when you listento a podcast
and hear music or sound effects,
all of that was usually addedafter the recording,
sourced from digital libraries.
A handful of contemporaryproducers record on location,
the way one would for a film.
That wasn't the casein the 1930s.
(06:49):
Radio in the Golden Agewas live.
Any sounds the audience heardwere created at the same time
the actors were performingtheir scenes.
>> Sound effects in the '30swere all manual
and all doneby a sound-effects man.
You had recordings,acetate recordings,
that on them had automobilesand trains
(07:11):
and all the airplanesof the time and so on.
But everything elsewas pretty much done by hand.
Doors were opened and closed.
Phone bells,which I still do by hand.
[ Bell rings ]
>> But Brown's second creativeera was quite different.
By the timehe resurrected suspense drama
with "CBS Radio MysteryTheater," in 1974,
(07:33):
his productions were hybrids.
They were fully recordedin one session,
with the effects rolled insimultaneously.
>> And don't you ever come back![ Door slams ]
>> The method is called"live to tape."
But then they were massagedfor broadcast,
which might mean redoingan effect
that didn't work wellthe first time
(07:53):
or sweetening the mixwith some additional sounds.
>> Howard. Howard!>> Oh, it's you, Meanie.
Waiting for mein all this wind and rain.
>> With the adventof the cassette tape in 1963,
Brown was able to producesome of these sound effects
beforehand, which enabled himto plug and play
and to preserve liveaction sequences for later use.
(08:16):
For example...
>> So the car is driving alongand goes into a skid
and hits the side of the railing
and tumbles over and thencrashes and bursts into flame.
I needed three sound-effects mento do that.
>> In his 1974 interview withthe Directors Guild of America,
(08:39):
Brown reflects on how theseinnovations changed his process.
>> Today, my sound manbuilds this up in an hour
the day before.
>> Actually,he had three sound-effects guys
during the runof "CBS Radio Mystery Theater,"
but at different times.They were Jimmy Dwan,
Jerry McCarthy,and Peter Prescott.
But Brown still rememberedwith respect the cadre of pros
(09:01):
he would haveworked with in the past.
>> In the '30s and '40s,
the sound-effect man wasan elitist.
It was a very special world.
>> And still is.
When Brown spoke withthe Directors Guild,
he told the interviewer
that live sound-effectsconstruction was a lost art.
But as with vinyl recordsand turntables,
(09:23):
this practice resurfaced.
>> I often feel like I knowthe script as well as
the director does.
I know where all the beats are.
I know where everything happens.
>> Tony Brewer has been workingas a live sound-effects designer
in radio and audio dramasince the 1980s.
He got his start withOtherworld Media,
(09:45):
the producers of thedocumentary "Empire of the Air,"
which helped usto understand the early history
of radio in episode one.
And now Brewer tells uswhat live sound effects bring
to a performance.
During the performanceof a play,
he's behind a table with all hissonic props laid out.
>> For me, working live,
(10:06):
everything kindof has to be at arm's reach.
So, you know, I like to keepthings in close on the table
and everything is rightbehind me.
That's moreof a performance thing.
So I'm not walking acrossthe stage to go get something.
Everything is very closeand right around me.
>> What he especially likesis the challenge
of working in real time.
(10:27):
>> You have to hit your mark,
and you have to hit itconsistently every time.
I'm fortunate that someof the shows I've worked on,
I think the vast majorityof them
have been just a one-and-done.
You rehearse and maybeyou get a couple of rehearsals.
You do the table read and thena couple of run-throughs,
and then you do it once live,
and maybe there's a recordingand that's it.
>> City folks have Uber,but the drivers out there
(10:49):
can't find any place herein the country.
So we've got Goober.Just go ahead and dial it up.
[ Rotary phone dialing ]
>> Brewer says the creative teamon a show
is often looking for a blendof the real and the imagined.
>> And here's your ride!
>> That looks likea 1956 Farmall tractor.
(11:13):
>> Most often they wantsomething that sounds bigger,
that sounds more,something that's hyper-real,
somethingthat doesn't sound realistic.
They don't wantan actual object.
They want something that soundslike the real object plus,
some sort ofintangible quality
that makes it soundeven more like itself.
(11:33):
>> Woof woof woof.
>> [ Barking ]
Himan Brown's creaking door isthe quintessential example.
[ Door creaking ]
He used it as the openerfor "Inner Sanctum Mysteries"
and, in fact, first pitchedthe show with that title
until his buyer saidit lacked class.
And then when Brown returnedto broadcast radio
(11:56):
with "CBS Radio MysteryTheater," there it was again.
[ Door creaking ]
That door was Brown'sportal into the strange
and phantasmagoric.
>> Come in.
(12:18):
>> But he also used soundto signify characters.
>> How do you say fat man?
I didn't want to say itmusically.
I wanted to say it with a sound.Well, to me,
finally, the most expressivesound of a fat man
is a fat man's laugh,because his laughter,
which comes right from his bellywith the shaking
(12:38):
and the shaking of the foldsof flesh,
really set the scenefor what was to come.
>> This is such a great exampleof Brown himself
embodying the characterhe has conceived.
Places were also treatedlike characters.
In episode five,
(12:58):
we heard the powerful opening toBrown's "Grand Central Station."
Worth repeating.
[ Train whistle blowing ]
For the gentlemandetective Bulldog Drummond,
a British import...
>> Bulldog Drummond,what did I need?
I needed London. What is London?
London is the foghornsand Big Ben and so on.
(13:24):
>> Out of the fog,out of the night,
and into his American adventurescomes Bulldog Drummond.
♪♪
>> And, of course, sound conveysaction, as well as atmosphere.
Here's a chase scene from anepisode of "Bulldog Drummond."
>> Come on!This way to the stairs.
(13:44):
>> You can probably hear
that the footsteps havebeen created in a studio.
They don't sound live.
[ Footsteps ]
>> Right up at the topof the building,
>> Which way now?>> I don't know.
>> And fight scenes,
so plentifulin Golden Age crime shows?
>> Aah![ Clattering ]
Tony Brewer says they wereusually a composite.
(14:05):
>> The actors definitely workwith the foley artists.
The foley artist is punchingthemselves to make the hits,
but the actors are the onesdoing the grunting
and "Aah! Oh!"You know, that sort of thing.
>> Watch out, Frank!
[ Clattering ]
>> Sound effects used to referto sounds created physically
(14:25):
for radio broadcast.
Foley, namedfor sound designer Tom Foley,
was the same practice for film.
Now they are often usedinterchangeably.
In the 1980s,
when Brown was producing"CBS Radio Mystery Theater,"
lightweight portablerecording equipment created
new opportunities.
(14:46):
Brown was excited by the abilityto go into the field.
>> To go out and recordthe sounds of nature,
the sounds of birds.
>> You may find my little familyhave some peculiar beliefs,
habits, quirks, thingsthat appear different to you.
(15:07):
>> Portable recording equipmenthad actually been around
in some form since the 1920s
but didn't come into general useuntil the 1980s.
Much as Brown respectedlive sound-effects artists
and their repertoireof synthetic effects,
he was happy to moveinto a new era of production
where he wasn't dependenton them.
>> I didn't need a man CalledBrad Barker, strangely enough,
(15:31):
to make me dog sounds,
and the technical endof our business
became more sophisticated.
Everything else began to fit in.
[ Dog barking ]
>> Brown could be a bitelliptical in his recollections,
but here he seemsto be commenting on the fact
that a sound-effects man,almost always a man,
had to be a kind of actor,creating scenes with objects.
(15:53):
But soon the real worldbecame more
and more the source of sounds.
>> Here's the gate.
What a view.
The channel is very calm today,isn't it?
>> Uncommonly so.
Gwen? Gwendolyn?Come and meet
a top-notch feature writerfrom the Times.
(16:14):
That beautiful girl walkingtowards us,
believe it or not,is from America.
>> And sometimes Brownwent in search of them himself.
Most publicity stillsof Brown show a dapper man
in front of a mic,
or directing a starin an obviously staged shot.
But one picturefrom the archives
(16:34):
shows him in a dinghyin shirtsleeves,
clearly conducting a scenefrom some play.
Live sound effects, or foley,
helped create a listener'sexperience of people,
places, and thingsin a radio narrative.
But today, most audioprograms are post-produced,
meaning they are not liveand are constructed
(16:56):
after the actors haverecorded their scenes.
And so new terms have evolvedto describe
how these dramatic works areshaped and supported by sound.
We hear the term "sound design"much more,
and it means more than soundthat supports action...
>> Put down that gun.
>> Or locates usin the narrative.
(17:17):
>> I knew you would returnto Chicago.
>> It's what helps createthe sonic identity of a show.
It's not too much of a stretchto think of sound design
as a form of semiotics,the study of sounds and symbols.
>> Come in.
>> Oh. Very good.
>> That's the start of our show.
(17:38):
And if you've been keepingcompany with Audio Maverick,
then you've been listening tothe work
of our wonderful sounddesigners and engineers.
>> I think that if I'm havingfun doing the sound design,
it's going to be funfor the listener.
>> That's John DeLore.
>> The hope is thatyou really feel
like you're immersedin a whole new world.
>> And that's Bart Warshaw.
And as sound designers,
(17:59):
they are often using the toolsand sounds at their fingertips
to transport audiencesinto different spaces.
For example,
they could put mein the middle of a dark forest
in the middle of the night.
[ Animals hooting ]
And with just a little scoring
can suggestthat maybe I'm in danger.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
And just like that,
(18:20):
I'm sitting by a peaceful riveron a spring morning.
[ Birds chirping ]
But for this show,
they're using their toolsto repurpose the vocabulary
of Golden Age radioto accentuate
and pace our episodes.
>> In a series like"Audio Maverick,"
you know, we're tellingthe story of Himan Brown.
And so part of what we're tryingto do through sound design
(18:42):
is bring the listener closer tothe sound of radio at that time.
And sometimes that'sa scoring choice,
and other times it's sort ofusing the old-time radio effects
to give it that texture.
>> And what we're doing isa continuation
of the pioneering workthat Himan Brown was developing.
We're trying to captivateaudiences by taking them
(19:03):
out of the studio and puttingthem into these new places,
times, and worldsthat we create for them.
>> So now you knowour trade secrets
and that they connect usto the worlds of Himan Brown.
>> I think that listenersback then could hear
that Himan Brown and his team
were having fun doingwhat they were doing.
(19:23):
So I think that is alsoconnective tissue
between what we're doingon this show and what he did.
It's just fun.
>> This kind of thingis a lot of fun,
but the real reason for doing itis to honor Himan Brown,
creator of sounds,
who was able to explorethe medium and its possibilities
in the two different erasof his producing life.
(19:47):
How astonished he would beby today's rich universe
of sounds and sources,
by reels of tape and cassettesand cartridges
replaced by algorithmsand mouse clicks.
But it wouldn't change anythingabout what he believed
was the core ofall successful audio production,
the partnershipwith the listener.
(20:07):
>> Because it setsyour imagination going.
The better the sound,the more perfect the sound,
the more ingenious the sound,
the more I call upon youto develop it for yourself
and become a part of everythingthat I'm projecting.
>> Next up,a new era for Himan Brown.
(20:29):
Join us for episode seven, "TheGolden Torch Keeps Burning,"
where we'll hear about hiscreative work as script editor,
director, and producer.
I'm Margot Avery. Stay tuned.
"Audio Maverick" is producedand directed by Sarah Montague,
who also writes the scripts.
(20:49):
Our executive producers areMelina Brown and Sarah Montague.
CUNY-TV's executive director isChiqui Cartagena.
The director of productionis Susan Iger,
and Deborah Labadie is CUNY-TV'schief operating officer.
The associate producer
for "Audio Maverick"is Corinne Wallace,
and our audio production internis Lucia Funaro.
(21:12):
"Audio Maverick" is narratedby Margot Avery.
Our technical team at CUNY
includes senioraudio engineer Richard Kim
and audio engineer and programmix engineer Lisa Gosselin.
Our staff photographer isLaura Fuchs.
Our archivists are David Riceand Catriona Schlosser.
Our closed captioncoordinator is Amy Monte,
(21:33):
and the script editor isAllison Behringer.
Our theme was composedby Allison Layton-Brown.
Sound design and final mixing
are by John DeLoreand Bart Warshaw.
Multitude Productions handlesour publicity and marketing.
Excerpts from the Himan Brownoral history courtesy
of the Directors Guildof America, Inc.,
(21:53):
www.dga.org.All rights reserved.
"Audio Maverick" is a productionof CUNY TV.
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