Douglas Kelly stars as 'Dick Barton - Special Agent' in another thrilling adventure for radio's greatest hero. Heralded by an instantly memorable signature tune, the adventures of special agent Dick Barton and his friends Jock and Snowey, originally ran on the "BBC Light Programme" between 1946 and 1951. Set in an exciting world of criminal masterminds, espionage and adventure, the series was essential listening for an entire generation. Sadly very few of the BBC's original recordings still survive. However, in 1949 a number of early Barton tales were re-recorded for transmission overseas. Starring Douglas Kelly, these re-stagings found new audiences in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Over 300 of these 'international' recordings were rediscovered in the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia in 2009 and allow listeners finally to relive the escapades of the great Dick Barton. Dick, Snowey and Jock are called in to help when a Hollywood film star starts receiving death threats. What does it mean? Can they thwart the sinister Conrad Ruda? Find out in this next exciting instalment of 'Dick Barton - Special Agent!'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Dick Barton And The Case Of Conrad Ruda follows on from the previous story The Li-Chang Adventure, but don't worry you don't have to have listened to that cd in order to enjoy this one. This adventure sees Barton and his friends helping a Hollywood film star who has been receiving death threats. Could the sinister Conrad Ruda be behind this ? This 4 cd set runs for around 4 hours. Following the BBC adventures alot of the Dick Barton stories were re-recorded for overseas broadcast in 1949. Douglas Kelly played Dick Barton. In 2009 around 300 of these recordings were rediscovered in Australia and are now being released on cd. The sound quality is excellent for their age, and is well worth listening to.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
When offered the chance to review this set through the Amazon Vine programme I jumped at the chance.
This is my fifth in the series.
A confession I was far too young to have heard the original series broadcast on BBC and now sadly lost. And I must admit I was very jaded in my opinion. An early 1950's Radio series, and for children... it did not and does not sound a very exciting purchase for today's 600 channel Nicam, 3D surround sound generation does it?
And yet I must admit I was totally blown away at just how good these wonderful episodes are.
They are simply a wonderful way to spend a car journey and are total entertainment.
A comparison?
Think of the first Indiana Jones Movie- it would never win any Oscars- too popular-
BUT heck it was wonderful entertainment and kept you watching from start to finish.
This is the radio equivalent, as Frank Zappa once said this is a movie for your ears and my you are royally entertained.
This follows directly on from the Dick Barton and Li Chang set (but you don't need to listen to that for this to make sense. Each set of episodes is different.
Dick Barton and the Li-Chang Adventure (Radio Collection)
I've heard about 4 of the series and they are as satisfying as a Kingsized Mars Bar and a good cup of Tea.
To say the story cracks along like a runaway rocket is an understatement.
Each of the four discs has about 3 episodes in 3 parts with at least three cliff hangers at the end of each and my.. how inventive the writer was.... Read more ›
This is my fifth in the series.
A confession I was far too young to have heard the original series broadcast on BBC and now sadly lost. And I must admit I was very jaded in my opinion. An early 1950's Radio series, and for children... it did not and does not sound a very exciting purchase for today's 600 channel Nicam, 3D surround sound generation does it?
And yet I must admit I was totally blown away at just how good these wonderful episodes are.
They are simply a wonderful way to spend a car journey and are total entertainment.
A comparison?
Think of the first Indiana Jones Movie- it would never win any Oscars- too popular-
BUT heck it was wonderful entertainment and kept you watching from start to finish.
This is the radio equivalent, as Frank Zappa once said this is a movie for your ears and my you are royally entertained.
This follows directly on from the Dick Barton and Li Chang set (but you don't need to listen to that for this to make sense. Each set of episodes is different.
Dick Barton and the Li-Chang Adventure (Radio Collection)
I've heard about 4 of the series and they are as satisfying as a Kingsized Mars Bar and a good cup of Tea.
To say the story cracks along like a runaway rocket is an understatement.
Each of the four discs has about 3 episodes in 3 parts with at least three cliff hangers at the end of each and my.. how inventive the writer was.... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
"We're on fire, the undercarriage is damaged and we've no parachutes. Otherwise everything's fine."
15 Aug 2012
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
"If it really is life and death, the sooner the better. If not, well you may get a glimpse of Margaret Lockwood."
Returning from his latest adventure to find himself with a new housekeeper with one of the most terrible Yorkshire accents ever attempted, our dashing hero and his sidekicks find themselves up against protection racket The Society for the Protection of Distinguished Careers, which is insidiously targeting British celebrities - having already put the touch on a fiddler, a Frenchman and a footballer, the fiend now wants a fourth F to round out his collection with film star, who naturally turns out to be a game gel. It doesn't take long for Dick to suss out the villain behind the plot: Conrad Ruda may put on a sympathetic show, but he suspects him immediately because he's foreign and lives like `the very best kind of spiv.' Just to add to the political correctness on display, Dick finds himself in a savage land of mad doctors, priests and gullibly moronic peasants otherwise known as Ireland, where Ruda's Irish sidekick who can't do the accent has a sideline in experimenting on animals, particularly the Black Demon...
It's such gleefully politically incorrect stuff it's still hard to tell if this was intended as a tongue-in-cheek spoof at the time it was originally broadcast, the plot not only richly embracing cliché but even acknowledging the fact ("Aren't you being a little melodramatic, Mister Barton?" "Life is melodramatic, Mr Ruda. You should know.") while allowing its dastardly villain to make a chump of our hero at times ("Not only did you achieve our object but you made Barton look a fool, which is always desirable.").... Read more ›
Returning from his latest adventure to find himself with a new housekeeper with one of the most terrible Yorkshire accents ever attempted, our dashing hero and his sidekicks find themselves up against protection racket The Society for the Protection of Distinguished Careers, which is insidiously targeting British celebrities - having already put the touch on a fiddler, a Frenchman and a footballer, the fiend now wants a fourth F to round out his collection with film star, who naturally turns out to be a game gel. It doesn't take long for Dick to suss out the villain behind the plot: Conrad Ruda may put on a sympathetic show, but he suspects him immediately because he's foreign and lives like `the very best kind of spiv.' Just to add to the political correctness on display, Dick finds himself in a savage land of mad doctors, priests and gullibly moronic peasants otherwise known as Ireland, where Ruda's Irish sidekick who can't do the accent has a sideline in experimenting on animals, particularly the Black Demon...
It's such gleefully politically incorrect stuff it's still hard to tell if this was intended as a tongue-in-cheek spoof at the time it was originally broadcast, the plot not only richly embracing cliché but even acknowledging the fact ("Aren't you being a little melodramatic, Mister Barton?" "Life is melodramatic, Mr Ruda. You should know.") while allowing its dastardly villain to make a chump of our hero at times ("Not only did you achieve our object but you made Barton look a fool, which is always desirable.").... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Andromeda Descendent
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Dick Barton returns for another run of 20 serialised episodes and although this is only the second of his escapades I have listened to I am already a fan. This is good old-fashioned radio detective adventure, where the hero puts his life in danger every episode and sometimes makes mistakes, but always manages to keep one step ahead of the villains.
In this case, and given the title of the adventure, it is no spoiler to say that this time around Dick spends the most time pitting his wits against one particular villain - extortionist and kidnapper Conrad Ruda. However, there are other villains to be dealt with including a impressionist who can impersonate anyone and a doctor who has perfected a hypnosis inducing drug.
Despite the length of the run, the plot changes direction slightly once or twice so as to keep the story fresh. They aren't dramatic changes, but there is more than enough peril to keep you interested. There is a moment at the start of disc 3 that you think Dick really should have realised something obvious, and for purposes of keeping the story going it doesn't occur to him until the end of disc 3, but it just goes to show that Dick is only human. He's more believable than some other radio detectives of his time because he does make mistakes occasionally and that only makes his deductions seem more impressive when he makes them.
The cover art didn't match up to Dick Barton and the Vulture, which I heard previously, but that's my only real gripe, as the episodes are gripping enough to keep on listening.
One thing to be aware of is that in the very first sentence the announcer gives away the ending to a previous case.... Read more ›
In this case, and given the title of the adventure, it is no spoiler to say that this time around Dick spends the most time pitting his wits against one particular villain - extortionist and kidnapper Conrad Ruda. However, there are other villains to be dealt with including a impressionist who can impersonate anyone and a doctor who has perfected a hypnosis inducing drug.
Despite the length of the run, the plot changes direction slightly once or twice so as to keep the story fresh. They aren't dramatic changes, but there is more than enough peril to keep you interested. There is a moment at the start of disc 3 that you think Dick really should have realised something obvious, and for purposes of keeping the story going it doesn't occur to him until the end of disc 3, but it just goes to show that Dick is only human. He's more believable than some other radio detectives of his time because he does make mistakes occasionally and that only makes his deductions seem more impressive when he makes them.
The cover art didn't match up to Dick Barton and the Vulture, which I heard previously, but that's my only real gripe, as the episodes are gripping enough to keep on listening.
One thing to be aware of is that in the very first sentence the announcer gives away the ending to a previous case.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another first rate Dick Barton adventure
Another exciting adventure for Dick Barton and his team. The team are off to Hollywood to help out a movie star this time around. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Bill Shakespeare
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dick Barton did it for me
Safely and speedily delivered and was as discribed - another case for the famous Dick Barton to solve. Read more
Published 4 months ago by News Editor
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dangerous Protection
Dick is called into investigate a suspicious letter sent to an actress, suggesting that she might like to pay to be kept safe and threatening her if she doesn't pay the money. Read more
Published 6 months ago by The Kinniburgh Kid
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but unintentionally hilarious
After listening to these CDs, I wondered what different generations would make of it.
I am late 40s. Read more
I am late 40s. Read more
Published 9 months ago by leftfooter
4.0 out of 5 stars
Magic.
The two star reviews below are a bit off to be honest. They're generally criticising the thing for what makes it so charming, the production line plotting, the earnest... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Stuart Burns
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
This is great if, like me, you're old and can remember sitting by the radio and listening to radio theatre. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Wilz
5.0 out of 5 stars
More fun with Dick and the gang
I must admit I did not really enjoy this vintage re-enactment of a Dick Barton adventure at first, mainly because I tried to listen to it in the car one episode after another,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by B. Bello
3.0 out of 5 stars
More Dick Barton
This immediately evokes memories the signature tune can't be anything else but Dick Barton Special Agent! Read more
Published 11 months ago by J. Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boy's Own Stuff!
I'm way to young to remember the series but my Dad always drones on to my son about how this was the "Clone Wars" of the time. While my six-year-old isn't convinced, his Dad is! Read more
Published 11 months ago by Coincidence Vs Fate
4.0 out of 5 stars
Blood, Thunder and a Diabolical Master-Mind!
Dick Barton returns from foiling the machinations of the evil Li Chang and LeTour, he is contacted by Betsy, his faithful housekeeper, telling him that an urgent matter has arisen,... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. Gtj Charmley
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