"Come in... Welcome!"

Welcome to my CBSRMT fan site. Most people come here to use the CBSRMT Database (RMTdb). Go right ahead; that's what it's there for.

CBSRMT on the internet

Before the mid-90s there were certainly RMT collectors out there in isolated pockets, but we didn't really know how many of us there were until the web attracted more eyeballs.

Now we know that there are many people with RMT addictions out there. You are not alone! There are people who have listened to the tapes 100s of times, named their kids after RMT episode characters, go to sleep at night listening to RMT, spend hours a day listening to and reviewing individual episodes, etc.

Trying to identify a particular show?

The net is a rich source of CBSRMT information for RMT fans. One such source is a searchable database of plots, shows, actors, etc. I've been working on it for a few years and it's really starting to get to a critical mass of usefulness.

If you've been trying to ID a show you remember a little something about, do a search and see what you find.

Collecting and Listening to the CBSRMT

Many people collect RMT in mp3 format, and several people have all 1399/1400 shows, depending on how you count. There are also sites that have shows to stream or download. There are no downloads/streams available on this site; it's purely informational.

It takes a while to collect the entire RMT series in mp3 format. It took me about 5 years to get all 1400. The collection spans 28 CDs and consumed my broadband connection for long stretches of time....

RMT primer

The series ran from 1974 to 1982. You can see a timeline with more details. The show's producer was Himan Brown, who was also the man behind the Inner Sanctum. Mr. Brown now has his own website.

The narrator was E.G. Marshall for most of the run; the last bit was narrated by Tammy Grimes. Most people seem to prefer EGM. There was a brief reissue where EGM's narration was overdubbed with HB's.

Show format

Introduction with narrator. Preview of show. show title, writer, and stars named.
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Postscript with narrator. Entire cast credits. Sometimes a "preview of our next tale."

The show ran 42-45 minutes; with commercials it was designed to be 53 minutes long. This left room for news or other local fills.

Writers

Writers were paid ~$350 per show. ₁

Sam Dann and Ian Martin wrote tons of scripts. Martin frequently acted in the shows he wrote.
Writers known for their adaptations were Murray Burnett, Arnold Moss, and Gerald Keane.
Elspeth Eric's scripts usually had a psychological/interpersonal bent.

Actors

Actors were paid ~$73.92 per show (scale). ₂

Fred Gwynne was probably the most recognized actor on the series, although it also guest starred John Lithgow, Amanda Plummer, Morgan Fairchild, Agnes Moorehead etc.

Rehearsal and Recording

Shows were recorded in the CBS Radio Annex on East 52d St, Studio G. This was located on the 6th floor. ₃

9am - first cold reading of script; Himan Brown assigns roles
5 minute break
Recording
Noon - recording finished. HB hands out paychecks. Show goes to post-production.

It's a miracle the show had the quality it did with this quick schedule.₄

Commercials

Here are some commercial sponsors you might remember:

Annheuser-Busch (pronounced "on-hoyser", which is much closer to the original German than current pronunciation)
Buick Motor Division of GM
Tru-Value hardware
Ex-Lax
Doan's Pills
Contac ("Take your Contac / Take it now / Give your cold / to Contac!")
Raven House romance novels

Memories of CBSRMT

This stuff has been moved to another page.

notes

The CBS Radio Mystery Theater: An Episode Guide and Handbook, 1974-1982, pp.4-6
The CBS Radio Mystery Theater: An Episode Guide and Handbook, 1974-1982, p.5
The CBS Radio Mystery Theater: An Episode Guide and Handbook, 1974-1982, p.5
The CBS Radio Mystery Theater: An Episode Guide and Handbook, 1974-1982, p.7

cbsrmt.mousetrap.net © 1994-2005
RMTdb text © 2000-2005 various authors (see credits on each record);
both are distributed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Share and Enjoy.

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Amazon.com 100 Hottest Books, CDs, Videos, and DVDs.

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