The year is 1932, and the nation is still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression, recovery is in sight, fueled by industry success as much as government programs. The listeners of The World Adventerer’s Club and other travelogue series in this early part of radio’s Golden Age were offered glimpses of exotic places and extraordinary events without leaving their own front room.
The renewed interest in far off lands and cultures was, at least in part, also a reflection of the political situation. Many nations during this time were expanding their influence around the globe establishing colonies and outposts. You can still hear a faint echo of this influence in the stories -- some of the episodes carry a decidedly “colonial” attitude toward the native inhabitants of these countries … who are sometimes characterized in a manner that, by today’s standards, would be offensive.
The setting for the series is a well-to-do gentleman’s club of the type that flourished in the 1890’s from Europe to the US. There’s even an all male chorus on hand, common to those establishments, which each week extols the virtues of living on the edge where adventures, discoveries, and the real threat of death are constant companions
Using the cigar-smoky, brandy in hand, parlor as a backdrop, each episode takes the form of a report being told to the other members of the club by someone who’s just returned from some adventure in a far away, mysterious place. Members in the radio audience need only sit back in their chair, close their eyes, and imagine that they, too, are basking in the camaraderie of the club – as they share their experiences.
Sadly, nothing is known about any of the regular cast members of this show. We do know that Hanley Stafford was the featured story teller in at least six of the episodes. Hanley Stafford, who was born on September 22, 1889 as Alfred John Austin, took his stage name from his birthplace of Hanley, Staffordshire in England. No stranger to US radio his was the voice of “Daddy” for “Baby Snooks” and “Dithers” in the “Blondie” radio program. He died of a heart attack just a couple weeks before his 79th birthday on September 11 1968.
The series was transcribed by a California company named Transco. Of course, one of the benefits of transcription is that all 32 of the 15-minute episodes produced are still available for us to enjoy today. A tribute to the enduring nature of this series, it should be mentioned that much later, from January 1947 to January 1948, another series borrowed it’s format for a set of 30-minute episodes under the simplified name The Adventurer’s Club.
And now, find a deep wingback chair, lean back, and prepare to enter a time when most of the world was truly unknown and any exploration revealed wonders, opportunities and dangers.
From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.
It contains the most complete and accurate version of this series in the best sound possible at the time of creation. An updated version will be issued if more episodes or better sounding ones become available.
If you are interested in preserving old time radio, you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Yahoo.
This is the Single Episode Page. The Certified Set includes extras not found here. It is located at OTRR Certified Set. This page is provided in case you want to sample the shows.
Note that in many cases, file names have been modified from the original OTRR names to conform to archive.org naming requirements.
Relax, listen, and enjoy!
OTRR Definitions:
OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that is Certified Accurate indicates that all the episodes are properly identified and labeled but that the series does not contain all known extant episodes.
OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that is Certified Complete is the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implies that all the files in the series are Certified Accurate but also indicates that the series is as complete as possible – it includes all extant episodes.
Write a review Downloaded 22,946 timesReviews Average Rating:
Reviewer:Tesla's Death Ray - - March 4, 2007 Subject: Calling All Explorers, Big Game Hunters and Treasure Seekers! I hadn't even heard of this series until this weekend - and that's a terribly sad thing because these types of stories are right up my alley.
Anyone who enjoys the Pulp Era will get a pleasant kick out of the World Adventurer's Club. Imagine a society filled with Indiana Jones-types: learned men who cross the globe in search of adventure and glory. Now imagine that this society gets together for regular meetings where they share the tales of their travels. That's pretty much what the World Adventurer's Club presents.
The only drawback of the show is its 13 minute format. You often come into the stories halfway, and that's a shame because your mind starts to wonder what the show could've accomplished with a half hour. That's the reason I have to give it four stars though the quality of the files is fantastic given the years this show aired.
Side Note: If you are a fan of this genre and are ever vacationing at the Walt Disney World resort, be sure to visit the Adventurer's Club at Pleasure Island. It's an attraction where you literally walk inside a society such as this, complete with incredible props and actors who stay in character with their 1930s roles the entire time. They put on skits and shows and visitors can interract with the props and exhibits. I had an incredible time there. Here are some links explaining it.
![[4.0 out of 5 stars]](/images/star.png "[4.0 out of 5 stars]")
![[item image]](http://ia331434.us.archive.org/0/items/OTRR_World_Adventurer_Club_Singles/OTRR_World_Adventurer_Club_Singles.jpg?cnt=0 "[item image]")
![[help]](/images/question.gif "[help]")
![[Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs]](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gif "[Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs]")
