Broadcast: 5th October 1947

Starring: Mason Adams, Santos Ortega, Ian Martin, Horace Graham, Theresa Bower, Neil Fitzgerald, George Zachary, Reese Taylor, Lynn Murray, Lillian Schoen, Mark Twain, Carl Swenson, John Moore

Added: Jul 30 2013

This hour-long classic of American literature was adapted from Mark twain's 1889 original by Lillian Schoen and was presented to its radio audience first in 1947. The central theme is that of a modern day American ex-serviceman who inexplicably finds himself transported back many hundreds of years to the time of the fabled English King Arthur where he must use his knowledge of the future to convince the King that he is a powerful and 'goodly' sorcerer.
Without wishing to give any of the plot away I can say that this adaptation remains true to the many comical twists and turns of the original story and that for those who may remember the 1979 Disney classic "The Spaceman and King Arthur" you will perhaps gain an even closer insight into the author's original story.
The language is beautifully true to life as much as it can be because genuine 'ye olde English' would have been even more incomprehensible, nevertheless the writers make great comical use of the rich differences between 1940's American and 6th-century English.
In all, this is a wonderfully exiting and timeless classic that will keep listeners as entertained today as it ever has. In fact the radio version (produced here as well as it has) is the best version of all perhaps, because with radio you can close your eyes and listen... and when you do, the combined effect of the ensemble voices, sound effects and music somehow have the power to transport you back in time too.