Walk Softly - Peter Troy


(3.8 stars; 6 reviews)

Old time radio detective show from South Africa.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

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Walk Softly - Peter Troy


(3 stars)

It is fascinating to see the debate that my original 2010 submission started, albeit over a period of some years. Yes, there is confusion between the South African and Australian series! At http://otrarchive.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/walk-softly-peter-troy-sa.html - "Pumamouse" gives details on the South African program, but then states the following: "There was an Australian version of this radio series produced prior to the South African productions. Several recordings of the Australian series have survived, and they are routinely sold and traded within the OTR community as South African productions". "The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama" by Richard Lane, sadly has no mention of "Walk Softly" in the index. (The book is a listing of Australia's major radio actors, but under each actors' name it mentions many of the programs in which they appeared.) The National Film and Sound Archives (Canberra) website (http://www.nfsa.gov.au/site_media/uploads/file/2011/12/05/NFSA_Radio_series_collection_amended.pdf) confirms that 52 episodes of WSPT were produced by Artransa in about 1962; that is, just before the South African series. (Artransa was one of the major Melbourne radio drama production houses.) There is one thing on which, unfortunately, I slightly disagree with "markantsch": to my ear the voices in the first two OTR recordings all sound like typical Australian radio voices of the 1960s. Those in the third recording may well be South African. To add to the confussion we must remember that that these Australians and South Africans were playing the parts of Britons and Canadians. What a pity there is no cast mentioned at the end of any of the recordings!

Two countries


(3 stars)

Confusion about the origin of "Walk Softly, Peter Troy" stems from the fact that Australia and South Africa each produced a version of the series. Reportedly, many episodes now in circulation are incorrectly identified in terms of country of origin, which doesn't help enthusiasts very much. The Australian series was produced first. I don't know too much about that series, but I do know that the South African version was produced in Durban by Herrick Merril Productions and was broadcast on Springbok Radio from December 1963 to February 1964 before being moved to the English Radio Service from May to November 1964. The South African series starred Tom Meehan, John Simpson, and Merle Wayne. Perhaps someone knows more about the Australian series?

Walk Softly - Peter Troy


(3 stars)

Don't know the programme, but the voices artist are certainly South African, obvious from some of their accents.