DAN DARE - PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES

The first Dan Dare story - (untitled but known to fans as ‘The Venus Story’) - was dramatized for radio and broadcast on Radio Luxembourg in 1951. Actor, Noel Johnson who also played the BBC’s Dick Barton, was the voice of Dan Dare. Other original stories followed up until 1956 . By all accounts, a very successful series for the listeners and the sponsors, Horlicks. Sadly, however none of the original recording seem to have survived. 

Recently (April 2002) and from a reliable source that shall remain anonymous, I heard a story that a few years back someone had bough a few original radio tapes in Belgium. The person offered to sell copies of the tapes for 100 Pounds each. After he was enlightened about possible copyright enfringement, he got scared and subsequently sold the tapes to someone in Spain whose name he did not want to divulge. All subsequent attempts to locate the tapes have failed.

According to the Dan Dare Dossier the cast was: 

Dan Dare - Noel Johnson, Digby - John Sharpe, Professor Peabody - Ann Cullin, The Mekon - Francis de Wolfe. 

Additional Parts - Howard Marion Crawford, Kennith Williams, Norman Shelly and Ralph Richardson.

Announcer - Bob Danver Walker

The theme music was called Radiolocation

In 1990, the BBC’s Radio 4 produced a four part serial - Dan Dare, Pilot Of The Future, again, based on the Venus story. This time Dan was played by Mick Ford, with Terrance Alexander as Sir Hubert.