In 1976 John Hickman of WAMU put together an outstanding five-part documentary on the history of Gunsmoke. One of the people interviewed was Gunsmoke director Norman Macdonnell. Macdonnell directed the series during its entire radio run from 1952-1961.
In this clip he speaks about the sound effects patterns that SFX men Bill James, Ray Kemper, & Tom Hanley employed, and how "dead air" became a tool of theirs.
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