The Damon Runyon Theater

It Comes Up Mud

English · Dramatic Readings, Humor

The Damon Runyon Theater brings the colorful world of Damon Runyon’s stories to radio, where Broadway gamblers, hustlers, show people, and other vivid New York characters speak in Runyon’s distinctive slang. The episode title, “It Comes Up Mud,” points to a story drawn from that lively literary world.

Each broadcast adapts a Runyon tale as a dramatic radio performance, using dialogue, narration, and sound to bring its characters and streetwise settings to life. The stories often turn on wagers, schemes, loyalties, and unexpected reversals, with the action shaped by Runyon’s playful, highly recognizable way of telling a story.

The result is a blend of comedy and sentiment: tough-talking characters may be comic, but their friendships and codes of honor give the stories warmth. This episode offers a chance to hear Runyon’s distinctive voice translated into an intimate, theatrical listening experience.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.