Escape and Suspense!

Escape - Finger of Doom

Escape only presented two episodes based on Cornell Woolrich stories, the horror-voodoo classic "Papa Benjamin" and the thriller "Finger of Doom." Although Escape was an adventure series, the show was adept at handling Woolrich's noir material on radio. "Finger of Doom" was first published in Detective Fiction Weekly (June 22,1940).

As the episode opens, somewhere in New York City, we meet Kenny and Steffie. They are engaged, and their wedding is only thirteen days away. On this night, Kenny is picking Steffie up from work. They are on their way for an evening on the town, but first, Steffie has to run an errand. Her boss has asked her to drop off a package, and she convinces Kenny that it will just be a brief interruption in their plans. When they arrive at an old brownstone, Steffie goes upstairs to drop off the package but never returns. Kenny waits but then realizes that something has gone horribly wrong.

"Finger of Doom" was adapted for radio by John Brussell and produced/directed by Norman MacDonnell.  Harry Bartell played Kenny and Ed Begley played Gilman. Also appearing were Joy Terry, Edgar Barrier, Louise Arthur, Peter Prauss, and Kay Miller. This episode aired on March 19, 1949.

.  Download Escape_1949.03.19_FingerofDoom.mp3   

Suspense had presented an adaptation of "Finger of Doom" under the title "I Won't Take a Minute" five years earlier. Their adaptation is a little different but just as good overall. Lee Bowman starred as Kenny. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, Wally Maher, and William Johnstone. This episode aired on December 6, 1945.

.  Download Suspense_1945.12.06_IWontTakeAMinute.mp3

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Suspense - Goodnight Mrs. Russell

Suspense's "Goodnight Mrs. Russell" stars Bette Davis in a story about a woman who becomes the victim of a crazed short-order cook. It is an episode that will make you think twice about eating alone at night in an empty restaurant.

Bette Davis plays Mrs. Russell, an office worker who often spends her lunch hours with her co-workers at the cafe near their office. Henry, the young cook behind the counter, seems uncomfortable around the younger women, but likes Mrs. Russell. Although he never smiles, and stops to listen to sounds that only he can hear, she likes him, too.

One night, after working late, she drops in at the cafe for dinner. She becomes uneasy about being alone with Henry and leaves without finishing her food. Afraid that she has hurt Henry's feelings, she returns to have dinner again several weeks later.

Henry doesn't accept her show of interest in his food as a compliment. He knows, from the voices in his head, that she is really one of the many enemies out to get him.

"Goodnight Mrs. Russell" was written by Ben S. Hunter and it was Bette Davis' only appearance on Suspense. At the time, she was promoting the movie Beyond the Forest. Elliott Reid played Henry. This episode aired on October 20, 1949.

. Download suspense_1949.10.20_GoodNightMrs Russell.MP3

Suspense presented this radioplay again on August 3, 1954. Virginia Gregg played Mrs. Russell and Victor Perrin played Henry.

.  Download Suspense_1954.08.03_GoodnightMrsRussell.mp3

(Image of Bette Davis from Wikimedia Commons)

Suspense - The Guilty Always Run

Suspense goes to the beach, but not to frolic, in a story called "The Guilty Always Run." In his only appearance on Suspense, Tyrone Powers plays a man suspected of murdering a surfer girl.

As the episode opens, Janie and Jeff are at home in their rented summer house when they receive several strange calls from a young woman. The girl on the other end of the line is gasping for help, but the calls make no sense. Janie suspects that the calls are from Karen, a girl that Jeff had been seen with. Jeff swears to her there is nothing going on between the two of them, but Janie doubts him.

The next day, Jeff does find Karen -- floating in the surf. Jeff becomes the main suspect in Karen's murder until his best friend, Lou, steps in with an alibi.

"The Guilty Always Run" was written by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. William Conrad played Lou and Cathy Lewis played Janie. Also appearing were Jack Kruschen, Frank Nelson, and Charlotte Lawrence. At the time he appeared on Suspense, Tyrone Powers was promoting the film, King of the Khyber Rifles. This episode aired on March 22, 1954.

. Download Suspense_1954.03.22_TheGuiltyAlwaysRun.mp3

(Image of Tyrone Power in 1953 by Carl Van Vechten. Wikimedia Commons)

Escape - The Fourth Man

Escape presented several episodes based on short stories by John Russell, and among these, "The Fourth Man" was the most popular.

"The Fourth Man" is the story of three French convicts who have just escaped from a prison in Noumea, New Caledonia. The leader of the group, Dr. Dubosc, has made all of the arrangements. First they will be ferried out to sea in a raft and then, when they are safely away from the coast, they will be met by a ship.

At the helm of the raft is a Kanak tribesman who was given the job of taking them out to meet the ship. As the three Frenchmen wait on the raft under the blazing sun, their water supply dwindles and they become increasingly hostile. What they can't understand is why the Kanak who is steering their raft is not troubled by the elements or the lack of water. As "civilized" men they consider themselves to be superior to the Kanak in every way, but their actions prove otherwise.

The full text of "The Fourth Man" (1917) is available online at Gaslight and Horrormasters.com. The script of the 1947 Escape broadcast is available online from the Generic Radio Workshop.

Escape first presented the radio adaptation of "The Fourth Man" by screenwriter Irving Ravetch on August 18, 1947. This episode was produced/directed by William N. Robson and featured Paul Frees, Joseph Kearns, and Nestor Paiva. William Johnstone was the narrator.

. Download Escape.1947.08.18_The_Fourth_Man.mp3

The second presentation aired on April 25, 1948. This episode was produced/directed by Norman MacDonnell and featured Berry Kroeger, Joseph Kearns, and Jay Novello. Eric Rolf was the narrator.

. Download Escape.1948.04.25_The_Fourth_Man.mp3

The third presentation aired on July 7, 1949. This episode was produced/directed by Norman MacDonnell and featured Joseph Kearns, Ben Wright, and Barney Phillips. Lawrence Dobkin was the narrator.

. Download Escape.1949.07.07_The_Fourth_Man.mp3

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Suspense - Three Blind Mice

Suspense's "Three Blind Mice" stars Van Heflin in a radio noir about a publishing firm and its three partners. One is dead, the other is on Death Row, and the third has taken over the firm from the other two.

The episode opens inside the office of Lockwood, Bentley and Walsh Publishing. Mr. Arthur Lockwood knows that his partners are out to get him, and it appears that everyone in the company knows as well. By all appearances, he is on the way down.

Mr. Lockwood refuses to accept that. He wants his corporation back from his partners. He also wants Helen Conover, the head of the firm's promotion department, but she is involved with his partner, Mr. Walsh.

None of this worries Mr. Lockwood. He seems confident that there will be a day when he is back on top. When Mr. Lockwood finds one of his partners dead at the office, it appears that his problems may be resolved sooner than he thought.

"Three Blind Mice" was written by Kenneth Pettis and Robert L. Richards. Van Heflin starred as Arthur Lockwood. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, William Johnstone, and Wally Maher. This episode aired on January 30, 1947.

.  Download Suspense_1947.01.30_ThreeBlindMice.mp3

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Noir City 6

Here in San Francisco, it is just about time for Noir City, the annual film festival  presented by the Film Noir Foundation. This year, the festival runs from January 25 to February 3rd. Even if you can't attend, a quick look at the Noir City program guide may be of interest. Ida Lupino, Van Heflin, June Havoc, and other familiar Suspense performers are all on the line-up.

Cornell Woolrich fans should take note that there will be a screening of a new 35 mm print of the film Night Has a Thousand Eyes on January 27th.

Another film of interest is Dangerous Crossing, which was written by Suspense's John Dickson Carr.

The film Hangover Square features the music of Suspense composer Bernard Herrmann.

(If you can't make it to the festival, Dangerous Crossing and Hangover Square are available on DVD.)

For more information visit the websites for Noir City and the Film Noir Foundation.

Suspense - The Shelter

Suspense's "The Shelter" is the story of two people waiting at a shelter for a midnight bus, while somewhere in the night, an escaped lunatic is on the loose.

As the episode opens, a young girl is dropped off at a lonely bus stop late at night. She has just heard an alert on the car radio about a mental patient who has escaped from the county hospital, but she feels certain that she will be safe inside of the bus shelter.

To her suprise, she discovers that she is not the only one waiting there. Inside of the darkened shelter is a man who insists on coversing with her. Despite her attempts to extricate herself from his chattering, she can't get away. Is the strange man in the dark shelter the escaped mental patient? She isn't sure, but if she leaves the safety of the bus stop, she might meet up with the lunatic out on the empty highway.

"The Shelter" was written for Suspense by Don Yerrill and starred Joyce McClusky and Vic Perrin. Also appearing were: Herb Ellis, Helen Kleeb, Dick Ryan, and Frank Gerstle. This episode aired on October 28, 1954.

.  Download Suspense_1954.10.28_TheShelter.mp3

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Escape - Serenade for a Cobra

Deadly snakes pop up again in an Escape story, this time in "Serenade for a Cobra."

The episode begins with a crabby, frog-voiced pilot named Monk Slavin narrating the story of how he came to be in Calcutta. He is out of work and down on his luck, yet he refuses an offer of employment made to him by Mr. Grant, the owner of a small freight company. The job involves flying between Kathmandu and Calcutta on a regular basis but, Slavin wants to make money in a faster, less ethical way.

Later, Slavin realizes that he can make money on the side using Grant's plane, so he accepts Grant's offer. The only other employee of Grant's is a mechanic named Jafar, who has a habit of serenading his pet cobra with a pungi. Slavin takes a dislike to Jafar and his music, and that dislike intensifies when Jafar questions Slavin's true motives for taking the job.

When Slavin makes his next routine flight, he also makes a profitable side deal with another employer to pick up cargo in China. All goes well until he tries to fly back to Calcutta from China and realizes that Jafar foresaw the possiblity of unscheduled flights and took precautions.

"Serenade for a Cobra" was written by Joel Murcott and produced/directed by William N. Robson. Charles McGraw starred as Slavin, Ramsey Hill as Grant, and Jay Novello as Jafar. Also appearing were Lucille Meredith, Joseph Kearns, and Paul Frees. This episode aired on June 16, 1950.

.  Download Escape.1950.06.16_SerenadeforaCobra.mp3

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Suspense - End of the Road

Suspense's "End of the Road" stars Glenn Ford in a radio noir about a car salesman who gets involved with a troubled woman.

Ford plays Speed Evans, a man for whom women have been an "expensive" habit. He wants to turn over a new leaf, but when he meets a captivating woman in his showroom, he quickly finds himself back to his old ways. Her name is Sylvia, and she is there with her wealthy husband, Mr. Ganlon, to buy a new car. Speed takes her on a flirtatious test drive and convinces Syvlia that she must have the car--and the salesman.

Sylvia and Speed have an affair, but she is unable to leave her older husband or her mysterious past behind. Speed drives Sylvia back to her hometown in Arizona to find the truth, but their trip leads them into danger.

"End of the Road" was written by Irving Moore and Robert L. Richards. At the time Glenn Ford appeared in this episode, he was promoting the 1947 noir film Framed. "End of the Road" was the first of Ford's two appearances on Suspense. Cathy Lewis played Sylvia Ganlon. Also featured were Hans Conried, Joseph Kearns, William Johnstone, and Wally Maher. This episode aired on February 6, 1947.

.  Download Suspense_1947.02.06_EndOfTheRoad.mp3

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Suspense - The Lady in the Red Hat

"The Lady in the Red Hat" is the story of a killer-on-the-loose who goes by the names "The Thirteenth Apostle" and "The Avenger."

The story begins when Mitch, a newspaper columnist, is told by his editor to stop writing articles about the psychology behind the crimes of the "The Avenger." The police think that the articles are a nuisance. Mitch, however, thinks that his theories are sound and, he isn't surprised when the killer contacts him.

A mysterious note requests a meeting at a community chapel at midnight, but Mitch isn't the only one who receives the invitation. Jeannie, the newspaper reporter who has been following the case, and the policeman in charge of the investigation are also contacted.

That night, the three of them go together and wait in the empty, darkened church for "The Avenger" to come.

"The Lady in the Red Hat" was written by Clot Daily and adapted for Suspense by Antony Ellis. Van Heflin starred as Mitch. Also appearing were Joan Banks, Joseph Kearns, and Lou Merrill. This episode aired on November 30, 1950.

.  Download Suspense_1950.11.30_LadyintheRedHat.MP3

This story was presented a second time on August 30, 1955. (The script is the same, but the sound quality of the later recording in better.) Victor Perrin starred as Mitch. Also appearing were Larry Thor, Jack Carroll, Virginia Gregg, Barney Phillips, and Jenny Stevens.

.  Download Suspense_1955.08.30_LadyintheRedHat.mp3

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Escape - Border Town

Escape's "Border Town" is the story of a man who finds a wad of money that gets him into all sorts of trouble.

The story begins with Evan, a struggling actor on a cross-country bus trip to Hollywood. At a bus depot in Texas, the man who had been seated next to him, is taken into custody as a counterfeiter.  Afterwards, Evan decides to make an overnight stop in El Paso and pick up the next bus in the morning.

At the hotel, when he reaches into his overcoat pocket, Evan finds a package of bills that the counterfeiter stashed there before he was taken away. His first thought is to call the FBI, but then he decides that getting involved isn't worth the trouble. Instead, Evan crosses over the American/Mexican border into the town of Juarez. He realizes that there is an opporunity to sell the counterfeit money there, but is the money really counterfeit?

"Border Town" was written by John and Gwen Bagni and produced/directed by William N. Robson. Jack Webb starred as Evan. (It is worth noting that the main character is never actually called by the name of Evan in this episode; however, that is the name given in the credits.) Also appearing were William Conrad as Jake, Ben Wright as O'Toole, Tony Barrett as Rice, and Jeanette Nolan as Nieves.  This episode aired on December 13, 1949.

. Download Escape_1949.12.13_ Border_Town.mp3

(Image of Ciudad Juarez from Wikimedia Commons)

Suspense - Three Lethal Words

Suspense's "Three Lethal Words" stars Joan Crawford as a woman who goes mad after being jilted by her younger husband.

Crawford plays Jane Winters, a screenwriter in Hollywood. As the story opens, she has just arrived in the office of Phillip Lewis, the head of a studio story department. She has come to pitch him an idea for a screenplay.

As she explains her idea for a movie about a screenwriter named Sally, who takes revenge on her younger husband, the boundaries between Jane's fictional character and her own life become blurred.

Joan Crawford's performance in this episode is captivating. Her ability to speak every single word of her dialogue with clarity and conviction is impressive. This was the second of Joan Crawford's two appearances on Suspense. At the time, she was promoting the film Goodbye, My Fancy.

"Three Lethal Words" was adapted for radio by Academy award nominated screenwriter Walter Brown Newman from a story by Charles Vion. Joseph Kearns played Phillip and Hy Averback played Chris. Also appearing were: Bea Benadaret, Lillian Buyeff, Ted de Corsia, Don Diamond and Sylvia Simms. This episode aired on March 22, 1951.

.  Download Suspense_1951.03.22_ThreeLethalWords.mp3

(Image of Joan Crawford from Wikimedia Commons)

Suspense - The Bridge

"The Bridge" is a campy Suspense drama about a husband, a wife, and a hussy.

The story begins at a Saturday night party in the suburban community of Westchester. The introduction is narrated by Liz, an unhappy party-goer. She is upset because her husband, Max, is noticeably smitten with a younger woman named Edith. Liz is certain that Max is fooling around behind her back.

When she encounters them together, Liz confronts her husband about his relationship with Edith. Max denies everything, of course, and even insists that they give Edith a ride home.

Liz duly tolerates the indignity of riding home in the same car with Edith, but then, the unexpected happens. As they are driving in the rain, their car spins off the road near a bridge. The three of them wind up trapped inside of the car while it hangs precariously off the side of a cliff. Faced with the danger of falling into the river, their true personalities are revealed.

"The Bridge" was written by Alan Botzer and William N. Robson. Cathy Lewis starred as Liz. Also appearing were Virginia Gregg, Jerry Hausner, and Bill Quinn. This episode aired on August 17, 1958.

.  Download Suspense_1958.08.17_TheBridge.mp3

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