Escape and Suspense!

Suspense - Hide and Seek

Suspense's "Hide and Seek" is the story of a Chicago gambler trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Dandy D'Angelis is a gambler known around town for his dapper appearance, and he owes money to Ed Bigelow. Dandy put borrowed money on a horse that came in fifth, but he doesn't have the funds to cover his bet.

Bigelow isn't happy that the debt isn't being repaid, and he tells "the boys" to take the "bloom off the dandy man." So, Ed's associates decide to take Dandy for a nice drive in the country -- one from which he won't be returning. When they pass through Dandy's old neighborhood on their way out of town, he jumps out of the car and runs away. Now he has to hide in an alley from Ed's men, but his past comes back to haunt him.

"Hide and Seek" was written for Suspense by Bob Corcoran. Jackson Beck and William Redfield starred. (The voice of Jackson Beck, the narrator of this episode, is one that is familiar to many. Although it may not be immediately obvious, he was the voice of Bluto in over 300 Popeye cartoons.) This episode aired on May 13, 1962.

.  Download Suspense_1962.05.13_HideAndSeek.mp3

(Image from Morguefile)

Escape - The Open Boat

Escape's "The Open Boat" was adapted from a short story by Stephen Crane. The tale is a fictionalized account of Crane's own experience as the survivor of a shipwreck in 1897, while en route to Cuba. The full text of "The Open Boat" (1898) is available online from the Stephen Crane Society. Escape used modified passages from the original work to narrate this episode, and in doing so, preserved this story's message about the indifference of Nature towards mankind.

"When it occurs to a man that Nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples..."

As the episode opens, four shipwrecked men are in a struggle to survive the rough ocean off the Florida coast in a small dinghy. Soon, the Mosquito Inlet Light is in sight and they assume that they will be rescued, but no one comes for them. To avoid crashing into the shore, they are forced to head back towards the open ocean. Later they drift close enough to shore to be seen by people on the beach, but no one helps them. Finally, they decide they can wait no longer, and they have to take the risk of heading the boat into the dangerous shoreline.

"The Open Boat" was adapted for radio by E. Jack Neuman. William Conrad was the narrator, TomTulley played the correspondent, Edgar Barrier played the captain, Bob Sweeny played the cook, and Dave Young played the Billy the oiler. This episode aired on July 19, 1953.

.  Download escape_07.19.1953_ TheOpenBoat.mp3

Escape also based an episode on Stephen Crane's story, "The Blue Hotel," but no recordings of that broadcast are known to exist at this time. "The Blue Hotel" aired on May 24, 1953. 

(Image of Mosquito Inlet Light (Now Ponce DeLeon Light) from Wikipedia.)

Suspense - Give Me Liberty

"Give Me Liberty" sounds patriotic, but this Suspense episode is a harsh tale about an escaped criminal unable to free himself of his handcuffs.

Mr. Earl French embezzeled $250,000, was caught, and then sentenced to seven years in prison. None of this bothers him because it was all according to his plan. He never disclosed to the authorities where the stolen money was, and after he completes his prison term, he plans to spend it.

On route to the penitentiary, Mr. French is smug while chatting with the police officer accompanying him. His plan, however, takes a sudden new direction when the train crashes. In the aftermath, he murders the police officer, switches their wallets, and escapes.

Now, the only obstacles to his freedom are the handcuffs that he can't remove. Mr. French can't get the tools he needs to break them, and no one will help him. His smugness turns to desperation as his circumstances become worse, and he meets up with a cruel female hobo.

"Give Me Liberty"  was written by Herb Meadow and starred William Powell. Ann Morrison played the hobo.  This episode aired for the first time on October 21, 1948.

.  Download Suspense_1948.10.21_GiveMeLiberty.mp3

Suspense presented this story again on March 29, 1955 with good results. Television actor/writer Tony Barrett played Mr. French. Also appearing were Michael Ann Barrett, Dick Beals, Helen Kleeb, and Lou Merrill.

.  Download Suspense_1955.03.29.GiveMeLiberty.mp3

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Best or Worst - The Morrison Affair

One can only wonder what the people at Suspense were thinking when they presented this episode.

"The Morrison Affair" starts out well and keeps us interested until the second half of the episode. Then we realize it is a stupid story. By the end of it, we are certain that it is a stupid story. How does it keep us until the end? Well, it has something to do with the small child who appears to be in constant danger throughout the last half of the show. We can't help but be worried.

As the episode opens, Mrs. Morrison is calling upon a divorce attorney. She explains that she needs help, and then she tells him the story of how she met her husband, Dr. Paul Morrison. She is English, and he is American. They met in England and stayed there during the first two years of their marriage. She desperately wanted a child but was unable to have one. On their last day together, before Dr. Morrison left to serve in the war, she tried to convince him that they should adopt a child. Her husband flatly rejected the idea, and Mrs. Morrison was heartbroken.

After her husband left, Mrs. Morrison was alone and unhappy in London, but her situation changed the day she took a train to the country. She shared a train compartment with a widowed woman and her several children. The mother seemed overwhelmed by her burden, and Mrs. Morrison felt that the woman was indirectly asking her for relief. So, she stole the woman's baby.

After creating a birth record for their son Jaimie, and lying to her husband, Mrs. Morrison felt confident that her plan had worked. Had it? When her husband returned from the war, he had doubts about their "miracle kid." In fact, he seemed to hold grudge against the little guy.

"The Morrison Affair' was written for Suspense by Pamela Wilcox. British actress Madeleine Carroll, best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps, starred as Mrs. Morrison. Gerald Mohr played Mr. Morrison. This episode aired on September 2, 1948.

. Download Suspense_1948.09.02_TheMorrisonAffair.mp3

(Image of Madeleine Carroll from Wikimedia Commons)

Escape - How Love Came to Professor Guildea

Escape's "How Love Came to Professor Guildea" is based on the short story of the same name by Robert S. Hichens. Although the radio-play is well adapted from the original work, this episode does have its moments of being silly instead of suspenseful. The original short story, which was published in 1900, is available online as a Gaslight e-text and is worth reading.

Professor Guildea is an important man of science. He lives in a comfortable London home with servants that he barely acknowledges and a pet parrot leftover from one of his experiments. Professor Guildea detests affection and mocks love. Yet, he does have one friend, Father Murchison, a man who could not be more different than Professor Guildea. Father Murchison is filled with love for mankind and empathy for others.

One night, Professor Guildea calls Father Murchison to his house because he is convinced that there is an entity inhabiting his home. He cannot see the entity, but he feels its presence. The invisible intruder holds a great affection for Professor Guildea, but the affection repulses him. Father Murchison believes his friend is going mad, but then Professor Guildea shows him that the parrot sees and mimics the invisible entity.

"How Love Came to Professor Guildea" was adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield. Luis Van Rooten played Professor Guildea and Parley Baer played Father Murchison. Paul Frees played the parrot. This episode aired on February 22, 1948.

. Download escape_1948.02.02_Professor Guildea.mp3   

(Image from Stock.xchng)

Suspense - The Lovebirds

Suspense's "The Lovebirds" stars Joan Fontaine in a story about a resentful woman trapped in an unhappy marriage to a needy man.

As the episode opens, Martha explains how she has played nursemaid to her husband, Sam, for seven years. Throughout that time she has been waiting for him to die from one of his many ailments, but Sam has proven to be spunkier than his doctor predicted. Martha is tired of taking care of a husband she hates, but no one suspects her real feelings. Sam and Martha appear to be so devoted to each other that people call them "the lovebirds."

One night, Martha decides to take matters into her own hands by giving Sam an overdose of sleeping pills. When Sam survives the overdose, she tries again. What Martha doesn't know is that Sam has caught on to what she is up to, and he has his own plans for her.

"The Lovebirds" was written by Cheryl Hendricks and adapted for Suspense by Harold Swanton.  This was Joan Fontaine's only appearance on Suspense. At the time, she was promoting the film, You Gotta Stay Happy (1948). Also appearing were Jerry Hausner, William Johnstone, and Lestor Schott. This episode aired on March 3, 1949.

.  Download Suspense_1949.03.03_Lovebirds.mp3

(Image of Joan Fontaine from Wikipedia)

Suspense - A Rest for Emily

"A Rest for Emily" is a peculiar Suspense tale about a farmer who goes mad from having to listen to his wife complain.

Orrin Reed and his wife, Emily, have lived on their farm for thirty years, but they have not prospered. Their life has been hard, and Emily has become an unhappy shrew. One night, Emily's "bitter words" are too much for Orrin. When she tells him to go get the coffee, he comes back from the kitchen with a rifle instead.

Orrin decides to return Emily to the land by burying her in the barn. Later that night, he receives a strange phone call telling him, "You'll never get away with it."

"A Rest for Emily" was written by Berel Firestone. Bill Smith and Abby Lewis played Orrin and Emily. Also appearing were Ralph Bell, Lee Graham, and Larry Robinson. This episode aired on September 4, 1960. (The sound quality of this recording is not the best.)

. Download Suspense_1960.09.04_ARestforEmily.mp3   

(Image from Morguefile.com)

Escape -The Lost Special

How can a train disappear on an open track between two stations eight miles apart? That is the mystery at the center of the short story "The Lost Special" (1908) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Escape's version of the "The Lost Special" makes a few changes to the story, but it is a well-executed radio adaptation. If you are interested in reading the orginal work, it is available online as a Gaslight e-text.

The story begins at the railway station in Liverpool where a man named Monsieur Caratel, recently arrived from Central America and on his way to France, has asked to hire a special train to London.  The station agent, Mr. Bland, makes the arrangments and soon Caratel and his bodyguard are on their way.

Reports from the railway stations along the route indicate that everything is running smoothly, but somewhere between the stations at Kenyon Junction and Barton Moss, the train disappears.

Inspector Collins, an agent from Scotland Yard, is called in by Mr. Bland to determine what happened to the missing train and why.

"The Lost Special" was adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield with editorial supervision by John Dunkel. Norman MacDonnell produced/ directed and Ben Wright starred as Inspector Collins. Also appearing were Parley Baer, John Dehner, Edgar Barrier, Lawrence Dobkin, and Paul Frees. This episode aired on February 12, 1949.

. Download escape_1949.02.12_The Lost Special.mp3

(Image from Morguefile.com)

Suspense - Too Hot to Live

Suspense's "Too Hot to Live" is the story of a stranger in a small prairie town who tries to run from a murder.

As the episode opens, we meet Jefferson, a former soldier turned drifter. After he is ousted from the freight train on which he has been hitching a ride, he walks down a sun-baked road towards the closest town, Marcus Junction. On the way, his worn-out shoes fall apart.

The first person he meets in Marcus Junction is Benjamin, the sheriff. He directs Jefferson to a place where he can have his shoes repaired and then offers to buy him a coffee in the diner next door. Jefferson leaves his shoes and socks at the repair shop and goes over to the diner.

Jefferson only came in for the coffee, but Rachel, the waitress, offers more. She invites him upstairs to her apartment for the afternoon. He accepts, and after a few too many strong drinks, he wakes to find Rachel murdered. Now he must outrun the law--in his bare feet.

"Too Hot to Live" was written by Sam Rolfe and starred Richard Widmark. This episode aired on October 26, 1950.

.  Download Suspense_1950.10.26_TooHotToLive.mp3

Suspense presented this story again with Sam Edwards in the role of Jefferson on June 29,1954.

. Download Suspense_1954.06.29_TooHotToLive.mp3

Suspense presented this story a third time with Van Heflin the role of Jefferson on April 12, 1959. This version is a little shorter, but just as good. The background music in this episode is effective.

. Download Suspense_1959.04.12_TooHotToLive.mp3

(Image of Richard Widmark from Flixster.com)

Suspense - A Man in the House

" A Man in the House" is one of many Suspense episodes that revolve around a relative, who is both an invalid and a terrible burden. In this story, a daughter has sacrificed her own happiness to care for her elderly mother. The Suspense episode, "The Copper Tea Strainer," portrays a similar mother-daughter situation but with a different outcome.

"A Man in the House" is hard to beat when it comes to depressing opening scenes. Violin music swells as Emily Barrett explains how she came to be a mousy, spinster librarian at a young age. It all began when her father's unexpected death turned her mother into a difficult, bitter woman. Later, her mother became chronically ill and bound to a wheelchair.

The neighbors think that what Emily and her mother need is a man in the house. As it turns out, that is what they get. One day, an intruder breaks into their home, kills their dog, and announces that he will be their guest for an unspecified amount of time. The intruder knows that no one will come to the house because no one can stand Emily's mother. He tells Emily to do what he says, or her mother will get hurt -- yet he disapproves of how Emily has sacrificed her youth for her mother.

"Man in the House" was written by Leslie Edgely and starred Joan Lorring as Emily. At the time, she was promoting the film The Corn is Green (1945), for which she would receive an Academy Award nomination. Joseph Kearns played the intruder. This episode aired on August 2, 1945.

. Download Suspense_1945.08.02_Man_In_The_House.mp3

This episode was also presented on the television show Suspense in 1949, with different results. For more information visit Suspense Television.

(Image of Alan Baxter and Kim Hunter from "Man in the House" (1949) from the television show Suspense.)

Escape - The Man Who Stole the Bible

Escape's "The Man Who Stole the Bible" is set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. It is the story of a salesman on a business trip who accidentally becomes involved in a dangerous intrigue.

As the episode opens, Mr. Cummings is waiting in his hotel room for a call to come through from his boss. He can't take the risk of missing the call, but he has nothing to do while waiting. The only reading material he can find in his room is the Bible. After initially putting it off, he finds himself absorbed in the story of David.

Mr. Cummings is interrupted when the house detective comes to look for an item left behind by the previous occupant. He is interrupted a second time when the woman in the next room asks Mr. Cummings to help her open a window. Upon returning to his room, Mr. Cummings finds that someone has rifled through his things. When he complains about all of this at the front desk, they tell him that the house detective isn't on duty, and the woman in the room next to him has just checked out.

So, what were they looking for in his room?

"The Man Who Stole the Bible" was written by John and Gwen Bagni and produced/directed by William N. Robson. Rick Valent played Mr. Cumming. Also appearing were Nannette Boardman, Ben Wright, Will Geer, Lee Merrill, Mary Shipp, Harry Bartell, Peter Leeds, and Paul Frees. This episode aired on May 5, 1950.

.  Download Escape.1950.05.05_ManWhoStoleTheBible.mp3

(Images from Morguefile.com and Stock.xchng)

Suspense - Shooting Star

Suspense's "Shooting Star" is the story of a Hollywood actress and her peculiar revenge on a studio producer. The star of this episode is Virginia Christine, an actress familiar to most as friendly Mrs. Olsen from Folger's Coffee commercials of the 1960's and 70's.

Gay Lansing is an actress/dancer who has been working for J.D. Zimmer's studio for many years. She has been in one cheap movie musical after another, but she hopes that the studio will give her a serious role in their latest production.

Soon, however, Gay's agent informs her that not only will she not get a part in the new movie, but that J.D. Zimmer has dropped her contract. When Gay finds out that J.D. has gone down to his house in the desert for the weekend, she decides to pay him a visit. Gay wants to convince him, with her gun, to change his mind.

"Shooting Star" was written by Ruth Borne and produced/directed by Norman MacDonnell. Virginia Christine, in her only appearance on Suspense, played Gay Lansing. (She does break into a Scandinavian accent for a few minutes towards the end of this episode.) Joseph Kearns played J.D. Zimmer. Also appearing were John Dehner, Sam Edwards, and John Large. This episode aired on November 25, 1954.

. Download Suspense_1954.11.25_ShootingStar.mp3

Click below to watch Mrs. Olsen in action. Virginia Christine portrayed Mrs. Olsen in television commercials for 21 years.

Video from the Internet Archive.

Back from Noir City

The Noir City Film Festival is just about over, but I was able to catch Night Has a Thousand Eyes, D.O.A., and The Story of Molly X.

Arriving early for Night Has a Thousand Eyes, it didn't appear that this Cornell Woolrich film was much of a draw, but the crowd quickly grew. One guy even cut in front of me in the line to get in! The movie is interesting enough, but different from the book. A lot of the screen time focuses on Gail Russell's hypnotic eyes. (For a half-hour radio version of this movie, go to the end of this post.)

D.O.A. was a crowd favorite, not only because it is noir classic, but because there are quite a few scenes that are impossible to watch without chuckling. It is a weird film with a complicated plot, but the crowd enjoyed it thoroughly. D.O.A. played on a double feature with The Story of Molly X. Though it was a cold and rainy Thursday night, more than 900 people attended!

For fans of Suspense, The Story of Molly X is a treat. June Havoc stars as Molly, the lady-boss of a gang of criminals. She is caught after a heist and sentenced to several years in a women's prison.  (Note: The correctional facility in this movie is more like a sorority house than a prison.) When Molly arrives at the prison, we come across some familiar voices... Sandra Gould, who can be heard in the commercials for U.S. Savings Bonds in Suspense episodes from the late 1950's, plays the inmate who welcomes Molly to prison life. Then, there is Suspense regular Cathy Lewis, who plays Molly's cell-mate! Other Suspense regulars who turn up in this film are Wally Maher and Elliott Lewis. One of the film's co-stars, Dorothy Hart,  made one appearance on the television show Suspense in the episode "Vacancy for Death."

The Story of Molly X is a short film, but a good one. Let's hope they put it out on DVD one of these days.

The Noir City Film Festival is held annually at the historic Castro Theatre.

If you are interested in the movie Night Has a Thousand Eyes, there is a half-hour radio version that was done for The Screen Director's Playhouse. It will give you the quick version of the movie's plot-line. Director John Farrow and two of the film's stars, Edward G. Robinson and William Demarest appeared. This episode aired on February 27, 1949. 

. Download sdph.1949.02.27_NightHasAThousandEyes.mp3