"Jetsam" was one of six short stories by John Russell that Escape dramatized for broadcast, and five of these tales were taken from the now hard-to-find book The Red Mark: And Other Stories (1919). We've already covered the other four: "The Fourth Man," "The Red Mark," "The Adversary," and "The Price of the Head." So, with "Jetsam," we bring Escape's "Red Mark" series to a close.
Junius Peabody is a man with a line of credit and love of drink. He had been in Australia since the end of the war, but with little to show for it except his drinking. When his father cables from England and cuts off his funds, Junius takes the credit he has left and travels around on an extended drunken spree.
One morning, he wakes up on a beach on the island of Fufuti with nothing to his name. On the beach with him is a beachcomber, who had been helping Junius enjoy his money, until it ran out. With nothing else to do, Junius takes a dip in the ocean for a morning bath. In the water he finds something remarkable, something that just may pay for his ticket off Fufuti, but the little beachcomber wants it, too.
"Jetsam" was directed and adapted for radio by Norman MacDonnell. Ben Wright starred as Junius Peabody. John Dehner played Bendemeer, Lawrence Dobkin played Sir John, and Charlie Lung played the Sydney Duck. Edgar Barrier narrated.
. Download Escape_1953.02.08_Jetsam.mp3
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Revised 7/4/10
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