Escape and Suspense!

Escape - Typhoon

Escape's "Typhoon" was adapted from the 1903 short story by Joseph Conrad. It can be found in Typhoon and Other Tales, and online at Wikisource. It is one of two Conrad stories adapted for radio by Escape. (See also "The Brute" ) To read more about Escape's presentations, click here, to read an article published in Conradiana (3-22-06).

The episode is narrated by Mr. Jukes, first mate of the Nan-Shan. As the story opens, the ship is about to set sail for three years of cargo-hauling in the China Seas. The commander is Captain MacWhirr, a man whose lack of imagination easily frustates Mr. Jukes.

When the ship arrives in Singapore, the captain takes on an unusal cargo, two hundred Chinese workers on their way to Fu-Chau. As the ship sails toward the next port, Mr. Jukes has an ominous feeling.

Soon, the barometer drops and the swells start to grow. Is it just "some dirty weather knocking about", or is there something more serious on the horizon?

"Typhoon" was adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield and produced/directed by William N. Robson. Frank Lovejoy starred. Also appearing were Raymond Lawrence and Cy Kendall. This episode aired on July 28, 1947.

. Download Escape_1947.7.28_ Typhoon

Suspense - Fly by Night

In "Fly by Night," Joseph Cotton stars as a man framed for murder and on the run from the law.

As the episode opens, Mickey Manning has been kept awake by the police for seventy-two  hours in order to sign a confession. They believe he murdered his business partner, Leo Garvin, and they have a witness named Venutti, who saw Manning the night of the murder. Manning signs the confession, but as they are on their way to the courthouse, he escapes from the police. 

First, he asks for help from his wife, but gets none. Next he turns to her cousin, an attorney named Charles Borden, who does offer to help.

Then, Manning visits the office of Venutti, only to find a drunken woman and Venutti's dead body. Next to Venutti's body, he finds his own gun.

Who killed Leo Garvin and Venutti, and why do they want to frame Manning?

"Fly by Night" was written by George Fass and Gertrude Fass and adapted for radio by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. Elliott Lewis produced and directed. Joseph Cotten starred. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, Tom Bernard, and Jeannette Nolan. This episode aired on September 28, 1950.

. Download Suspense_1950.09.28_FlyByNight

(Image from Wikipedia)

Suspense - Blood on the Trumpet

In "Blood on the Trumpet," William Holden plays a New Orleans musician who gets in trouble with the law.

As the episode opens, two police sergeants arrive at Victor's hotel room to arrest him for the murder of his wife, Sarah.  Victor is relieved to see them and not ...him.

This  story began when Victor met Luana at a nightclub in the French Quarter. She liked " his look" and his trumpet playing. They went out for coffee, and by early morning, the two of them were planning to run off together.

Not long after that, Victor's wife was found with her head beaten in by a trumpet.

Will Victor go to jail for the murder of his wife, or is there another suspect?

"Blood on the Trumpet" was written by Richard Pedicini and produced and directed by Elliott Lewis. William Holden starred as Victor. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, Joseph Kearns, and Barton Yarborough. Trumpet music provided by Ziggy Elman. This episode aired on November 9, 1950.

. Download Suspense_1950.11.09_Blood On The Trumpet 

(Image from Wikipedia)

Suspense Nominated for the Radio Hall of Fame!

It is about time! Suspense has been nominated for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2009.

Anyone can vote in this online election, so I hope that all of you Suspense fans out there will take a few minutes to register and cast your vote.

Suspense is nominated under the category of "National--Pioneer." 

Online voting is taking place now and will end at midnight on August 1st.

To see the list of nominees and to vote, click below: 

 http://www.radiohof.org/2009_nominees.html

Vote today! Tell your friends! Hurray for Suspense!

Escape - The Brute

Escape's "The Brute" was adapted from the 1906 short story by Joseph Conrad. The story can be found in A Set of Six (1908), a collection of his short stories available online at Wikisource. To read more about Escape's adaptations of 'The Brute" and "Typhoon," click here to read an article published in Conradiana. 

As the episode opens in the year 1900, The Apse Family is about to be christened and launched. Young Charley Wilmot and his father go down to the docks to watch, and Charley wishes desperately that he could fulfill his apprenticeship on the beautiful new ship.

As they watch the ceremonies, the unexpected happens. The ship is "launched in blood" and quickly gains a reputation as a murderess,  a "brute." With every voyage, the ship's reputation for death and trouble increases.

Eventually, Charley does get assigned to The Apse Family as third mate. His older brother, Ned, is first mate and together they hope to break the jinx. Will they, or will "The Brute" continue to cause destruction?

"The Brute" was adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield and produced/directed by Norman MacDonnell. Dan O'Herlihy played Ned Wilmot and Eric Rolf played Charley Wilmot. Also appearing were Nina Codden, Jeff Corey, Wilms Herbert, and Parley Baer. This episode aired on April 11, 1948.

. Download Escape_1948.04.11_The Brute

Suspense - John Barbie & Son

In "John Barbie & Son," a father goes on the run with his son to protect him from being sent to an institution.

Mr. Barbie promised his late wife that he would never let them put their son away, but when the boy accidentally harms a neighbor's pet, the authorities come to take the child to the home.  Rather than see his son insitutionalized, Mr. Barbie decides to escape.

The father takes the boy and sneaks off in the night, but he has a difficult time hiding him without arousing suspicion. Will he succeed in his plan, or will the authorities catch up to him?

"John Barbie & Son" was written by Mel Dinelli and produced/directed by William Spier. Thomas Mitchell starred. Also appearing were Verna Felton, Elliott Lewis, Wally Maher, John McIntire, and Jeannette Nolan. This episode aired on February 22, 1945.

. Download Suspense_1945.02.22_John Barbie and Son

Suspense presented this story again on March 29, 1959. William N. Robson produced and directed. John McIntire starred. Also appearing were Jack Kruschen, Ellen Morgan, Sam Pierce, and Karl Swenson.

. Download Suspense_1959.03.29_JohnBarbieandSon

(Image from Wikipedia)

How Snow White's Evil Queen Found Her Voice...

Here is a quick video from Hollywood Stories about the stage actress Lucille Laverne, who provided the voice of the evil queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The part of the film where the evil queen disguises herself as the old crone is the scariest, and now we know one of the reasons why!

For more info about Hollywood Stories with Stephen Scochet click here.

Suspense - Tree of Life

In "Tree of Life," a man accidentally walks in on two killers hired to murder his next door neighbor's wife.

Jimmy and Helen Dawson are moving into a lovely double bungalow. Helen is ecstatic because now, in their new home, they can really concentrate on "gracious living." Jimmy is sort of happy about it, but what he would like is a room where he can follow his dream...and paint. 

Helen squashes that idea right away by reminding him of the importance of "gracious living."  She explains that it will be good for him. 

Jimmy relents, but in his mind, he wants her dead.

By coincidence, their next door neighbor, Mr. Roxborough, has plans to kill his own wife. When Jimmy comes home one night, and can't remember which door is the one to his home, he accidentally walks in on the hitmen who were hired to kill Mrs. Roxborough. They think Jimmy is Mr. Roxborough, and to stay alive, he has to play along.

"Tree of Life" was written by J. Douglas Ware and produced/directed by William Spier. Mark Stevens starred. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, Hans Conried, Elliott Lewis, Wally Maher, and Joseph Kearns. This episode aired on January 2, 1947.

. Download Suspense_1947.01.02_Tree Of Life

(Image from Wikimedia Commons )

Escape - An Ordinary Man

In Escape's "An Ordinary Man," a cruise passenger gets caught in a web of intrigue by telling a fib to a beautiful woman.

Mr. Hensill is 40 years old  and an ordinary man with an ordinary job. So, he decides to live it up and spend his life savings on a Mediterranean cruise. His feeling of freedom gets the better of him, and one night, he casually lets it be known that he is an importer of rare gems. His hope was to impress a fellow passenger, the beautiful Maria, and it appears to have worked.

Maria asks him to help her by guarding a valuable piece of jewelry.  She is a woman traveling alone, and she does not feel safe carrying the expensive brooch with her. So, Mr. Hensill agrees to keep it until the ship docks in Trapani.

Soon after he promises Maria that he will guard the brooch, it is stolen from him. Now, he is determined to get it back in order to prove that he is more than just an ordinary man.

"An Ordinary Man" was written by Kathleen Hite  and directed by Norman MacDonnell. John Dehner starred. Also appearing were Virginia Gregg, Edgar Barrier, Anthony Barrett, Eda Reiss Merin, and Harry Bartell. This episode aired on June 3, 1954.

. Download Escape_1954.06.03_An Ordinary Man

(Image from Wikipedia)

Suspense - The Missing Person

"The Missing Person" is a Suspense "based on fact" psuedo-documentary which tells the story of a symphony musician who mysteriously disappears shortly before a performance. (The true names and places were changed.)

A writer in Los Angeles is assigned to do a feature story on Joseph Ebner, who disappeared in March of 1948. Joseph Ebner was first violinist for the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra.

One night, just before the evening's performance, Ebner got up from his chair to go downstairs to get something from his locker. He left the stage...and was never seen again.

How can a musician disappear without a trace between the stage and his locker?

(Given that this episode aired in 1952, and it is now over 50 years old, one wonders if there was ever a resolution to this true story...)

"The Missing Person" was written by Richard Pedicini and produced/directed by Elliott Lewis. MacDonald Carey starred as Phil Dexter. Also appearing were Joseph Kearns, Jay Novello, James Nusser, Irene Tedrow, Herb Vigran, and Paula Winslowe. This episode aired on May 12, 1952.

. Download Suspense_1952.05.12_MissingPerson

(Image from Stock.xchng)

Suspense - Uncle Henry's Rosebush

In "Uncle Henry's Rosebush," a young couple drops in on relatives unexpectedly and then learns that it is always better to call first.

Paul and Carol Linden are taking their first vacation in years. Carol thinks it would be fun to make a surprise visit to the farm of her beloved Aunt Julie and Uncle Henry. They haven't met Paul yet, and Paul loves farms, so it seems like a good idea.

When they arrive at the farm for their unannounced two week visit, Aunt Julie isn't pleased to see them. She asks them to leave, but they insist on staying. Paul and Carol then notice that the house is a mess and that Uncle Henry isn't there. 

Why does Aunt Julie want them to leave, and where is Uncle Henry?

"Uncle Henry's Rosebush" was written by Larry Roman, produced by William Spier, and directed by  Ted Bliss. Agnes Moorehead, Ellen Drew, and Ted Reid starred. This episode aired on June 29, 1943.

. Download Suspense_1943.06.29_Uncle Henry's Rose Bush

(Image from Morguefile)

The Urban Legend of the Ghost Hitchhiker

Here is a clip from the television series Mostly True Stories: Urban Legends Revealed (2002-2004), which discusses the history of the legend of the roadside hitchhiker.

In Seattle

Hi Folks,

I'm in Seattle for the weekend, so I won't be able to post my usual updates today. Escape and Suspense! will be back on its regular schedule next week.

All the best,

Christine

(Image from Stock.xchng)