Escape's "The Second Class Passenger" was adapted and expanded from the short story by Perceval Gibbon. The original tale is available online at Open Library and in The Second Class Passenger and Other Stories (1913).
As the episode opens, Mr. Dawson is on a cruise that has stopped for the day in Mozambique. He and Miss Patterson are in town for lunch, along with a couple of the other gentlemen from the ship. On their return, Miss Patterson realizes that she left her souvenir back at the restaurant. Mr. Dawson doesn't want to retrieve it, but to save face in front of the other gents, he agrees to go.
After he picks up her souvenir, he gets caught in a terrible rainstorm. When he asks for shelter from one of the local residents, he soon becomes tangled in a web of intrigue. With the help of a mysterious woman, he faces one danger after another...but will he get back to his ship?
"The Second Class Passenger" was adapted for radio, produced, and directed by William N. Robson. Harry Bartell played Dawson. Jeannette Nolan played the woman. Also appearing were William Conrad and Cathy Lewis. This episode aired on January 7, 1948.
. Download Escape_1948.01.07_Second Class Passenger(EC)
Escape presented this story a second time on July 28, 1949. Parley Baer played Dawson. Also appearing were Georgia Ellis, Paul Dubov, Ben Wright, Vivi Janiss, John Dehner, Edgar Barrier, and Nestor Paiva.
. Download Escape_1949.07.28_Second_Class_Passenger
William N. Robson later presented this story on Suspense on January 20, 1957. Character actor and "Disney Legend" Sterling Holloway, the voice of Winnie the Pooh, starred as Mr. Dawson. This was his only appearance on Suspense. Also appearing were William Conrad and Hans Conried.
. Download Suspense_1957.01.20_SecondClassPassenger
(Image from The Second Class Passenger, Dodo Press 2007)
These stories are just so great to listen to . I remember sitting with my Dad at Grandmas to listen from time to time was always fun times !
Posted by: Lisa | February 01, 2011 at 04:42 PM