Escape and Suspense!

Summer Holiday

Hi Folks,

Escape and Suspense! will be taking a summer holiday between July 26 and August 7. Our blog won't be updated during that time, but my copyeditor (mom) and I will still be Twittering as we travel to Minnesota, the land of our Viking ancestors.

The imaginary staff, pictured above, will be staying in San Francisco to keep an eye on things. 

During our summer break, I will also be doing some long overdue site maintenance and planning.

Don't worry, we'll be back in time for the start of the new school year, when scores of young students will suddenly search the internet for help with their "Three Skeleton Key" reading assignments. When they do, they will find themselves helplessly drawn towards the easier option of listening to Escape's version... and when they fall into that trap, Escape and Suspense! will be there there to guide them toward one of the best stories ever told on radio.

Best,

Christine

 

Escape - A Dream of Armageddon

Escape's "A Dream of Armageddon" is based on the 1901 short story by H.G. Wells. (The original work is available online at Wikisource.) Escape made a few alterations to the story by skipping the original beginning, by changing the setting from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century, and by changing the nationalities from English to American. Otherwise, they kept the rest of the story intact.

As the episode opens, a man describes a vivid dream in which he finds himself living a completely different life. In his dream, he wakes to a new life in Capri, hundreds of years into the future. He is with a woman he loves, but there is a cloud over their happiness. In order to be together, he had to leave his position as a world leader, and now, without him, world politics seems to be steadily moving towards war.

When the man wakes up in his own time, he is back in his own drab life. Was it really a dream? Days pass and eventually his dream of the future picks up again and turns into a nightmare.

"A Dream of Armageddon" was adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield and was produced and directed by Norman MacDonnell. Featured in the cast were Stacy Harris and Betty Lou Gerson. Also appearing were Charlotte Lawrence, Jack Kruschen, Erik Rolf, and John Dehner. This episode aired on September 5, 1948.

. Download Escape_1948.09.05_A Dream of Armageddon

(Image of Fall River Press edition)

Suspense - This Will Kill You

In "This Will Kill You" a factory worker decides to get the better of his supervisor by setting him up on a murder charge.

Joe Jordan isn't the brightest worker at the plant, but he thinks he is. Joe is convinced that someday he will make it big, but in the meantime, he works at his factory job and makes things difficult for the foreman, Charlie Harris. Problem is that Charlie seems to be everything that Joe isn't.

Joe decides that the best way to resolve that problem is to use his smarts to get rid of Charlie. So, he commits a murder and tries to throw the blame on him. Will it work? Is Joe really as smart as he thinks?

"This Will Kill You" was produced/directed by William Spier. Dane Clark starred. Also appearing were Wally Maher and Elliott Lewis. This episode aired on August 23, 1945.

.  Download Suspense_1945.08.23_This Will Kill You

This story was presented again on November 29, 1955. Peter Ashley wrote the script and Anthony Ellis produced/directed. Sam Edwards starred. Also appearing were Lillian Buyeff, Charles Seel, Victor Perrin, Barney Phillips, and Lennie Weinrib.

. Download Suspense_1955.11.29_This Will Kill You

(Image of Dane Clark from Flixster)

Suspense - The Mystery of the Mary Celeste

In "The Mystery of the Mary Celeste," Suspense recreates one of the great mysteries of the seas, and gives us one explanation as to what might have happened onboard.

On December 9, 1872, the brigantine Mary Celeste  was found derelict and abandoned off the coast of North Africa. The ship, which had started its voyage a month earlier, was in good repair and had supplies for six months. Its cargo was in good condition.

Many theories have been advanced to explain the disappearance of the crew. Their valuables and personal possessions were still in place at the time the ship was discovered and there were no signs of violence. Yet, they were never seen or heard from again.

"The Mystery of the Mary Celeste" was written by Gil Doud and produced/directed by Elliott Lewis. Van Heflin starred. Also appearing were William Conrad, Paul Frees, Hal Gerard, Joseph Kearns, Jeannette Nolan, and Dan O'Herlihy. This episode aired on June 8, 1953.

. Download Suspense_1953.06.08_Mystery Of The Mary Celeste

Suspense presented this story again on December 27, 1955. Antony Ellis produced and directed. John Dehner starred. Also appearing were Victor Perrin, Joseph Kearns, Paul Frees, Ben Wright, Joe Duvall, and Helen Kleeb.

. Download Suspense_1955.12.27_Mystery of Mary the Celeste

(Image of the Mary Celeste from Wikipedia)

Escape - The Tramp

In "The Tramp" an undesirable ship is hijacked by three murderous crew members.

As the episode opens, The Lace Wing is sitting in a Liverpool dock. Three men stand looking over the tramp steamer, and they are not impressed. Still, they need to find a ship that no one will miss, then hijack it, and sail to Dominica. The Lace Wing appears to be just what they need.

Because the ship lacks a sufficient crew, they have no problems being hired by the drunken captain. Arthur Jennings is taken on as mate and his two associates become the chief engineer and second officer.

The captain spends most of the trip in a stupor, but when he does wake up, he realizes that the ship is off course. He confronts the three men, and they throw him overboard. Unfortunately, one of the other crew members saw what happened to him. Can the three mutineers keep him quiet?

"The Tramp" was written and directed by Antony Ellis. Ben Wright starred as Jennings, Jay Novello as Gowdy, and Charlie Lung as Winkle Jones. Also appearing were Tudor Owen, Alec Harford, Lou Krugman, and Charles Davis. This episode aired on March 1, 1953.

. Download Escape_1953.03.01_The Tramp

(Image from Stock.xchng)

Suspense - The Day I Died

In "The Day I Died," Joseph Cotten stars as a murderer who makes the mistake of asking his wife to hide him.

Welles Gallaway was stealing from his law practice. He stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, but now he is broke. Welles doesn't have an answer to his troubles, but he goes up to his cabin with a revolver to figure it out. He doesn't bother to ask his wife, Leslie, to come because she is in love with another man.

Once there, his law partner, Red Tuttle, arrives and they fight. Soon, a kerosene lamp is knocked over and the cabin catches fire. Welles grabs his revolver and shoots Red.

When the authorities find the cabin, they assume the dead man inside is Welles, but it isn't. He has found his way back home, and he intends to hide until he can collect his life insurance money. The problem is Leslie, having once treated her so badly, can Welles trust her to help him?

"The Day I Died" was written by television writer Ken Pettus and Lou Scofield. Anton M. Leader produced and directed. Joseph Cottenstarred. The names of the supporting actors are not given. This episode aired on June 30, 1949.

. Download Suspense-1949.06.30_The Day I Died

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Escape - The Second Class Passenger

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)

Suspense - No More Alice

In "No More Alice," a man shelters an escaped criminal in order to get him to commit a murder.

Frankie Tattum has just broken out of the state prison. Dr. Wright was driving through a lonely strech of road near the prison when he heard the news on his car radio. He stopped and decided to let the escaped murderer come to him. 

Frankie finds his car, and Dr. Wright offers to help him, but he wants something in return. The doctor tells him that he wants to study him, but that isn't what he really wants. 

The truth is that the doctor is in love with his wife's best friend, and he wants his wife out of the way. He plans to let Frankie take care of that for him.

"No More Alice" was written by Martin Ryeson and produced/directed by William Spier. Paul Henried starred. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, Wally Maher, and Joseph Kearns. This episode aired on March 14, 1946.

. Download Suspense_1946.03.14_No More Alice

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)