Suspense is finally going to be inducted this year! (Better late than never!)
Click below to be taken to the Radio Hall of Fame website to read more about this year's inductees.
List of Radio Hall of Fame 2011 inductees
Now, seriously, what about out Escape?
(Thanks to Dixon for sending me the news!)
Last Sunday, I went to see Gotterdammerung, the fourth opera in Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung series. I can only afford to see two of the four operas of the Ring tetralogy this time around, so that's it for me. With Siegfried clocking in at about five hours and Gotterdammerung at five and half...at least now I can say I've experience Wagnerian opera. I'll catch the other two next time. Still, I enjoyed the San Francisco Opera's interesting and environmentally conscious presentation.
Gotterdammerung begins with the three Norns weaving the fates of mankind and the gods. I wasn't sure if the performers were supposed to be blind cable repair women hopelessly toiling away at untangling cords or what, but no--they are supposed to represent the collected knowledge of all of the internet. That was the only part that confused me, the rest was pretty straightforward.
All in all, I highly recommend the San Francisco Opera's Ring experience.
Here is the three minute preview of Gotterdammerung:
-Christine
I didn't post any updates last weekend. Why was that? I went to the opera, and then I caught another bad cold. So, this weekend, I'm going to try and get back on track by explaining how going to the opera consumed most of my weekend.
The San Francisco Opera is currently presenting Richard Wagner's epic The Ring of the Nibelung, and last Sunday, The Ring Summer 2011 festival opened with a stand alone performance of Siegfried, the third of the four operas that comprise the tetralogy.
Neither my mother nor I had ever before attended a Wagnerian opera, which was why we decided to get tickets this time around. We spent five hours on Saturday listening to an audio summary of The Ring and then another five hours on Sunday at the performance of Siegfried.
The S.F. Opera's presentation of The Ring cycle begins in Gold Rush era California with Das Rheingold, and by the time it gets to Siegfried, the story takes place in a trailer park in the modern era. The scenery is reminiscent of a Mad Max movie, except during set changes, when images of garbage, toxic fumes, power plants and such float across the stage.
Of course, one of the best parts of the opera is the scene where Siegfried battles the dragon. I, naively, was expecting to see a dragon, but instead, this Transformer thing came out.
All in all, it was an interesting experience that I highly recommend. Did I mention that we found a beer garden on the outdoor balcony? Well, we discovered that too late, but we look forward to checking it out when we return this week to see Gotterdammerung, the fourth opera of the cycle.
The next day was a holiday, Memorial Day, but by that time I had another bad cold, and I couldn't post updates. Some nasty springtime colds are going around, and they all seem to be finding me.
Now, I'm trying to catch up.
So, that's what happened when I went to see Siegfried last weekend...
All the best,
Christine
Here is the 3 minute version of Siegfried.
For more info about the San Francisco Opera's presentation of The Ring of Nibelung visit their website, SFOpera.com/Ring
As you know, we love to hear from our readers, and we are always ready to help them find the title to a Suspense episode.
That is, if we can identify it. If not, we like to ask for help from our readers!
We all know what it is like to remember the plot of an old time radio episode, but not know the title.
Here is an e-mail we received this week from Deb, who agreed to let us open her question to our audience.
"I am looking for the synopsis and title of a certain Suspense episode. I heard most of it on a satellite radio station, but missed the end. I’m sure Hans Conried was in it. Ok, so I think that Hans was a criminal and came upon a doctor who had some kind of serum or pill – something that can prolong life. The criminal thought he could get away with crime since he took this pill or serum. Well, he became very, very sensitive to little sounds. A clock ticking, for example, was deafening. I remember an upsetting scene in which the doctor shows the criminal (Conried?) his dog that the doctor keeps in a basement. The dog is whimpering – and that sound is deafening, too. The dog was given this serum and because of the sounds in his own environment, he is “…slowly going insane…"
Does this sound at all familiar to you? If so, do you know the title? Do you happen to know how it ends? It’s driving me crazy and I no longer get satellite radio!"
So, does anyone recognize the plot of this episode? If so, let us know!
Dear Readers,
Here at Escape and Suspense!, we always enjoy hearing from you. When you ask us a question, we try to find an answer. If we don't know the answer, we try refering you to someone who does.
This week, I received a nice e-mail from Gary, who is interested in finding a particular Suspense episode, but he doesn't know the title. As fans of OTR, we have all had this happen to us. An episode makes an impression, but then, for whatever reason, we can't find it again.
The episode that Gary is seeking isn't familar to me. At least, I don't think I have posted it here, but maybe I am wrong.
Do you recognize this plot?
Here is Gary's description:
"A group of men are planning to rob a ship. On they voyage out they figure out the crew's routines. The ship is nuclear powered, so they have to be able to take control of the engine room. The ship will also be bringing a gold shipment back, and that is the thieves' main goal. They also have to take over the radio room so the crew can not call for help.
On the return trip they make their move, but somehow the captain of the ship outsmarts the thieves. Only at the very end of the program, when the captain sets them adrift in a lifeboat, is it revealed that the ship is not an ocean liners but a spaceship and tho voyage was to another planet. Can you identify the episode from this?"
Any help identifying this episode would be appreciated!
Best regards,
Christine
*Solved!! Many thanks to Dan Dreibelbis, who correctly identified this as an episode of The Mysterious Traveler called "S.O.S."
And here it is:
. Download Mysterious Traveler-1950-05-02_SOS
(Dramatic image of a letter being read from the Suspense tv episode "Post Mortem")
I know we have some fans of Escape's adaptation of "Evening Primrose" around here, so it is worth mentioning that Steven Sondheim's musical adaptation of John Collier's short story is now available for the first time on DVD. The 1966 television broadcast has been remastered and restored from the original kinescope of the ABC Stage 67 production. Anthony Perkins and Charmian Carr starred.
Click for more information about Evening Primrose
Elsa Maxwell (1883-1963) was a multi-talented, stout little woman from Keokuk, Iowa, who left school at age fourteen and eventually became world-renowned for her incredible skills as a hostess. Fans of Suspense know Elsa because she usually appeared in the first commercial break of episodes from the 1940's, when the show was sponsored by Roma wines.
As a wine company spokesperson, she delivered a "plain talk" sermon on gracious hospitality and how to make guests feel welcome by serving Roma wines.
So, it is enlightening to read her book How to Do It: or The Lively Art of Entertaining. In it, Elsa discusses how she really felt about alcohol consumption at parties.
First, Elsa Maxwell stated that: "except for an occasional glass of wine or beer, I do not drink."
Elsa became famous for introducing the scavenger hunt and the treasure hunt as adult party games. She did this at the height of the anything-goes 1920's because she wanted guests to be able to break out of their adult routines and enjoy themselves as freely as children. She also knew that playing games reduced the amount of drinking at her parties.
She pointed out that people should know their limit, but that parties can often be so stimulating that people don't realize when they have gone past theirs. To avoid that, Elsa recommended that people drink less at parties than they would at home.
Elsa also shared her tips on what to do when guests drink too much and get unruly. She suggested that the host/hostess shouldn't let this happen, but if it did, they should immediately get tough with the excessive drinker because being polite and gentle doesn't work. If necessary, kick them out, but make sure they get home safely.
If Elsa noticed a party guest drinking beyond his limit, she would take him aside and tell him to "lay off" because he was ruining the party for everyone else. She would then say, "You can have as much drink as you can hold, so long as you can hold it. But no more." That experience alone was enough to sober a guest.
If the excessive drinker was a woman, her method was "more direct and more painful." She would come up behind the woman "and give her pearls a twist." She claimed that this method worked most of the time, but if it didn't, she would follow it up with a talking-to.
So, if anyone gets drunk and unruly at one of your holiday parties, take 'em down, Elsa-style. She didn't get to the top of her game by putting up with guests who ruined the ambiance of her gracious hospitality!
And there you have it from the authority herself!
Image of Elsa Maxwell with William Rhinelander Stuart (left) and Cole Porter (right) in 1934 from Wikimedia Commons.
Thanks to loyal reader Tom D., who reminded me that September 27th is the birth date of William Conrad (1920-1994.)
We've already posted many of the great Escape episodes that featured William Conrad, including his impressive performance in their adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Poison." Many of the Suspense episodes in which he was a primary character have already been posted here as well. We've also covered some of the films in which appeared. (The Killers, The Naked Jungle, Cry of the Hunted, etc..)
That didn't leave me much to work with for a birthday tribute, but one aspect of his career that we haven't focused on is television. Conrad was known for the series Cannon, Nero Wolfe, and Jake and the Fatman.
On the other side of the camera, he was a director and producer with a list of credits in film and television. Conrad was also the narrator for a number television programs, including what appears to have been a short-lived television version of Escape in 1950.
So, for some birthday fun, let's take a look at some of his more light-hearted television work:
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This TvLand promo for the "Frank Cannon Diet" makes me want to watch the show...and have a snack.
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William Conrad's voice was featured in a number of commercials, but this one, in which Conrad walks us through an "Allerest Alert," is my favorite.
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In the 1960's, Conrad provided the voice for Quake cereal, which was in competition with Quisp cereal. Dawes Butler provides the voice of Quisp and Paul Frees is the announcer.
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
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!
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)
Hi Folks,
We are having some technical problems, and it iooks like we won't be able to post this week's new material as planned.
Yesterday, we most of the evening setting up our new computer, and today we aren't quite finished with all of the technical bits yet.
So, be patient with us this weekend, and we will be back in action early next week. In the meantime, you can browse our previously posted episodes, or take a moment to pre-order Suspense: The Lost Episodes Collection 3, which is due out this week.
Thanks!
Christine
This week, Spade & Archer, the prequel to Dashiell Hammett's 1930 classic The Maltese Falcon landed in bookstores. Joe Gores, a former private eye and author of sixteen novels, was given permission from Hammett's daughter to pick up the story of detective Sam Spade ten years before The Maltese Falcon begins.
Spade & Archer explains how Sam Spade set up his office in San Francisco in 1921, how Effie Perrine became his secretary, how Spade and Iva Archer came to be involved, and how he and Miles Archer became partners in 1928. Aside from that, we follow Spade on investigations that take him all around the San Francisco Bay. If you are a fan of The Maltese Falcon, you will probably enjoy reading the prequel. The historical details were well researched, and the style of the book is respectful to the original work.
So, let's look back at some of the radio versions of The Maltese Falcon that were done after the release of John Huston's 1941 film adaptation starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The radio versions are condensed, and we don't experience all of the cigarrette rolling and Bacardi drinking of the book, but they are still fun to listen to. All three of these productions were performed in front of live audiences.
The Screen Guild Theater (CBS Radio) presented a 30 minute radio adaptation on September 20, 1943. Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre reprised their roles from the film. (There is some audio static towards the end on this recording.)
. Download Sgt_43-09-20_ep162_The_Maltese_Falcon
(On May 18th, 1950, The Screen Guild Theater presented "The Maltese Falcon" again with Humphrey Bogart and his wife, Lauren Bacall, in the lead roles.)
Academy Award Theater (CBS Radio) presented a 30 minute radio adaptation on July 3, 1946. Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet starred.
. Download Acad.1946.07.03_Maltese_Falcon,_The
Lux Radio Theater (CBS Radio) presented an excellent hour-long version on February 8, 1943. Edward G. Robinson, Gail Patrick, and Laird Cregar starred.
. Download Lux_1943-02-08_TheMalteseFalcon
Other radio programs that presented stories involving Sam Spade include Suspense ("The Kandy Tooth" and "The House in Cypress Canyon") and the series The Adventures of Sam Spade (1946-1951).
Below is a trailer for The Maltese Falcon that says it all.
(Image: Spade & Archer, Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, 2009)
For a while there, it seemed that Infinity Entertainment Group and Falcon Picture Group would not release the third collection of Suspense: The Lost Episodes. We have had to wait over a year, but soon, the third and final collection will be available.
So, mark you calendars! The release date for the new collection is March 17, 2009.
For more information, you can head over to TvShowsonDVD.com and check out the details. For descriptions of the individual episodes included in this collection, go over to Classicflix.com.
I know that some of you are happy about this because I have been getting e-mails about it lately.
Our sister blog, Suspense Television is up and running again after an unexpected break (to my foot) back in July. We look forward to the new episodes that are on the way!
-Christine
When I created Escape and Suspense! two years ago, I was influenced by two things: a small book titled Horrifically Bad Album Covers and, more specifically, by a local television personality from the 1970's named Bob Wilkins.
Mr. Wilkins was the host of a late night tv horror show in northern California called Creature Features, but he was also the host of a local children's afternoon show in the late 1970's called The Captain Cosmic Show. Now, I was just around the target age for The Captain Cosmic Show when it debuted, so I spent a fair amount of time watching it. Captain Cosmic's true identity was supposed to be a big secret, but of course, all the kids knew it was Bob Wilkins from Creature Features.
Sure, we weren't supposed to be up late watching Bob Wilkins and the dreadful b-movie horror flicks on Creature Features, but we all did. Often, the best part of the show was just Bob himself. Bespectacled, cigar-puffing, and always slightly amused, Bob Wilkins would sit in his yellow rocking chair and warn us, with droll wit, about the movies he had lined up for the evening.
After eight years as the host of Creature Features on KTVU Channel 2, Bob Wilkins left the show in 1979 and went back to his career as an ad man. Many years later, it was announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. On Wednesday, January 7, 2009, he died at the age of 76 from complications of Alzheimer's.
Below are a couple of Youtube videos that demonstate Bob Wilkins' style of humor. The first clip is taken from his early days as a tv horror host in Sacramento. The second clip was the intro to The Captain Cosmic Show.
Above is a poster of Mr. Wilkins that I used to have hanging over my desk at work...until my employer made me take it down.
Respectfully,
- Christine
Here is Captain Cosmic:
Hi Folks,
We've been having lots of holiday fun here at Escape and Suspense!, and the imaginary staff has been working hard to make things merry. Well, they wanted the weekend off to do their holiday shopping, and frankly, after a few cups of hot buttered rum at our Christmas party, I couldn't say no.
Since they aren't here to stop me, I thought I would post some of the pictures I have taken of our holiday frolics.
Here is Mr. Johnson, our accounts payable manager decorating our office Christmas tree. That's the spirit, Bob! Of course, it takes him hours and hours to painstakingly decorate the tree from the top down, but in the end, it really looks great.
Hey, what do you know! It's Santa! (Well, actually, it's Mr. Hernandez, head of our marketing department.) Here he is spreading holiday cheer at our office Christmas party--after a few too many!
Well, look, it's Mrs. Selkirk and the ladies of the research department representing Escape and Suspense! on our float in the holiday parade. It was our first time in the parade, and boy were we proud! Don't they look great!
Speaking of the research department, they have been doing a lot of work to get ready for the coming year. There is much more to come in 2009! In the meantime, we will be posting on our normal schedule over the Christmas and New Year's holiday, so be sure to drop by.
Happy holidays!
-Christine
Prominent screenwriter John Michael Hayes passed away on November 19, 2008, in New Hampshire at the age of 89. He was best known for his collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock on the films Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Trouble with Harry, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, but his other screen credits include Peyton Place, Butterfield 8, and many others.
In 1955, Hayes received an Academy Award nomination for Rear Window, which he had adapted from the short story by Cornell Woolrich. He was nominated a second time in 1958 for his adaptation of the novel Peyton Place by Grace Metalious.
John MIchael Hayes, like many other screenwriters, began his career as a scriptwriter in radio. His work was presented on a number of popular programs including Suspense, Inner Sanctum, My Favorite Husband, and others.
In all, Hayes is credited as a writer on ten episodes of Suspense and most fans of the show have probably heard an episode written or co-written by him. Those episodes include: "Very Much Like a Nightmare," True Report," "Lady in Distress," "The Wages of Sin," Vamp Till Dead," The Well-Dressed Corpse," "The Windy City Six," The Gift of Jumbo Brannigan," "Early to Death," and "Death on my Hands."
Hayes also co-wrote the script of the Escape episode "Two if By Sea," which was adapted from the novel Came the Dawn.
For more information about the life of John Michael Hayes, and his association with Hitchcock, click here to read his obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle (11/28/08).
Click below to watch the trailer for Rear Window.
(Image from Wikimedia Commons)
Hi Folks,
The imaginary staff is annoyed because they have never had a vacation....ever.
I snapped this picture of them at last week's imaginary staff meeting and frankly, you can see for yourself that they seem a little crabby and unfocused.
Well, this week, I came down with a bad cold and our proofreader went out of town -- so I just went ahead and gave everyone the weekend off.
We will all be back next week!
See ya then,
Christine
It is family-holiday funtime! Here we see our office boy Jimmy being criticized by his family for listening to too much vintage radio. He has put on a helmut to muffle out the sound of their complaints. Good for you, Jimmy!
Anyhow, Thanksgiving is over and now the Christmas season is upon us. Here at Escape and Suspense!, that means that I am putting together a line-up of episodes about family, gifts, adventure, and Christmas.
To begin, we present Suspense's portrait of sisterly madness and deception in the episode, "The Sisters." The screaming and yelling in this story may just remind you of home and your own dear sis.
Happy Holidays!
-Christine
Hello,
Just a reminder that Suspense: The Lost Episodes Collection 2 was released on October 30th. (Click on the purple widget to the left for more information.)
It's been a busy Halloween here at Escape and Suspense! and I will be posting this weekend's new episodes soon. In the meantime, check out our television blog (www.suspensetelevision.com) which has already been updated. This week, I examined the television version of the Suspense classic "On a Country Road."
Best,
Christine
Come join us!
The time has come to explore the smoky, murky, kinescopic world of Suspense--on television. The companion site to Escape and Suspense! is now open.
The name? Suspense Television: Murder, Mystery and Spark Plugs.
Visit us at: www.suspensetelevision.com
While I work out the kinks and figure out the posting schedule, feel free to browse.
Cheers,
Christine
Thanks to those of you who have left comments and sent e-mails. We appreciate your support and of course, our imaginary Escape and Suspense! Communications Team, (pictured right) is always at your service. This week they have prompted me to put out a bulletin about current events.
First, the companion blog that I have been working on about the television show Suspense will soon be up and rolling. That project was delayed because it required more time than expected. For those interested in the television show, thirty more episodes will soon be available. The second volume of DVDs for Suspense: The Lost Episodes is scheduled to be released at the end of October. (Click on the purple widget to the left for more information.)
October will also bring Halloween and with it the opportunity to post scary episodes. It should be fun, and I hope that you enjoy them.
xoxo,
Christine
If you are a fan of Cornell Woolrich's stories on Suspense, then you may be interested in an upcoming theatrical production of one of his short stories.
Angel Face, presented by the Word for Word Performing Arts Theater Company, is a new stage presentation that will run from August 10th to September 2nd at the Project Artaud Theater in San Francisco.
The Word for Word Theater Company specializes in presenting short stories accurately and in the manner in which the author intended them. Now, we know that with a Woolrich story, that can't possibly mean a dull evening.
For more information about Angel Face and tickets contact The Z Space Studio.
Hello,
Not everyone thought yesterday's sudden blackout was a hoot!
If you tried to access this blog yesterday and had difficulties, it was due to a large blackout that we had in downtown San Francisco. My blog host,TypePad.com, was one of the many companies affected by it.
The office building where I work had to be shut down for a while, too, just when I was expecting the UPS guy to drop off my new DVD set of Suspense: The Lost Episodes. Talk about suspense! Finally, after two hours, the building was re-opened and UPS delivered my package. Yay for UPS!
I have been on a bit of a Suspense binge since they have arrived. So far, "Dr. Violet" has won me over as the most entertaining, but I have many more episodes to watch.
If you are interested in purchasing the new set you can click on the orange widget to the left. If you would like to read a little more about it, here is a link that will take you to an article at iF Magazine with more information.
My new companion blog about the television show Suspense will be up soon. In the meantime, you can visit my new MySpace.com page for Escape and Suspense!
Best,
Christine
Escape and Suspense! will take a brief break between July 5th and July 8th for a vacation/research trip to Hollywood. While I am away my imaginery back-up staff (pictured below) will be monitoring my messages. Send us an e-mail! There will be much more to come in July.
Up until now I haven't written much about the television show Suspense, which aired 260 episodes from 1949 to 1954. The television show was broadcast live from New York and these episodes have long been considered "lost."
For the first time in over fifty years, some of these lost episodes will soon become available. The first DVD set of the lost television episodes of Suspense will be released on July 24th. Was the television version of Suspense as good as the radio show? We'll see! If you are interested in pre-ordering the Suspense DVD, I've added an orange widget for this item on the left hand side of this page.
I am currently creating a companion blog to Escape and Suspense! that will be devoted entirely to the television show Suspense. Hopefully, it will be up sometime in late July. Of course, I will continue to update Escape and Suspense! three times a week.
Thanks to everyone who has supported this blog in its first six months. For our American readers, have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
Hugs,
Christine
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