Escape's "Log of the Evening Star" is an excellent radio adaptation of a story by the English poet Alfred Noyes. This tale of a doomed ship was originally published in the book Walking Shadows; Sea Tales and Others in 1918. The short story is available online at R.U.R.itania Muglug.
The events that occurred on the South Seas schooner Evening Star are narrated to us by Mr. Harper, the first mate. As the episode opens, we are listening to his written account of the voyage, but it isn't the ship's official log. Harper has left his own log behind.
Mr. Harper explains that the Evening Star was set to sail on a routine voyage from San Francisco to Tahiti with 12 persons aboard. Captain Dayrell, the previous captain of the Evening Star, had died onboard three months earlier and the former first mate, Mr. Burgess, was the new captain. When Captain Burgess arrived with his new bride, the crew was stunned to see that he had married Mrs. Dayrell, the wife of their former captain. The new Mrs. Burgess, who had sailed with them before, would be accompanying them on this trip as well.
Three weeks into the voyage, the ghost of Captain Dayrell appears onboard and begins to murder his former crew.
"Log of the Evening Star" was adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield and produced/directed by William N. Robson. Jack Webb of Dragnet fame, appeared as Harper. Alan Reed, the familiar voice of cartoon character Fred Flinstone, played Captain Burgess. Gail Page played Mrs. Burgess and ethnic character actor Luis Van Rooten played Kato and the cat.
. Download escape_1948.03.14_Log of Evening Star.mp3
(Image from stock.xchng)
I like the plot and I liked Alan Reed as the captain, but Luis Van Rooten bugged me as both Kato and the cat. Jack Webb's performance was only so so as well. And what was up with the "Indians on the warpath" sounding music that they used for this episode?
Not bad, but not as good as it could have been. I was hoping this was one of the episodes redone for Suspense. Oh well.
Posted by: atoz | May 08, 2018 at 05:46 PM