"The Man Who Won the War" was adapted from the classic short story written by Robert Buckner. This World War I tale about a British officer first appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in February of 1936. It was reprinted shortly afterwards in Reader's Digest (April 1936) and was also included in the anthology book, The Best American Short Stories of 1937. Robert Buckner later went on to become a screenwriter for movies and television. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the film Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942.
According to Buckner's entry in the Dictionary of Literary Biography, "The Man Who Won the War" was based on an event in the life of a man named Cecil Brandon, whom Buckner met while in Europe. The story recounts a pivotal moment in World War I that supposedly took place on a beach in Belgium in October of 1914.
"The Man Who Won the War" was adapted for Escape by producer/director William N. Robson. The radio-play isn't an exact retelling of the original work but it is a worthy dramatization. It is an episode about patriotism and destiny. This Escape presentation also features an unusually large cast. Ben Wright starred as Commander Bradman. Also appearing were: John Dehner, Terry Kilbern, Joseph Kearns, Barton Yarborough, Jeff Corey, Ian Wolfe, Paul Frees, Charlie Lung, and John Hoyt.
This episode aired on February 28, 1950.
. Download Escape.1950.02.28_TheManWhoWonTheWar.mp3
(Image of Remembrance Poppies from Wikipedia)
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