Escape - Green Splotches

Escape's "Green Splotches" is about plant-men from Jupiter who visit the Andean jungle to collect radium. This episode was closely adapted from the 1920 short story "The Green Splotches" by T.S. Stribling, but lacks the humorous nuances. The short story can be found in The Pocket Book of Science Fiction (1943). T.S. Stribling (1881-1965) was a Pulitzer Prize winning author and literary maverick from the American South.

"Green Splotches" takes place in the Valley of the Infernal River, between Chile and Peru. The DeLong Geographical Expedition has been sent there to survey the area and chart it for the first time, but they receive little help from the locals.

Undeterred, the expedition goes into the large and forbidding valley.  There, they encounter Mr. Three, from a country called One.  He and his compatriots belong to an advanced civilization which is powered by radium and where all communication is telepathic. (They are also collecting specimens for their zoo, but because they don't understand mammals, they don't realize they need to collect two of everything. They just assume their specimens will sprout.)

Escape's adaptation could have been better, but this episode is worth listening to at least once.

"Green Splotches" was produced, directed, and adapted for radio by William N. Robson. William Conrad and Paul Frees starred. Also appearing were Ted De Corsia, Harry Bartell, Barton Yarborough and Jay Novello. This episode aired on March 31, 1950.

.  Download escape_1950.03.31_Green Splotches.mp3

(Image from Stock.xchng)

Comments

[shonokin]

This has a lot of great elements to it that really push my Happy button. A classic writer's pulpy scifi story set in mysterious South America. I love it!

If you like South American adventures, Arthur O. Friel was an actual adventurer (like Talbot Mundy) who wrote fantasy tales based on his travels. There are several of his tales at Munseys http://www.munseys.com/detail/mode/author/Arthur_O_Friel

Oh, also I found another Suspense producer interview at Golden Age of Radio, this time for William Spier and June Havok.
http://www.goldenage-wtic.org/gaor-08.html

And one last one for ya, Henry Hull who appeared in “The Pit and the Pendulum” one of the first “Suspense” dramas.
http://www.goldenage-wtic.org/gaor-88.html

[cmillinsf]

Here at Escape and Suspense! we are always pleased when we push someone's Happy Button. I'm glad you appreciate the finer points of "Green Splotches." It is an interesting story and an unusual Escape episode. Thanks for the links you posted as well. I'll check'em out!
Best,
Christine