"The Rim of Terror" was adapted from the 1949 novel by Hildegarde Tolman Teilhet. Escape's version of this story is a good one, but only for the first half of the book. There wasn't enough time to cover this novel's many details in just half an hour.
In the book, Elizabeth Whitehill is a prim young woman who is driving across country with her dog to meet her fiance in Seattle. On her way through northern Nevada, she picks up a hitchhiker named Alex Peck and becomes involved, against all sense, in helping him escape from the spies who are chasing him.
Most of the book follows their road journey and their many screw-ups from Nevada to Idaho, but it also covers, in painstaking detail, the complicated relationship that develops between Elizabeth and Alex. In the end, the U.S. government saves the day, and Elizabeth chooses Alex over her fiance.
Escape didn't have time for all of that.
"The Rim of Terror" was adapted for radio, produced, and directed by William N. Robson. Nancy Kelly starred as Elizabeth Whitehill. Hans Conried played Alex Peck. This episode aired on May 12, 1950.
. Download Escape_1950.05.12_Rim Of Terror.mp3
Suspense also presented this episode with Barbara Whiting in the lead role. Ben Wright played Alex. William N. Robson produced/directed. This episode aired on December 6, 1956.
I was curious after hearing both radio versions of "Rim of Terror," so I sought out a copy of the original novel. Reading the book fleshed out the story for me, and extended it with one final nasty enounter with the evil "Mr. Smith." I loved the characters of Elizabeth and Alex and their adventures in the radio drama, and loved the novel because it added to what I already knew, and took the story further. My imagination drifted to thinking: What if "Rim of Terror" could have been made into a movie in 1950, or '51? I would have wanted the same leads for the film. "Rim of Terror" for "Escape" is an example of two actors who are perfectly cast for their roles. Nancy Kelly's Bostonian accent (she drives a 'cah') gives an authentic ring to her being a New England girl. Maybe not Vermont, but close enough! Hans Conried is not a conventional romantic leading man, which makes him exactly right for Alex. Hans Conried would have been physically right from the author's description, too: tall, dark, about 30.
--Kay Lhota
Posted by: Katharine Lhota | October 05, 2008 at 01:44 PM
I'm glad you read The Rim of Terror. I liked the characters of Elizabeth and Alex -- and of course, Torkel. (It also made me want a Bentley-Maximus.)
It would have been interesting if Rim of Terror had been made into a movie. It probably would have been pretty good!
Best,
Christine
Posted by: cmillinsf | October 05, 2008 at 05:57 PM