"Sundown" is a tale set in the Old West about a young man who loses his horse to an outlaw and vows revenge.
As the episode opens, two men come upon a family that has met with disaster while crossing the desert. The only survivor is a five year old boy named Ben Ford. One of the men, Dan, then decides to care for him as his own.
When Ben is older, Dan lets him have has own horse. Ben loves his horse more than anything, but one day, an outlaw named Kirby Hunsinger steals the animal. Ben goes after him, and later finds his beloved horse has been abandoned with a broken leg. Ben then asks Dan for a gun.
Young Ben dreams of his revenge on Hunsinger and waits for his chance. Years later, when word finally comes that Hunsinger is in Flagstaff, Ben rides off to have a showdown. Dan trails him, but he can't talk Ben out of a his long-awaited duel at sundown.
"Sundown" was written by Joel Murcott and producted/directed by William N. Robson. Sam Edwards played Ben and Barton Yarborough played Dan. Also appearing were Will Geer, Ted Osborne, John Ramsey Hill, Paul Frees, and John Dehner. This episode aired on June 23, 1950.
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Suspense did this show as well...but I found this version rather dull...especially since it starred Jackie Kelk, and I still envisioned Homer from The Aldrich Family challenging the bad guy to a duel with his not quite manly voice!
Posted by: Stacy | March 02, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Hi Stacy,
Thanks for your comment. I forgot to check to see if Suspense had done this one. Haven't had a chance to listen to their version yet. Best, Christine
Posted by: cmillinsf | March 07, 2009 at 06:24 AM
Sam Edwards played hundreds of Western roles during the Golden Age of Radio. I think his performance as Ben in "Sundown" might well be his best. Great script by Joel Murcott. One of the more underrated episodes of ESCAPE.
Posted by: Stewart | September 15, 2013 at 06:42 PM