It's that time again! The 12th annual San Francisco Film Noir Foundation Festival begins Friday, January 24th!
This year, the festival beckons to us with the title "Noir City 12 - It's a Bitter Little World."
Why? Well, this time the focus is on international films, and they promise to take us on a cinematic journey around the world, to dispel the belief that noir is a singularly American phenomenon. The films presented will come from France, Germany, Britain, Norway, Mexico, Argentina, and Japan.
Aside from the foreign selections, there will be a couple of exciting restorations, Too Late for Tears (1949) and The Hitch-Hiker (1953).
Altogether, 27 films will be presented in 10 days.
For more information about Noir City 12 visit the Film Noir Foundation website at www.noircity.com.
In Suspense's "The Angel of Death," Paul Henried stars as a man who commits himself to a lengthy and self-punishing plan of revenge against his wife.
The episode opens on New Year's Eve...and violins begin to play. John Forsythe begins a narrative in which he explains that he has always been extraordinarily intelligent. And, he tells us that only to explain the series of events which began on the same night fifteen years earlier in London...
John had suspected that his wife and his best friend were involved, but it wasn't until he caught them planning to run away together on that night, that he knew the truth.
A month later, John was on trial for the murder of both of them!
But, John never worried about his trial or his sentence. He believed that his superior intelligence would win out...until now.
In Suspense's, "I Never Met the Dead Man," Danny Kaye plays against type in a bleak noir about a man framed for murder who must find a way to clear his name.
As the episode opens, Joe recalls how he was walking down a street on New Year's Day...when suddenly, there was gunfire! A man was shot and killed.
The police arrived, and they immediately considered Joe the primary suspect.
He told them he was just walking down the street...but the evidence discovered by the police told a different story.
So, what did happen?
"I Never Met the Dead Man" was written by television screenwriter William Bruckner, directed by Norman MacDonnell and produced by William Spier. Danny Kaye starred. The name of the actress who played Bella isn't given but it is probably Jeannette Nolan. Joseph Kearns also appeared. This episode aired on January 5, 1950.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write to me via comments, social media, or e-mail. As you know, sometimes it can take me a little to time respond, but I do try to answer everyone!
This month, Escape and Suspense! Vintage Radio is celebrating its seventh anniversary. Seven years...and I still have about 200+ episodes of Suspense to go until I get to the end of the series.
I posted the entire Escape series several years ago, but I will be going back through those posts soon to update the audio files. I will also be making some overdue updates to this website in the coming months as well.
January has always been our month for noir. That means it is time for our annual trip to the Noir City Film Festival...and of course, it means finishing one or more of the Cornell Woolrich novels on my reading list.
You may see some changes to the website in the near future as we try to improve the experience for everyone.
In "The Escape of Lacey Abbott," William Powell stars as a psycopathic patient who escapes confinement to search for the man who betrayed him.
As the episode opens, Lacey Abbott impersonates his attorney and signs his way out of Bellevue Hospital. For the first time in two years, he is free. However, his primary goal is to find the man who put him in Bellevue, Martin Avery. Lacey was convicted of murdering his wife, but Martin Avery was the real killer.
Lacey easily buys a gun from a pawnbroker and heads over to Park Avenue. He then walks into Avery's home and takes him hostage at gunpoint.
But, now that he has Martin Avery cornered, what exactly does Lacey want?
In "Let There Be Light," an isolated man must protect himself against an unexpected intrusion
As the episode opens, Bill Dennison stands outside his mountain home and wonders about the strangers that are approaching. Why would they be coming to see him? He can sense that something is wrong.
Bill tries to hide indoors, but his two visitors, a man and a woman, know he is home. When he lets them in, his lack of hospitality doesn't prevent them from helping themselves.
The couple tells him that they want information. They want to know about the plane that crashed nearby, because it was carrying something that belonged to them.
Bill pleads innocence about the crash, and the couple are about to leave, but then Bill's friend Helen drops in unexpectedly. And, after listening to her sing the praises of Bill, the couple realizes that he may know more than he claims.
Will Bill ever find a way to get rid of his two visitors...and to stop getting pep talks from Helen?
"Let There Be Light" was written by Irwin Lewis and produced/directed by Bruno Zirato Jr. Ivor Francis starred. Also appearing were Teri Keane, Jean Gillespie. The name of the actor playing Sam is not given. This episode aired on April 8, 1962.
Halloween is over, but if you still need a little more...then head on over to the website of the The Icebox Radio Theater, www.iceboxradio.org, and listen to a scary little episode called, "The Tiny Door".
Also on their Halloween 2013 program is the more youthful story, "The Haunted Halloween Train", and a reading of Edgar Allan Poe's 1843 short story "The Black Cat".
Here at Escape and Suspense!, we are fans of SPERDVAC - The Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama Variety and Comedy.
So, we strongly encourage you to join us in contibuting to their "It's the Holidays" Old Time Radio Convention, which will be held in North Hollywood in November 15 - 17, 2013.
In "The Doctor Prescribed Death," Bela Lugosi stars as a psychologist who decides to test his theory about murder after being mocked by a colleague.
Dr. Antonio Bacile's theory is that a person who wants to commit suicide may be convinced to take the life of another instead.
He thinks his theory is brilliant, but his editor, Martin Hellman, doesn't agree. Not only does he advise against publishing Bacile's theory, it makes him chuckle. Why, it even makes him laugh. Hellman then warns Bacile that his ideas are too crazy to publish.
Bacile tells Hellman that he will make him regret those words! He is going to prove his theory!
That same night, he finds the perfect person on whom to test his theory...and to make Hellman regret those chuckles.
But, will his theory work as planned?
"The Doctory Prescribed Death" was written by J. Donald Wilson, directed by Ted Bliss, and produced by William Spier. Bela Lugosi starred. The name of the other actors aren't given. This episode aired on February 2, 1943.
In Suspense's "The Phones Die First," Harry Bartell stars as a death row inmate experiencing the remaining hours before his execution.
A prison phone rings as the episode opens. The warden is calling to retrieve one prisoner, Bruener. His sister has been granted special permission for a visit.
The guard goes over to death row to get Bruener, who is in the process of giving away his possessions. He informs Bruener that he has a visitor and then tells him to say goodbye to the other prisoners...because he won't be coming back.
Bruener says his goodbyes and then visits with his sister. He spends the remaining fourteen hours of his life with the chaplain, but all the while he wonders if he this is his end...or if a call from the governer will come in time.
In Suspense's "Going, Going, Gone," Ozzie and Harriet star in a story about an old trunk, whose contents turn out to be intriguing...and troublesome.
This episode is supposedly based on the book Going, Going, Gone, which is one in the series of Asey Mayo Mysteries by Phoebe Atwood Taylor. Aside from the title, and the fact that they are both about an old trunk sold at an auction, the two stories have nothing in common. In the book, the old trunk contains a dead body and the mystery revolves around how that came to be.
As the episode opens, Jan and Wally are at auction when an old trunk with stains comes up for sale. The auctioneer claims that the "mysteriously sealed" trunk requires being sold unopened. Jan bids and wins it for a few dollars. But then, a man bursts into the room to bid on the trunk--and discovers that he is too late. The auction is over!
Wally isn't fooled by that old gimmick, he know that auctioneers make those kinds of plays to keep things exciting. However, after they take their new trunk home, they realize it might be more problematic than they thought...
++Clarification about 20th century telephones: This is one of those Suspense episodes which requires an explanation of how telephones used to work. Part of this story revolves around the main character trying to use his home phone but not being able to because it is a "party line". You can read more about the "party line" (or the multiparty line, or shared service line) at Wikipedia, but essentially, it was an arrangement where neighbors shared a single phone line. So, you had to wait until the line was clear to make your call.
In Suspense's "A Passage to Benares" Paul Stewart stars as an American tourist in Trinidad who becomes caught in a murder investigation. This episode is based on the short story of the same name by T.S. Stribling, which was first published in Adventure magazine (Feb. 20, 1926). Suspense made a few shortcuts, but their version is essentially the same as the written work.
The book Clues of the Caribbees: Being Certain Criminal Investigations of Henry Poggioli, Ph.D (1929) contains the original five stories about the main character, Poggioli. The last of these is "A Passage to Benares."
This episode, and the short story, include the racial slur "coolie" and other cultural insensitivity that may immediately turn off a modern listener. At first, this might be offensive enough to give up on this episode, but see it through to the end. "A Passage to Benares" is set in the 1920's in Trinidad, when it was still under British rule, and the demeaning language and the cultural arrogance are part of the time period. As it progresses, the story shifts into a different level of consciousness.
As the episode opens, Henry Poggioli wakes to find himself sleeping on the floor of a Hindu temple. Groggy and disoriented, he gets up and returns to the home of his friend, Mr. Lowell, with whom he is staying. They sit down to breakfast and discuss the local news. Mr. Lowell then brings up an item in the paper which demonstrates his notion that natives kill their wives for no reason. A man is in jail for having murdered his child bride only a few hours after they were married. In fact, Poggioli and Mr. Lowell saw the wedding procession pass them and enter the temple last night.
Mr. Lowell then remarks on what a good thing it was that they did not follow through on Poggioli's idea of seeing what it is like to spend a night in the temple/rest house with the mendicant Hindu pilgrims.
Mr. Poggioli agrees....but he did spend the night in the temple...
In Suspense's "Four Hours to Kill," Robert Taylor plays a newspaper man who falls in love while hunting down the woman who can put him away for murder.
As the episode opens, Ted Pomeroy explains about the competition between himself and his successful younger brother, Walter. Then he describes what happened the night he went to Walter in the hopes of obtaining a business loan.
Walter was drunk and as nasty and competitive as ever. Not only did he refuse to help, but he berated Ted for being a failure and started a fight. Ted took a swing at Walter for being a jerk...but when Walter didn't get up, Ted discovered that he had accidentally killed his brother.
Ted's other realization was that his arrival had interrupted a phone call. Walter had put down the phone to answer the door, and the woman on the other end of the line heard everything...but she doesn't realize that Walter is dead yet. Ted needs to find her before she discovers the truth and tells the police what she knows. Then, he plans to kill her to protect himself.
Can he track her down with only the few clues that he has?
This story was originally written by Harold Swanton for Philip Morris Playhouse, which broadcast this episode the previous year on May 13, 1949. The presentation is essentially the same, but there are minor differences, mostly in dialogue. Nevertheless, the PMP version seems the better one of the two. William Spier was the producer for that version as well. Howard Duff starred but also appearing were Wally Maher and Cathy Lewis.
In Suspense's "Murder in Black and White," Edmund Gwenn stars as a man who murders his business partner and then waits to hear the news so that he can react publicly...but the news never comes.
As the episode opens, Rice Archer, according to the meticulous plan he has crafted, murders his friend and business partner Tom Hannigan. Following every detail in his notebook, Rice shoots Tom and then carries out the planned post-murder procedures to cover-up the crime. Everything goes just as he anticipated. He leaves Tom's home and returns to his own apartment.
Later that night, Rice takes the train into the city on his weekly business trip. In the morning, he checks into a hotel and visits with clients, and all the while, he waits for news of his partner's death. However, there is no news.
After two days, Rice goes back to the factory, but Tom doesn't appear to be dead at all. From what everyone tells him, Tom has been quite busy while Rice has been gone.
So, where did Rice go wrong?
"Murder in Black and White" was written by adapted by Eli David from a story written by Ann Wormser and Jess Oppenheimer (who later became the head writer of I Love Lucy.) Anton M. Leader produced and directed. Edmund Gwenn starred. Also appearing were Conrad Binyon, Lurene Tuttle, and Verna Felton. This episode aired on April 14, 1949.
In Suspense's, "Dateline Lisbon", John Hodiak stars as a foreign correspondent who becomes involved in a dangerous deal with a Nazi general attempting to escape his war crimes.
(This episode aired during World War II, but the listener is asked to imagine a time in the future when the war is over. The trial depicted in this story takes place within a post-war "court of world decmocracies.")
As the episode opens, William Baldwin is on trial for murder. He begins his defense by describing the lively scene in the neutral port of Lisbon, Portugal, during the war.
He then describes exactly what happened the night that he went to the Hotel de Gama, where he accidently came across his old friend Terri Moore. She was a photographer on assignment in Lisbon for an American magazine, but that night, she took a picture of someone who did not want to be photographed.
A man approached her and requested that she sell him the negative for a large sum. Terri declined, but that got her into more trouble.
Terri is upset, but Bill is curious to discover who wants that photograph so badly...
"Dateline Lisbon" was written by screenwriter Harold Medford. According to Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills by Martin Grams, Jr., this episode was originally written for The Whistler under the title "Lisbon Adventure". There is no surviving recording of that broadcast (on March 12, 1944), and I don't have a copy of the script, so I can't compare the two. William Spier produced and directed. John Hodiak starred. The name of the actress and the actor playing Von Klaus are not given. (I'll venture a guess that the actress is Betty Lou Gerson.) Joseph Kearns appeared as Mosca. This episode aired on October 5, 1944.
In "Till the Day I Die," Suspense puts their own spin on the biblical story of Cane and Abel. Dane Clark stars as a hoodlum who discovers that everything he ever wanted ...belonged to the man he murdered.
As the episode opens, Frankie paces the floor. After committing an armed robbery, it is hard not to be cagey. Frankie wants to get out of his dumpy apartment and spend the money, but his girlfriend, Pat, is the problem. She is upset about the murder he committed during their robbery. Upset that...the victim looked just like Frankie!
He can brush it off, but she can't.
Frankie is done with Pat, but she is the only witness to the murder. So, he can't let her go entirely. He tells her they have to part ways until the heat is off. She is supposed to go to Philadelphia while he goes to Chicago. They will meet later.
Frankie gets on a bus to the train station, but he quickly runs into a little boy, who mistakes him for his father. How could that possibly be?
In Suspense's "'Till Death Do Us Part," Peter Lorre stars as a husband who does not react well to what he perceives as his wife's betrayal.
As the episode opens, neighbors are talking about the middle-aged mathematics professor, Irwin Craft, and his young wife, Cynthia. Although a foreigner, he is well thought of...but it is obvious that his lovely wife is interested in a young American doctor. In this remote part of England, those kinds of things do not go unnoticed.
The professor, too, has noticed that his wife is attracted to the young American. But, what he doesn't know is that Cynthia is faithful to him and that the doctor is leaving to join the war effort.
The professor is determined to exact his revenge on both of them. If he can't have her--no one can! However, things don't work out quite the way Irwin planned.
Perhaps, he was a little too obvious about trying to cure Cynthia's cough with a hot rum toddy...
"'Till Death Do Us Part" was also the title of an entirely different episode of Suspense that aired on November 5, 1961. That episode was posted on this site back in September of 2008, and you can find it here.
The 5th annual Chicago Film Noir Festival will take place at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago between August 23rd and 29th, 2013. You can find more info about the Noir City: Chicago lineup at the Music Box Theatre website. For you Woorlich fans, the lineup includes Street of Chance and Night has a Thousand Eyes.
In September, the Noir City festival travels to Portland, Oregon for the first time. The two-day festival will take place between September 20th and 22nd at the Hollywood Theatre. Ticket information and showtimes are not yet listed on the Hollywood Theatre's website, but this 1926 restored venue has some very interesting features--beer, wine, pizza...and they also claim to have the best popcorn in Portland. For more information about this festival, you can check out the description on the Film Noir Foundation website.
To follow up on my earlier post, I was not able to attend the full Hitchcock 9 event. However, nothing could keep me from the rare chance last Sunday to see The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1926) as it was meant to be seen. Not only was it on the big screen in a movie palace, but the musical accompaniment was provided by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
On top of that, there was a large and appreciative crowd. How many of them had attended all eight of the previous films, I don't know, but the sad feelings that accompany the last film of a festival were palpable.
Was it worth the cost of the $20 ticket? Absolutely. When I watched the (unrestored) film on dvd at home some years back, there were times when my attention wandered. That doesn't happen in the theater. This film kept me focused throughout.
The Lodger was Hitchcock's first critical and commercial success and the first film to convey his unique style. It was the first of his films to center around a "hunted man," and it was also the first of his films in which he made a cameo.
But, unlike the version Hitchcock did for Suspense in 1940, this film does have a distinctly happy ending.
So, if you get the chance to see The Hitchcock 9 or even just The Lodger--take it.
In the meantime, here is a video of all of Hitchcock's cameo appearances, starting with The Lodger:
In "Beyond Reason," Ruth Warrick stars as a woman who marries her father's business partner...despite the terrible things that have happened to her family since his arrival.
As the episode opens, Pinkton Carr steps off a street corner in San Francisco...and is killed by a hit and run driver.
Vangie Carr, his oldest daughter, can't come to terms with her father's sudden death. She also wonders about Harry Newton, the man who claims to be her father's business partner. To her knowledge, her father never had a partner!
Who is he? When Vangie makes inquiries, she finds out that he is something of a promoter and a drifter. In fact, the day her father died was the day they became business partners. Their plan was to sell Carr's undeveloped real estate.
Vangie doesn't trust Harry Newton, but soon she finds him...irresistable! But so does her trampy, younger sister, Susie.
Two weeks later, Vangie and Harry are married in Vegas. When they return, Susie is upset. But the next day, Susie is dead!
Again, Vangie wonders how it could happen... Did Harry have anything to do with it?
Soon, her sister Grace arrives, and she too finds Harry a hunk of a man.
If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, you may want to catch this rare opportunity to watch the first nine films of Alfred Hitchcock, which have been recently restored by the British Film Institute.
If not, don't worry, this touring festival may turn up in a location closer to you. Later in June it will travel to the BAMcinematek at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York and after that it travels to Los Angeles.
In San Francisco, the series begins a the Castro Theater on June 14th with Blackmail and ends with the film he considered "the first true Hitchcock picture," The Lodger.
Of course, as any reader of Escape and Suspenseknows, Alfred Hitchock directed a radio presentation of The Lodger...and that was the first episode of Suspense!
For you film noir fans out there, plan to spend your Fridays nights in June watching Turner Classic Movies. Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation will host the "Friday Night Spotlight" and present 16 films over 4 nights. The movies selected emphasize the work of noir writers.
If you are like me, you grew up listening to Dr. Demento on the radio...and some of those songs are probably still stuck in your head. For me, it was the "Cowpasture Polka".
Thanks to Dr. Demento, I've had this song stuck in my head for three decades.
Nevertheless, I encourage you to support the Kickstarter campaign for a feature-length documentary about radio legend, Dr. Demento. The deadline for funding the project is May 4th, so do it soon! There are many levels of pledges available and some interesting and unique thank-you gifts.
The film is titled "Under the Smogberry Trees: The True Story of Dr. Demento". You can read more about this project and pledge your support on their Kickstarter page.
Your donation will help preserve radio history and spread the joy of Dr. Demento to film audiences everywhere. What could be better?
In "Murder by an Expert," Lynn Bari stars as a dancer who tries to frame her brother-in-law for the murder of her husband.
As the episode opens, it is late and Edith is about to set her plan in motion. She wakes her husband, Bob, and tells him that they are expected at an audition. Though he didn't hear the phone, he believes that their agent called and agrees to go.
Then Edith phones her brother-in-law, Jimmy. She tells him that she and Bob have been fighting and that they are likely to break-up. Jimmy tells her not to worry, he will be right over to help!
Next, Edith and Bob prepare to leave for their audition. As Bob is packing their costumes, she attacks him, and sets her plan in motion to get rid of Bob and marry their agent...
In "Beware the Quiet Man," Ann Sothern stars as a woman who decides to change her ways...unless it is already too late.
As the episode opens, Margie arrives at a bar to meet her boyfriend, but instead, she is informed that he will be an hour late. So, she calls her husband and tells him a lie that will buy her more time.
However, there is another man at the bar who wants to buy her a drink, and after a little pushing from the bartender, she agrees.
That is how she meets Lem, a private investigator. He is working on a case that involves a wife cheating on her mousy, bank teller husband. As Lem tries to impress her with the danger of his job and the violent nature of his client...Margie becomes more and more concerned about the similarities between the case he is describing and her own mousy, bank teller husband.
Did Margie's husband hire him, or is it all just coincidence?
"Beware the Quiet Man" was written by Toby Hall and produced/directed by Anton M. Leader. Ann Sothern and William Conrad starred. The names of the other actors aren't given. This episode aired on August 12, 1948.
Suspense's "The Fountain Plays" was adapted from the 1933 short story by Dorothy L. Sayers. The original text can be found in Hangman's Holiday (1933) or Dorothy L. Sayers: The Complete Stories (2003). The radio adaptation added a few things to flesh out this short story for a half hour program. Nevertheless, the overall adaptation and dramatization are interesting.
As the episode opens, Mr. Archie Spiller is hosting a small party at his home. He stands in front of the new water fountain in his garden with Mr. Gooch, one of his guests. Mr. Spiller is enchanted with ornamental water, but Mr. Gooch thinks it is a waste of money. Mr. Gooch wants to discuss other things, but soon, the other guests arrive and interrupt their discussion.
As the evening progresses, Mr. Gooch drinks heavily and becomes even more disagreeable. Mr. Spiller's daughter can't understand why he puts up with being treated so badly by his own guest. No matter how unpleasant Mr. Gooch is, Mr. Spiller brushes it off.
At the end of the night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Mr. Gooch becomes even more unpleasant and demanding. This time, Mr. Spiller reacts differently, and the problem of Mr. Gooch...is suddenly gone.
He is, however, soon replaced by an entirely new problem.
Suspense's "The Cave of Ali Baba," was closely adapted from the short story of the same name by Dorothy L. Sayers. You can find the original text in the book, Dorothy L. Sayers-The Complete Stories (2002), or Lord Peter: The Complete Lord Peter Wimsey Stories (1986).
This episode relates one adventure in the life of Lord Peter Wimsey, the fictional crime-solving character of Sayers' novels and short stories. The time of this particular case, in which Lord Peter comes back from the dead to infiltrate a secret organization, is December, 1927.
As the episode opens, Joseph Rogers is eating kippers and reading the paper on a Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, a noise at the door gets his attention. When he investigates, he finds that an envelope has been left on the hatstand of his hallway. It contains an invitation and a password to a general meeting that evening--one that he must attend...
Mr. Rogers then begins meticulous preparations for his evening out. Why would he need to go to so much trouble?
Romney Brent later appeared in a couple of episodes of the Suspense television series, The Cask of Amontillado (1949) andAll Hallows Eve (1952). Like Brent, some of the other actors in this episode went on to work in early television:
Suspense's "The Burning Court" was the second episode of the series. It aired on June 17, 1942, two years after the pilot episode of the series began with "The Lodger."
"The Burning Court" was adapted from the controversial 1937 novel of the same name by John Dickson Carr, master of the "locked room mystery." What made the book controversial was the inclusion of supernatural elements.
By picking this particular story and author, the producers of Suspense set the tone for the series. In the introduction to this episode, the announcer, Berry Kroeger, gives an overview of what could be expected from Suspense in the coming weeks. (Little did they know the show would go on for another twenty years.)
Their radio adaptation does not follow the book exactly, but it left in the supernatural element at the end.
As the episode opens, the writer, Gaudan Cross, is a guest in the home of Mr. Despas. He finishes a glass of sherry and addresses the people assembled there. He claims that he knows who murdered the uncle of Mr. Despas!
What is he saying? How does he know? Mr. Cross tells them that it all began after he finished his book about famous poisoners. The manuscript was then given to Mr. Ted Stevens, who works for his publisher. Mr. Stevens began reading the manuscript and opened to the section about a 17th poisoner named Marie D'Aubray, and there he saw a picture...of his wife!
Suspense presented this story a second time on June 14, 1945, but with a number of changes to the details and story. The two versions are quite different. William Spier produced and directed. Clifton Webb starred.
All in all, we made it to 16 films: Gun Crazy, Curse of the Demon, Helldrivers, Try and Get Me!, Repeat Performance, A House Divided, The Kiss Before the Mirror, The Sniper, Experiment in Terror, The Other Woman, The Come On, Man in the Dark, Inferno, Street of Chance, The Chase and The Window.
The most valuable day of the festival, for me, was the Cornell Woolrich marathon. As someone who writes about Suspense and the Woolrich stories they adapted for radio, this was a rare opportunity to see three film adaptations of his stories at one time.
Yes, that's a lot of spiraling darkness and tension for one afternoon, but it was worth it to watch three beautiful 35 mm prints in a row. More about that later.
The surprise of the festival, for us, was the 3-D stereoscopic film Inferno. Due to the title, I just assumed this film had something to do with a big fire. But, no! Most of this film revolves around Robert Ryan trying to survive in the desert after being left for dead by his wife and her lover. The 3-D effect in this film is very understated. Watching the story play out against the scenery, the interior locations...and everything else in sterophonic sound and technicolor 3-D was completely absorbing...fascinating.
The 3-D film that preceded this one on Saturday night was, Man in the Dark. All in all, this was an entertaining film, but it caught my interest because radio actor Ted deCorsia had a supporting role as a bad guy. The last time I saw him in a film at Noir City, he was harpooned by Rhonda Fleming in Slightly Scarlet. This time, he falls to his death from the top of a seaside roller-coaster.
I don't think Ted has as many violent death scenes in a noir as Raymond Burr, but I'll start keeping a tally on that.
The Cornell Woolrich marathon was on the second to last day of the festival, Saturday, Feb.2. In the introduction before the film, the host noted that Steven King is probably the only one who has surpassed Cornell Woolrich in the number of stories adapted for film. Altogether, 31 films have been adapted from Woolrich's stories.
The first film of the day was a new, seen for the first time, 35 mm print of the 1942 film Street of Chance, which was adapted from the novel The Black Curtain. Having listened to Suspense's radio adaptation numerous times, I associate Cary Grant with the lead role in this story. But, in the film version, Burgess Meredith plays the lead role very effectively.
Following that was another restoration, the 1946 film, The Chase, which is based on the novel The Black Path of Fear. It has been quite a while since I read the book, so I couldn't remember exactly what was supposed to happen. In this film, that's OK. The Noir City brochure described The Chase as on "one of the strangest films of the 1940's."
The lead character was played by Robert Cummings, who may seem too upbeat for a Woolrich story, but he genuinely fit the role. However, the crowd favorite, was Peter Lorre who played henchman to Steve Cochran's character.
The last of the three was the 1949 film, The Window, which was also a new Film Noir Foundation 35 mm preservation print. It is based on Woolrich's 1947 short story "The Boy Who Cried Murder," which I have not read, so I had no expectations. However, if you know Aesop's fable of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" then you know the basic premise of the story.
The screenplay was adapted by Mel Dinelli, who was also the writer behind some of Suspense's best radio plays. The Noir City brochure describes this movie "the best adaptation ever of a Woolrich story, and one of the greatest suspense films of all times!"
As much as I wanted to, I wasn't able to go for the last day of the festival. So, that was the close of Noir City 11 for me.
This year, everything we saw was great except The Kiss Before the Mirror, a stylish 1933 pre-code film about wife-killing that ended up being more offensive than entertaining. As a woman, I have a right to say that one sucked.
The 11th annual San Francisco Film Noir Festival opened this weekend at the Castro Theater and runs from January 25 to February 3, 2013.
As usual, I will be attending the festival with my mother/copyeditor/"retro consultant." Every year, we try to see as many of the films as we can, but we have yet to make it to all of the films in a single festival.
Why do we go? Film noirs from the 1940's and 1950's contain screen performances by radio actors, particularly those we are familiar with from Escape and/or Suspense. William Conrad, Barry Kroeger, Cathy Lewis, and a few others achieved co-star status in this era, but for the most part, radio actors usually turn up in small roles. The actors and writers who simultaneously worked in radio/film form a unique and recognizable group within the noir genre. In some cases, their films can't be seen anywhere else but Noir City.
The opening weekend kicked off with a screening of Gun Crazy(1950), which was attended by its star, Peggy Cummins. The tiny, eighty-six year old British actress looked fantastic and was greeted by enthusiastic applause and standing ovations. Afterwards, there was an onstage interview in which she expressed her gratitude and her thoughts about the enduring interest in Gun Crazy.
The next day, the tribute to Peggy Cummins continued with Curse of the Demon (1957), which is the film adaptation of the story "Casting the Runes" by Montague R. James and a tense and gritty film called Hell Drivers(1957). These two films and the one that followed were written/cowritten by Cyril Enfield, who worked under psuedonyms because he was blacklisted in Hollywood.
On Saturday evening, the marathon continued with the world premier of new 35mm restoration of Try and Get Me! (1951), which starred Frank Lovejoy and Lloyd Bridges. This film was based on the novel, The Sound of Fury, which was based on a true event that happened in San Jose, California, in 1933. Both the novel and the film adaptation were written by Jo Pagano.
The Hoodlum(1951) followed, but after three films, I had to call it quits for the night.
Sunday morning, the marathon continued with the world premier of the brand new 35 mm restoration of Repeat Performance(1947).
We did not stay for the next film, Sunset Boulevard (1950) because my mother thinks Gloria Swanson is "kinda creepy." When I countered that we should stay because this was a chance to see a classic on the big screen, she explained that she did that back when Sunset Boulevard first came out. Now...she wanted to go to the grocery store.
By that time, I was starting to miss sunlight, so that was the end of the first weekend for us. We made it to five of the seven films and liked everything we saw...plus--we made it to the grocery store.
Which radio actors were to be seen? Well, Frank Lovejoy was never just a radio actor, but if you are familiar with his work on Escape, then you will probably appreciate the kind of role he plays in Try and Get Me! It is definitely one of his more interesting and sympathetic performances.
If you know Barry Kroeger's voice from Escape, but have never been able to place the face, then you should check out Gun Crazy. He plays Packett, the carnival owner. See below.
Finally, screenwriter/Sound of Fury author Jo Pagano was the author of a Suspense episode called "Death has a Shadow" (episode #339), which starred Bob Hope and aired on May 5, 1949.
January is our month for noir here at Escape and Suspense!, and that brought my attention to an interesting new audio drama on the scene. The series isHothouse Bruiser, and it labels itself as a "Sci-Fi, Neo-Noir Journey through a world of sound. Like the Golden Age of Radio--but with modern sound effects and music."
The series is available as an app through Google Play or iTunes. You can listen to the first episode for free, and if you want to hear the rest, it will cost you $3.99. (The series is also available on CD for $15.99.)
The production quality is smooth, the dialogue is snappy, and the story is engaging from the get-go. Give it a try!
For more information about the series, visit the website at Hothouse Bruiser.
Tonight! January 17, 2013. Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation brings "A Night in Noir City" to Turner Classic Movies. If you can't make it to San Francisco for the festival this time, you can enjoy this four movie marathon in your own home.
The lineup includes Cry Danger, 99 River Street, Tomorrow is Another Day, and The Breaking Point. You can read more about Noir City Night and find the the schedule at Turner Classic Movies. Times appear to be eastern, so for those of us on the West Coast, the show starts at five.
If you are looking for old time radio actors within these noirs, you can find William Conrad, Joan Banks, and Hy Averback in Cry Danger. 99 River Street has Peter Leeds and Ian Wolfe in small roles, but it also has Vivi Janiss and Helen Kleeb in uncredited bit parts. Lurene Tuttle has a role in Tomorrow is Another Day and The Breaking Point has Norman Field--who appears in an uncredited role as a dock attendant. Spot him if you can!
(FYI--You can also catch Eddie Muller's commentaries as a feature on many classic noir dvds.)
So, get your popcorn, grab your bourbon and enjoy!
Suspense's "The Embezzler" aired on November 19, 1951, but no recording of that broadcast is known to exist at this time. It is, most likely, one of Suspense's permanently lost episodes.
"The Embezzler" was written by radio/television writer Kathleen Hite and produced/directed by Elliott Lewis. John Lund starred and the supporting cast included several Suspense regulars. So, from all of those details, we do have an idea of what the episode must have been like.
However, we now hear the story in its full glory thanks to the American Radio Theater! Using the original script, they have given "The Embezzler" a new life. (You may recall that the ART was also responsible for re-creating the lost Escape episode "One-Eighth Apache" in 2005, which is posted on this site.)
The ART has done a excellent job of capturing the Suspense experience, and we hope that they will continue to bring back more lost episodes.
Their re-creation was directed by Mike Wheeler and produced by Joy Jackson. This episode was recorded in front of a studio audience at Pioneer Hall in Seattle, Washington.
"The Embezzler" can be heard as a podcast on the American Radio Theater website - AmericanRadioTheater.org. When you visit their site, please consider making a donation to their organization as a gesture of thanks for recreating these lost episodes!
In "One Way Ride to Nowhere," Alan Ladd stars as a private detective who investigates a murder at a seaside amusement park.
As the episode opens, Tom Dwyer and his friend, Benny, buy tickets for the Ocean City roller coaster. Benny doesn't enjoy these kinds of things, but he goes along to humor his friend.
After the ride is over, Benny refuses to go around a second time. Then, he notices that one of the other passengers has passed out.
Upon closer examination, they realize that the passenger hasn't just keeled over. He is dead!
But, the dead guy didn't purchase a ticket and he didn't get into the roller coaster car before the ride started.
So, how and why did he end up in the roller coaster car?
In "Double Entry," two co-workers learn the value of friendship when the account books come up short.
As the episode opens, Eddie extolls the virtues of bookeeping and how keeping accounts has always fascinated him. But, he admits that in the sheltered world of the office, there are limitations to what a person can risk or achieve personally.
That changed when his coworker, Sam, admitted to Eddie that the new auditors would soon discover that he had been fixing the books...for the last nine years. Sam is a mess, and Eddie feels terrible about his situation.
When Sam goes into the boss's office to face the auditors, Eddie takes a chance on a longshot to help his friend.
This story was broadcast a second time on December 29, 1949, with Eddie Cantor and Sidney Miller in the lead roles. In this version, the story was changed to make it more of a holiday tale, but the story and the humor doesn't seem as crisp. Announcer Paul Frees introduces this episode as "an unusual story of clerical crime at Christmas time."
Suspense's "The Brighton Strangler" was adapted from the RKO film of the same name, which was released in 1945. The adaptation is shorter and different from the screenplay, but follows the basic story. The two stars of the film, John Loder and June Duprez, also portray their roles in this radio broadcast.
As the episode opens, it is New Year's Eve and a man and a woman are alone on a balcony. They discuss the holiday--but the situation suddenly becomes violent! Then, the curtain closes and the audience applauds.
Reginald takes his bows and returns to his dressing room backstage. He is happy because tonight is his last performance in The Brighton Strangler. His manager then tries to convince him to continue playing the lead, but to no avail. Reginald has other plans.
However, before he can get to his train at Victoria Station, the air raid sirens go off and Reginald suffers a head injury while trying to find shelter. When he regains consciousness, he is confused and assumes the role of the character that he has been performing for so long...
At the center of Suspense's "Arctic Rescue" is the true story of the doomed British naval expedition led by Sir John Franklin in 1845. When the Franklin Expedition failed to return after several years, search parties were sent out by the British government to investigate the fate of his two lost ships, Erebus and Terror. Based upon their findings, the captain and the 128 member crew were officially determined as deceased in 1854.
The episode's introduction indicates the intent is to commemorate the 1852 search expedition led by Edward Belcher, but the story told appears to have been based on an 1857 expedition funded by Lady Franklin.
"Arctic Rescue" is a fictional story that does not represent the events of any of the search expeditions. Nor does it represent the current knowledge of the horrific fate of the Franklin Expedition. Nor, does it accurately explain the fate of the Erebus.
Instead, "Arctic Rescue" reminds us of the grueling conditions that nineteenth century explorers endured for the purpose of finding the Northwest Passage...and mixes that together with the magic of Christmas.
As the episode opens, two men are near death and lost in a world of ice and snow near the Arctic Circle. How did they get there?
It all began in June of 1852, on a New York waterfront when the ship Jessica set sail to investigate the mystery of the Franklin Expedition. Their plan was to survey the area and then return to Aberdeen in time for Christmas. Captain Blake and his first mate, Mister Stewart, assure Lady Franklin that everything will go smoothly, but that really depends on how well they navigate the Arctic Circle in the summer months...
In "Game Hunt," Everette Sloane stars as a safari guide who teaches an inexperienced hunter a lesson about killing purely for sport.
As the episode opens, three men leave their base camp in Kenya and head into the savannah. They are led by Jeffrey Harcross, a professional white hunter who is hired to make tourists on safari believe they are invincible hunters. He is travelling with his client, Howard Babson, and their native Maasai tracker, Charlie.
They soon find what they are seeking, a male lion that would be a stunning addition to a trophy wall. Jeffrey tells Mr. Babson not to shoot until instructed, but he doesn't heed the warning. Mr. Babson shoots too soon and wounds the animal.
Now, the lion is hurt and dangerous. Moreover, it is against the law to leave an animal in that condition. So now, they must go into the tall grass after the lion...
Will they come out of it with their trophy?
"Game Hunt" was written by Gil Doud and produced/directed by Willian N. Robson. Everett Sloane starred. Also appearing were Lawrence Dobkin and Roy Glenn. This episode aired on March 16, 1958.
In "Bank Holiday," Bonita Granville stars as a young woman who learns a valuable lesson about finding "the right guy".
As the episode opens, Miss Jane Evans arrives early for work at the bank. She sneaks over to the office of the assistant manager, Mr. Harold Osborne, and then makes the mistake of addressing him as "Darling".
Harold does not like that one bit, and he immediately reminds her of the policy of the bank! True, the two of them became engaged the night before, but nevertheless, the bank frowns on office romances. So, they have to keep things between them quiet until after they are married.
Jane doesn't care about the policy of the bank, and she is mad at Harold. But, she pulls herself together in order to begin the business of the day.
When her first customers of the day arrive, they turn out to be bank robbers. In the midst of the crisis, she blabs to them that she is the assistant manager's fiance. So, they decide to take her with them as a hostage...
Can Jane trust Harold to meet the demands of the robbers and ensure her safe return?
In "Marry for Murder," Lillian Gish stars in a three-character story about a suspicious marriage.
As the episode opens, fog horns blow...and attorney Phillip Alden recalls the night he met Lettie Hawthorne...
He met her at a dinner party, and though they became friends, he wasn't interested in a romantic way. So, Lettie moved on to another man, Mark Taylor. Phillip didn't like him, but he didn't really have a say in the matter.
After Mark and Lettie got married, they came to Phillip for legal help. They asked him to draw up twin wills that would leave everything to the surviving spouse.
In "Life Ends at Midnight," Dane Clark stars as a son who decides to murder his mother's lodger for the insurance money.
As the episode opens, Walter arrives unexpectedly at the home of his devoted mother. She is happy to see him, but puzzled as to why he has come. It doesn't take long for the real reason for his visit to become apparent.
He needs money...again. If Walter doesn't get it, he will end up in prison.
His mother explains that she gave up all her savings to help him the last time he was in trouble. Now, she has nothing.
Walter doesn't like that answer, but then he realizes that she does have something valuable...a lodger with no family named Mr. Chalmers...
In "Night Ferry to Paris," a man meets a lady traveler on his way to Paris, but he soon realizes that she isn't what she pretends to be.
As the episode opens, Tom Morris is in Waterloo Station in London to begin an overnight journey to Paris. Before he can pass through customs, he meets a beautiful woman named Susan who asks if she may accompany him. He agrees, but then is startled when she quickly begins referring to him as her husband.
On the train, Tom becomes more suspicious of Susan when her answers to his questions about her life don't seem quite accurate.
Despite all that, he falls for Susan's charms in no time. Still, he knows something isn't right.
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with Jesse and Tamahome of SFFaudio.com about all things related to Escape and Suspense.
If you head on over to SFFaudio.com you can hear our discussion about two of my favorite episodes, Escape's "Treasure Inc." and Suspense's "Always Room at the Top".
We also discussed the work that I do here, how it all got started with no planning whatsoever, and what a task it can be to find the original books and short stories that were adapted for these radio plays...
Suspense's "The Dunwich Horror" is based on the short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft, which was first published in Weird Tales in 1929. (The full text of the story can be found online at Wikisource.) Suspense's adaptation was one of the earliest, but there have since been numerous adaptations of this story for film, audio theater and most recently, the stage. "The Dunwich Horror" is part of the Cthulhu Mythos, which is a shared fictional universe based on the works on Lovecraft.
As the episode opens, it is the eve of All-Hallows and Henry Armitage, the librarian of Miskatonic University is in his laboratory near Centennal Hill in Dunwich, Massachussetts. Professor Warren Rice is with him. They are 100 yards from the stone altar at the summit of the hill, a place of prehistoric worship.
Armitage begins to tell the story of the birth of Wilbur Whately, who was born to the strange and deformed Lavinia Whately. No one knew who the father was, but the child's grandfather, "Wizard" Whately, told them that someday they would hear the child calling out its father's name on the top of Centennal Hill. They noticed many strange things going on at the Whately household in the following years and the abnormally rapid development of the child.
When Wilbur is killed by dogs while attempting to steal an ancient text from the library, Armitage and Rice discover that he is not entirely human. Soon after, they realize that there is something in the Whately farmhouse that was waiting for Wilbur to come back and feed it...
Now, Armitage and Rice must find a formula to deal with the terrifying creature that has busted out of the Whately farmhouse...
In "The Bet", Lee J. Cobb stars as an artist who gets involved with a woman who wants him to kill her husband.
As the episode opens, Scott Turner tells us that he is a haunted man. A man who almost fell into the darkness a year ago..or maybe he is in the darkness now. He's not sure. These sorts of things don't usually happen to people like him.
His problems began the day he arrived in Port of Spain,Trinidad. He first met Mrs. Ada Barton in an antiquities shop when she came to collect her purchase, a statue of the Shiva, Hindu god of destruction. She told him that she likes destruction. She told him, "That's the kind of woman I am".
He should have known better than to get involved...
Suspense's "Wet Saturday" is based on the short story of the same name by John Collier, which was first published in The New Yorker in 1938. The story can also be found in the book, Fancies and Goodnights, a collection of Collier's short stories that also includes "Back for Christmas" and "Evening Primrose," which were adapted for radio by Escape.
Suspense first presented "Wet Saturday" in 1942 as episode #2 of the series. They ultimately presented this story three times using the same radio play, which has a modified ending from the original story.
"Wet Saturday" was also adapted for television by Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956) and the British television series Tales of the Unexpected(1984).
As the episode opens, the members of the Princey family explain what they might have been doing on this particular Saturday...if the curate had not stopped at their home. But he did stop there, and now he lies dead on their sun porch.
Millicent Princey killed the curate because he wasn't interested in marrying her. Frederick Princey, her father, doesn't want any of the other bother this murder could cause.
So, the way around that is to get rid of the body...and put the blame on someone else.
"Wet Saturday" was adapted for radio by Harold Medford. Charles Vanda produced and directed. Music by Bernard Herrman. Clarence Derwent starred.
On March 20, 1948, this story was presented as a combined weather-related episode with "August Heat" during an hour-long broacast. Robert Montgomery produced and Anton M. Leader directed. Dennis Hoey starred.
In "No Hiding Place," Jim Ameche stars as a husband terrorized by his wife's first husband. (This title was used for two different episodes, in 1958 and 1961.)
As the episode opens, Eddie and Sue Marshall are at dinner, happily celebrating his promotion and their second week of marriage.
Suddenly, Sue becomes terribly upset and drops her coffee. A man, over at the bar, could it be...Carl?
When Sue goes to the powder room, Eddie finds out that it is Carl, Sue's first husband. Moreover, Carl is a hostile man who blames Eddie for breaking up his marriage. Carl also makes it clear that he is going to kill him.
Eddie doesn't take the threat seriously, but Sue is worried because Carl has made these threats before. He terrorizes every man who tries to get involved with her. When Eddie goes asking for help from the law, he finds there isn't any.
Will Carl succeed in scaring Eddie away...or will he succeed in killing him?
In "The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright," Phil Silvers stars as an elevator operator who gets to the top in an unusual way.
As the episode opens, Eddie explains that he is moving up in the world and that he won't be working as an elevator operator much longer.
Why is that? Well, it all started when he went down to the Elite Barber Shop to get a manicure from Milly. Normally, he went in for three or four manicures a week in an attempt to impress her, but this time was different. This time, he went too far and made the mistake of telling her that he held a higher position that he actually did. Later, when Milly found out that he was a phony, she gave him the brush-off.
When Eddie went back to work, he soon found himself embroiled in another drama. Two men brought a rolled-up carpet onto his elevator...a carpet that had feet sticking out at the bottom...
If you have been visiting Escape and Suspense for a while, you know that I do enjoy student remakes of "Sorry, Wrong Number" and "Three Skeleton Key" that can be found on YouTube.
Below you will find a creative retelling of "Three Skeleton Key'" from director Emmanual Mata. The only information given is that it was made for a sixth period advanced English class.
In this visual interpretation of Toudouze's classic tale, there are numerous, inexplicable references to Pizza Hut, the horde of rats is portrayed by an adorable white dog, and the two actresses who play lighthouse-keepers kind of steal the show.
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