- #51: "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" (2nd version August 29, 1948) Starring: Sam Edwards. Story: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: USA.
Plot: An obscenely-wealthy family invite a college man to their home.
Review: Another great production of this story (first was #4) but in this case the performances feel a little rushed - as though Macdonnell had less time to play with than Robson did. The rushed dialogue is a bit disappointing but Sam Edwards is terrific as the protagonist. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars. - #52: "Dream of Armageddon" (September 5, 1948) Starring: Stacy Harris. Story: H. G. Wells. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: USA.
Plot: A common man dreams of the year 2200 in which he's the master of the world; but is the dream real?
Review: A bleak and unsettling depiction of the destruction of humanity, but I feel it's a bit undermined by the swapping from one timeline to another - and that something as trivial as the protagonist's choice of love interest is the selfish act that dooms his civilization. Almost 100 episodes from now we'll hear a better attempt at this kind of tale - "Earth Abides." My Rating: 3/5 stars. - #53: "Evening Primrose" (2nd version September 12, 1948) Starring: William Conrad. Story: John Collier. Script: John Dunkel. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: USA.
Plot: A poet conceals himself in a department store to escape the world but finds a terrifying civilization already sharing his living space.
Review: Macdonnell's version of this script is very much the same as the earlier version (#13) except that William Conrad takes the lead role from Elliott Lewis. Conrad was a much better actor than Lewis so I don't think it's exactly surprising that he did well here, but the character is one better suited to Lewis' soft delivery. Yet Conrad proved here that he could portray someone soft-spoken and sensitive, far from the "macho" types he normally portrayed. My Rating: 5/5 stars. - #54: "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" (1st version September 19, 1948) Starring: Ben Wright. Story: H. G. Wells. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: England.
Plot: A man suddenly discovers he can perform any deed he happens to think of.
Review: An extremely silly story but, dang it, also extremely charming. Ben Wright is perfect as Mr. Fotheringay, the conjurer of miracles. The whimsical sound effects suit the comedic atmosphere. My Rating: 4/5 stars. - #55: "The Lost Special" (February 12, 1949) Starring: Ben Wright. Story: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: England.
Plot: When an entire train disappears the world's greatest detectives are baffled.
Review: This is perhaps the best non-Sherlock Holmes story Doyle wrote; Suspense adapted it once with Orson Welles but that was a very odd broadcast that took many liberties with the source material. Fortunately Escape places the story *ahem* back on track. It's a great mystery story with a neat solution. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars. - #56: "Orient Express" (February 19, 1949) Starring: William Conrad. Story: Graham Greene. Script: Sheldon Stark/Walter Newman. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Belgium.
Plot: A businessman travelling on the Orient Express encounters a beautiful woman and a mysterious passenger who insists he's a fellow American.
Review: The setting is perfect for Escape and features some of the best creative personnel; author Greene is the perfect type of author for the series; so why isn't this a phenomenal episode? I think the sense of danger is too vague; most of the script concerns Conrad's character observing people's odd behaviours that he can't acccount for. It ultimately doesn't add up to much but the journey is entertaining. The perfect metaphor for a train ride? (it probably doesn't help that Greene's original novel, Stamboul Train, has a lot of social and political commentary that could never have aired on CBS radio) See "Three Good Witnesses" (#25) for a better production depicting a similar scenario. My Rating: 3.5/5 stars. - #57: "Red Wine" (1st version February 26, 1949) Starring: Jeff Chandler. Story: Lawrence Blochman. Script: Mort Lewis/Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Borneo.
Plot: A lawman goes looking for a killer known for his urbane habits; unfortunately he has 3 suspects and none of them are cooperative.
Review: A phenomenal story; it had already been done on Molle Mystery Theater but for some reason it was drastically rewritten (I wrote a diatribe about it here). Once again, Escape comes to the rescue with a faithful adaptation. The first time through you're unlikely to keep track of which suspect is which and it doesn't really matter - on purpose they're largely impossible to tell apart (that's the point of the mystery!) until the climax when one of them finally makes a mistake. Jeff Chandler is outstanding as the investigator. My Rating: 5/5 stars. - #58: "Conqueror's Isle" (1st version March 5, 1949) Starring: Theodore Von Eltz. Story: Nelson S. Bond. Script: John Meston. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: South China Seas.
Plot: A wartime airplane crew are found by a society of mutants who offer mankind a peaceful existence in subjugation.
Review: We've followed Escape into science fiction a few times already, but that was into the realm of H. G. Wells, a well-esteemed author; here we have a tale by Bond, a contemporary pulp author and it might be Bond's best-known story in part due to Escape. The story grabs you by the throat from the outset (as the protagonist begins ranting) and keeps you engaged all the way to the twist ending. Perfect radio. My Rating: 5/5 stars. - #59: "He Who Rides the Tiger" (March 12, 1949) Starring: William Conrad. Story: James Norman. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: China.
Plot: An amnesiac who can't recall what he did in China for the last 8 years is involved in a treasure hunt.
Review: The story begins with a very striking concept; why was the protagonist found in China wearing a Japanese uniform? What happened to him during the previous 8 years? He regains his memories near the climax but it requires far, far too much exposition, double-crossing and deceptions. If the protagonist had recovered his memories through dramatized flashbacks that would have been much better for the radio. As it is, it's an interesting episode but I never found it especially involving. My Rating: 3/5 stars. - #60: "A Shipment of Mute Fate" (3rd version March 13, 1949) Starring: John Lund. Story: Martin Storm. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Venezuela.
Plot: A man transports a bushmaster aboard a ship; the worst-case scenario happens when the snake gets loose.
Review: Featuring Escape Snake#1! Another great production (previously as episodes #10 and 34) of this tale of snakes on the high seas. John Lund's delivery is quite different from the previous performances by Webb (#10) and Bartell (#34) but he did well with the part; the production is excellent. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
You can listen to episodes of Escape at the Internet Archive! I'll be back with more next week!
No comments:
Post a Comment