- #81: "Flood on the Goodwins" (1st version November 1, 1949) Starring: Jack Edwards. Story: David Devine. Script: James Poe. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: English Channel.
Plot: A one-armed man rescuing survivors from the Channel during the war meets a German spy.
Review: Not a bad thriller situation. I feel the story would have been stronger if the protagonist had been permitted to tell the story first-person as in many other Escape plots. My Rating: 3.5/5 stars. - #82: "Plunder of the Sun" (November 8, 1949) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: David Dodge. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Peru.
Plot: A man joins a hunt for the lost treasure of the Incas but isn't sure which rival plunderer he should ally with.
Review: A great adventure novel (and in 1953 a decent film starring Glenn Ford), this story suffers a bit from being truncated to fit a half-hour but it snaps along very breezily, thanks to the always-wonderful Paul Frees guiding us through as protagonist. This is my favourite of the many treasure hunt tales Escape told. My Rating: 4/5 stars. - #83: "Three Skeleton Key" (1st version November 15, 1949) Starring: Elliott Reid. Story: George Toudouze. Script: James Poe. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: French Guiana.
Plot: Three men are trapped in their lighthouse as rats swarm around them.
Review: This tale is often singled out as the greatest episode of Escape, and who am I to argue? Yet I'm a little different from other fans, who tend to prefer the versions Vincent Price led as Jean; I actually like the original version the most precisely because Reid's voice is not as distinctive as Price's; I feel Reid disappears into the role of Jean and thereby centers the drama on the situation, not on the performers/performances. That said, I don't think William Conrad gets nearly enough credit for his performance as Louis - his transformation from stolid leader to panicked and helpless is one of Conrad's best performances; likewise, Harry Bartell is splendid as Auguste. Of all the man vs. nature tales on Escape this is surely the most memorable and terrifying! Having read the original story, I have to say the changes Escape made to the climax render the story even more frightening! My Rating: 5/5 stars. - #84: "Maracas" (November 22, 1949) Starring: William Conrad. Story/Script: Gwen Bagni/John Bagni. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Mexico.
Plot: A sailor aboard a tramp steamer realizes the ship is running guns. He decides to get in on the crime.
Review: We open again on the high seas for this smuggling tale. It isn't an exceptional tale but with William Conrad as our protagonist (plus great performances by Paul Frees and Ted de Corsia in supporting roles) I think it holds your attention. My Rating: 4/5 stars. - #85: "Letter from Jason" (November 29, 1949) Starring: Frank Lovejoy. Story: George F. Worts. Script: William N. Robson/Seelig Lester/Merwin Gerard. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA/South Seas.
Plot: A man struggling with alcoholism is hired by his father-in-law to murder a man.
Review: This is a bit of a departure for Escape - it seems at first blush to be a high adventure story but ultimately it proves to be a psychological character study. It's good, but atypical. The episode ends with a quick comedic skit where Gracie Allen meets Paul Frees and asks if George Burns can sing on Escape. It's a little bizarre but at least it proves CBS believed they had a popular show in Escape. My Rating: 3.5/5 stars. - #86: "Command" (1st version December 6, 1949) Starring: Elliott Reid. Story: James Warner Bellah. Script/Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
Plot: A junior officer in the Calvary disagrees with his superior's judgement.
Review: A very strong drama with a naive protagonist whose perspective the audience is skillfully meant to concur with but is gradually revealed to be in error. Bill Johnstone is terrific as the commanding officer and Paul Frees is strangely compelling as a comedic side character who meets a very non-comedic end. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars. - #87: "Border Town" (December 13, 1949) Starring: Jack Webb. Story/Script: Gwen Bagni/John Bagni. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA/Mexico.
Plot: After discovering a fortune in money that was apparently held by a counterfeiter, a struggling actor thinks he might have his big break.
Review: This one is a real winner because Webb is terrific as the protagonist. Webb's clumsy efforts at getting into crime are really unusual for the program - his attempts at bluffing his way through the underworld are entertaining because he's not very good at it. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars. - #88: "Figure a Dame" (December 20, 1949) Starring: Frank Lovejoy. Story: Richard Sale. Script: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: India.
Plot: A detective protecting a woman's valuable emerald can't resist the impulse to steal it.
Review: Another great story set on a train! Lovejoy is great as the despicable protagonist; rather like the previous episode, he bites off more than he can chew, especially when he tries to incriminate another passenger in murder. My Rating: 4/5 stars. - #89: "Seeds of Greed" (December 27, 1949) Starring: Gary Merrill. Story/Script: Floyd A. Nelson. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Borneo.
Plot: A sailor joins a treasure hunt for a sunken ship but his partner is openly plotting against him.
Review: Back on the high seas and off on another treasure hunt; the South Pacific setting brings to mind the many John Russell stories Escape adapted throughout its run. There's a strong psychological aspect to the story that you don't often get in Escape, although the emphasis is on the adventurous aspects; more so than any other treasure hunt story, this is really about how greed destroys men. My Rating: 3.5/5 stars. - #90: "The Pistol" (January 3, 1950) Starring: Gerald Mohr. Story/Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
Plot: A man journeys to California to join his brother's gold strike but finds murder has already struck.
Review: We don't often have western adventures on Escape; the later episode "Wild Jack Rhett" is frequently called a pilot for Gunsmoke but this episode never comes up in discussions of westerns for adult audiences. Gerald Mohr is just okay as the protagonist, while Charles McGraw's scratchy voice is perfect as the antagonist; Betty Lou Gerson is a bit frustrating as the sketchy dance hall girl whose characterization seems to change in every single scene. The premise is sound and it's well-produced but this never entirely comes together. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
You can listen to episodes of Escape at the Internet Archive! I'll be back with more next week!
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