Old-Time Radio Theme Month, Day 8: "Too Hot to Live"

Richard Widmark stars in an episode of Suspense today: "Too Hot to Live," from October 26, 1950. Widmark was an awesome radio performer, superbly gifted at creating intense performances, which is just what we have here.

Widmark is a veteran reducing to wandering aimlessly through the USA. Arriving at random in a small town, he has his shoes repaired, leaving him barefoot. A local woman becomes interested in him, but it's an immensely hot day; if you recall your Ray Bradbury, you know how heat increases the likelihood of murders occurring.

There's one moment in this story which made a particular impression on me during my first listen. I'll simply say it's a surprisingly gross moment by the standards of 1950s radio.

You can download a copy of this radio show from archive.org here.