Returning to Angola

I'm pleased to state here that I will be visiting Lubango, Angola again, for about one month from near the end of April until near the end of May. I'm still not convinced that it's the right time for me to relocate to Angola permanently but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to revisit the friends I made during my year there, to encourage the programs I worked in and hopefully provide some helpful assistance.

Escape Episode Guide: Part 4

Welcome back to my episode guide to the marvelous old-time radio series Escape! Here we have a change in production as series creator William N. Robson steps away from directing while Norman Macdonnell (who had previously been assisting Robson) steps up as the new producer/director. Robson will return, however.

• #31: "Jimmy Goggles the God" (March 7, 1948) Starring: Luis Van Rooten. Story: H. G. Wells. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Papua New Guinea.
  Plot: To save his life a deep sea diver poses as a god with the aid of a medicine man.
  Review: Back on the high seas! I think the episode works because the protagonist finds himself in a situation he didn't mean to arrive in and desperately wants out of; yes, he impersonates a god, but even he can see that he can't sustain it for very long. The double-cross at the climax is most satisfying. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #32: "The Log of the Evening Star" (March 14, 1948) Starring: Jack Webb. Story: Alfred Noyes. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Pacific Ocean.
  Plot: A ship's captain lives in the shadow of his wife's first husband, his predecessor as captain; this inevitably leads to tragedy.
  Review: An eerie high seas story that hints at the supernatural but is all the better for staying on this side of the veil. Webb has a great everyman quality to his performance in this story which helps ground the proceedings as dead men seem to walk. And like an earlier Escape with Jack Webb (#10: "A Shipment of Mute Fate") it all comes down to the actions of a cat! My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #33: "Misfortune's Isle" (March 21, 1948) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: Richard Matthews Hallet. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Philippines.
  Plot: A trader assists a Spanish noble against Dayak headhunters.
  Review: We're again on the high seas but this time I'm afraid we're looking at my pick for the worst episode of Escape - even though we're still in my favourite era of the series. At best, this episode is dull. On my first listening, it was mostly confusing. Paul Frees is great as the protagonist - he's never bad, he grants the drama an energy that the plot itself lacks. The characters are just a bit too silly to take seriously and the situation is not well-established. As a story of privateers fighting pirates it's really lacking in the "theater of the mind." We also have the unfortunately racist portrayal of a Chinese character by William Conrad in what might be his worst role of his career; note that the Chinese characters in the original text spoke fine English, while on the radio their voices are clipped with 'pidgin English' speech. Just awful. My Rating: 0.5/5 stars.
• #34: "A Shipment of Mute Fate" (2nd version March 28, 1948) Starring: Harry Bartell. 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! Welcome back to our story of snakes on the high seas! Harry Bartell does fine in the lead role, if not as strong as Jack Webb in the previous outing (#10). This is still a perfect production. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #35: "Action" (1st version April 4, 1948) Starring: Joseph Kearns. Story: Charles Montague. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Switzerland.
  Plot: A man whose health is in decline seeks to end his life mountain climbing by going beyond his margin of safety.
  Review: This is somewhat different than the majority of Escape story; usually the series pits either man against man or man against nature. In this story the struggle is psychological; the protagonist throws himself into danger thinking it's the best way out of a slow death. I think the script does a marvelous job at resolving his conflict and even adds a little twist (not found in the original short story). My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #36: "The Brute" (April 11, 1948) Starring: Dan O'Herlihy. Story: Joseph Conrad. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: England/Atlantic Ocean.
  Plot: Two brothers serve aboard a ship that seems to possess a spirit bent on destroying life.
  Review: I have moments where I briefly think this is the other high seas Conrad episode, "Typhoon." I don't find "the Brute" to be nearly as engaging but it's still a great yarn about the anthropomorphized vessel; I'm not sure if the last act - where the protagonist's brother sails the ship to its destruction - really works for me but it does seem like the only way this story could possibly end. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #37: "The Drums of the Fore and Aft" (1st version April 18, 1948) Starring: Gil Stratton Jr. Story: Rudyard Kipling. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Afghanistan.
  Plot: Two young army musicians who believe in the glory of combat try to inspire their comrades.
  Review: I appreciate that this story begins in a place of high adventure and hijinks yet ends on a somber note. It is, after all, the tale of two boys who get themselves killed by snipers while playing their instruments. Although in a different time and place than the World War II theaters I think it suits the post-war mood pretty well; the boys believe that war is glorious but the war itself is brutal and uncompromising. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #38: "The Fourth Man" (2nd version April 25, 1948) Starring: Berry Kroeger. Story: John Russell. Script: Irving Ravetch. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: New Caledonia.
  Plot: Three men attempt to escape a penal colony on a raft. The raft's indigenous pilot is their best hope of escape.
  Review: Another very good adaptation of this high seas story. Macdonnell's direction is as good as Robson's (#8), although the cast is not quite as sharp as the first attempt; Berry Kroeger just wasn't as strong as Paul Frees. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #39: "John Jock Todd" (May 2, 1948) Starring: Wilms Herbert. Story: Robert Simpson. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Niger River.
  Plot: A Scotsman working in Africa insists that he's a peaceful man but his superior seems intent on drawing him into a fight to test his mettle.
  Review: A bit of an odd duck; the Scotsman protagonist is wonderful, I could listen to him talk all day; the antagonist is cruel just for cruelty's sake and so not very interesting. It's a satisfying drama but needed something extra to really stand out. My Rating: 3.5/5 stars.
• #40: "The Time Machine" (1st version May 9, 1948) Starring: Erik Rolf. Story: H. G. Wells. Script: Irving Ravetch. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: England.
  Plot: Two men test their time machine by journeying into the future where they find humans have evolved along two very different paths.
  Review: Obviously the entire text of Wells' novel is too much for a half-hour program so this pragmatic adaptation is only concerned with the sequences concerning the Eloi and Morlocks. For good measure, a 2nd time traveler ("Fowler") is added so the protagonist ("Dudley") has someone to talk to. I'm not so sure about that decision since Escape protagonists usually narrate their adventures in the 1st person. It results in a lot of awkward dialogue as the duo constantly shout out what they see to each other. Yet for all that, I think the production works as a fine science fiction adventure. My Rating: 4/5 stars.

You can listen to episodes of Escape at the Internet Archive! I'll be back with more next week!

Creator credits for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a pretty good action movie and a funny comedy. It doesn't really take that much from the comics - most of the ideas are original to the film. Still, many of the characters originated in the comics and as ever, I think it's important to give the original creators their due. Props as well to the film's use of Kang, which was a very faithful recreation of the Kang from the comics.

Your corrections are certainly welcome; you can see my master list of creators for Marvel Cinematic Universe projects at this link!

Stan Lee: co-creator of the Avengers, the world's premiere super hero team whose ranks include Thor and Ant-Man (Avengers #1, 1963); of Kang the Conqueror, a scientist from the 31st century who became a conqueror of other realities though time tarvel; Kang as an enemy of the Avengers, including Ant-Man and the Wasp; Kang's green and purple costume with blue faceplate; Kang's golden throne; of Rama-Tut as one of Kang's other selves (Avengers #8, 1964); of Immortus, a bearded time manipulator who opposes the Avengers (Avengers #10, 1964); of a time machine which uses a rising platform to transport its user (Fantastic Four #5, 1962); of Sub-Atomica, a sub-atomic universe which Ant-Man's shrinking power can access (Fantastic Four #16, 1963); of Rama-Tut, a time traveler who conquered ancient Egypt, wears a green headdress (Fantastic Four #19, 1963); of the Hulk, a genius scientist who becomes a large monster (Incredible Hulk #1, 1962); of Thor, the heroic god of thunder and lightning (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Loki, god of Asgard (Journey into Mystery #85, 1962); of M.O.D.O.K., a mutated figure with a large head who manipulates a hovering chair for movement due to his atrophied limbs (Tales of Suspense #93, 1967); of Henry Pym, a scientist who develops a chemical formula which can shrink people in size and uses this ability to interact with ants (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962); of Ant-Man, the costumed identity of Henry Pym wherein he wears a protective red and black costume with size-changing capsules on his belt and wears a helmet which helps him communicate with ants; Pym receiving heightened strength by shrinking in size (Tales to Astonish #35, 1962); of the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, Ant-Man's female sidekick and love interest adorned in a red and black costume with insect-like wings permitting flight (Tales to Astonish #44, 1963); of Pym's nickname "Hank" (Tales to Astonish #47, 1963); of Ant-Man reversing his superhuman powers so that he grows in size (Tales to Astonish #49, 1963); of the Wasp's stinger, a wrist-based weapon in her costume (Tales to Astonish #57, 1964)

Jack Kirby: co-creator of the Avengers, the world's premiere super hero team whose ranks include Thor and Ant-Man (Avengers #1, 1963); of Kang the Conqueror, a scientist from the 31st century who became a conqueror of other realities though time tarvel; Kang as an enemy of the Avengers, including Ant-Man and the Wasp; Kang's green and purple costume with blue faceplate; Kang's golden throne; of Rama-Tut as one of Kang's other selves (Avengers #8, 1964); of Captain America, patriotic super hero (Captain America Comics #1, 1941); of a time machine which uses a rising platform to transport its user (Fantastic Four #5, 1962); of Sub-Atomica, a sub-atomic universe which Ant-Man's shrinking power can access (Fantastic Four #16, 1963); of Rama-Tut, a time traveler who conquered ancient Egypt, wears a green headdress (Fantastic Four #19, 1963); of the Hulk, a genius scientist who becomes a large monster (Incredible Hulk #1, 1962); of Thor, the heroic god of thunder and lightning (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Loki, god of Asgard (Journey into Mystery #85, 1962); of M.O.D.O.K., a mutated figure with a large head who manipulates a hovering chair for movement due to his atrophied limbs (Tales of Suspense #93, 1967); of Henry Pym, a scientist who develops a chemical formula which can shrink people in size and uses this ability to interact with ants (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962); of Ant-Man, the costumed identity of Henry Pym wherein he wears a protective red and black costume with size-changing capsules on his belt and wears a helmet which helps him communicate with ants; Pym receiving heightened strength by shrinking in size (Tales to Astonish #35, 1962); of the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, Ant-Man's female sidekick and love interest adorned in a red and black costume with insect-like wings permitting flight (Tales to Astonish #44, 1963); of Ant-Man reversing his superhuman powers so that he grows in size (Tales to Astonish #49, 1963)

Larry Lieber: co-creator of Thor, the heroic god of thunder and lightning (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Loki, god of Asgard (Journey into Mystery #85, 1962); of Henry Pym, a scientist who develops a chemical formula which can shrink people in size and uses this ability to interact with ants (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962); of Ant-Man, the costumed identity of Henry Pym wherein he wears a protective red and black costume with size-changing capsules on his belt and wears a helmet which helps him communicate with ants; Pym receiving heightened strength by shrinking in size (Tales to Astonish #35, 1962)

John Buscema: co-creator of the Scarlet Centurion as one of Kang's other selves (Avengers #56, 1968); of Henry Pym marrying the Wasp (Avengers #60, 1968); of Kang interacting with his alternate selves and forming a loose alliance with them; of Kang eliminating alternate selves who are considered a threat; of Kang wearing a purple cloak (Avengers #267, 1986); of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs, an organized assembly of variant Kangs including non-human versions of him (Avengers #291, 1988)

Roy Thomas: co-creator of the Scarlet Centurion as one of Kang's other selves (Avengers #56, 1968); of Henry Pym marrying the Wasp (Avengers #60, 1968); of Ant-Man's helmet providing environmental seals (Avengers #93, 1971); of the Scarlet Centurion, a time traveler and foe of the Avengers (Avengers Annual #2, 1968); of Immortus, Kang and Rama-Tut revealed to be the same person; of Kang at war with his alternate selves (Giant-Size Avengers #3, 1975)

David Michelinie: co-creator of Scott Lang, a skilled technician (Avengers #181, 1979); of Scott Lang as a divorced ex-convict trying to support his lovable daughter Cassie Lang; Scott receiving the Ant-Man costume and equipment from Henry Pym; of Darren Cross, a criminal businessman who opposes Ant-Man (Marvel Premiere #47, 1979); of Pym helping to mentor Scott Lang as Ant-Man (Marvel Premiere #48, 1979)

John Byrne: co-creator of Scott Lang, a skilled technician (Avengers #181, 1979); of Scott Lang as a divorced ex-convict trying to support his lovable daughter Cassie Lang; Scott receiving the Ant-Man costume and equipment from Henry Pym; of Darren Cross, a criminal businessman who opposes Ant-Man (Marvel Premiere #47, 1979); Pym helping to mentor Scott Lang as Ant-Man (Marvel Premiere #48, 1979)

Tom DeFalco: co-creator of Cassie Lang using Pym technology to alter her size, wearing a purple costume; of Scott mentoring Cassie (A-Next #1, 1998); of Hope Pym, the embittered daughter of Henry Pym and the Wasp (A-Next #10, 1998); of Ant-Man helmet with red lenses (Fantastic Four #405, 1995); of Hope Pym's name; Hope using the Wasp's equipment (A-Next #12, 1998)

Ron Frenz: co-creator of Cassie Lang using Pym technology to alter her size, wearing a purple costume; of Scott mentoring Cassie (A-Next #1, 1998); of Hope Pym, the embittered daughter of Henry Pym and the Wasp (A-Next #10, 1998); of Hope Pym's name; Hope using the Wasp's equipment (A-Next #12, 1998)

Walter Simonson: creator of Mr. Mobius, an executive in the Time Variance Authority who attempts to repair damage done to the timeline (Fantastic Four #346, 1990); creator of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs, an organized assembly of variant Kangs including non-human versions of him (Avengers #291, 1988)

Don Heck: co-creator of Immortus, a bearded time manipulator who opposes the Avengers (Avengers #10, 1964); of the Scarlet Centurion, a time traveler and foe of the Avengers (Avengers Annual #2, 1968); of Pym's nickname "Hank" (Tales to Astonish #47, 1963)

H. E. Huntley: co-creator of the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, Ant-Man's female sidekick and love interest adorned in a red and black costume with insect-like wings permitting flight (Tales to Astonish #44, 1963); of Pym's nickname "Hank" (Tales to Astonish #47, 1963)

Steve Englehart: co-creator of Immortus, Kang and Rama-Tut revealed to be the same person; of Kang at war with his alternate selves (Giant-Size Avengers #3, 1975); of Pym shrinking and enlarging objects, carrying some inside his pockets (West Coast Avengers #21, 1987)

Roger Stern: co-creator of Kang interacting with his alternate selves and forming a loose alliance with them; of Kang eliminating alternate selves who are considered a threat; of Kang wearing a purple cloak (Avengers #267, 1986)

Peter Sanderson: co-creator of "Victor Timely," identity assumed by Kang while interacting with the Victorian world as though he were a native inventor (Avengers Annual #21, 1992)

Rich Yanizeski: co-creator of "Victor Timely," identity assumed by Kang while interacting with the Victorian world as though he were a native inventor (Avengers Annual #21, 1992)

Carlos Pacheco: co-creator of the Wasp wearing a black costume with a yellow chest; of Kang declaring "destiny is forged" as he charges into battle (Avengers Forever #1, 1998)

Kurt Busiek: co-creator of the Wasp wearing a black costume with a yellow chest; of Kang declaring "destiny is forged" as he charges into battle (Avengers Forever #1, 1998)

Geoff Johns: co-creator of Scott Lang as one of the Avengers (Avengers #62, 2003); of Ant-Man wearing a costume with increased black tones (Avengers #65, 2003)

Dave Cockrum: co-creator of Immortus, Kang and Rama-Tut revealed to be the same person; of Kang at war with his alternate selves (Giant-Size Avengers #3, 1975)

Al Milgrom: co-creator of Hank Pym shrinking and enlarging objects, carrying some inside his pockets (West Coast Avengers #21, 1987)

Al Feldstein: co-creator of Jimmy Woo, a Chinese-American FBI agent stationed in San Francisco (Yellow Claw #1, 1956)

Joe Maneely: co-creator of Jimmy Woo, a Chinese-American FBI agent stationed in San Francisco (Yellow Claw #1, 1956)

Brian Michael Bendis: co-creator of the Wasp surviving certain death by entering the microverse (Avengers #32, 2012)

Brandon Peterson: co-creator of the Wasp surviving certain death by entering the microverse (Avengers #32, 2012)

Dick Ayers: co-creator of the Wasp's stinger, a wrist-based weapon in her costume (Tales to Astonish #57, 1964)

Allan Heinberg: co-creator of Cassie Lang wishing to be a super hero like her father (Young Avengers #1, 2005)

Jim Cheung: co-creator of Cassie Lang wishing to be a super hero like her father (Young Avengers #1, 2005)

Olivier Coipel: co-creator of Ant-Man wearing a costume with increased black tones (Avengers #65, 2003)

John Ostrander: co-creator of Ant-Man wearing a helmet with full face mask (Heroes for Hire #6, 1997)

Pasqual Ferry: co-creator of Ant-Man wearing a helmet with full face mask (Heroes for Hire #6, 1997)

Joe Simon: co-creator of Captain America, patriotic super hero (Captain America Comics #1, 1941)

Neal Adams: co-creator of Ant-Man's helmet providing environmental seals (Avengers #93, 1971)

Paul Ryan: co-creator of Ant-Man helmet with red lenses (Fantastic Four #405, 1995)

Gary Frank: co-creator of Scott Lang as one of the Avengers (Avengers #62, 2003)

Escape Episode Guide: Part 3

Welcome back to my episode guide to the fantastic old-time radio series Escape!

• #21: "Confession" (December 31, 1947) Starring: William Conrad. Story: Algernon Blackwood. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: England.
  Plot: A shellshocked veteran tries to maintain his sanity during a terrifying journey through the London fog.
  Review: We'll be looking at 2 stories by Algernon Blackwood in today's post but sadly they're the only instances Escape adapted from him. This is a rare non-supernatural story by Blackwood yet still an intensely unsettling experience; William Conrad is excellent as the nervous veteran and the climax is amazing. The episode puts you into the head of the veteran, uncertain of what's real and what might be imagined. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #22: "The Second Class Passenger" (1st version January 7, 1948) Starring: Harry Bartell. Story: Percival Gibbon. Script/Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Mozambique.
  Plot: A tourist who steps in out of the rain finds himself among hardened criminals then in an adventurous flight across the city.
  Review: This is peak Escape, the type of story few other anthologies could feature. Here the high seas are the point of departure as our protagonist leaves his boat to find adventure ashore. It's amusing, adventurous, romantic and even heartbreaking. It's decidedly offbeat and maybe isn't to your tastes but this to me epitomizes what Escape does better than anyone. Kudos as well to Bartell, who portrays the right amount of naivete for the role. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #23: "Leiningen versus the Ants" (1st version January 14, 1948) Starring: William Conrad. Story: Carl Stephenson. Script: Robert Ryf. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Brazil.
  Plot: The owner of a plantation refuses to flee from ravenous ants - not while he can still fight them!
  Review: A phenomenal piece of radio and another of the shows to highlight how great Escape can be. There are many "man vs. nature" stories but this is the most visceral of them all as Conrad's Leiningen matches wits with insects and finds them adept at thwarting his plans. The use of musical cues to represent the marching ants is strangely effective. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #24: "Papa Benjamin" (January 21, 1948) Starring: Frank Lovejoy. Story: Cornell Woolrich. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
  Plot: A New Orleans jazz musician seeks out a "voodoo chant" to bring himself success, earning the ire of true believers.
  Review: Atypical for Woolrich, this is a tale of the supernatural. Lovejoy is terrific as the skeptical bandlander who knowingly insults the voodoo cult then pays the price; the jazz music sounds pretty good, too. I find the most effective scenes are those set in the New Orleans alleyways leading to Papa Benjamin's home, the woman warning, "don't go back there, honey." Eerie, especially if you listen late at night. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #25: "Three Good Witnesses" (January 28, 1948) Starring: Morgan Farley. Story: Harold Lamb. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Turkey.
  Plot: An engineer leaving Turkey aboard a train is dragged into an espionage plot.
  Review: There are many episodes of Escape that feature common folk drawn into espionage through circumstances but I think this might be the best, primarily because Morgan Farley delivers a note-perfect milquetoast performance. Jack Webb is great as ever as the American agent. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #26: "The Vanishing Lady" (1st version February 1, 1948) Starring: Joan Banks. Story: Alexander Woollcott. Script/Director: William N. Robson. Setting: France.
  Plot: A woman goes to fetch a doctor for her sick mother then finds herself tangled in a conspiracy to deny her mother's existence.
  Review: A rare Escape episode with a female lead; it's a familiar story but I think Escape tells it better than any other variant. The woman's growing alarm at her mother's fate has just the right amount of desperation. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #27: "Snake Doctor" (1st version February 8, 1948) Starring: William Conrad. Story: Irvin S. Cobb. Script: Fred Howard. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
  Plot: A man who hates snakes - and hates the "snake doctor" who tends them - schemes to commit a murder.
  Review: Cobb isn't a remembered author today but this is one fine story, carried primarily by William Conrad's outstanding performance as the bigoted, cowardly, white trash farmer. The murder sequence in which the "snake doctor" seems to have survived being shot is delivered in a perfectly nightmarish fashion, to say nothing of the climax. Special kudos to Paul Frees for his performance as the simpleton good-for-nothing son and a shout-out to Escape Snake #2: the cottonmouth! My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #28: "Ancient Sorceries" (February 15, 1948) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: Algernon Blackwood. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: England.
  Plot: A visitor to a remote village finds himself expected - even anticipated - by the population. They seem very catty...
  Review: And here's the other great Blackwood story, the supernatural kind of tale he mastered. Paul Frees is terrific as the lead who reacts to the unsettling behaviour of the locals and the fascination he seems unable to resist; the inescapable pull of paganism was a recurring theme in Blackwood's fiction. I still can't believe the "next week" message at the end of "Snake Doctor" gave away that this would be an episode about cat people! My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #29: "How Love Came to Professor Guildea" (February 22, 1948) Starring: Luis Van Rooten. Story: Robert Hichens. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: England.
  Plot: An unloved atheist encounters an invisible creature that adores him.
  Review: An offbeat tale of the supernatural wherein the ghost isn't so much frightening as affectionate and how that can be intolerable to a man unable to accept its adoration. The concept of a parrot mimicking a ghost is particularly odd and effective. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #30: "The Grove of Ashtaroth" (February 29, 1948) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: John Buchan. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: South Africa.
  Plot: An Englishman settles in South Africa to assume worship of the ancient goddess Ashtaroth.
  Review: Strangely, this is the one time Buchan was adapted on Escape despite his many stories of hunting or espionage being perfect for the series. This one is more supernatural than his stories usually are - and oddly I find it least compelling at the climax when the supernatural influence becomes strongest but I do enjoy this tale quite a bit. The episode is at its most effective when concerning the mystery of what's going on in the grove; the more that's left to your imagination, the more unsettling it feels. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

You can listen to episodes of Escape at the Internet Archive! I'll be back with more next week!

Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent versus Sheean's Personal History

I've previously blogged about various books and short stories that inspired the films of my favourite director, Alfred Hitchcock. As I continue to occasionally indulge in the few remaining works, I recently read Personal History (1935) by Vincent Sheean. It's the work that inspired Hitchcock's 1940 film Foreign Correspondent.

You remember Foreign Correspondent, surely? Among we Hitchcock fans it does appear to be undervalued. Books about Hitchcock films tend to bring up the memorable scene where an assassin with a camera shoots his target. Some might bring up the film's impressive plane crash effect at the climax, others mention the windmill hideout or Edmund Gwenn's brief appearance as an assassin; that's about it. Another undervalued film, Saboteur (1942) is guaranteed a favourable write-up based solely on the Statue of Liberty sequence; Foreign Correspondent simply lacks anything that striking. But heck, no one hates the movie (whereas you can find plenty of Hitchcock books whose authors dislike Number Seventeen, Jamaica Inn, Under Capricorn, Torn Curtain and Topaz).

But what of the source material? Personal History is... virtually unrelated. Vincent Sheean was indeed a journalist and foreign correspondent. He was in Europe and encountered a spy once. That's... it. It appears that when he sold his book to Hollywood they weren't really interested in maintaining fidelity to the work. It feels like the only reason Foreign Correspondent was released as an "adaptation" is so the studio could feel like their investment in the book rights had paid out.

It's kind of a shame; the full text of Personal History would never have made a good film - it's Sheean's life story, covering his university days, his time hanging around Europe, traveling through the Rif of Morocco, falling (literally) head-over-heels in love with communism in China and witnessing the brutality of Palestine. It's too much for one book and he doesn't shape events, merely observe them.

Still, there are at least two aspects of the book which would have been interesting in a motion picture adaptation. While in Spain, Sheean learns he's being shadowed by a government-appointed spy. To his amazement, the spy is very casual about his occupation and happy to talk about his work with Sheean. The punch-clock approach the spy has to his work is very amusing and would have suited the type of comic relief Hitchcock liked. The other great aspect is the time Sheean spent in the Rif. It's full of danger and dilemma, especially when Sheean has to go undercover.

Personal History probably isn't for every Hitchcock fan - it's a non-fiction biography with almost nothing to with the film. As well, Sheean was a man of his time - he wrote very passionately about communism (largely because he was in love with a communist woman, though he repeatedly protested he was actually very objective) yet he held very Victorian-like ideals about proper behaviour. It won't be to everyone's tastes. But to his credit, he wrote very openly about the subjects he grappled with.

Escape Episode Guide: Part 2

Welcome back to my episode guide to the fantastic old-time radio series Escape!

• #11: "The Fall of the House of Usher" (October 22, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: Edgar Allan Poe. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
  Plot: Amid the death of his sister, Roderick Usher seems to succumb to madness.
  Review: The only instance where Escape adapted Poe! It's a very faithful adaptation so if you love the short story you'll be very pleased. Paul Frees could make reading a telephone directory engaging, so much the better when he's given some Poe. A classic of horror and easily the best radio adaptation of the text. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #12: "Pollack and the Porroh Man" (October 29, 1947) Starring: Barton Yarborough. Story: H. G. Wells. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Sierra Leone.
  Plot: After insulting Africans a British man causes a cycle of vengeance that leaves himself under a supernatural curse where he beholds an upside-down head wherever he looks.
  Review: This is a lightly-flavoured supernatural story with room to assume the curse is all in the protagonist's mind if you wish; of course, the supernatural makes it more interesting to me. Barton Yarborough was a great radio actor but here he showed off his range in a way I haven't heard anywhere else. Heck, this is probably your only chance to hear William Conrad play a Portuguese man, too. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #13: "Evening Primrose" (1st version November 5, 1947) Starring: Elliott Lewis. Story: John Collier. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. 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: This odd dark comedy might not be to all tastes but I find it very effective; initially the concept of a civilization hidden inside department stores is simply bemusing but as it goes on it becomes more and more chilling. I also have to praise Elliott Lewis' acting here - he often spoke dismissively of his acting career but I think this is among his best performances, featuring a warmth and earnestness that enhances the situation. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #14: "The Young Man with the Cream Tarts" (November 12, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: Robert Louis Stevenson. Script/Director: William N. Robson. Setting: England.
  Plot: A prince and his bodyguard go slumming and find themselves in the "suicide club" where men gamble their lives while playing cards. The prince can't resist testing his luck.
  Review: A phenomenal story; certainly the protagonist causes his own problems by refusing to simply avoid the Suicide Club but it's a tense thriller and wonderfully well-acted. William Conrad is as good as ever as the club president. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #15: "Casting the Runes" (November 19, 1947) Starring: John McIntire. Story: M. R. James. Script: Irving Ravetch/John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: England.
  Plot: After mocking the supernatural a professor finds himself cursed and only a slim chance to save his life from a conjured monstrosity.
  Review: I'm a huge fan of M. R. James now; this Escape production was my introduction to his work. The imagery this story conjures up is such perfect radio - a dread of the unseen, the sense of a figure who is always behind you. Good scary fun. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #16: "The Country of the Blind" (1st version November 26, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: H. G. Wells. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Ecuador.
  Plot: A lost mountain guide discovers an isolated valley where blind men live. He wrongly assumes his sense of sight will make him their superior.
  Review: "In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king." Wells' story disproves the old proverb as the guide finds himself treated as an inferior at best, a maniac at his worst. Frees is excellent as the guide as he swerves from bemusement to hostility then acceptance of his inability to adjust to life among the blind. A perfect production. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #17: "Taboo" (December 3, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: Geoffrey Household. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Hungary.
  Plot: A series of disappearances convince Hungarian villagers that a werewolf is on the loose. Two hunters go looking for the real culprit.
  Review: Even though there are no supernatural terrors to be found in this story, the actual menace is so horrible that the script can only hint at it. Unseen dread permeates this story, it's one of Escape's finest. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #18: "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (December 10, 1947) Starring: Harry Bartell. Story: Ambrose Bierce. Script/Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
  Plot: As he faces death by hanging on a bridge a man imagines his means of escape.
  Review: Ingenuously, Robson tells this story with dueling narrators as Bill Johnstone and William Conrad contrast reality with fantasy; the climax might have been obtuse to listeners if not for that storytelling device, which instead renders this an excellent piece of radio production. Even though it lacked the budget of Suspense, at times Escape proved there were many creative opportunities within their modest scope. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #19: "Wild Oranges" (1st version December 17, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: Joseph Hergesheimer. Script: John Dunkel. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
  Plot: A sailor meets a beautiful woman on a remote estate who is menaced by her hired hand.
  Review: Here we have the first episode of Escape that I'm lukewarm on. This story was a popular melodrama in its day but even with all of Escape's best creative personnel (from Frees to William Conrad) it never quite clicks for me. I just never get invested in the romance between Frees' captain and the plantation waif, nor do I ever find Nicholas the possessive laborer the least bit menacing. It's well-done but not engaging. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #20: "Back for Christmas" (December 24, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: John Collier. Script: Robert Tallman. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: England.
  Plot: A professor plots to murder his wife and flee to the USA with his new lover but his plans are unexpectedly undone.
  Review: A very morbid and whimsical John Collier story - which is to say, a fairly typical Collier story. Escape reused a script originally produced on Suspense; Paul Frees is extremely pleasing as the protagonist-murderer and I think he carries what would otherwise be a pretty typical crime script. My Rating: 4/5 stars.

You can listen to episodes of Escape at the Internet Archive! I'll be back with more next week!

Escape Episode Guide: Part 1

Escape was one of old-time radio's all-time best programs, in my estimation. I frequently call either Escape or Quiet, Please the best series I've heard, depending on my mood. It ran on CBS for 7 years, 1947-1954. It seldom had a sponsor but CBS wisely kept footing the bill; it bounced all over their schedule yet kept being renewed. The producer/director positions were very solid, usually rotating between William N. Robson and Norman Macdonnell and the other producer/directors (the most notable being Antony Ellis) maintained the same feel. Sometimes they adapted popular stories, other times they featured original scripts. There was a particular love for telling stories set aboard ships (or boats, rafts) at sea; although some scripts were set in the USA, usually they were set at an overseas locale. And when you really needed peril, just add a snake!

Escape demands more than one of my simple Radio Recap blog posts. I've indicated in many previous posts what a few of my favourite Escape episodes are, but I think it will be interesting to go through the entire series and write up my short thoughts on every surviving episode. I'll include a rating from a total of 5 stars as well, but again, I think a lot of Escape so I doubt I'll go below 3 stars very often - and there should be many 5 star episodes.

Over the next few months I'll post my entire episode guide, 10 episodes per week. I hope you enjoy!

• #1: "The Dead of Night" (March 21, 1947) Starring: Art Carney. Story: John Bains. Script: Charles Gusman. Director: John Moseman. Setting: England.
  Plot: A struggling ventriloquist has a falling out with his dummy.
  Review: This is the pilot episode of Escape and it isn't quite the series we know yet - it was created by different hands than the series proper, which kept little more than the title "Escape." As well, this is an adaptation of a film story whereas the series primarily adapts from prose. The pilot was also produced as Out of This World but I suppose Escape proved the better name; there are also many differences between the two scripts (Out of This World is closer to the original film) although the creators seem to be mostly identical. In either version, this is a great horror story in its own right and possibly the best "evil dummy" story ever told. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #2: "The Man Who Would Be King" (1st version July 7, 1947) Starring: Raymond Lawrence. Story: Rudyard Kipling. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson Setting: India.
  Plot: Two adventurers seek to make themselves kings but suffer the misfortune of becoming gods as well.
  Review: And here we have the actual start of Escape under the auspices of William N. Robson. It's a very fine adaptation and demonstrates how able the series will prove at condensing the most important parts of novels and short stories into a half-hour format. The exotic locale and sense of high adventure are in full effect in this program, it's handled just right. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #3: "Operation Fleur de Lis" (July 14, 1947) Starring: Jack Webb. Story: S. J. O. Alsop. Script: William N. Robson. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: France.
  Plot: During World War II two OSS agents seek the identity of a mole within the French underground.
  Review: Perhaps it was a deliberate choice by Robson to make his 2nd episode very different from the 1st (indeed, different from much that followed). Rather than a well-known piece of classic fiction, Robson adapted a true story about World War II just recently published (in Sub Rosa). Thus, this episode signals very early that Escape won't always be set in the past or remote locations, it will also tell stories from contemporary times. And certainly in this instance, the story is a winner; Elliott Lewis provides a bit of jocularity as Webb's sidekick but it's ultimately a grim story about the necessity of protecting the resistance from an enemy within. Very well-done. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #4: "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" (1st version July 21, 1947) Starring: Jack Edwards Jr. Story: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: USA.
  Plot: An obscenely-wealthy family invite a college man to their home.
  Review: A great first effort at adapting Fitzgerald's dark comedy. It's certainly far from the realism which Escape would devote most of its space to! All the performances here are very fine, with Jack Edwards Jr. hitting just the right note of naivete as the protagonist. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #5: "Typhoon" (July 28, 1947) Starring: Frank Lovejoy. Story: Joseph Conrad. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: Pacific Ocean.
  Plot: A sailor contends with his captain whose simple-minded thinking appears stupid to him.
  Review: At last, Escape brings us to the high seas! We'll have many episodes to come in which water travel is the means by which the protagonist finds adventure or is the location of the adventure. In this case, we have a rousing adventure tale about a calamitous voyage through stormy seas; Lovejoy was always great at being cynical and that's role here - the practical man versus his high-minded captain. The captain's gentle demeanour also injects some welcome light-heartedness. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #6: "The Sire de Maletroit's Door" (August 4, 1947) Starring: Elliott Lewis. Story: Robert Louis Stevenson. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: France.
  Plot: A young adventurer tries to hide through an open door and finds himself accused of being a woman's suitor.
  Review: An early favourite of mine. Elliott Lewis is perfectly cast as the earnest young protagonist who finds himself trapped by a simple matter of mistaken identity. And yet, the punishment - marrying a beautiful young woman - isn't exactly a fate worse than death (although that's his alternative). Fun and romantic. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #7: "The Ring of Thoth" (August 11, 1947) Starring: Jack Webb. Story: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: France/Egypt.
  Plot: A museum visitor meets an old man who recounts his first-hand experience of ancient Egypt and the curse of immortality.
  Review: Our first true venture into the supernatural as a man cursed with immortality relates his sad story. This script adds another tragic element to the finale that wasn't present in the original short story. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #8: "The Fourth Man" (1st version August 18, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: John Russell. Script: Irving Ravetch. Director: William N. Robson. Setting: New Caledonia.
  Plot: Three men attempt to escape a penal colony on a raft. The raft's indigenous pilot is their best hope of escape.
  Review: Although merely a raft, we return to the high seas! We also welcome author John Russell, who is not remembered today but was apparently a favourite of Robson's - and the producer/directors who followed Robson would likewise adapt from Russell's fiction all the way to the final run of episodes 7 years later. This is easily Russell's best story as the convicts clash with each other while talking of their superiority over the indigenous pilot. The cast is very strong in this version with Frees perfectly cast as the lead convict. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #9: "The Most Dangerous Game" (October 1, 1947) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: Richard Connell. Script: Irving Ravetch. Director: Richard Sanville. Setting: Caribbean.
  Plot: A famous big game hunter is stranded on an island whose owner has found a new form of game to hunt: humans.
  Review: A phenomenal adaptation of one of the greatest adventure tales ever written. The script is mostly the same as a version used by Suspense but this version is much better than that; Frees is especially adept as the protagonist. Oh, and the story opens upon the high seas! My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #10: "A Shipment of Mute Fate" (1st version October 15, 1947) Starring: Jack Webb. Story: Martin Storm. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: William N. Robson. 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! And it's set on the high seas! Could there be a more perfect scenario for Escape than a snake on a boat? This is the only version with Jack Webb and I feel he does the best job of portraying the protagonist, although the copy circulating has some audio defects that cut a few seconds from the recording. A perfectly tense thriller with an excellent climax. My Rating: 5/5 stars.

You can listen to episodes of Escape at the Internet Archive! I'll be back with more next week!

Radio Recap: Nightmare

The first time I heard an episode of Nightmare I wasn't quite certain what it was. Obviously my ears immediately recognized the familiar voice of Peter Lorre hosting and narrating the program - but how could it be that he had an entire series I hadn't heard about before? Given that Nightmare is a horror-mystery anthology with one of the all-time great horror-mystery stars hosting, it is a little mystifying that it's seldom brought up among old-time radio fans.

Nightmare was a late entry in radio, airing on Mutual from fall 1953 to spring 1954. It lasted a full calendar year, yet a mere 7 episodes still exist. All the commercials have been cut from the programs, leaving them very trim (about 23 minutes each). The seven episodes are:

• "The Purple Cloud" (November 19, 1953) Two men fear a nuclear assault has occurred.
• "Coincidence" (November 26, 1953) A schmoe has the bad luck to find the murder weapon that recently killed his girlfriend's father.
• "High Wire Lady" (December 24, 1953) A woman afraid of heights is forced to face her fears.
• "The Hollow Footsteps" (February 3, 1954) A man seems to be haunted by a ghost that only he can hear.
• "The Chance of a Ghost" (March 31, 1954) A medium fears she has truly made contact with the spirit world.
• "The Leech" (April 7, 1954) An unfaithful wife and her lover murder her husband but are prevented from making a getaway.
• "The Hybrid" (April 14, 1954) A new hothouse plant has a thirst for blood.

As my brief descriptions show, the content was very similar to Inner Sanctum Mysteries, but the style was more restrained. The exception to the rule is "the Hybrid," a menacing story with some gruesome moments and extremely effective sound effects. By the declining standards of 1953-1954 radio, Nightmare is pretty good. Stories such as "Coincidence" are contrived, but in that instance the intent of the plot is to create a contrived situation to endanger the protagonist.

It's a pity that Lorre didn't perform in these programs as we know from Mystery in the Air that no one could energize a script like he - but Nightmare did at least boast a lot of solid radio professionals who turned in good work. Lorre's hosting permitted him to be a bit light-hearted, often speaking in rhyme. Lorre is always delightful.

The Digital Deli has a great article on the series.