Escape Episode Guide: Part 5

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

• #41: "The Match" (May 16, 1948) Starring: Frank Lovejoy. Story: James Oliver Curwood. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Canada.
  Plot: An escaped killer is nabbed by a Mountie in the frozen north. To save their lives the two men will have to trust each other - but they're both very stubborn men.
  Review: A terrific story about wildernesss survival and two men testing their wills against each other. It's a story virtually bereft of an antagonist - Lovejoy's criminal is extremely sympathetic but the Mountie is similarly a likeable, honourable man. One man meets a tragic end, the other narrowly survives. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #42: "Leiningen versus the Ants" (2nd version May 23, 1948) Starring: William Conrad. Story: Carl Stephenson. Script: Robert Ryf. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Brazil.
  Plot: The owner of a plantation refuses to flee from ravenous ants - not while he can still fight them!
  Review: Another great adaptation of the story (first was #23); I don't like the commissioner's performance as much in this version but Conrad remains an outstanding presence as Leiningen. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #43: "Beau Geste" (June 6, 1948) Starring: Berry Kroeger. Story: P. C. Wren. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Algeria.
  Plot: Scandalized by the mysterious disappearance of a family treasure, three brothers join the French Foreign Legion.
  Review: The novel is not well-served by being trimmed to fit a half-hour, particularly as it forces the titular Beau into a smaller part than he should play. Still, all of the most important parts of the novel - particularly the defense by way of attrition at the fort - are present and expertly delivered. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #44: "The Country of the Blind" (2nd version June 27, 1948) Starring: Paul Frees. Story: H. G. Wells. Script: John Dunkel. Director: Norman Macdonnell. 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: Macdonnell redoes another Robson production (#16), blessed again with Frees as the leading man. Frees is once again terrific, although the production values in this version are slightly lower than Robson's first effort. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #45: "A Tooth for Paul Revere" (July 4, 1948) Starring: Harry Bartell. Story: Stephen Vincent Benet. Script: John Dunkel. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: USA.
  Plot: Lige Butterwick has an awful toothache; seeking out the silversmith Paul Revere he finds himself with a part to play in the American Revolution.
  Review: Benet was everything Aaron Sorkin wishes he was - a true believer in the greatness of the United States. That being the case, I'm not especially fond of this story, which relies on the audience to be really invested in their US history. Still, I appreciate that this is an offbeat story focused primarily on humour. It's not really what you expect on Escape but it's well-done for what it is. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #46: "She" (July 11, 1948) Starring: Larry Dobkin. Story: H. Rider Haggard. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Africa.
  Plot: An expedition finds the lost kingdom ruled by a woman who gained eternal life and wants her reincarnated lover to join her.
  Review: Another novel reduced to fit the timeslot, although I think "She" works well enough in this format. There's enough high adventure and emphasis upon the titular She as she charms the heroes by telling the tale of her long life. My Rating: 3.5/5 stars.
• #47: "Habit" (July 18, 1948) Starring: Luis van Rooten. Story: F. R. Buckley. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: USA/Atlantic Ocean.
  Plot: A sea captain offended by a personal insult risks his crew as a matter of honour.
  Review: I'm rather fond of this one simply because of the humour; van Rooten is very loveable as the proud captain and the story has enough dangerous adventure on the high seas to suit what you expect from Escape, even though it's ultimately in service of a recklessly foolish notion about honour. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #48: "The Man Who Would Be King" (2nd version August 1, 1948) Starring: Ben Wright. Story: Rudyard Kipling. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: India.
  Plot: Two adventurers seek to make themselves kings but suffer the misfortune of becoming gods as well.
  Review: Another good adaptation of the story, although Macdonnell's direction feels more clipped and rushed than Robson's original production (#2). My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #49: "The Fugitive" (August 15, 1948) Starring: Luis Van Rooten. Story: Vincent Starrett. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: France.
  Plot: An escaped prisoner fears that a clever jailer has already anticipated his every move.
  Review: A very surreal story that's hard to follow. I haven't read the original text and I think that would help. There are some amusing moments as the protagonist makes wild leaps in probability but I can't say I ever connected with this story. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #50: "S.S. San Pedro" (August 22, 1948) Starring: John Dehner. Story: James Gould Cozzens. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Atlantic Ocean.
  Plot: As a freighter nears a destructive end, the mate is distracted by the cadaverous Dr. Percival who seems to predict the ship's doom.
  Review: This is apparently nothing like the source novel but as a piece of supernatural fiction it's extremely compelling. Dehner is perfect as the stiff leading man whose lack of imagination proves a real detriment on the high seas. The closing words, "Who do you think he is?" are probably the creepiest ever uttered on Escape. My Rating: 5/5 stars.

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