Escape Episode Guide: Part 22

Welcome to the final entry of my episode guide on the fantastic old-time radio series Escape!

• #211: "Night of the Guns" (July 31, 1954) Starring: Herb Ellis. Story/Script/Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: Haiti.
  Plot: Two businessmen are mistaken for gun runners while in the midst of a revolution.
  Review: Another everyman in hot water story but nothing memorable. It might have been stronger with a single protagonist instead of two. This episode includes actor John Dehner's final performance on Escape. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #212: "The Price of the Head" (2nd version August 7, 1954) Starring: Hans Conreid. Story: John Russell. Script: John Meston. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: Solomon Islands.
  Plot: A redheaded brawler kills a man but an indigenous man offers his help - for a price.
  Review: Appropriately, even in this final batch of episodes we have one final repeated script (from episode #150) - and it's by John Russell, whose stories were part of Escape throughout its history. This version has much cleaner audio than the previous one. However, I still don't find this story very exceptional. Note that this is actor Ben Wright's final appearance on Escape. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #213: "The Coward" (August 14, 1954) Starring: Barney Phillips. Story/Script: E. Jack Neuman. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: Caribbean.
  Plot: A pilot schemes to retrieve a fortune lost in a plane he himself had wrecked.
  Review: Another high seas treasure hunt story and pretty average for what it is. In many ways it's a less-interesting version of "Gringo" (#149) which Neuman also wrote. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #214: "Two and Two Make Four" (August 21, 1954) Starring: Shep Menken. Story/Script: Walter Newman. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: England.
  Plot: A sailor who was mugged in France awakens to find he's in England.
  Review: The nature of the mystery - how the protagonist got from France to England so quickly - is a bit odd and that keeps this episode a bit more engaging than others of this era. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #215: "The King of Owanatu" (August 28, 1954) Starring: Tony Barrett. Story/Script: Robert Tallman. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: Coral Sea.
  Plot: A self-proclaimed king deliberately wrecks ships on the high seas.
  Review: It's very pleasant to hear Joseph Kearns as a villain one last time. The story itself is somewhat derivative of other stories we've heard over the years (a little bit of #9: "The Most Dangerous Game," a pinch of #125: "The Power of Hammer," heck, a bit of #19: "Wild Oranges" too) but it has romance, adventure and suspense - a good example of the average Escape episode. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #216: "The Boiling Sea" (September 4, 1954) Starring: Ted de Corsia. Story: Vincent McHugh. Script: John Dunkel. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: Pacific Ocean.
  Plot: A ship's crew find themselves endangered by volcanoes at sea.
  Review: Volcanoes on the high seas! Here we have some tense high adventure that feels like the series at its best (Dunkel had been writing for the show since #12: "Pollack and the Porroh Man"). So many of the stories set on ships have been man vs. man that I find it very welcome to have a man vs. nature story, the likes of which I don't think Escape had hosted since all the way back to "S.S. San Pedro" (#50)! This is also the final episode of Escape with actors Ted de Corsia and Harry Bartell. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #217: "Carnival in Vienna" (September 11, 1954) Starring: Jack Moyles. Story/Script/Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: Austria.
  Plot: A carnival worker schemes to steal a fortune.
  Review: A pretty average crime story; I'm not sure why it wasn't simply produced on Suspense. Unless... this is a bit like the Suspense episode "The Giant of Thermopylae" which aired 4 months earlier, isn't it? Man trapped in funhouse attraction with laughing clown? My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #218: "The Target" (September 18, 1954) Starring: William Conrad. Story/Script: Tony Barrett. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: Chile.
  Plot: An insurance investigator pursues a criminal on the run.
  Review: This is the 2nd of 2 episodes written by actor Tony Barrett and the final time Conrad served as protagonist, along with Barrett and Hans Conreid's final appearances on the series. The tale itself is quite average but does at least send us out to the high seas one last time. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #219: "The Heart of Kali" (September 25, 1954) Starring: Paul Richards. Story/Script: Ross Murray. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: India.
  Plot: A former soldier schemes to steal a ruby he discovered during the war.
  Review: And here we have the final episode of Escape, closing on our old friend William Conrad promoting his western series Gunsmoke instead of a new episode. Escape had been moved around the schedule so many times that I wonder if the audience at the time (or even cast and crew) were certain whether or not this was the series' final bow. The show does at least go out strong with one last treasure hunt tale in a remote locale. This is a good mix of crime, adventure and an ironic punishment, elements we heard many, many times during the program's seven year run. There were better episodes and worse episodes but the quality of this one is decent and although I find the quality of many episodes in the Fine/Friedkin era erratic, it feels as though Escape went out as a strong program that still had life in it. Thankfully, Paul Frees was still present and had been one of Escape's most versatile performers throughout its run. My Rating: 4/5 stars.

You can listen to episodes of Escape at the Internet Archive!

Radio Recap: The Tenth Man

The Tenth Man is very different from anything else I've covered in my Radio Recap series. This was a series with a purpose - a goal. The Tenth Man was created by the National Mental Health Foundation and dramatized situations in the lives of normal people who must confront some aspect of mental difficulties. It was a 15-minute show that aired on NBC from October 17, 1947 to January 9, 1948. Ralph Bellamy hosted every episode.

Although some of the science on the Tenth Man probably sounds a bit outdated, I think then - and now - there is a lot of stigma around admitting to mental difficulties and taking appropriate steps to deal with them. The problem could only have been greater in the 1940s, but it seems as though post-war Americans were ready to listen to the subject.

Some of the episodes dealt with big subjects like depression and learning impairments, but I found the Tenth Man was also very capable at handling everyday encounters with mental wellbeing. There's an episode about a woman who worries and frets about her aged father-in-law and thinks she's doing what's best for him by keeping him at home, but she winds up learning that for the sake of his good mental health he does need to be involved in activities and that there are activities appropriate for a man of his age. That might not sound like a novel concept to you, but by 1940s standards I found it very notable as well as a message that still resonates.

The Tenth Man holds up very well; it has a very gentle and informative manner of addressing mental health problems. You can hear the Tenth Man at the Internet Archive.

Creator Credits for Secret Invasion (2023)

Secret Invasion was... well, I found the original comic storyline a bit underwhelming. In that sense, the television adaptation holds up.

My full list of creators who have contributed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be found here and I always welcome corrections!

Brian Michael Bendis: co-creator of S.H.I.E.L.D. collecting DNA samples from super heroes following their battles; of these samples being turned over to villains who want to share the powers with their followers (Avengers #18, 2011); of Nick Fury discovering a massive conspiracy by the Skrulls to infiltrate the Earth and replace both his allies and other prestige figures; of the Skrulls impersonating one of Nick's lovers (Mighty Avengers #12, 2008); of Nick Fury gathering allies to fight the Skrull invasion (Mighty Avengers #13, 2008); of Pagon, a Skrull agent who operates undercover on Earth (Mighty Avengers #16, 2008); of the Skrulls capturing humans and keeping them in stasis so their undercover agents can access their prisoners' minds and help them perfect their cover identities (Mighty Avengers #17, 2008); of Dro'ge, a Skrull scientist who learns how to use the DNA of superhumans to share their powers with other Skrulls as part of the Skrulls' beachead operation (New Avengers #40, 2008); of the Skrulls creating multiple new Super-Skrulls while placing their agents undercover on Earth (New Avengers: Illuminati #5, 2008); of the Skrulls arriving on Earth as refugees; of the Skrulls referring to their Earthly invasion as an act of "love" (Secret Invasion #1, 2008); of Maria Hill, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent; of Nick Fury going deep undercover (Secret War #5, 2005); of Nick Fury depicted as an African-American man (Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5, 2001)

Stan Lee: co-creator of the Avengers, Earth's greatest super heroes (Avengers #1, 1963); of the Skrulls, an extraterrestrial race of shapeshifters who hide amongst humanity; of the Skrulls' green skin and ridged chins (Fantastic Four #2, 1962); of the Super-Skrull, name given to a Skrull given enhanced superhuman abilities by Skrull scientists so they can duplicate the powers of super heroes (Fantastic Four #18, 1963); of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race of conquerors (Fantastic Four #64, 1967); of Captain Marvel, a super hero (Marvel Super-Heroes #12, 1967); of Nick Fury, a veteran soldier and leader (Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1, 1963); of Nick Fury wearing an eyepatch over his left eye in his later years; of Colonel Nick Fury as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., an international espionage agency based on the massive Helicarrier vehicle; of Hydra, a terrorist organization opposed to S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strange Tales #135, 1965); of Groot, a tree-like extraterrestrial who can expand in size (Tales to Astonish #13, 1960)

Jack Kirby: co-creator of the Avengers, Earth's greatest super heroes (Avengers #1, 1963); of the Skrulls, an extraterrestrial race of shapeshifters who hide amongst humanity; of the Skrulls' green skin and ridged chins (Fantastic Four #2, 1962); of the Super-Skrull, name given to a Skrull given enhanced superhuman abilities by Skrull scientists so they can duplicate the powers of super heroes (Fantastic Four #18, 1963); of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race of conquerors (Fantastic Four #64, 1967); of Nick Fury, a veteran soldier and leader (Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1, 1963); of Nick Fury wearing an eyepatch over his left eye in his later years; of Colonel Nick Fury as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., an international espionage agency based on the massive Helicarrier vehicle; of Hydra, a terrorist organization opposed to S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strange Tales #135, 1965); of Groot, a tree-like extraterrestrial who can expand in size (Tales to Astonish #13, 1960)

Jim Cheung: co-creator of Dro'ge, a Skrull scientist who learns how to use the DNA of superhumans to share their powers with other Skrulls as part of the Skrulls' beachead operation (New Avengers #40, 2008); of the Skrulls creating multiple new Super-Skrulls while placing their agents undercover on Earth (New Avengers: Illuminati #5, 2008)

Alex Maleev: co-creator of Nick Fury discovering a massive conspiracy by the Skrulls to infiltrate the Earth and replace both his allies and other prestige figures; of the Skrulls impersonating one of Nick's lovers (Mighty Avengers #12, 2008); of Nick Fury gathering allies to fight the Skrull invasion (Mighty Avengers #13, 2008)

Khoi Pham: co-creator of Pagon, a Skrull agent who operates undercover on Earth (Mighty Avengers #16, 2008); of the Skrulls capturing humans and keeping them in stasis so their undercover agents can access their prisoners' minds and help them perfect their cover identities (Mighty Avengers #17, 2008)

Roy Thomas: co-creator of the enmity between the Kree and Skrull races (Captain Marvel #2, 1968); of Zirksu, an undercover Skrull agent on Earth; of infrared glasses piercing Skrulls' disguises (Marvel Premiere #35, 1977); of Carol Danvers, a woman connected to Captain Marvel (Marvel Super-Heroes #13, 1968)

Gene Colan: co-creator of the enmity between the Kree and Skrull races (Captain Marvel #2, 1968); of Captain Marvel, a super hero (Marvel Super-Heroes #12, 1967); of Carol Danvers, a woman connected to Captain Marvel (Marvel Super-Heroes #13, 1968)

Chris Claremont: co-creator of Nick Fury and Carol Danvers as close allies (Uncanny X-Men #158, 1982); of Carol Danvers receiving massively powerful energy manipulation abilities, surrounding herself with swirls of cosmic energy (Uncanny X-Men #164, 1982)

Dave Cockrum: co-creator of Nick Fury and Carol Danvers as close allies (Uncanny X-Men #158, 1982); of Carol Danvers receiving massively powerful energy manipulation abilities, surrounding herself with swirls of cosmic energy (Uncanny X-Men #164, 1982)

Daniel Acuña: co-creator of S.H.I.E.L.D. collecting DNA samples from super heroes following their battles; of these samples being turned over to villains who want to share the powers with their followers (Avengers #18, 2011)

John Byrne: creator of the Skrulls as a band of refugees with no homeworld (Fantastic Four #262, 1984); co-creator of James Rhodes, a heroic African-American pilot (Iron Man #118, 1979)

Leinil Francis Yu: co-creator of the Skrulls arriving on Earth as refugees; of the Skrulls referring to their Earthly invasion as an act of "love" (Secret Invasion #1, 2008)

Robbie Thompson: co-creator of Ri'ah, a female Skrull who operates undercover as a human on Earth, becomes affiliated with humanity (Meet the Skrulls #1, 2019)

Niko Henrichon: co-creator of Ri'ah, a female Skrull who operates undercover as a human on Earth, becomes affiliated with humanity (Meet the Skrulls #1, 2019)

Jim Craig: co-creator of Zirksu, an undercover Skrull agent on Earth; of infrared glasses piercing Skrulls' disguises (Marvel Premiere #35, 1977)

Christopher Priest: co-creator of Everett Ross, a US government official who is charged with working alongside super heroes (Ka-Zar #17, 1998)

Kenny Martinez: co-creator of Everett Ross, a US government official who is charged with working alongside super heroes (Ka-Zar #17, 1998)

Paul Neary: co-creator of Alexander Pierce, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. closely aligned to Nick Fury (Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3, 1988)

Bob Harras: co-creator of Alexander Pierce, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. closely aligned to Nick Fury (Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3, 1988)

Mark Millar: co-creator of Nick Fury depicted as Samuel L. Jackson; the Avengers as a team run under Fury's guidance (Ultimates #2, 2002)

Bryan Hitch: co-creator of Nick Fury depicted as Samuel L. Jackson; the Avengers as a team run under Fury's guidance (Ultimates #2, 2002)

Gabriele Dell'Otto: co-creator of Maria Hill, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent; of Nick Fury going deep undercover (Secret War #5, 2005)

Larry Lieber: co-creator of Groot, a tree-like extraterrestrial who can expand in size (Tales to Astonish #13, 1960)

Mike Allred: co-creator of Nick Fury depicted as an African-American man (Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5, 2001)

David Michelinie: co-creator of James Rhodes, a heroic African-American pilot (Iron Man #118, 1979)

Bob Layton: co-creator of James Rhodes, a heroic African-American pilot (Iron Man #118, 1979)

Peter David: co-creator of Talos, a Skrull warrior (Incredible Hulk #418, 1994)

Gary Frank: co-creator of Talos, a Skrull warrior (Incredible Hulk #418, 1994)

Steve Englehart: co-creator of Mantis, a woman with empathic powers (Avengers #112, 1972)

Don Heck: co-creator of Mantis, a woman with empathic powers (Avengers #112, 1972)

James Hudnall: co-creator of the Agent, Rick Mason, an intelligence operative (The Agent, 1989)

John Ridgway: co-creator of the Agent, Rick Mason, an intelligence operative (The Agent, 1989)

Mark Gruenwald: creator of Skrullos, the Skrull's homeworld (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #10, 1983)

Al Ewing: co-creator of Varra, a female Skrull warrior (New Avengers #4, 2016)

Gerardo Sandoval: co-creator of Varra, a female Skrull warrior (New Avengers #4, 2016)

Saladin Ahmed: co-creator of Raava, a Skrull warrior (Black Bolt #1, 2017)

Christian Ward: co-creator of Raava, a Skrull warrior (Black Bolt #1, 2017)

Andy Lanning: co-creator of Agent Keller, a British intelligence agent (Revolutionary War: Alpha #1, 2014)

Alan Cowsill: co-creator of Agent Keller, a British intelligence agent (Revolutionary War: Alpha #1, 2014)

Rich Elson: co-creator of Agent Keller, a British intelligence agent (Revolutionary War: Alpha #1, 2014)

Jeff Christiansen: creator of Zirksu's name (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12, 2009)

Kurt Busiek: co-creator of Nuro, a superhuman Skrull (Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet #1, 2000)

Jerry Ordway: co-creator of Nuro, a superhuman Skrull (Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet #1, 2000)

Ben Dunn: co-creator of Kreega, a Super-Skrull warrior (Marvel Mangaverse #2, 2002)

Kevin Gunstone: co-creator of Kreega, a Super-Skrull warrior (Marvel Mangaverse #2, 2002)

Kelly Sue DeConnick: co-creator of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel (Captain Marvel #1, 2012)

Jamie McKelvie: co-creator of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel (Captain Marvel #1, 2012)

Greg Horn: creator of imagery of humans and Skrulls clasping hands (Secret Invasion "Embrace Change" advertisement)

Radio Recap: Manhunt

"No crime has been committed... yet. No murder has been done... yet. No manhunt has begun... yet."

Manhunt was a syndicated detective program - episodes ran about 15 minutes long and were broadcast from November 28, 1943-June 4, 1944. The short runtime of each episode means they have to get down to brass tacks right away; the dialogue is spat out quickly, the mysteries are not too complex and the plot moves like a freight train. The lead character is a forensic detective played by Larry Haines; his superior, played by Maurice Tarplin, is always skeptical of his conclusions but Haines' character tends to reach the correct conclusions. The presence of Tarplin as the skeptical police chief may well remind you of Boston Blackie as Tarplin's Inspector Faraday was basically the same character. In fact, Boston Blackie was made by the same syndication company just after Manhunt finished.

I find Manhunt is good for what it is - the 15-minute timeslot means the episodes are not very deep but if you want a very quick mystery show, this is it. It's like Boston Blackie but with fewer twists and turnabouts.

You can hear a playlist of Manhunt episodes here at YouTube.

Escape Episode Guide: Part 21

Welcome back to my episode guide to the fantastic old-time radio series Escape! These include the final episodes by producer/director Norman Macdonnell, who was present almost since the beginning of Escape, first when he was William N. Robson's assistant. He's probably better-remembered as producer/director of Gunsmoke, however. Macdonnell was replaced by the writer team of Morton Fine and David Friedkin who will guide us through the final episodes of Escape!

• #201: "Affair at Mandrake" (April 15, 1954) Starring: John Dehner. Story/Script: Ben Wright. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: England.
  Plot: At Dunkirk, a British officer recognizes one of his German prisoners as a childhood friend.
  Review: This is actor Ben Wright's only stab at writing for Escape. It's another rather slow-moving tale, it takes half the runtime to establish what the actual problem facing the protagonist is; when it does appear, the rest of the story is fairly predictable. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #202: "The Adversary" (May 20, 1954) Starring: Larry Dobkin. Story: John Russell. Script/Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Thursday Island.
  Plot: A ship's captain participates in a scheme to sink a ship on the high seas carrying a fortune in pearls
  Review: Once again we turn to a story penned by Russell. It's certainly not the most engaging treasure hunt in the series, more concerned with talk (talk using various lower-class English accents) than action. Like many episodes of this era, it takes half the runtime to identify the actual plot (the scheme to sink the ship). My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #203: "An Ordinary Man" (June 3, 1954) Starring: John Dehner. Story/Script: Kathleen Hite. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Mediterranean Sea.
  Plot: A passenger on the high seas of the Mediterranean poses as a rare gem importer, much to his later regret.
  Review: A very average script by Hite. It's a bit like an Eric Ambler tale with an everyman wandering into a criminal plot but the pace isn't quite snappy enough. Still, Dehner did a very good job with his role. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #204: "Bencelina and the Fisherman" (June 10, 1954) Starring: Vic Perrin. Story/Script: John Dehner. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Ireland.
  Plot: A fisherman falls in love with a Gypsy woman, making her fiance murderously jealous.
  Review: This is the 3rd of 3 episodes written by actor John Dehner. It's heavy on environment and accents but not very strong on plot or peril, so like many episodes of this era takes some time to get moving. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #205: "Blood Waters" (June 17, 1954) Starring: Vic Perrin. Story/Script: Tony Barrett. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Argentina.
  Plot: A diver goes looking for a sunken fortune, all too aware that he can't trust the man who hired him.
  Review: This is the first of 2 episodes written by actor Tony Barrett. The pace is slow but the development of the environment is great and the audio effects during the actual diving are very good. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #206: "Judgment Day at Crippled Deer" (June 24, 1954) Starring: Paul Frees. Story/Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Canada.
  Plot: When a man returns to his Yukon cabin alone the other residents assume he's killed his partner.
  Review: We're getting near the end of Escape and you can see from my ratings that I haven't been giving the series as many high marks as I once did, but even at this late time Escape still had greatness within it and great original tales worth telling. This one is basically a wintry version of the Ox-Bow Incident, all the more disconcerting as the victim keeps trying to reason with his accusers to absolutely no avail as Harry Bartell's performance grows more and more desperate. This is also the final episode of Escape to include performers Larry Dobkin and Georgia Ellis. My Rating: 5/5 stars.
• #207: "The Dark Wall" (July 1, 1954) Starring: John Dehner. Story/Script: Kathleen Hite. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Andorra.
  Plot: A man seems very concerned about his wife's mental state but the locals refuse to let him near her.
  Review: A very strong script by Hite; we've had plenty of stories on Escape where tourists find themselves in a seemingly dangerous culture where they can't trust anyone; this story flips the script a bit where the seeming protagonist is the one who's dangerous! My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #208: "The Birds" (July 10, 1954) Starring: Ben Wright. Story: Daphne du Maurier. Script: Robert Ryf. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: England.
  Plot: Without warning, birds begin assaulting humans.
  Review: Even this late in the series we have a few new adaptations of popular stories, getting in on du Maurier's story almost a decade before Alfred Hitchcock would make it world famous. Escape had a long history of stories where animals attack - be they snakes, rats or ants. Here we have a nightmarish assault by birds and the sound effects captured it quite well. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #209: "Eye of Evil" (July 17, 1954) Starring: John Dehner. Story/Script: Kathleen Hite. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Burma.
  Plot: An Englishman goes looking for a friend who has dropped out of contact in a remote Burmese locale.
  Review: Hite's story is heavy on atmosphere but thin on plot. The drama only picks up in the last few minutes when the titular "evil eye" finally enters the story. This is also the final episode with a performance by actor Parley Baer. My Rating: 2.5/5 stars.
• #210: "Flood on the Goodwins" (2nd version July 24, 1954) Starring: Vic Perrin. Story: David Devine. Script: James Poe. Director: Morton Fine/David Friedkin. Setting: English Channel.
  Plot: A one-armed man rescuing survivors from the Channel during the war meets a German spy.
  Review: This version suffers a bit because the circulating version is of lower audio quality than the 1st effort (episode #81). The story is fine for what it is but I don't think it's Escape at its best. This was performer Vic Perrin's last episode of Escape. My Rating: 3/5 stars.

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

Radio Recap: The Warner Brothers Academy Theatre

My Radio Recap series has been looking primarily at crime and adventure programs lately, so let's examine something decidedly different: the Warner Brothers Academy Theatre! Based on the title you might think this is a show similar to Academy Award Theater - it must feature adaptations of Warner Bros. movies that won Academy Awards, right? Nope, not even close.

Warner Brothers Academy Theatre aired on CBS radio very briefly - April 3rd to June 26th, 1938. The series was sponsored by Gruen Watches but what they were really selling was Warner Bros. pictures! The title refers to the "Warner Academy," a training program for future Warner Bros. stars. The series was designed to feature adaptations of familiar Warner Bros. movies but rather than utilizing the original stars would deliberately cast up-and-comers whom Warner Bros. were hoping to promote.

As a listener, this show really encourages you to feel some participation in Warner Bros. The series is, after all, a celebration of their film back catalog and a hopeful look at the studio's future. You want these new stars to succeed! The close of each episode features a visit from a famous Warner Bros. player to lend their approval to the series. Basil Rathbone drops by at the end of "That Certain Woman" Part 1 to gently promote (and rib) his performance in the Adventures of Robin Hood (much is made of him as a villainous character actor but a year later he'd be cast as Sherlock Holmes and be typecast in a completely different manner); in part 2, they're visited by Ian Hunter, who also promoted the Adventures of Robin Hood. Priscilla Lane showed up at the climax of "Don't Bet on Blondes" to promote her film Men Are Such Fools which you might recall is, in my opinion, one of the worst Warner Bros. movies of classic cinema. The adaptation of "The Crowd Roars" is followed by a visit by Frank McHugh from the film version and if Frank McHugh is in your corner, you must surely be on the path to stardom!

Did any of the "Warner Academy" up-and-comers ever make in the business? ...Kinda. Ronald Reagan starred in the first episode, but despite a solid decade of the Warners trying to turn him into a leading man, America didn't love him as an actor (they liked him better as a politician).

You can hear seven surviving broadcasts of the Warner Brothers Academy Theatre at the Internet Archive.

Escape Episode Guide: Part 20

Welcome back to my episode guide to the fantastic old-time radio series Escape! These episodes include Antony Ellis' final episodes of Escape as Norman Macdonnell assumes his third (and final) tour as producer/director.

• #191: "The Abominable Snowman" (September 13, 1953) Starring: William Conrad. Story/Script/Director: Antony Ellis. Setting: Himalayan Mountains.
  Plot: Hunters venture into the mountains to learn whether the Abominable Snowman is real.
  Review: Another outstanding venture with Conrad. This could have been a story about a wild goose chase but it delivers on its premise and I admire Ellis for sticking to it. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #192: "The Log" (September 20, 1953) Starring: Larry Dobkin. Story: Francis Rosenwald. Script: Marianne Mosenor. Director: Antony Ellis. Setting: Scandinavia/Atlantic Ocean.
  Plot: Distraught when his old submarine is to be sold as scrap a retired commander decides to become a pirate.
  Review: A strong drama of a proud man who simply snaps under the weight of the indignities he's suffered. A high seas adventure that's mostly concerned with the psychological toll. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #193: "The Untouchable" (September 27, 1953) Starring: John Dehner. Story/Script: James Henderson. Director: Antony Ellis. Setting: India.
  Plot: A businessman is terrified of leprosy and fears he's become afflicted with it.
  Review: A very disturbing drama; Dehner's callous narration and indifferent response to his colleague's obvious mental breakdown works very well; Parley Baer is outstanding as the man who's convinced he's become a leper and goes increasingly off the rails. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #194: "Zero Hour" (October 4, 1953) Starring: Paula Winslowe. Story: Ray Bradbury. Script/Director: Antony Ellis. Setting: USA.
  Plot: Children across the country are playing the game of "invasion." Only it's not merely a game.
  Review: This one was repeated a few times on Suspense, along with scripts for Dimension X and other programs. Bradbury wrote many stories about how terrifying children could be and this certainly depicts children at their worst! The climax is most chilling. My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
• #195: "Elementals" (October 11, 1953) Starring: Tony Barrett. Story: Stephen Vincent Benet. Script: Meyer Dolinsky. Director: Antony Ellis. Setting: USA.
  Plot: A wealthy man offers to award a couple a fortune if they agree to a sadistic experiment in food deprivation.
  Review: A very good adaptation of Benet's story. It's been adapted to radio many times; this version is elevated by the presence of William Conrad at his most sinister as the horrible man conducting the experiment. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #196: "The Bird of Paradise" (March 11, 1954) Starring: John Dehner. Story: John Russell. Script: John Meston. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Indonesia.
  Plot: Seeking to make a quick fortune a man goes hunting for rare birds but finds a hunter and his lover already have a claim staked where the birds reside.
  Review: A fairly simple high seas story: man finds rare birds; man loses rare birds. And there's a beautiful woman, but although she's the one who influences most of the story's action she's mostly a passive figure of beauty. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #197: "Violent Night" (March 18, 1954) Starring: William Conrad. Story/Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: Caribbean.
  Plot: A plantation owner takes the new governor's daughter as his hostage while fleeing the country.
  Review: This story seems to reflect contemporary anxieties about independence movements in Latin America. Conrad is great as the first-person narrator and there are some fine tense moments, although nothing that elevates this material into something special. My Rating: 3/5 stars.
• #198: "The Second Shot" (March 25, 1954) Starring: John Dehner. Story: Alexandre Dumas. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: France.
  Plot: A brash soldier keeps challenging men to duels; when he challenges his superior officer he finally learns a valuable lesson.
  Review: This is Dehner at his best, portraying the cool-headed superior officer. It's an excellent outing, tense and suspenseful with a good moral lesson to share. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #199: "The Return" (2nd version April 1, 1954) Starring: Larry Dobkin. Story/Script: Kathleen Hite. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: North Africa.
  Plot: A man eager to avoid struggle finds himself invited into the perfect place.
  Review: Larry Dobkin is good in both of his performances of Hite's story (the first was episode #153). This version has much cleaner audio than the previous production. My Rating: 4/5 stars.
• #200: "The Scarlet Plague" (April 8, 1954) Starring: Vic Perrin. Story: Jack London. Script: Les Crutchfield. Director: Norman Macdonnell. Setting: USA.
  Plot: A horrific plague quickly spreads among the population and chaos engulfs civilization.
  Review: An updating of the story that works very well, following in the footsteps of "Earth Abides" (#128-129). This is one that OTR fans began to share as a bit of grim commentary on COVID-19 (which was thankfully not like the Scarlet Plague). Where "Earth Abides" was concerned with what happened after civilization fell, this story is involved in what the downfall would look like, anticipating many future works of fiction of this type. This is also the last episode of Escape with performer Sam Edwards. My Rating: 4/5 stars.

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