Radio Recap: Theatre Royal

Theatre Royal was another syndicated radio series by producer Harry Alan Towers, released in 1954. It was broadcast over NBC and episodes tend to have NBC commercials in them.

As I've noted before, Towers tended to scoop up actors who were desperate for work, but that doesn't seem quite true in this instance - Theatre Royal was hosted by Laurence Olivier, who definitely didn't need to scrape around for work. Mind you, although he hosted every episode, Olivier didn't act in all of them. The first few episodes each opened with Olivier assuring listeners that he'd eventually appear in a starring role.

So Towers might have been paying good money for Olivier, but he saved money by using public domain stories. Some of them are the same sort Nelson Olmsted or the Weird Circle dramatized (ie, Balzac's "La Grande Breteche," Stevenson's "Queen of Spades," Wells' "the Country of the Blind") but others are stories seldom heard on radio - Wilde's "Lord Saville's Crime," Gogol's "the Overcoat," Conrad's "the Black Mate."

When Olivier wasn't starring, the lead roles went to pretty good performers: Orson Welles, Robert Donat, Michael Redgrave and Alec Guinness.

In the back half of the series, Ralph Richardson took over as the host (and usually lead performer) of the series. As in other programs Towers produced, I find Ralph Richardson is underwhelming as a radio performer. He didn't enunciate clearly; the back half of Theatre Royal is consequently less-interesting to listen to.

The Old Time Radio Researchers have their collection of Theatre Royal episodes on the Internet Archive.

Radio Recap: Case Dismissed

Case Dismissed was a 13-episode program produced as an educational series on NBC from January 23 until April 17, 1954. The series was designed to educate listeners - including teenagers - about important matters of the law and especially to dispel many fictions that people spread about the law. The show was hosted by John C. Fitzgerald, the dean of Loyola University Law School.

All of this sounds it would make for dry, uninteresting radio (especially if you're familiar with my disdain for 1950s NBC dramatic programming) but Case Dismissed is surprisingly good at what it set out to achieve. It featured large casts of good radio actors and appropriate use of sound effects. You might even learn something important about the rule of law in the USA (if such a thing still exists).

The episodes create various dramatic scenarios where a protagonist makes an error (usually by thinking they don't need a lawyer to solve a problem) and lands themselves with major legal headaches. The formula is done differently depending on the particular problem, such as in "Legal Wills" in which a man dies early in the episode with no legal will for his wife; as a ghost, he observes the problems he's left for his wife.

You can hear the 12 surviving episodes in this Old Time Radio Researchers' YouTube playlist.

RIP: Jackson "Butch" Guice

Last Thursday, comic book artist Jackson "Butch" Guice passed away at age 63.

Guice's art first made a strong impression on me during his brief time as penciler on Iron Man, starting with issue #231 - the finale of the famed "Armor Wars" storyline and the introduction of the new red and gold Iron Man armor (dubbed "big boots" by fans).

Guice later turned in beautiful artwork on Crossgen's detective comic Ruse. Like everyone who worked at Crossgen, he seemed to come away from the experience a better artist than ever; with fellow ex-Crossgen artists Steve Epting and Mike Perkins, he contributed terrific art during Ed Brubaker's lengthy run on Captain America.

I never had any dealings with Guice while I was at Marvel but I always enjoyed his art - especially his post-Crossgen art. I'm sad to hear he's gone; rest in peace, Mr. Guice.

Radio Recap: In the Name of the Law

In the Name of the Law was a syndicated crime anthology series from 1936. Like other programs of this nature (ex. Police Reporter, A Salute to the Law) it claimed to feature reproductions of actual crimes (but in a half-hour format rather than the 15-minute shows I mentioned).

For all the gaps that exist in this show, it's shame the missing episodes don't include "Nothing Ever Happens in Chinatown," an embarrassingly racist episode that draws out every bad radio cliche in depicting Chinese characters. Scenes where Chinese characters speak in made-up gibberish (and there are many of them) are the sort that make me ashamed to be listening to the show. Fortunately, that episode is the only one of its type.

On a positive note, there's a little bit of Canadiana in one episode, "Red Ryan's Prison Break," in which the titular criminal flees to Ottawa.

In the Name of the Law isn't really that bad by the standards of 1930s OTR. There's an interesting mix of straight crime stories alternating with mysteries. Sound effects are pretty good for their time and the casts are larger than many such shows. In the Name of the Law is pretty good for its time.

The Old Time Radio Researchers have 12 episodes of In the Name of the Law in this Internet Archive collection.

Creator Credits for Daredevil: Born Again (season 1)

In short: a welcome return to form for the television versions of these characters.

Below is my list of comic book creators whose work I saw represented in the 1st season of Daredevil: Born Again. If you see anything that I missed, please let me know in the comments. My full directory of Marvel Cinematic Universe Creator Credits is found here.

David Aja (artist): co-creator of Vanessa Fisk arranging Foggy Nelson's death to get at Matt Murdock (Daredevil #88, 2006); of the Tracksuit Mafia, Russian gangsters (Hawkeye #1, 2012)

Adrian Alphona (artist): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle; of Yusuf Khan, Ms. Marvel's father (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014); of Yusuf as a banker (Ms. Marvel #1, 2014)

Sana Amanat (editor): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Ross Andru (artist): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974)

Brian Michael Bendis (writer): co-creator of Soledad Ayala, Hector Ayala's wife; of the White Tiger being wrongly arrested for murder; of Matt Murdock becoming Hector's defense lawyer, creating a conflict of interests because of his own super hero identity (Daredevil #38, 2002); of the White Tiger being shot dead by the police after his trial (Daredevil #40, 2003); of Angela Del Toro, a young woman who is an ally of Daredevil (Daredevil #58, 2004); of Angela Del Toro revealed to be Hector Ayala's niece (Daredevil #69, 2005); of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005)

Jenny Blake (writer): co-creator of Matt Murdock's Catholicism (Daredevil #119, 1975)

Bob Brown (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock's Catholicism (Daredevil #119, 1975); of Heather Glenn, Matt Murdock's girlfriend (Daredevil #126, 1975); of Bullseye, an expert assassin who can turn any object into a lethal weapon, battles Daredevil; of Bullseye with a target on his forehead (Daredevil #131, 1976)

Ed Brubaker (writer): co-creator of Foggy Nelson being killed while Matt Murdock hears his heart stop, upsetting him (Daredevil #82, 2006); of Vanessa Fisk arranging Foggy Nelson's death to get at Matt Murdock (Daredevil #88, 2006); of Vanessa Fisk running her husband's criminal empire during his absence (Daredevil #92, 2007)

John Buscema (artist): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

John Byrne (artist): co-creator of Karen Page living in San Francisco (Daredevil #138, 1976)

Marco Checchetto (artist): co-creator of the Punisher rescuing Daredevil from Mayor Wilson Fisk's police (Daredevil #3, 2019); of Mayor Wilson Fisk mobilizing an anti-vigilante task force to use extreme methods against New York's vigilantes, ordering all vigilante activity illegal (Devil's Reign #1, 2022)

D. G. Chichester (writer): co-creator of Daredevil wearing body armor (Daredevil #322, 1993)

Jeff Christiansen (writer): creator of Buck Cashman's name (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12, 2010)

Gene Colan (artist): co-creator of Karen Page learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #57, 1969); of Ben Urich, a reporter with a relentless dedication to the truth (Daredevil #153, 1978)

Carla Conway (writer): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Gerry Conway (writer): co-creator of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974); of the mystical golden tiger amulets that grant superhuman abilities to the athletes who wield them (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1, 1974); of the Punisher's alias Frank Castle (Marvel Preview #2, 1975); of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Tony DeZuniga (artist): co-creator of the Punisher's alias Frank Castle (Marvel Preview #2, 1975)

Steve Ditko (artist): co-creator of Spider-Man, a young red and blue-garbed super hero in the New York area (Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962)

Terry Dodson (artist): co-creator of the White Tiger being shot dead by the police after his trial (Daredevil #40, 2003)

Bill Everett (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who also fights crime as Daredevil by using his superhuman sensory powers; Daredevil costume with horns on head and red eye lenses, red and yellow colors; the billy club as Daredevil's primary weapon; Murdock partnered with his college friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson at Nelson and Murdock law firm; Karen Page as Murdock and Nelson's secretary and object of affection to both men; Daredevil as a "man without fear"; Matt Murdock orphaned at a young age when his father was killed (Daredevil #1, 1964)

Matt Fraction (writer): co-creator of the Tracksuit Mafia, Russian gangsters (Hawkeye #1, 2012)

Ron Garney (artist): co-creator of Ben Hochberg, a district attorney who clashes with Matt Murdock (Daredevil #2, 2016); of Muse, a silent serial killer dressed in white with streaked paint on his mask who kills and tortures people from a twisted sense of creating art, using their blood in his paintings (Daredevil #11, 2016); of Muse confining his victims in the sewers while he created his art (Daredevil #13, 2016); of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York as an independent candidate, campaigning to outlaw vigilante heroes in New York such as Daredevil and the Punisher (Daredevil #28, 2017); of Muse's activities being used by Mayor Wilson Fisk as a justification for targeting vigilantes (Daredevil #598, 2018)

Dick Giordano (artist): co-creator of the mystical golden tiger amulets that grant superhuman abilities to the athletes who wield them (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1, 1974)

Mark Gruenwald (writer): co-creator of Bullseye escaping prison by spitting one of his broken teeth into a guard's eye (Captain America #372, 1990)

Manuel Gutierrez (artist): co-creator of Soledad Ayala, Hector Ayala's wife; of the White Tiger being wrongly arrested for murder; of Matt Murdock becoming Hector's defense lawyer, creating a conflict of interests because of his own super hero identity (Daredevil #38, 2002)

Don Heck (artist): co-creator of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965); of Jacques Duquesne, the Swordsman's real name (Avengers Spotlight #22, 1989)

Gil Kane (artist): co-creator of Hell's Kitchen as locale patroled by Daredevil (Daredevil #148, 1977)

Jack Kirby (artist): co-creator of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965)

Szymon Kudranski (artist): co-creator of police officers working for Wilson Fisk appropriating the Punisher's imagery in imitation of him, much to the Punisher's disgust (Punisher #13, 2019)

Stefano Landini (artist): co-creator of Wilson Fisk becoming mayor of New York; Daredevil vowing to bring down Fisk (Daredevil #595, 2018)

Michael Lark (artist): co-creator of Foggy Nelson being killed while Matt Murdock hears his heart stop, upsetting him (Daredevil #82, 2006); of Vanessa Fisk running her husband's criminal empire during his absence (Daredevil #92, 2007)

Stan Lee (writer/editor): co-creator of Spider-Man, a young red and blue-garbed super hero in the New York area (Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962); of the Kingpin of Crime, a mob boss and enemy of Spider-Man dressed in white who organizes the disparate underworld elements under his leadership from the heart of Manhattan (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967); of the Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk (Amazing Spider-Man #69, 1969); of the Swordsman, a mustachioed swashbuckler who wields a sword (Avengers #19, 1965); of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who also fights crime as Daredevil by using his superhuman sensory powers; Daredevil costume with horns on head and red eye lenses, red and yellow colors; the billy club as Daredevil's primary weapon; Murdock partnered with his college friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson at Nelson and Murdock law firm; Karen Page as Murdock and Nelson's secretary and object of affection to both men; Daredevil as a "man without fear"; Matt Murdock orphaned at a young age when his father was killed (Daredevil #1, 1964); of Daredevil's ability to detect lies (Daredevil #3, 1964); of Daredevil's red costume; of Daredevil's gimmick billy club (Daredevil #7, 1965)

Ron Lim (artist): co-creator of Bullseye escaping prison by spitting one of his broken teeth into a guard's eye (Captain America #372, 1990)

David Mack (writer): co-creator of Maya Lopez, a deaf First Nations woman who was like a daughter to Wilson Fisk (Daredevil #9, 1999)

Alex Maleev (artist): co-creator of Angela Del Toro, a young woman who is an ally of Daredevil (Daredevil #58, 2004); of Angela Del Toro revealed to be Hector Ayala's niece (Daredevil #69, 2005); of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005)

Bill Mantlo (writer): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975)

David Mazzuchelli (artist): co-creator of Wilson Fisk learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil; of Wilson Fisk controlling the police and using the authorities to wreck Matt Murdock's life and target his allies (Daredevil #227, 1986); of Murdock wearing stubble in both of his identities (Daredevil #228, 1986)

Scott McDaniel (artist): co-creator of Daredevil wearing body armor (Daredevil #322, 1993)

Jamie McKelvie (artist): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Roger McKenzie (writer): co-creator of Ben Urich, a reporter with a relentless dedication to the truth (Daredevil #153, 1978); of Josie's Bar, a dive bar in Hell's Kitchen tended by the titular Josie (Daredevil #160, 1979); of Hell's Kitchen as Matt Murdock's childhood borough (Daredevil #164, 1980); of Daredevil and Punisher being fellow vigilantes but disagreeing sharply on how extreme their crimefighting methods should go (Daredevil #183, 1982)

Frank Miller (artist/writer): creator of Wilson Fisk's name; of Wilson Fisk as Daredevil's primary enemy (Daredevil #170, 1981); of the reporter Urich working against Fisk (Daredevil #177, 1981); of Bullseye using the name 'Benjamin Poindexter'; of Daredevil badly injuring Bullseye in retribution (Daredevil #181, 1982); co-creator of Josie's Bar, a dive bar in Hell's Kitchen tended by the titular Josie (Daredevil #160, 1979); of Hell's Kitchen as Matt Murdock's childhood borough (Daredevil #164, 1980); of Daredevil and Punisher being fellow vigilantes but disagreeing sharply on how extreme their crimefighting methods should go (Daredevil #183, 1982); of Wilson Fisk learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil; of Wilson Fisk controlling the police and using the authorities to wreck Matt Murdock's life and target his allies (Daredevil #227, 1986); of Murdock wearing stubble in both of his identities (Daredevil #228, 1986)

Lou Mougin (writer): co-creator of Jacques Duquesne, the Swordsman's real name; of Armand Duquesne, the father of the Swordsman (Avengers Spotlight #22, 1989)

Ann Nocenti (writer): co-creator of Buck Cashman, an employee of Wilson Fisk and an enemy of Daredevil (Daredevil #250, 1988)

Joe Orlando (artist): co-creator of Daredevil's ability to detect lies (Daredevil #3, 1964)

George Perez (artist): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975); of variant White Tiger costume with black stripes (Daredevil #70, 2005)

Yvette Perez (writer): co-creator of the White Tiger, alias Hector Ayala, a Puerto Rican man who obtains the tiger amulet and dons a white costume to battle crime (Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, 1975)

Joe Quesada (artist): co-creator of Matt Murdock wearing red-tinted sunglasses (Daredevil #1, 1998); of Maya Lopez, a deaf First Nations woman who was like a daughter to Wilson Fisk (Daredevil #9, 1999)

Paolo Rivera (artist): co-creator of Kirsten McDuffie, a New York assistant district attorney who crosses paths with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson (Daredevil #1, 2011)

John Romita (artist): co-creator of the Kingpin of Crime, a mob boss and enemy of Spider-Man dressed in white who organizes the disparate underworld elements under his leadership from the heart of Manhattan (Amazing Spider-Man #50, 1967); of the Kingpin's wife, Vanessa Fisk (Amazing Spider-Man #69, 1969); of the Punisher, a war veteran who becomes a vigilante, wearing a black costume with white skull design on his chest and wielding vast arsenal of firearms and explosives in a one-man war on crime (Amazing Spider-Man #129, 1974); of Ms. Marvel, costumed woman with mask, red and blue costume (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

John Romita Jr. (artist): co-creator of Buck Cashman, an employee of Wilson Fisk and an enemy of Daredevil (Daredevil #250, 1988)

Matthew Rosenberg (writer): co-creator of police officers working for Wilson Fisk appropriating the Punisher's imagery in imitation of him, much to the Punisher's disgust (Punisher #13, 2019)

Chris Samnee (artist): co-creator of Matt and Kirsten opening a law firm together (Daredevil #1, 2014)

Jim Shooter (writer): co-creator of Hell's Kitchen as locale patroled by Daredevil (Daredevil #148, 1977)

Kevin Smith (writer): co-creator of Matt Murdock wearing red-tinted sunglasses (Daredevil #1, 1998)

Charles Soule (writer): co-creator of Ben Hochberg, a district attorney who clashes with Matt Murdock (Daredevil #2, 2016); of Muse, a silent serial killer dressed in white with streaked paint on his mask who kills and tortures people from a twisted sense of creating art, using their blood in his paintings (Daredevil #11, 2016); of Muse confining his victims in the sewers while he created his art (Daredevil #13, 2016); of Wilson Fisk running for mayor of New York as an independent candidate, campaigning to outlaw vigilante heroes in New York such as Daredevil and the Punisher (Daredevil #28, 2017); of Wilson Fisk becoming mayor of New York; Daredevil vowing to bring down Fisk (Daredevil #595, 2018); of Muse's activities being used by Mayor Wilson Fisk as a justification for targeting vigilantes (Daredevil #598, 2018)

Richard Starkings (letterer): creator of Daredevil logo (Daredevil #1, 1998)

Roy Thomas (writer): co-creator of Karen Page learning Matt Murdock is Daredevil (Daredevil #57, 1969)

Stephen Wacker (editor): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Mark Waid (writer): co-creator of Kirsten McDuffie, a New York assistant district attorney who crosses paths with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson (Daredevil #1, 2011); of Matt and Kirsten opening a law firm together (Daredevil #1, 2014)

G. Willow Wilson (writer): co-creator of Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City, wearing a costume consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle; of Yusuf Khan, Ms. Marvel's father (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014); of Yusuf as a banker (Ms. Marvel #1, 2014)

Marv Wolfman (writer): co-creator of Heather Glenn, Matt Murdock's girlfriend (Daredevil #126, 1975); of Bullseye, an expert assassin who can turn any object into a lethal weapon, battles Daredevil; of Bullseye with a target on his forehead (Daredevil #131, 1976); of Karen Page living in San Francisco (Daredevil #138, 1976)

Wally Wood (artist): co-creator of Daredevil's red costume; of Daredevil's gimmick billy club (Daredevil #7, 1965)

Chip Zdarsky (writer): co-creator of the Punisher rescuing Daredevil from Mayor Wilson Fisk's police (Daredevil #3, 2019); of Mayor Wilson Fisk mobilizing an anti-vigilante task force to use extreme methods against New York's vigilantes, ordering all vigilante activity illegal (Devil's Reign #1, 2022)

Radio Recap: The Witch's Tale

"A hundred years old I be today; yes, sir, a hundred years old..."

The Witch's Tale was one of the earliest radio horror programs in the history of the genre. Although it doesn't bear up especially well today, the series holds immense historical interest. It ran on New York's famous WOR station from 1931-1938, initially as a local show, then moving to the Mutual network in 1934. The show had it's own pulp magazine in 1936, but it only lasted two issues.

The series was written by Alonzo Deen Cole; Cole also wrote a few episodes of the Shadow, but the other series he's best-remembered for is Casey, Crime Photographer.

One of the program's pioneering traits was its host, Old Nancy "the witch of Salem," portrayed by Adelaide Fitz-Allen, Miriam Wolfe and Martha Wentworth, accompanied by her black cat "Satan" (apparently Cole himself was the voice of the cat). Old Nancy played the role of horror host straight, but in the following decade Inner Sanctum Mysteries would play up the role for camp humour. Horror hosts (be they radio, comic book, TV or film) in general tend towards the campy side, but it all goes back to Old Nancy.

Although the Witch's Tale took itself very seriously, I'm afraid it doesn't hold up as a horror program. Part of the problem with the series is that it was testing out new ground, blazing new trails. Radio of the early to mid-30s simply wasn't very sophisticated and the Witch's Tale didn't make much of audio effects; music usually only appeared between dramatic sequences, sound effects were few and far between. Consequently, when something terrifying appears in an episode of the Witch's Tale it can't be conveyed in any manner except exposition. Much of what makes the Witch's Tale campy to my ears is that no matter how horrible the circumstances, no matter how histrionic the person in danger may be, they still find the words to describe what's happening. Characters attempting to convey exposition while screaming at each other is never not funny to me, I'm ashamed to say.

So yes, Cole's program no doubt helped demonstrate to the likes of Wyllis Cooper and Arch Oboler that there was *ahem* a little room for improvement in radio horror. Someone had to be the trailblazer, and that man was Alonzo Deen Cole.

My go-to as campiest of the camp is the episode "Hairy Monster," in which a heroic Irish cop defends the episode's female protagonist from the hairy monster menacing her. The actor portraying the Irishman seems to have a very tenuous grasp on his accent that results in his performance being even more stilted than a typical Witch's Tale actor. I'm afraid the more I listen to that one, the harder I laugh.

But this is not to say that the Witch's Tale holds nothing but camp value. If you enjoy stories of the supernatural and you can accept the limitations these shows were created under, I think you can still enjoy yourself. For instance, the show made an adaptation of Prosper Merimee's "the Bronze Venus" that I think is pretty good. I found the episodes "the Devil Doctor" and "the Statue of Thor" to be okay programs too.

Surviving episodes include a number of 1930s episodes from the Mutual run and a number of Australian versions from circa 1941 that used the same scripts as from the US version.

Here's a playlist a fan made of surviving episodes of the Witch's Tale on YouTube:

In Memoriam: The Bay

I suppose I shouldn't be too emotional about the collapse of a shopping centre, but the recent collapse of the Hudson's Bay Company has made me feel a twinge of sadness.

We've been down this road before; former shopping institutions like Sears and Eaton's have gone away. Yet the Hudson's Bay Company is different - it's a piece of Canadiana. You cannot take a class in Canadian history without talking about the Hudson's Bay Company.

There are plenty of reasons why the Bay has floundered and I did wince when I read the complaints people shared in recent CBC articles; one mentioned how the stores' escalators seemed to go out of order so frequently. And yes, when I started regularly visiting the Bay during the last 2 years, I myself was struck by the escalator being inoperable.

My wife and I had $200 in gift cards for the Bay and we spent a good 1.5 years trying to spend them. It shouldn't have been that hard to do, but for all that we thought the Bay had terrific high-end merchandise, it was also very expensive merchandise. We kept finding ourselves unwilling to spend the gift cards-- up until the bankruptcy announcement came out and we spent them out as quickly as we could.

I suppose from where I sit, those were the biggest factors in why the Bay wasn't our favourite store-- it was expensive and it didn't feature a wide range of options.

I hope the Bay comes through its difficulties in some form.