Episode 321: The Dead of Night

[00:00:27] Speaker A: Welcome to the mysterious old Radio Listening Society, a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Eric. I'm Tim. [00:00:36] Speaker B: And I'm Joshua. [00:00:37] Speaker C: We love mysterious old time radio stories, but do they stand the test of time? That's what we're here to find out. [00:00:42] Speaker B: As we start the new year. We're checking out significant inaugural episodes to see how it all began for some of the most iconic Onyx series from the Golden Age. Today we're listening to Dead of Night, the very first episode of Escape. [00:00:58] Speaker A: Escape was an anthology series from CBS designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. No locale was too exotic, no adventure too dangerous, no escape too narrow. In 1947, Radio Life magazine praised the quality of escape scripts, declaring, these stories all possess many times the reality that most radio writing conveys. [00:01:22] Speaker C: This is actually the second audition episode for what was to become escape. The initial idea was for a series that would be called out of this world. This first recording also featured Barry Kroger and Art Carney in the dead of night. But within a month, it was decided to record the episode again as an audition for a different show concept Escape. Perhaps borrowing from a short lived 1944 series on NBC called Stories of Escape and certainly borrowing from suspense, the story. [00:01:50] Speaker B: Itself began as one piece of a black and white horror anthology film released by England's Ealing Studios in 1945. Despite the fact that horror films were essentially banned from production during World War II, the film also featured comedic elements that would foreshadow the iconic postwar films that would make the studio's name, such as Kind Hearts and coronets, the Lavender Hill Mob, and the Lady Killers. [00:02:14] Speaker A: From Escape's 1947 debut to its final broadcast in 1954, the series produced 230 episodes. But it all began with Dead of Night, first broadcast March 21, 1947. [00:02:28] Speaker C: It's late at night and a chill has set in. You're alone and the only light you see is coming from an antique radio. Listen to the sounds coming from the speaker. Listen to the music and listen to the voices. [00:02:42] Speaker D: Time to escape, escape from now, from here, from yourself. Columbia invites you to voyage into the realms of the imagination. Each week, we present adventures of men and women who escape into the misty land between the credible and the incredible. Tonight's story of escape tells of a dummy with a wooden head and wooden arms and even a wooden heart who served a master until one day this. [00:03:38] Speaker E: Master heard him say, I've had enough of you. I don't need you anymore. [00:03:51] Speaker D: Escape now into the strange adventure of Eric Hickson and his dummy, Toby. This is a story told backstage in many an english music hall in London cabaret, when the performers are sitting around waiting to go on or when they finish their evening show. Nobody ever knew very much about Eric Hickson, though many of the turns had played on bills with him, mostly small time acts. For it was only at the end of a long, difficult trail that Hickson reached the fashionable west end. It was the night after Hickson's opening at the Kitkat club. The act which preceded his was just finishing. But instead of taking his position in the wings, Hickson was still sitting in his dressing room. On his knee was his partner, Toby, a small wooden ventriloquist dummy with a painted face. [00:04:50] Speaker F: I say, hickson, what's holding you up? You're on in a minute. [00:04:53] Speaker G: Are we? [00:04:53] Speaker F: Of course you are. We've got a splendid house out there and I want to introduce you. [00:04:56] Speaker G: Wait. [00:04:56] Speaker F: Piccolo. [00:04:57] Speaker G: Well, we can't go on. What? We can't. It's quite impossible. [00:05:01] Speaker F: What nonsense is this? You hear the dancers are going off. [00:05:04] Speaker H: It's Toby Piccolo. Toby. He refuses to talk. [00:05:07] Speaker F: Toby, you're dummy. [00:05:09] Speaker G: Yes. I can't get a word out of him. [00:05:10] Speaker F: Hickson, what is this, a rib? [00:05:12] Speaker G: Certainly not. [00:05:13] Speaker F: Well, you're a ventriloquist, aren't you? At least you were last night. [00:05:18] Speaker E: Let the customers talk and hold hands. The stage is just as empty and we're on it. [00:05:23] Speaker H: Toby Hickson. [00:05:24] Speaker F: What the devil are you up? [00:05:25] Speaker E: Go on. Go on, Bigelow. Get out there and tell them we're not appearing. [00:05:28] Speaker F: So your dummy won't talk. [00:05:29] Speaker H: Won't he? [00:05:30] Speaker G: It's the very first time we've spoken all evening, I swear it. [00:05:32] Speaker E: Who'd want to say anything ever again after those reviews we got on our opening last night? He knows. He's beyond his depth here, Bigelow. He's frightened. [00:05:40] Speaker F: Stop this gagging. Of all nights when you should want to be particularly good with Mel Baxter in the house. [00:05:45] Speaker G: Mel Baxter, the american ventriloquist? [00:05:47] Speaker F: Yes, the star of the american wireless. [00:05:48] Speaker E: And he married that gorgeous blonde in his last picture. [00:05:51] Speaker F: Yes, she's with him at the table out there. What kind of nonsense am I talking to this dummy? [00:05:57] Speaker E: Dummy yourself. Go on, big mouths. Get out there and introduce her. I want to see Mel Baxter. [00:06:09] Speaker F: And now, ladies and gentlemen, before I present to you our next feature turn I'd like to call on a distinguished artist who's here tonight. You've all heard him on the american wireless and seen him in the american cinema. Mel Baxter. Stand up Mel, stand up and enjoy that well known Kitkat hospitality. [00:06:31] Speaker H: Oh, you're very, very nice people. [00:06:33] Speaker F: Thank you. [00:06:34] Speaker H: Thank you. Always nice to visit London. [00:06:37] Speaker F: And isn't that charming lady with you, Mrs. Baxter? [00:06:39] Speaker G: That's right. [00:06:40] Speaker F: Stand up and take a bow, baby. [00:06:45] Speaker I: Hello, everybody. [00:06:47] Speaker F: Thank you, Mrs. Baxter. Oh, Mel, did you bring your little pal mugsy Martin along on this? [00:06:52] Speaker H: No, no, I didn't. The little toothpick gets seasick. [00:06:56] Speaker F: Oh, what a. Yeah, yeah, it is. [00:06:58] Speaker H: He says every time he sees me, he gets seasick. That gag's aged in the wood, but so smugsy. [00:07:07] Speaker F: Well, I'm sure Mrs. Baxter is a much pleasanter burden on your knee, Mel. Thanks ever so much and have fun. And now, ladies and gentlemen, I want to bring on an act that should make our american visitor feel lonesome for the missing mugsy Martin, our own british ventriloquist, Eric Hickson and his talking timber. [00:07:30] Speaker G: Toby. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. [00:07:38] Speaker E: Hey, Ixon, go easy on that good morning stuff. [00:07:41] Speaker G: Why, Toby, that man over there looks. [00:07:43] Speaker E: Like the truant officer. [00:07:44] Speaker G: Oh, that shouldn't trouble you, Toby. You've been a very good boy, haven't you? [00:07:47] Speaker E: Yes, but I'm not in school. [00:07:49] Speaker G: Do you mean to say you've left school? [00:07:51] Speaker E: Yes. [00:07:51] Speaker G: Appendicitis, you know, you left school because you have appendicitis. [00:07:55] Speaker E: I don't have it. Can't spell it, you know. [00:07:59] Speaker G: Toby. Toby, I saw a very strange sight the other day. [00:08:04] Speaker E: Must we go on? [00:08:06] Speaker G: Toby, I said, I saw a very strange sight the other day. [00:08:11] Speaker E: All right, all right. I'll go along with the gag. Talk about Mugsy Martin's jokes being aged in the woods. Toby, let's get on with it. You saw a very strange sight the other day. What was it? [00:08:23] Speaker G: Twelve men standing under one umbrella and not one of them got wet. [00:08:26] Speaker E: And why not? [00:08:28] Speaker G: It wasn't raining. [00:08:30] Speaker E: Did you hear that laugh, Hickson? They're forcing themselves to laugh. Do you blame them, Mr. Baxter? [00:08:36] Speaker G: Toby, leave Mr. Baxter out of this. [00:08:37] Speaker E: Leave me alone, Hickson. What about it, Mr. Baxter? Don't you feel sorry for me having to play along with Hickson's old jokes? [00:08:43] Speaker H: Well, now, Toby, I don't know. [00:08:45] Speaker G: I have great respect for old jokes. [00:08:47] Speaker H: Old jokes are not to be laughed at. In fact, one of my favorite jokes is the old one about the man whose name was Joe Hitler and he wanted to change his name. So the judge asked him what he wanted to change it to and he said, george Hitler, because he was tired of people saying to him, hello, Joe. What do you. [00:09:09] Speaker E: Me is that strange sound laughter Hickson. [00:09:13] Speaker G: Yes. Thank you very much for your valuable contribution, Mr. Baxter. [00:09:18] Speaker H: Oh, not at all, Mr. Hickson. I was just standing here with eleven other guys waiting for you to borrow another umbrella. [00:09:27] Speaker G: I suppose all your gags are original, Mr. Baxter. But of course, it's a gift. Now, no doubt that you hang up your stockings for them every Christmas. [00:09:36] Speaker H: Sure, and I always get sock gags. [00:09:45] Speaker E: You'll see what happens when you try to top a real comedian. And Mr. Baxter will go right on top of you for the rest of the night. Give up and get off. And get off. [00:10:08] Speaker G: Anyone in there? Who is it? Mel Baxter. Hickton, Mr. Baxter. [00:10:21] Speaker H: Well, how do you do? Mind if we come in for a minute? [00:10:25] Speaker G: All right, if you like. [00:10:27] Speaker H: This is my wife, honey. Mr. Hickson. [00:10:30] Speaker G: Mrs. Baxter. [00:10:31] Speaker I: Hello, Mr. Hickson. [00:10:32] Speaker G: Won't you sit down? Just throw that dressing gown on the floor. [00:10:34] Speaker I: Oh, thanks. [00:10:35] Speaker H: Well, so this is your, huh? Nice carving job. [00:10:39] Speaker E: I'm very handsome. Don't you think so, Mrs. Baxter? [00:10:44] Speaker I: You're a dream man, Toby. [00:10:46] Speaker H: Who made him for you? [00:10:47] Speaker G: Don't put your hands on him. [00:10:49] Speaker H: I'm sorry. [00:10:50] Speaker G: Haven't you done enough damage? [00:10:51] Speaker H: Oh, now look, Hickson. You asked for it out there. [00:10:54] Speaker G: I asked for nothing. It was Toby got me into. [00:10:57] Speaker H: Oh, now, Toby. Aren't you ashamed? [00:11:00] Speaker G: I asked you not to touch him. [00:11:01] Speaker I: Mr. Hickson, you don't think Mel would steal him, do you? [00:11:05] Speaker G: I can take no chances. [00:11:07] Speaker H: You sure take him seriously, don't you? [00:11:09] Speaker G: Well, relax. [00:11:11] Speaker H: I do all right with Mugsy. My own dummy. [00:11:13] Speaker G: So I've heard. [00:11:14] Speaker H: Yes, and you sure surprised me with that little act out front. [00:11:18] Speaker G: Your own part in it surprised me. My part? [00:11:21] Speaker H: Well, you wanted some kind of comeback, didn't you? [00:11:22] Speaker I: You asked for it. [00:11:23] Speaker G: You didn't explain anything. [00:11:25] Speaker E: You see, Mr. Baxter, Hickson's attitude requires a certain amount of sympathy. He's quite aware he's not our equal. [00:11:32] Speaker H: Now, look. [00:11:32] Speaker G: Quiet, Toby. Mr. Baxter, just why did you come to my dressing room? [00:11:36] Speaker H: Well, professional courtesy. [00:11:38] Speaker G: If you've come here to make some sort of a bargain to buy. Toby, it's no use. You can never have him. [00:11:42] Speaker H: Now, wait, Hickson. [00:11:43] Speaker E: Yes, wait, Hickson. [00:11:44] Speaker G: I won't have it, Toby. Never. Never. [00:11:46] Speaker E: Whatever the Baxters have to say to me is my affair. Why don't you pretend you're a gentleman and make a graceful exit? [00:11:52] Speaker H: Oh, really, Toby. [00:11:54] Speaker G: If you're trying to make me look ridiculous, I'm succeeding. [00:11:58] Speaker E: Yes, I know. Now go on over behind the screen and get your makeup off. [00:12:03] Speaker G: Very well. But I warned you. Read it. [00:12:07] Speaker E: Pay no attention. To him. Mrs. Baxter, I don't. [00:12:10] Speaker I: I don't understand. [00:12:11] Speaker H: This fella's amazing. [00:12:12] Speaker E: Oh, not at all. He's stupid, really. Constantly interfering in my affairs. Mrs. Baxter, now that we're alone, may I tell you something? Something I'm sure you've heard before. [00:12:24] Speaker I: Well, what is it, Toby? [00:12:27] Speaker E: You're very beautiful. I'm very fond of you, Mrs. Baxter. And whatever Hickson thinks, you're really a very nice woman. [00:12:36] Speaker H: Oh, now, look here, Mel. [00:12:38] Speaker I: I don't like this. [00:12:39] Speaker H: Hickson. [00:12:39] Speaker G: Yes? [00:12:40] Speaker H: Come out here. [00:12:44] Speaker G: Well, what is it? [00:12:46] Speaker H: Just how far do you want to carry a gag? [00:12:48] Speaker G: A gag? Either you apologize to my wife. Really, Mr. Baxter, I don't know what you're talking about. [00:12:54] Speaker I: May I? Let's leave. [00:12:55] Speaker E: You're not going to leave me, are you? Mrs. Baxter, please don't. [00:12:57] Speaker H: Oh, you're a very funny guy, Hickson. [00:13:00] Speaker E: Take me with you, Mr. Baxter. I just want to be near her. If you're afraid I'll make love to her, you needn't worry. I will. [00:13:07] Speaker H: Okay, Hickson, you asked for it. [00:13:08] Speaker I: No, Mel, don't hit him. Don't hit him. Oh, Mel. Mel, why did you do. [00:13:15] Speaker F: Now, here, now, what's going on? [00:13:17] Speaker H: I don't know what's eating this guy. A gag's a gag, but he doesn't know when to stop. [00:13:20] Speaker F: He looks a bit done in. [00:13:22] Speaker H: Well, he had it coming to him. Glad he didn't break the dummy when he fell. [00:13:27] Speaker I: Yes, that would have been a shame. He's such a cute little fella. [00:13:32] Speaker E: And you do care what happens to me? I love you, Mrs. Baxter. I love you. [00:13:53] Speaker F: Feeling all right again, old chap? [00:13:55] Speaker G: Yes, quite. Thank you, bigelow. [00:13:58] Speaker F: Oh, good night, then. [00:13:59] Speaker G: No, it's not good night. This is goodbye. [00:14:03] Speaker H: What's that? [00:14:04] Speaker G: Yes, the manager sacked us, Toby and me. [00:14:07] Speaker F: Oh, well, now, that's a pity. [00:14:10] Speaker G: Go on, say it. You're quite sure we had it coming to us? [00:14:14] Speaker F: Well, you did go too far with the Baxter. [00:14:17] Speaker G: I didn't do it. I had nothing to do with what Toby said. It was Baxter. It was Baxter who put those words into Toby's mouth. He's trying to steal him from me. [00:14:27] Speaker F: Oh, now, see here. [00:14:28] Speaker G: It took us 15 years to make the kit Kat, and we had only two nights here. You just think what Toby and I have done together. We've fought our way to the very top. After years of cheap, dirty music halls, starving out at the elbow. You know what it's like, bigelow, always trying to perfect the act. Toby's a partner. Anyone would want and Baxter's no exception. [00:14:59] Speaker H: All right. [00:15:00] Speaker F: All right, old boy. [00:15:01] Speaker H: Then you'd better take good care of Toby. [00:15:04] Speaker G: No, never fear. I'll never fear. I shall. He's locked in my dressing room right now. And tonight and every other night we are going to sleep behind locked doors until Mel Baxter leaves London. There. Baxter, I want to talk to you. [00:15:49] Speaker I: Mel, be careful. It's Hickson, and the door isn't locked. [00:15:54] Speaker G: Where is Toby? [00:15:55] Speaker H: Get out, Hickson. [00:15:56] Speaker G: I've come for Toby. Where is he? You've stolen Toby from me and I've come to take him back. [00:16:00] Speaker H: I haven't seen your dummy since we were in your dressing room tonight. [00:16:02] Speaker G: You lie. You came and stole him from me whilst I was asleep. Sure. [00:16:06] Speaker H: I never travel without my burglar tools. Now listen, Hickson. I only knocked you down before. But this time I'm going to finish a job. Mel, I'll handle this. My. [00:16:13] Speaker G: No, no, Mel. [00:16:14] Speaker I: Look. On the floor. [00:16:15] Speaker D: What? [00:16:16] Speaker I: On the floor at the foot of my bed. [00:16:17] Speaker G: Toby. What. [00:16:19] Speaker H: Claudia. [00:16:19] Speaker G: How did. Toby, there you are. I found you. Oh, my poor little Toby. He kidnapped you. [00:16:27] Speaker H: Now look, Hickson. I haven't the slightest idea how your dummy got here. [00:16:31] Speaker I: Look how he's shaking that awful thing. [00:16:33] Speaker G: Wake up, Toby. [00:16:34] Speaker I: Trying to wake it up? [00:16:34] Speaker G: Come now, you're not deceiving me. You know I'm here. [00:16:37] Speaker E: Go away and leave me alone. I'm through with you, Hickson. [00:16:41] Speaker I: I can't stand it. Mel. [00:16:42] Speaker H: Easy, baby. Now look here, Hickson. Maybe you're ill or mad or ill? [00:16:46] Speaker G: Then you took Toby away from me and you say I'm ill. [00:16:49] Speaker H: I didn't take him. You brought him here. [00:16:51] Speaker G: You must have. [00:16:51] Speaker H: Maybe while you were walking in your sleep. [00:16:53] Speaker I: Mel, he's got a gun. [00:16:54] Speaker H: He won't shoot. [00:16:55] Speaker G: Come with me, Toby. We are going home again. [00:16:57] Speaker E: No, Hickson, I won't go with you. I'm going to stay here forever. [00:17:02] Speaker G: This is some trick, Baxter. You influenced him against me. You're putting words into his mouth. [00:17:07] Speaker H: Look, Hickson, will you relax? I tell you I had nothing to do with this. [00:17:10] Speaker G: I couldn't have nothing to do with it. You're a devil, Baxter. You tried to steal Toby away from me and now you're trying to drive me mad. [00:17:17] Speaker H: Hickson, will you listen to reason? [00:17:18] Speaker G: No, I won't listen to reason. I won't be. [00:17:28] Speaker H: Pick up his gun before he hurts somebody with a baby. [00:17:31] Speaker I: Got it? [00:17:31] Speaker G: Now say it's not. [00:17:33] Speaker H: Stay where you are, Hickson. [00:17:34] Speaker G: What? Oh, no. I'll do nothing of this sort. You're insane, Hickson. [00:17:39] Speaker H: You're the one who's sick. I'm trying to help you. [00:17:41] Speaker G: Help me? You're trying to take Toby away from me. [00:17:44] Speaker H: Look, will you let me get a doctor? [00:17:45] Speaker G: No, you fool. You'll never get Toby away from me. I'll take him. Where you'll never see him again. Never. Take the. [00:17:56] Speaker H: Claudia. That man's desperately ill. We've got to get a doctor. I suppose we should have called the cops, doctor, but, well, Hickson's in the profession, and if he's sick, we'd rather have a doctor look after him. I appreciate your sentiments, Mr. Baxter. [00:18:16] Speaker I: What's made him act this way? What's wrong with him? [00:18:19] Speaker H: I can't give an opinion without seeing him, without talking with him. But perhaps your husband may have some ideas. [00:18:25] Speaker G: Me? [00:18:25] Speaker H: You're a ventriloquist, Mr. Baxter, but a more successful one than Hickson. And two, you're happily married. Less introspected, perhaps. Isn't it quite possible that Hickson, in his loneliness, his struggles for success. May have become so accustomed to thinking as two people. That the personalities have actually become divided? Why, I don't know. I can see how that might happen. [00:18:52] Speaker I: You mean he thinks he's two people? [00:18:54] Speaker H: No, Mrs. Baxter, he doesn't think he's two people. It's possible he doesn't know these personalities have become divided. That Toby now might be said to live within Hickson without Hickson's knowing. [00:19:06] Speaker I: And then what's going to happen to him? [00:19:08] Speaker H: Well, it's something he'll have to fight out within himself. If we can keep the dummy away from him, he may recover. Oh, but, doctor, he took it with him, and we've no time to lose. Where does he live? Have you any idea? No, but I can find out. Then we better go at once. He must be separated from that dummy. [00:19:36] Speaker E: Are Hickson right back where you started? [00:19:39] Speaker G: Be quiet, you fool. Be quiet. [00:19:41] Speaker E: You can't keep me quiet. You never could. Where would you have been if I'd kept quiet? [00:19:46] Speaker G: How can you be so ungrateful? I made you what you are. [00:19:50] Speaker E: You made me until I came along you. A very small time, Hickson. Very small time. [00:19:57] Speaker G: You've forgotten that you're nothing but a lifeless, useless stick of wood without me. [00:20:01] Speaker E: A lifeless, useless stick of wood am I? It was I she liked, not you. It was I Mrs. Bacter spoke kindly to. It was I she smiled at, not you. [00:20:09] Speaker G: But you wouldn't even be here without me. [00:20:12] Speaker E: A lifeless, useless stick of wood. You couldn't even get up the nerve to kill Baxter tonight. [00:20:17] Speaker G: Kill him? Yeah. Yes, that's it. You wanted me to kill him. [00:20:24] Speaker E: Why didn't you kill him? Then? She could have belonged to me. I could be with her forever. [00:20:29] Speaker G: Oh, you fool. You know that's impossible. [00:20:32] Speaker E: You're just saying that. You're jealous. Jealous, jealous. [00:20:38] Speaker G: Toby. Toby, please don't say these things. [00:20:43] Speaker E: It's the truth. You're a weakling. Coward. [00:20:45] Speaker G: Toby, I beg you. [00:20:48] Speaker E: You mean nothing to me anymore, Hickson. You're weak. [00:20:51] Speaker G: No, I'm not. Once more than the mind can bear. I can't stand it. I've got to get rid of you. Kill you. I'll destroy you. [00:21:05] Speaker E: Take your arms off me. I'm through with you. Take your hands off me. [00:21:08] Speaker G: No. I'll kill you, you bunk. A little beast. [00:21:12] Speaker E: Excellent. [00:21:12] Speaker G: Stop dying, you monster. I hit no back. You little monster. You died. You, here. Now tell me I'm weak. [00:21:37] Speaker E: You can't kill me, X. No matter how you try, you can't kill me. You're still a failure. [00:21:48] Speaker G: I show you who's a failure. Toby. Toby. What have I done? [00:22:31] Speaker I: Or too late now. [00:22:32] Speaker H: Easy now. Perhaps he's only fainted. [00:22:33] Speaker G: Doctor. [00:22:34] Speaker H: Doctor, look. The dummy. Smashed to bits. [00:22:38] Speaker I: I can't believe it's real. [00:22:40] Speaker H: Easy, honey. Take it easy. Hickson's breathing. He's just out for a minute. [00:22:44] Speaker I: Oh, Mel. What'll happen when he comes due and he realizes what he's done? [00:22:49] Speaker H: Toby, how are you? [00:22:51] Speaker G: Hickson? [00:22:52] Speaker H: Steady now. You're coming around. All right. You see, honey? He's all right. He's opening his eyes. Don't try to sit up, Hickson. Just lie back and be still for a moment. [00:23:03] Speaker I: He's looking for Toby. [00:23:04] Speaker H: Yeah, when he sees. No, don't try to sit up, Hickson. Your dummy's a bit cracked up, but I guess he could be fixed. [00:23:12] Speaker E: Fixed? He said he'd kill me, but I told him he couldn't. [00:23:19] Speaker G: Doctor. [00:23:20] Speaker H: Doctor. It's Hickson speaking in Toby's voice. [00:23:23] Speaker E: He said he'd kill me. As if he could. Mr. Baxter. [00:23:29] Speaker H: Doctor, what about Hickson? Hickson himself. I've never seen anything like this. Hickson. Hickson. Speak up, man, quick. Baxter, put that dummy together again. But it's pretty badly. I don't care. Hold him together if you have to. I'll do what I can. [00:23:41] Speaker I: What good will it do, doctor? [00:23:42] Speaker H: It's our one chance to help this man. See? Hickson, here's Toby. See? He's all right. Here he is. [00:23:53] Speaker E: Hickson won't appreciate what you're doing, Mr. Baxter. Now you're giving me back to him? [00:24:04] Speaker G: He thought you were trying to steal me away from him. [00:24:10] Speaker I: Mr. Hicks. [00:24:22] Speaker E: Toby. [00:24:23] Speaker G: Toby. What's happened to. [00:24:24] Speaker H: Oh, you and Toby both had a little accident, Mr. Hickson. [00:24:28] Speaker G: Baxter. [00:24:28] Speaker H: Mr. Baxter had nothing to do with it. He and Mrs. Baxter are your friends. They were worried about you. They called me. I'm a doctor. [00:24:38] Speaker G: Thank you. Thank you awfully. [00:24:39] Speaker H: We told the doctor how Toby'd been acting up this evening. [00:24:43] Speaker G: Oh, yes. Now I remember. Yes. You were a very bad boy, Toby. You said so many things that I didn't put into your mouth. You can't go on like this, you know. If the acts to succeed you ruined us tonight, Toby, it's going to be a long, hard fight to get back. [00:25:10] Speaker E: I'm not really angry with you, Hickson. [00:25:14] Speaker G: I'm glad we are dependent on each other, Toby. You know that. Promise me you'll behave from now on. Promise you won't say anything I don't put into your mouth. [00:25:31] Speaker E: I promise. But still, I can have my own idea. [00:26:03] Speaker D: Tonight's voyage of escape into the realms that lie between the credible and the incredible has ended. But we hasten to invite you to voyage with us at the same time next week, when we will bring you the strange adventure of a man who searched the brazilian jungles for a diamond as big as the Ritz. Your ticket for the voyage is merely your desire to join. All hands aboard when CBS again presents escape. Dead of Night was adapted by the CBS division of program writing from the universal motion picture. Barry Kroger appeared as Eric Hickson, Art Carney as Toby the dummy. Escape is a CBS feature production directed by John Mozman. This is CBS, the Columbia broadcasting System. [00:27:05] Speaker A: That was dead of night from escape here on the mysterious old radio Listening Society podcast. Once again, I'm Eric. [00:27:13] Speaker G: I'm Tim. [00:27:13] Speaker B: And I'm Joshua. [00:27:15] Speaker A: That was the inaugural, which is a word I struggle with for some reason. [00:27:19] Speaker B: I don't know why. [00:27:20] Speaker A: Inaugural. [00:27:21] Speaker B: Inaugural. [00:27:22] Speaker A: It was the first show ever of escape from 1947, as we continue this month to kind of feature first episodes of classic old time radio shows. Lot to talk about in this, and I don't know what to hit on first. [00:27:40] Speaker B: Let's start with the intro. It's fun to. [00:27:42] Speaker A: Okay, thank you. That was just what I was going to say, the intros. Yeah. I really enjoyed this intro. And here's. I'm used to the escape intro, and I like it. It's great. Good old Bill Conrad telling me to settle in. I love it. I really think they made a mistake going away from this one. I like this intro. It was kind of cool. [00:28:04] Speaker B: It definitely has some things to recommend it. I like the sound of tugboats, the buoys, and all that. That obviously, they're trying to illustrate in theater, the mind, this idea of a voyage to somewhere. What is it between the canny and uncanny? Something like that. Oh, the credible and incredible. [00:28:24] Speaker A: Right. I like canny and uncanny. That was one of my favorite. Spider man. What? [00:28:32] Speaker B: The uncanny Spider man. We were laughing because it's the X Men and we were just kidding. [00:28:37] Speaker A: Oh, incredible Hulk. [00:28:38] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:28:39] Speaker C: So we could have the canny X Men, the credible Hulk, and the unimaging spider. [00:28:43] Speaker H: I don't know. [00:28:44] Speaker B: Just amazing. Well, this has gone well so far. [00:28:49] Speaker A: And the so so four. Yeah. I like the intro a lot. I liked the announcer. It was cool. [00:28:59] Speaker C: But I think that it was all part of at this point for this audition episode, that they weren't in the same brain space of what this show is going to be. That it eventually became right, because that. [00:29:11] Speaker B: Second part of the intro suggests more fantasy or supernatural type storytelling than what it eventually becomes. This isn't an intro that tells you there's going to be a lot of exotic adventure in faraway lands. You're going to go to some sort of almost Twilight zone esque like place between what is believable and not. And also, I do like just how dreary their early version of escape from it all is, because, like, escape from now, from here, from yourself. [00:29:47] Speaker G: Wow. [00:29:49] Speaker A: Give up. I don't know why. When you tell me it's going to be a horror story based on the trope, which may not have been a trope at this point of ventriloquism and the ventriloquist dummy, when I hear that, my first reaction always is, I don't want to hear it. Rubashinka kinka, whatever it was. [00:30:14] Speaker B: Rubashika you ended up really liking, I think you liked it more than Tim and I did recall. [00:30:19] Speaker A: This is what I'm getting at. Why is my first reaction when it's given to me that, oh, this is going to be a ventriloquist thing? I think that I go going to. [00:30:28] Speaker B: See an actual ventriloquist with a story about a ventriloquist. [00:30:34] Speaker A: And then now this is the second time that I've listened to a horror ventriloquist thing that have come away going, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was good. Okay, so let's get that out of the way. I really like this, and I thought it was violent and grotesque and disturbing, and I think that accomplishes everything that they set out to do. Listening to that thing talk. Actually, here it is. Just jump right into it. Listening to that thing get the crap kicked out of it. [00:31:10] Speaker B: Cathartic for you. [00:31:11] Speaker A: Yeah, it's great. It's fantastic. Yeah. Let's vote. [00:31:16] Speaker C: Well, I want to start with, I don't think since Spawn of the subhuman, has there been a title that more failed to convey any element of the actual story, which I know why it's taken from the film that this story was a small part of. [00:31:34] Speaker B: And the title of the film itself is incredibly generic to work as an umbrella title for very different stories that. [00:31:43] Speaker C: Are told, which we complained in the past about. The title kind of gives you the whole thing. Like, this title, I think did this story a favor by saying nothing about what you're in for. [00:31:54] Speaker A: Right. Like, his lips don't move. [00:32:00] Speaker B: For me, it did a disservice in that I've seen the dead of night film, and the ventriloquist segment is fantastic. And this adaptation pales in comparison to it. If there had been a different title, I might not have even drawn a connection other than, oh, it's a little like the dead of night. [00:32:24] Speaker C: Now, in researching the intro, I saw one website. I couldn't confirm it, so I'm a little hesitant to share the information. That was saying when the film was released in America by Universal, they softened it, but everything other source, I said, universal just basically released the film without any changes. But this website that said that was indicating that they think this adaptation was of a softer version of the film, which is all to get to. [00:32:53] Speaker G: Yes. [00:32:53] Speaker C: This adaptation really softened up the impact of the story in the film. Reading the synopsis of it, I haven't actually seen the film. The ending seemed like. That's psycho. This ends like Psycho does, right? [00:33:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:08] Speaker B: And they try to capture this. Here we have that final scene of him completely taken over by Toby the dummy. It's really creepy. I think that's effective in this radio show. What's strange is that they have his other self come back and they reach this bizarre truce with one another. [00:33:29] Speaker C: Sort of fix it. [00:33:30] Speaker A: I kind of like that. [00:33:31] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:33:31] Speaker B: And see, this is probably the curse of having seen the other version, which I'm totally willing to admit. So I have a hard time interpreting this. But just by itself, in my parallel. [00:33:42] Speaker C: Thinking, that's an ending of, like, a Norman Bates. Okay, I'll just give up my mother's Persona and just kind of come to peace with her. [00:33:49] Speaker A: Sure. [00:33:50] Speaker C: That's a limp noodle ending, which is not to say that this story had the same limp noodle ending, but if you had those two to compare, that would be disappointing. [00:34:02] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:34:02] Speaker B: And I will ruin the film. So if you guys want to run out and see the film, do it right now and come back. But one of the strange choices, and it may speak to what you said earlier, Tim, about them intentionally softening this is in the film version, the ventriloquist does not drop the gun and run away. He shoots the guy. The guy doesn't die. Eventually we find out, but in the moment, we don't know that. Right. And so the stakes are higher. The escape version is the story of a ventriloquist breakdown, but it appears as if he never really poses anyone any danger. Yeah, there's not a lot of tension, merely awkward and weird, which I like. There's something I like about that that. [00:34:45] Speaker A: Is, isn't the point of this story, as a listener to be trying to figure out, is he crazy and operating and doing the voice of that dummy, or is that dummy actually alive? [00:34:58] Speaker C: Yeah, that's always the. [00:34:59] Speaker A: Isn't that the point of this? Because he goes behind the thing. He leaves the room, practically. The guy says, oh, my God, this guy's incredibly good. And you're going, no, he's not. That dummy is alive. And then at the end, you are actually given the information of no dummy, not alive. Man goes crazy and has become two people because of his affiliation, right? [00:35:23] Speaker B: Yes, but they never answer how Toby got across town by himself into the american ventriloquist and his wife's room. And it's a ventriloquist dummy took a. [00:35:37] Speaker C: Cab, and his cab drivers will, if they see a ventriloquist dummy on the side of the road, we'll just stop. [00:35:44] Speaker A: And they're free. They're free. It's actually part of the National Dummy Support act of 1944, so shut up, Joshua. That's how it got there. [00:35:54] Speaker B: My point being true, it wasn't a critique so much as it's not underscored. No, but I think it is supposed to leave you wondering or have a question mark. But that's how it is in the film, right? [00:36:07] Speaker A: That you walk away. [00:36:08] Speaker B: Not quite sure they asked that question explicitly in the film. But wait, how did the dummy get into the other ventriloquist room? [00:36:17] Speaker A: But I just make the assumption that he did bring it with him and throw it over there without him actually knowing he was doing that. [00:36:24] Speaker B: It would have to be a tiny dummy as soon as I said that. But I need to work out the sizing here. He would have to have this ridiculously huge trench coat that he comes in and then just sort of lets the dummy drop up. [00:36:43] Speaker C: We could do them up some experiments. [00:36:46] Speaker A: All right. [00:36:46] Speaker C: And throw a dummy without. [00:36:47] Speaker A: So this has become. What's that tv show? [00:36:50] Speaker C: Mythbusters. [00:36:51] Speaker A: Mythbusters, yes. [00:36:52] Speaker B: Dummy busters. [00:36:53] Speaker A: Let's myth bust this and reenact this and see if we can sneak a dummy into a room without anyone knowing, including yourself, because that's the key. He didn't know he did it. [00:37:04] Speaker C: I want to pitch in that having only known the synopsis of the film version after listening to it, that opening scene with the performance with the guy in the audience was so wonderful and icky. [00:37:19] Speaker B: I agree. That's a strong part of the original film as well as this adaptation. If anything, this adaptation expands it a little. [00:37:27] Speaker A: Do you think Edgar Bergen listened to this and went, oh, come on, we're not all crazy, are we? [00:37:35] Speaker C: No. [00:37:38] Speaker B: I'm going to say one more thing about the film version and then let it go. But one of the things I admire about the film version is that it drops us right into this act, and we don't know anything about the crazy ventriloquist and his dummy. So we are put in the position of the american ventriloquist. All this weird stuff and the fact that they're fighting with each other, it's awkward. Is it part of their act? And we don't know. Whereas the escape adaptation made the choice to let the audience visit them backstage first and realize that there's something weird going on even when he's off stage between the ventriloquist and his dummy. And I thought that loss of good confusion the script suffered for that a little bit. But I love the old time vaudeville joke. I'm just laughing at the back and forth and banter, hey, we're going to. [00:38:35] Speaker C: Call this guy up on stage, and we want you to be a little funny, but not too funny. [00:38:40] Speaker H: Yeah. [00:38:40] Speaker C: Oh, you're being too funny. [00:38:42] Speaker B: I enjoyed the performer egos clashing and the idea from the american ventriloquist. I think he just says it explicitly like, you asked for it, buddy. The very strange element they added is Toby's sexual longing for the wife. [00:38:59] Speaker A: But it was his longing. It's his longing through Toby. [00:39:03] Speaker B: You can tell yourself that, Eric, if it helps you sleep at night. [00:39:06] Speaker A: Insert wood joke here. [00:39:11] Speaker C: Insert wood. [00:39:14] Speaker B: Awkward Ikea instructor. [00:39:20] Speaker C: But that element of it was so uncomfortable and awkward of like, I'm going. [00:39:28] Speaker A: To make love to your wife. [00:39:33] Speaker C: I mean, that's always an uncomfortable discussion, even if you're not a ventriloquist dummy. [00:39:37] Speaker A: Right. [00:39:38] Speaker C: But it makes it extra weird. [00:39:40] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:39:40] Speaker A: Remember when I did that at Christmas to you? [00:39:44] Speaker C: Oh, no, that was fun. [00:39:50] Speaker B: It adds that extra layer of jealousy. Like Eric points out, this american ventriloquist has it all. He has a better career, a beautiful wife. At the same time, it dilutes the ventriloquist's obsession. What's creepy in the film is he just seems obsessed with his dummy. There is almost a sort of sexual overtone in the film. And so that might have been a conscious choice, again, on the adapter to diffuse any potential homoerotic interpretation of this ventriloquist and dummy relationship. [00:40:26] Speaker C: That was the part that I felt like this is good fuel that they don't use in the end of. He is so obsessed with. They're trying to take my dummy away from me. They're trying to take it. This guy's trying to take it that the doctor is like, well, we have to separate them. That's exactly what's going to make him totally freak out. [00:40:46] Speaker A: Right. [00:40:46] Speaker C: You are not a good doctor. [00:40:53] Speaker B: I like that. It is the american ventriloquist. I'm sorry, I'm forgetting everyone's names and his wife, who realize, oh, this guy's unwell. [00:41:04] Speaker A: Right. [00:41:05] Speaker B: We should do the right thing and call somebody. [00:41:08] Speaker C: And they are so admirable throughout the whole thing of coming back afterwards just to check in, of like, hey, really enjoyed your show. Want to make sure things are okay. Seemed conflict. I'm really admiring the craftsmanship of the dummy. I'm really admiring how good you are at keeping this voice going while you're not in the room. [00:41:29] Speaker B: Yeah. It felt like this very authentic performer thing. Like, while you're on stage, if someone starts some sort of competition with you or insults you, you feel invited to insult them back, but you kind of want along afterwards. Go, yeah, I was just doing what you wanted me to do. [00:41:46] Speaker A: Right. [00:41:47] Speaker C: And because he was in the business, which, getting the monthly, quarterly, whatever, ventriloquist newsletter. [00:41:54] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:41:55] Speaker C: That he felt like, we got to take care of this guy. He's one of us. He's like one fifth of the ventriloquist artists in the world, I would completely. [00:42:05] Speaker A: Sign up for the ventriloquist newsletter. Do you think, like, every other paragraph is blank, that you just fill it in? [00:42:15] Speaker C: There's just no peas? [00:42:19] Speaker A: Okay, that's funny. [00:42:26] Speaker B: You mentioned this earlier, the cathartic nature of the beaten dummy. [00:42:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:32] Speaker B: And then I think the cherry on top of that is when the american ventriloquist and his wife come in. She shrieks as if the sight of this doll is like an actual human who had been beat to a pulp. [00:42:48] Speaker A: Right. [00:42:49] Speaker B: It's a very funny moment and sort of mirrors this strange professional commitment that even the wife has. This is all real. [00:42:59] Speaker A: Yeah. But however much he beat that thing, they pushed it together. Right? Push it together. So look at that. Oh, thank you. Beat it to a bowl, set it on fire. You can get rid of it. You're not trying hard enough. I could get rid of a dummy. [00:43:20] Speaker C: You think? Like, senior Winchless, though, used to have a dummy and like, no, we're just going to paint it on my hand. [00:43:24] Speaker A: Right? Yeah. [00:43:25] Speaker B: Because then you don't have to pay the dummy. [00:43:28] Speaker G: Right? [00:43:31] Speaker B: Yeah, I think. [00:43:32] Speaker A: Sorry. [00:43:33] Speaker B: For me, the main problem with this, it seems to be missing a beat of escalation. [00:43:38] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:43:38] Speaker B: As soon as he drops the gun, all the sense of danger falls away. In this script, I think we're invested in the ventriloquist, but to me, that's the cardinal sin of this script. Seems to consciously remove the stakes. [00:43:53] Speaker C: I would agree with that. I was really enjoying it. It had a lot of. I mean, for what you think must be the boilerplate of ventriloquist stories, which we didn't mention, but magic, the film. I don't know if you guys have ever seen Anthony. [00:44:07] Speaker A: No, I know what it is, though. It's really good. [00:44:09] Speaker C: Same kind of thing. But the decision to make the ending well, we'll get him pretty close to okay. Was a little sad trombone for me. [00:44:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:44:20] Speaker C: Although, which is a dish I often get at cassettas here in St. Paul. Sad tromboni. [00:44:30] Speaker G: The white sauce. [00:44:31] Speaker C: It's really good. [00:44:38] Speaker B: If only it just comes with garlic bread crust. [00:44:45] Speaker A: Should we vote? [00:44:47] Speaker B: Sure. [00:44:48] Speaker A: I loved it. Nice. I don't think it's a classic. I will say this. Hey, way to come out. Swing and escape. I think that if I was a person who had to make the decision if this should continue, or an investor, or even just a listener, I think this isn't a first episode. Is a really great way to come out. No wonder it got the green light. [00:45:13] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:45:13] Speaker B: I admire the strange choice to adapt one portion of a fairly old film by then for a radio production. I'd be curious to find out more of the history of that, like why that was decided. Was it a producer idea? Was it just a writer who thought this would make a great radio drama? Or how this came about since it seems to have been somewhat tamped down and censored? Did someone initially have the idea. Like, I want to do a really faithful adaptation of this film segment and it just became more and more of a dish of sad trombone. But I'm going off on a tangent. But that tangent really expresses my vote where I think most of what I find fascinating about this is in its historical context, that this is what started escape is really a fun, weird thing and I like it. Honestly, it had me at the Joe Hitler joke, so I never stopped having fun listening to this. It's really hard not to. I'm not sure it completely works as a standalone piece of suspense. A lot of fun though. [00:46:27] Speaker C: Yeah, that was almost exactly what I was thinking. This stand the test of time like a good episode of suspense. And it was a good choice on escape's part to not keep doing that because suspense already existed and was doing good episodes of suspense to pivot to do what otherwise was not being done at that same high level of expertise of adventure. So it's certainly historically significant. Stands the test of time. Like I said, like a good episode of suspense, not a classic, but yeah, it's great. I'm glad they stopped doing it, right? [00:47:05] Speaker A: Tell them stuff, Tim. Keep talking. [00:47:07] Speaker C: Please go visit ghoulishdelights.com, home of this podcast. You'll find other episodes there, other fun things that the company is doing. Recipe for sad trombone find that peas. [00:47:20] Speaker A: Cream sauce, chicken, or if you want. [00:47:24] Speaker C: To send us your recipe for sad tromboni, please do. You can also link to our social media pages and to our Patreon page. [00:47:34] Speaker G: Yes. [00:47:34] Speaker B: Go to patreon.com slash themrals and become a patron of this podcast. Become a member of the mysterious old Radio Listening Society. There's some status in that somewhere. If you find it, send that to us as well with your said trombone. But you'll get all sorts of great perks, like a video of Jim eating. Yes, and patrons get these jokes that we beat to death cut out of the episode they listen to. So there's all kinds of perks. Go to patreon.com slash themorals support this podcast. [00:48:13] Speaker A: The mysterious, mysterious old radio listening Society. Also a theater company that performs monthly, sometimes even more than once a month, on some stage, doing classic old time radio recreations of audio drama and a lot of our own original audio drama work. If you'd like to find out where we're performing every month and what we're performing and how to get tickets, just go to ghoulishdelights.com. We also film them. So if you're a Patreon you get to see those anyway. You don't even have to come. You just get those. But you should come and say hi and get some food and, I don't know, hang out, go home with Tim. Part of being a Patreon. [00:48:54] Speaker D: Big jump. [00:48:55] Speaker B: Now you're really selling it there. [00:48:58] Speaker A: Tim has cookies and stuff. [00:49:00] Speaker C: I do. [00:49:01] Speaker A: Sad tromboni I will. What's next? [00:49:05] Speaker B: Next, we are going to wrap up our visiting of first episodes from classic series with Johnny Dollar's debut episode, Milford Brooks III. Until then, I want to bring on. [00:49:20] Speaker F: An act that should make our american visitor feel lonesome for the missing mugsy Martin, our own british ventriloquist, Eric Hickson and his talking timber, toby. [00:49:36] Speaker G: It. Oh, hey. And.