Episode 338: A Thing of Beauty

[00:00:11] Speaker A: The mysterious old radio listening society live from the Bryant Lake bowl. And now, Roma wines bring you the mysterious old radio listening society in a remarkable live podcast well calculated to keep you in suspense. [00:00:51] Speaker B: Welcome to the mysterious old Radio Listen Society. This is a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime, and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Eric. [00:00:59] Speaker C: I'm Tim. [00:01:00] Speaker A: And I'm Joshua. [00:01:01] Speaker B: Oh, that's me. Sorry. Our special guest. I have to do two things. Our special guest tonight is actor, improviser, and executive director of springboard for the arts, Laura Zabel. [00:01:13] Speaker D: Yay. [00:01:16] Speaker E: Thank you so much. I just have two questions. What's going on? And why am I here? [00:01:23] Speaker C: The four of us are going to listen to old time radio. [00:01:26] Speaker E: And then what? Talk about it in front of a live audience? [00:01:30] Speaker A: Yes, but not just any live audience. A live audience of incredibly attractive old time radio fans. Give yourself a round of applause, you sexy nerds. Yeah. [00:01:45] Speaker E: Is this a bad time to tell you that I've never listened to old time radio before? [00:01:50] Speaker C: Never? [00:01:51] Speaker A: Not even the thing on the Forbel board? [00:01:55] Speaker E: I recognize none of those words, Laura. [00:02:00] Speaker B: I've been doing this podcast for eight years, and I've listened to hundreds of old time radio shows. 99% of the time, I have no idea what Captain English major and comic book guy are talking about. So don't worry about it. You'll be fine. [00:02:15] Speaker E: Okay, then what happens next? [00:02:18] Speaker A: I reveal tonight's episode, a Thing of Beauty, from radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Suspense. [00:02:26] Speaker C: Suspense debuted on CB's in 1942 and ran for an astounding 20 years. During that time, the program featured a who's who of Hollywood luminaries, including Tonight's leading lady, Angela Lansbury. [00:02:37] Speaker E: Ooh, I know who that is. And also, some things are written down about her. Born in 1925, Lansbury's career spanned seven decades across film, stage, and television. Despite critically acclaimed appearances in iconic films such as Gaslight, the Picture of Dorian Gray, and the Manchurian Candidate, as well as her Tony Award winning performance in the title role of mame, the musical. Lansbury is best remembered today for her portrayal of Jessica Fletcher in the CB's television series Murder. She wrote the detective series ran from 1984 to 1996 and earned Lansbury the title of America's Miss Marple. [00:03:12] Speaker B: Lansbury's radio appearances were few and far between. Her resume is limited to guest spots on programs like command performance, family theater, NBC University theater, and stars over Hollywood. A thing of beauty was her only performance for suspense. [00:03:29] Speaker A: The script was written by an unlikely duo, Elizabeth Highstand and Robert L. Richards. The latter was a frequent contributor to suspense and authored what many old time radio enthusiasts consider one of the medium's finest horror stories, the House in Cypress Canyon. Richards adapted a thing of beauty from a story by Elizabeth Highstand, the maiden name of Elizabeth Heisch, who, along with her husband, Glanville Taft Heisch, I kid you not, wrote the distinctly unhorrific 1937 Christmas the Cinnamon Bear. [00:04:11] Speaker C: If you are unfamiliar with the house in Cypress Canyon and or the cinnamon bear, here is a brief two minute recap of both stories. [00:04:23] Speaker F: And here's the cinnamon bear. [00:04:28] Speaker D: My mind was in that hazy borderland between sleep and a dream that's still part of consciousness. Then I was awake. Ellen, are you all right? Yes. Did you have a nightmare or something? [00:04:44] Speaker A: No. [00:04:45] Speaker F: I heard it too. [00:04:47] Speaker D: Well, that didn't sound like any cat. [00:04:49] Speaker F: Put on the light. [00:04:49] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:04:50] Speaker A: Ooh. [00:04:51] Speaker F: Don't give us a scare like that again, Mister Bear. Hurrah. Oh, Judy, I'm scared. Got a room? Oh, Jimmy, hold my hand tight. Me name's Patty O'Sullivan. That sounds irish. Sure, I'm slightly irish. But tell me, what are you two doing up here? Well, we lost a silver star that goes on top of the Christmas tree. Have you ever seen it, cinnamon bear? Sure, I've seen it lots of times. Oh, show us where the silver star is, cinnamon bear. Oh, it's not here now. It's gone. [00:05:32] Speaker D: It is now Christmas Eve. Or rather Christmas morning. For it's a little after midnight. I've been waiting here here in the stillness of this empty house for nearly 24 hours. Waiting for the end already once tonight I've heard that dreadful wailing cry somewhere in the hills. I'm the cinnamon hare with a shoe button eyes and I'm looking for someone to take by surprise. Police reported what was apparently a case of murder and suicide in Cypress Canyon sometime in the early hours of the morning. [00:06:13] Speaker C: Oh, that was wonderful, cinnamon bear. [00:06:16] Speaker F: Garrard. [00:06:20] Speaker E: I'm very confused right now. [00:06:23] Speaker B: Yeah. Now you know what it's like to be me in this. [00:06:26] Speaker A: So without further ado, let's hear what happens when these two radio scribes blend their voices to create a thing of beauty from suspense. First broadcast May 29, 1947. [00:06:41] 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 sound coming from the speaker. Listen to the music and listen to the voices. [00:06:55] Speaker D: Yes, Roma wines taste better because only Roma selects from the world's greatest wine reserves. For your pleasure. And now, Roma wines r o m a, Roma wines present. Suspense. Tonight, Roma wines bring you miss Angela Lansbury in a thing of beauty. A suspense play produced, edited and directed for Roma wines by William Spears. Suspense radio's outstanding theater of thrills is presented for your enjoyment by Roma wines. That's r o m a, Roma wines. Those better tasting California wines enjoyed by more Americans than any other wine. For friendly entertaining, for delightful dining. Yes, right now, a glass full would be very pleasant, as Roma wines bring you Angela Lansbury in a remarkable tale of suspense. Ah. Now, if you will give me your arm. Yes, sir. Thank you. I think we shall just miss the storm if we hurry. Rather somber place, isn't it? Oh, it gives her seclusion. And that's all she's ever asked for since she came here. That and what little spiritual comfort I've been able to give her. How long ago was that, sir? That she came here, I mean? Oh, eight. No, let me see. No, no, nine. Nine years ago in May. But it was long before that that she left the stage. Well, she was in an institution for nearly ten years. A mental disorder, though it's not her mind was ever sick. Or I'm mistaken. They do say she's a bit on the eccentric side, though. You'll be her spiritual adviser yourself soon enough, when I've retired. And I want you to meet her without prejudice. And one day I'll tell you what I know, which, goodness knows, it little enough, and what I have reason to believe, which is somewhat more. Well, it seems we'll just about escape a drenching. She lives completely alone. The one servant, that is all. [00:09:08] Speaker F: Oh, Father Bentham. [00:09:10] Speaker D: Ah, Susette. This is my new curate, the Reverend Mister Sedley. We are here to see Miss Tremayne. [00:09:16] Speaker F: Well, does she know you are not alone? [00:09:19] Speaker D: Good. Susette. I haven't any idea. But you might let us in out of the rain, if you don't mind, while you so inform her. [00:09:25] Speaker F: But if. Very well. Come. [00:09:28] Speaker D: Ah, thank you. [00:09:30] Speaker F: If you will wait in the study, I will ask if Mademoiselle is able to see. [00:09:35] Speaker D: What in the world's got into that woman. She knows. Miss Tremaine's been seeing me every fortnight at this same time for nine years. Hmm. There's a picture here. Is it of her? Probably. My word, she was a beauty. Your father could have told you. Ah, yes. She was a legend of two continents. Must have been a very tragic thing to make a woman like that shut herself away. Is it true? Is it true, sir, that she sees no one but you? No one. As far as I know, she has never set foot outside this house in all the time she's been here. Nor has she ever had a single visitor beside myself. But why? [00:10:14] Speaker F: Mademoiselle will see you now, Father, in her parlour across the hall. [00:10:18] Speaker D: Oh, thank you, Suzette. [00:10:25] Speaker F: Father Bentham. [00:10:26] Speaker D: Hello. Hello, my dear. [00:10:27] Speaker F: Come in, come in. [00:10:28] Speaker D: Thank you. [00:10:29] Speaker F: I do hope you don't mind my receiving you in the dark, but I have a mortal dread of light stirring a storm. [00:10:35] Speaker D: Not at all, my dear. [00:10:37] Speaker F: You'll find two quite comfortable chairs just there by the window, I think. [00:10:40] Speaker D: Oh, thank you, thank you. Madeline. This is my new curate, Mister Sedley. [00:10:45] Speaker F: Oh, yes, Mister Sedley. [00:10:47] Speaker D: It's a great pleasure to meet the famous beauty, even in the dark. [00:10:51] Speaker F: Yes, I suppose you've heard of my beauty, Mister Sedley. You know, as you came in, I was looking at this little gold mirror engraved on the back of the words, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. [00:11:04] Speaker D: Ah, keats. [00:11:05] Speaker F: Yes. Oscar gave it to me. [00:11:07] Speaker D: Oh. [00:11:07] Speaker F: He said it was a magic mirror. When you are very old, Madeline, he said, you will only have to look in it to see yourself as you are now. Young and radiant and a joy forever. And I've believed ever since then that Oscar was really something of a magician. Because, you know, it's pretty true. [00:11:26] Speaker D: Was that Oscar Wilde, Miss Tremaine? [00:11:29] Speaker F: Yes, dear Oscar. Dear dead days. I suppose you've already heard all the wild tales of my lurid past, Mister Sedley. [00:11:40] Speaker D: No, Miss Tremaine, I assure you are. [00:11:42] Speaker F: I don't believe that Father Bentham has ever caught me in a reminiscing mood. Have you, Father? But since you will one day be vicar here, Mister Sedley, perhaps it would be better if you heard the truth. [00:11:52] Speaker D: From me, Miss Tremaine. Don't they? [00:11:54] Speaker F: Oh, the truth is wild enough. It all began, I suppose, when John Gaylord gave me my first speaking part. That was so far too long ago to tell. My hair was a little darker. My voice was not quite as rich as it is now. A trifle more silvery, perhaps. John and Nell Garret with the leaves. And my part, well, it was one of those obscure little parts that no one pays any attention to until some obscure little actress comes along and makes the start of a career with it. It was then that I first experienced what will always be to me in all the range of human feelings. The supreme exaltation. When you hear the full frenzy applause of an audience for you, for you alone. Thank you. Thank you. [00:12:51] Speaker D: Thank you. [00:12:53] Speaker F: Thank you so much. [00:13:04] Speaker D: Yes, Madeline, may I see you. [00:13:06] Speaker F: Oh, come in. [00:13:07] Speaker D: John Medline, you are marvelous, simply marvellous. [00:13:11] Speaker F: Oh, thank you, John. [00:13:12] Speaker D: And such a little fool. [00:13:13] Speaker F: A fool? [00:13:14] Speaker D: I told you to play the part. But it's getting worse and worse. Tonight she's absolutely furious. She's going to make trouble for you, Madeleine. [00:13:20] Speaker F: Trouble? What kind of trouble? [00:13:22] Speaker D: Oh, you don't know Nellie Garrett. [00:13:23] Speaker F: But I know my audience, don't I? [00:13:25] Speaker D: Oh, Madeline, you're so young and foolish and so beautiful. [00:13:28] Speaker F: Why, thank you, John. [00:13:30] Speaker D: So terribly beautiful. [00:13:31] Speaker F: Oh, John, you're leading up to it again, aren't you? [00:13:34] Speaker D: Oh, Madeline, this play isn't going to last forever. Even you can't keep it alive much longer. Why don't we make plans together now? [00:13:41] Speaker F: We could have our own company as the great John Gaylord. And misses Gaylord? [00:13:45] Speaker D: No, of course not. Why, in a couple of years you'd be as famous in your own right as Nell Garrett herself. [00:13:50] Speaker F: Perhaps I don't want to wait a couple of years. Besides, John, I don't love you. [00:13:54] Speaker D: Do you? Do you love anyone? [00:13:57] Speaker F: No. But when I marry, it'll be. Oh, it'll be an up and coming young member of parliament. [00:14:03] Speaker D: You're in for it now, madam. Please don't. Please, my dear, you must. [00:14:08] Speaker G: There you are, my fine Miss. [00:14:09] Speaker D: Go easy, Miss Garrett. She's meant no harm. [00:14:11] Speaker G: No harm indeed. She has merely ruined my entire last act. Curtain for 29 consecutive performances. Hoisting her skirts clear above the ankle, holding the stars like a music hall Gretchen. [00:14:21] Speaker D: Well, it's only because it's that kind of a part of it. [00:14:22] Speaker G: How is it indeed now? Well, as long as I play the leads in this company, I will not have my best speech in the whole play utterly ruined by rowdy applause for the gutter antics of a half baked ingenue. [00:14:34] Speaker D: Nay, really, you'll make a good fool of yourself. [00:14:35] Speaker G: And while we're on the subject, Mister Gaylord, there are a few points I should like to discuss with you. When you help Miss Tremaine down from the swing in the second act, there's no need for you to keep your arm around her during the entire remainder of the scene. I'll admit that she appears ready to swoon at any moment. But one peep show performance is quite enough for an evening at Drury Lane. [00:14:54] Speaker F: Well, really, Miss Garrett, if you can no longer hold either your audiences or your lover. [00:14:59] Speaker C: Why, you chick. [00:15:00] Speaker D: Nell. [00:15:01] Speaker F: I'll kill you for that, Nell Garrett. If I die for it, I'll kill you. I left the theater and walked aimlessly out into the night, my eyes blinded with tears. Young, yes. And foolish as I was, I believed my poor little heart was truly broken. For I knew that Nell Garrett could ruin me with every theatre manager in London. And I knew she would. How long I wandered through those misty streets or where, or even what I did I shall never know. But just as dawn was breaking, I found myself, by some odd twist of fate, passing by the lodgings of John Gaylord. On a sudden impulse, I climbed the steps to his door. [00:15:55] Speaker D: Yet. Madeleine. [00:15:56] Speaker F: Hello, John darling. [00:15:58] Speaker D: Did anyone see you? [00:15:59] Speaker F: See me? [00:15:59] Speaker D: Come in, come in. Where have you been? [00:16:02] Speaker F: Just walking. [00:16:04] Speaker D: Walking? Good Lord. Alone? [00:16:06] Speaker F: Yes. Why? [00:16:07] Speaker D: Don't you know? [00:16:09] Speaker F: Yes, John, I'm afraid I do. My career. [00:16:12] Speaker D: Your career? Oh, my poor child. [00:16:15] Speaker F: John, what is it? [00:16:16] Speaker D: Don't you know that Nell Garrett's been found dead with a knife in her back? [00:16:20] Speaker F: Dead? [00:16:20] Speaker D: Murdered. Oh, John, the police have been looking all over London for you. I've been expecting them here every moment. [00:16:26] Speaker F: For me? [00:16:27] Speaker D: Of course, for you. But why, Madeleine? Last night you threatened to kill her in front of a dozen witnesses. Why wouldn't they be looking for you now? Madeleine, darling, listen to me. Where did you go? What did you do? Didn't anyone see you? Didn't you talk to anyone? [00:16:40] Speaker F: No, no, I. [00:16:41] Speaker D: You've got to tell them something. [00:16:43] Speaker F: But what can I tell? [00:16:44] Speaker D: Because if you don't tell them, they'll. Charlie. Yes, yes, they. They'll hang Meadow. Please, Madeline, you've got to think. Try to remember something. [00:16:53] Speaker F: I'm so alone. If only I had a friend. [00:16:56] Speaker D: You have got a friend, Madeline. I'm your friend. Believe me. [00:16:58] Speaker F: You're someone who loved me enough to at least say they were with me. [00:17:05] Speaker D: Yes? Who is it? Inspector Trellis, Scotland Yard. In there, quickly, the bedroom. [00:17:10] Speaker F: John. [00:17:10] Speaker D: Don't worry, I'll tell him something. Hurry. Yes, coming. I am sorry to rouse you at this early hour, so. It's quite all right. Come in. You are Mister John Gaylord? Yes. Of the Queen's Players company, Drury Lane? Yes. Can you tell me, Mister Gaylord, anything of the whereabouts of Miss Madeline Tremaine? Madeline Tremaine? Yes. Why did you call me, darling? [00:17:39] Speaker F: Oh, excuse me. [00:17:41] Speaker D: Who is this lady, Mister Gaylord? [00:17:43] Speaker F: Well, who are you? [00:17:45] Speaker D: I'm from the police, madam. [00:17:47] Speaker F: Police? [00:17:48] Speaker D: There's been a murder. Miss Nell Garrett of the Queen's company was found stabbed in her home last night. [00:17:54] Speaker F: Nell Garrett? [00:17:55] Speaker D: Yes. Do you know her? [00:17:57] Speaker F: Why, of course, this is true. [00:17:59] Speaker D: I'm afraid, madam, that I shall have to ask you for your name. [00:18:02] Speaker F: I'm Madeline Tremaine. I'm sorry that you find me in. [00:18:06] Speaker D: Somewhat disarray, Miss Tremayne. I'm afraid I shall also have to ask you to account for your whereabouts after you left the theatre last night. [00:18:14] Speaker F: Very well. Mister Gaylord can account for my whereabouts. [00:18:18] Speaker D: Well, Mister Gaylord. [00:18:21] Speaker F: You see, Inspector, it's rather a delicate matter because since I left the theatre last night, I've been here. [00:18:29] Speaker D: Is that true, Mister Gaydon? Yes, quite true, Inspector. I see. [00:18:37] Speaker F: Is that satisfactory, Inspector? [00:18:39] Speaker D: Yes, yes. Well, I don't think I need trouble you any further for the moment. [00:18:45] Speaker F: Well, I quite understand your position, Inspector. It's a terrible, terrible thing. [00:18:49] Speaker D: Yes. Well, good day to you. Good day, sir. Oh, Madeline. Oh, Madeline, you shouldn't have done it. They'll have the scandal all over every newspaper in the city. [00:19:02] Speaker F: Well, a scandal is better than a hanging, isn't it? [00:19:05] Speaker D: Must have been some other way. Now they'll tear you to shreds. They won't have you in anything better than a music hall for the rest of your life. [00:19:12] Speaker F: John. There won't be any scandal if. What? John, it wasn't just my tiff with Nell Garrett that made me go wandering through the fog last night. I was thinking about something much more serious. [00:19:25] Speaker D: What do you mean? [00:19:27] Speaker F: I was thinking about what you said. [00:19:29] Speaker D: What I had said. [00:19:31] Speaker F: John, perhaps I don't really love you yet. But there's no one else. And you're the kindest, finest man I've ever known, Madeline. And now perhaps you saved my life. [00:19:44] Speaker D: Madeline, I love you more than anything else in this world. But I wouldn't have you marry me for gratitude. [00:19:52] Speaker F: I wouldn't marry any man for gratitude, Madeline. [00:19:56] Speaker D: If I were to tell you that I wasn't here last night either. That I couldn't explain my whereabouts. [00:20:03] Speaker F: Oh, I see. [00:20:05] Speaker D: Would you still marry me? [00:20:09] Speaker F: Yes, John. I will marry you. [00:20:24] Speaker D: Suspense. Roma wines are bringing you Angela Lansbury in a thing of beauty. Roma wines presentation tonight. And radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Suspense between the acts of suspense. This is Truman Bradley. For Roma wines, whether you serve wine infrequently or often enjoy the better taste of Roma wines. Yes, Roma wines give you more pleasure with every sip. Are better three ways in. Fuller bouquet, richer body and better taste. To bring you better tasting wine, Roma begins with California's choicest grapes. Then with ancient skill and wine making resources unmatched in America. Romaster vintners guide this grape treasure unhurriedly to tempting taste perfection. These choice wines are then placed with mellow Roma wines of years before. And from these reserves, the world's greatest reserves of fine wines Roma later selects for your pleasure this holiday weekend. Enjoy rich Roma California port or Tokay. Serve after dinner or in a tall glass with ice and soda as a refreshing warm weather. Cooler. Served any way, Roma tastes better. That's why more americans enjoy Roma than any other wine. That's r o m a, Roma, your best buy in good taste. And now, Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage. Miss Angela Lansbury, who is Madeline Tremaine, resumes the recital of her brilliant and stormy career. It is a tale told to two clergymen in a darkened room. A tale well calculated to keep them and you in suspense. [00:22:32] Speaker F: Shall I continue, gentlemen? [00:22:34] Speaker D: Oh, yes, please do, Miss Tremaine. It's most absorbing. Indeed it is, really. [00:22:42] Speaker F: I hope you don't mind the lights turned off. It's the storm. I suppose I am a sort of an elemental creature, but I always love to sit here and have it dark when it's stormy outside. [00:22:54] Speaker D: Not at all. [00:22:55] Speaker F: Well, then, our marriage was a very happy one. Perhaps not entirely in the high tradition of grand passion, but a thoroughly comfortable, civilized relationship. Until something happened which is so often a tragic feature of wedded life between two stage personalities. You see, for the first two seasons, John and I always played together. And then managers began to ask for me alone. What could I do? I was young, just reaching the peak of my career. John was past his prime and popularity. And so at last, he no longer even tried to have a career, but lived along on false hopes and idle dreams and tiresome reminiscences and took up those little hobbies to pass the time away. Even grew a little stout. It was very difficult for both of us. And then for me, came the time and the opportunity that every actress. Ah, mademoiselle. Hello, Suzette. I've got the most wonderful news. The most wonderful, wonderful news that you. Madeline. I'll tell you about it later. We. Mademoiselle? Yes, John? [00:24:18] Speaker D: Come on in here a moment. I want to show you something. [00:24:20] Speaker F: Where are you? [00:24:20] Speaker D: In here, in the dead. [00:24:21] Speaker F: Oh, good heavens. Now what? [00:24:23] Speaker D: I thought I'd keep it a secret until I had my first exhibit by. Couldn't wait. I've taken up etching. Etching? Yes. Look here. What's that? You what? It's only the carp of plate, of course. You see, the whole principle of etching a paddle and broke out. [00:24:38] Speaker F: What's the matter? [00:24:39] Speaker D: You almost knocked over that vat of nitric acid. Oh, one drop of that on your beautiful white skin would burn a hole right through you. [00:24:45] Speaker F: Well, must you have that sort of thing around, darling. [00:24:47] Speaker D: Of course, that's the whole thing. You see, the sketch simply scrapes the wax off the copper plate, then you drop it in the acid and. [00:24:53] Speaker F: Well, that's very interesting, I must say. [00:24:56] Speaker D: Yes. Well, tell me what happened in town. Anything. [00:25:01] Speaker F: Anything. Everything. [00:25:03] Speaker D: Got some plans, eh? Anyone ask for me? [00:25:06] Speaker F: Oh, yes, everyone asks for you, John. And I told them you were. [00:25:09] Speaker D: Well, I mean. Well, I thought there might be a couple of decent plays for a change. I might consider something. [00:25:14] Speaker F: I know. John. John, how are you on Romeo? [00:25:18] Speaker D: Romeo? [00:25:19] Speaker F: Yes, John. You see, Maxwell has finally asked me to do a Shakespeare repertory. And high time, by the way, and I'm starting in Romeo and Juliet. And I need. [00:25:25] Speaker D: Madeleine. Why didn't you tell me Romeo? It would be a sensation. And it's just the thing I need. [00:25:31] Speaker F: I know, John. [00:25:31] Speaker D: Oh, I can do it all right. Take off a little weight, brush up on the lines. I've done it before, you know. [00:25:36] Speaker F: But John. Oh, Madeleine. [00:25:37] Speaker D: Oh, you're the dearest wife and the best friend a man ever had. You know, lately I've actually wondered sometimes if you might not think I was my darling. [00:25:47] Speaker F: Yes, but now, John, don't count too heavily on this. I'm not quite sure yet how things are going to work out. Work out? [00:25:52] Speaker D: How else can they work out? But perfectly. [00:25:55] Speaker F: Very well. I'd like to begin reading here at home first thing tomorrow evening. Now, shall we take it from. Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Yes, yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night. Good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow. [00:26:30] Speaker D: Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast would I wear sleep and peace so sweet to rest. [00:26:37] Speaker F: Yes, yes, darling. But you see, on those last, you should already be moving off the stage. You don't want to take too much of them. After all, the scene really ends when Juliet. [00:26:43] Speaker D: Well, I know, but you can't just throw them away. Madeleine dear, those are very famous lines. [00:26:47] Speaker F: I know, darling, but we mustn't think so much in terms of lines as a performance. Ferdon. Mademoiselle. Yes, Suzette? Monsieur Alexandre Duncan is here. Oh, show him he. [00:26:55] Speaker D: Mademoiselle Alec Duncan. What's that young ham coming around for? [00:26:58] Speaker F: Well, John, I've been meaning to tell you. [00:27:00] Speaker D: Hello Madeline. [00:27:01] Speaker F: Hello, Alec. You know my husband. [00:27:03] Speaker D: Oh, why yes, of course. How do you do, Mister Treme? My name is Gaylord. Of course, Mister Gaylord. Well, I say, aren't I the luckiest. [00:27:11] Speaker C: Fellow in the world? [00:27:12] Speaker F: Are you John? [00:27:13] Speaker D: To be playing Romeo opposite Madeline from me. Madeline, when I got your cable, I could hardly believe it. I jumped on the boat without even packing a bag. Something wrong, John? [00:27:23] Speaker F: I have been trying to tell you, but I didn't want to hurt your. [00:27:26] Speaker D: Feelings if I've interrupted him. [00:27:28] Speaker F: No, it's all right, Alec. John, please don't make a scene. I had to have somebody to rehearse with until Alec got here. And I knew you wouldn't be the slightest help to me if you thought. Oh, John, why must you make an issue of it? [00:27:39] Speaker D: I've always known you're a thoughtless, selfish woman, but I never would have believed that you could do anything quite so vile. [00:27:47] Speaker F: How dare you speak to me that way? You didn't really think that a man with a 40 inch waistline and a double chin could ever play Romeo, did you? [00:27:54] Speaker D: Madeleine? [00:27:55] Speaker F: I say, you get out of here. Get out. Get out. Get out. [00:28:03] Speaker D: I'll say, madam. [00:28:04] Speaker F: Oh, Alec, I'll have to go and apologize. John, I want to talk to you. John. [00:28:19] Speaker D: Yes, Madeline? Be careful of that acid. [00:28:21] Speaker F: Acid? Oh, John, I'm terribly sorry for what I said. It was beastly of me. [00:28:26] Speaker D: Quite all right, Madeleine. [00:28:27] Speaker F: Oh, John, I knew you'd see it that way when you came to. [00:28:30] Speaker D: Because, you see, I am going to play Romeo. [00:28:34] Speaker F: Oh, John, must we go through it all over again? [00:28:37] Speaker D: Madonna, I've forgiven and forgotten a lot of things since we've been married. I've pushed you out in front. I've given you the spotlight. I've watched your regard for me become somewhat less than for your servant, somewhat more than for your dog. [00:28:48] Speaker F: John. Now, look here. [00:28:49] Speaker D: But this, if only for my self respect, I will not allow dangle before my eyes the thing that I wanted most in all this world, except your beauty. That I gave it up for the thing I've been wanting so much, I didn't dare admit it myself. And then to have you snatch it from me. No, madam. No, no, no. Waistlines and double chins can be concealed, but a mean spirit? Never. This one thing you can do for. [00:29:13] Speaker F: Me, and you will, John, really, you're being a fool. [00:29:17] Speaker D: You see, I've always known that you married me to save your career and to keep my mouth shut. But there's one thing you haven't known. Where I was the night Nell Garrett. [00:29:27] Speaker F: Was murdered, where were you? [00:29:31] Speaker D: I was at Nell Garrett's home. [00:29:34] Speaker F: Well, that explains quite a number of things, doesn't it, John? [00:29:39] Speaker D: Madam, where did you get that gun? [00:29:42] Speaker F: I always thought that some day I might need one. Madam, don't come. Yummy, John. Very well, John. I warned you. [00:29:54] Speaker D: You monster. You beautiful monster. [00:30:16] Speaker F: You see, as he sank to the floor, he hurled the bowl of acid at my face. It was a frightful thing. Of course it was self defense. I was never even brought to trial, particularly when I told it was he who had killed poor Nell Garrett. But I suffered a complete nervous collapse and I suppose I've never really recovered. And yet Providence always seems kind enough to leave something to be thankful for, even in the worst of tragedies, because not a single drop of acid ever touched me. I suppose if it had, I should be horribly disfigured to this day. Well, have I bored you, Mister Sedley? [00:31:07] Speaker D: No. Oh, no, Miss Tremaine. Goodness gracious. Well, Madeline, the storm is almost over. I think we'd best push on. [00:31:16] Speaker F: Must you? Well, excuse me for just a moment. [00:31:21] Speaker D: Oh, of course, my dear. Oh, my word. The poor woman. Yes. I say, look here. What is it? This mirror? It's not a mirror at all. It has a picture pasted in it. The photograph that's in the study. Poor Madeline. [00:31:44] Speaker F: Father Benton, Mademoiselle would like to speak with you a moment before you go. [00:31:48] Speaker D: Oh. Oh, very well. I'll only be a moment to Sedley. [00:31:52] Speaker F: This way, Father. [00:31:53] Speaker D: Oh, thank you. [00:31:57] Speaker F: Oh, Father. Well, Madeline, you may turn the lights on, Susette, as you go. We, mademoiselle. So that is your young curate, Father Bentham? [00:32:11] Speaker D: Yes. Do you like him? [00:32:13] Speaker F: He seems like a dear boy. [00:32:15] Speaker D: But. What, Madeline? [00:32:17] Speaker F: I'm afraid I can't see him again, Madeline. [00:32:20] Speaker D: Why? [00:32:21] Speaker F: Well, I don't want to hurt his feelings, but it would not be the same. You've been my only true friend in all these years. And when you are gone, I would rather be alone again. [00:32:33] Speaker D: I'm sorry, sir, but misses stotes is outside. Her little girl is dying. And when she heard you were here, she. Go away, Madeline. Go away. Come, sir. [00:32:43] Speaker B: Go away. [00:32:45] Speaker D: Oh, goodness gracious. Good lord. Poor Madeline. It was too much for her. Yes. She killed them both, of course. The woman and her husband. Somehow, I think I always must have known it. All these years, she's lived a lie. Yes, but that's not the lie that's hurt her. It was the acid. Acid? Didn't you see her face, sir? You forget, my boy, that I am blind. She has no face. Suspense presented by Roma wines. R o m a. Roma, America's favorite wines. Before we hear again from Angela Lansbury, star of tonight's suspense play, this is Truman Bradley reminding you that in Roma wine you enjoy an important difference, an extra dividend of pleasure in fuller bouquet, richer body and better taste. Yes, Roma wines taste better because Roma selects better tasting wines from the world's greatest wine reserves. Discover for yourself why more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine this weekend. Serve Roma, California, burgundy or sauterne with dinner. You will agree that Roma is a premium wine in everything but price. And now, Angela Lansbury. [00:34:28] Speaker F: Hello. I've had many a thrill myself listening to suspense, and I hope we were able to send a few chills up and down your spines tonight. I'm sure next week's program will when Roma wines bring you hume cronin in make mad the guilty. It's a real thriller, so don't miss it. Good night. [00:34:44] Speaker D: Angela Lansbury appeared through arrangement with Metro Goldwyn Mayer, producers of High Barbary, starring Van Johnson and June Allison. Tonight's suspense play was written by Robert Richards from an original story by Elizabeth Heeson Heisch. Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Mister Hume Cronin as star of Suspense, produced and directed by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California. In the coming weeks, suspense will present such stars as June Havoc, Vincent Price, Marsha Hunt and others. Make it a point to listen each Thursday to suspense radio's outstanding theater of thrills. A famous name presents a great experience in taste, luxury. C R E S T A V L A N C A. Cresta blanca crestablanca. Yes, for the most discriminating, Crestablanca offers two rare California dry watch and triple cream. Compare Crestablanca, dry watch and triple cream with the world's finest cherries. Regardless of price, you will find crestablanca, dry watch and triple cream unequaled in America, unsurpassed anywhere. Shenley's Crestablanca wine company, Livermore, California. Listen to suspense. Next week, same time, same station. This is CB's, the Columbia broadcasting System. [00:36:35] Speaker B: That was a thing of beauty. From suspense here on the mysterious old radio listening society podcast. Once again, I am Eric. [00:36:43] Speaker C: I'm Tim. [00:36:44] Speaker A: I'm Joshua. [00:36:45] Speaker B: And our very special guest tonight, as we're live from the Bryant Lake Bull Theater in Minneapolis, is Laura Zabel. It's here for Laura again for being with us. A fine. [00:36:56] Speaker A: Oh, the supreme exultation of furious applause. [00:37:02] Speaker B: A fine actor, playwright and executive director of springboard for the arts. There. I got your whole resume out. [00:37:07] Speaker E: Oh, thank you. [00:37:08] Speaker B: Hey, you know what we learned from this again, actors are terrible people. They're just terrible people. How many old time radio shows are there where the focus is on the theater. And it's never, oh, those. The actors are fine. It's somebody else. No, it's always. The actors are just horrifying bad people. It's so true. [00:37:35] Speaker E: I also learned that women are only valuable if they're pretty. [00:37:40] Speaker B: Right? [00:37:41] Speaker A: You're just learning. [00:37:42] Speaker B: Well, so many questions I have. So, first of all, apparently she shot him with a bazooka. Like, that was the loudest gunshot. Was. [00:37:55] Speaker C: I also carry a cannon in my purse in case I ever get flank the Russians. [00:38:02] Speaker B: Right. And then the other part of it, that was like the idea that he had to remind him that, well, you know, I'm blind. [00:38:12] Speaker D: Right. [00:38:14] Speaker B: Keep forgetting that. That's like bling the tie. So, yeah, if you're not familiar with suspense. Suspense is famous for twist endings, right. And it always has some kind of wild twist that you think you're going down a path of. All right, I know what's happening, and this one pretty much does it. But the twist on this one, first of all, they were pretty explicit about, remember, there's acid. [00:38:44] Speaker C: Yeah, it is Chekhov's acid. Yes. [00:38:46] Speaker B: Check off acid. They lead you down that path. But then how are you talking like she doesn't have a face? What do you mean you don't have a face? Like, that was weird. [00:39:01] Speaker C: They might have tried in rehearsal. [00:39:04] Speaker B: So you couldn't even do that, though. If you don't have a face, there's nothing like no face. You can't breathe. [00:39:10] Speaker C: It might have been just no face, but lips. That would work. [00:39:17] Speaker A: Well, he's a young curate. It might have been hyperbolic. This was his first faceless woman he's ever seen. He's lived a secluded life, cloistered life. So he might have been exaggerating a little. [00:39:29] Speaker B: Right, so you picked this, right, Joshua? [00:39:32] Speaker A: Yes, I did. [00:39:33] Speaker B: And you picked it. Cause Angela Lansbury was in it. [00:39:36] Speaker A: I picked it for so many reasons. [00:39:38] Speaker B: Start listing them off. [00:39:40] Speaker A: Well, first, I was looking for an episode of suspense that featured a star who would be known to a general audience but wasn't known for his or her radio work. So I found this with Angela Lansbury in it. I went, oh, cool. And then, as a little side note, I've been recently nerding out on this sub genre of film noir, gothic noir, which is just what it sounds like, combines the elements of film noir and elements from gothic literature, right. And I listened to this, and I was like, wow, this is gothic noir radio. In the flashbacks, she is just classic film noir femme fatale. But in the framing sequences, she is the classic gothic mad woman. In the attic trope. And so I thought that was really fascinating. And then when I found out it was written by the two authors who had penned the cinnamon bear and the house in Cypress Canyon, I was like, we have to listen to this. But then I found out that Laura had never heard any old time radio before, and so I had to ask myself, is this an acceptable gateway episode of old Time radio? [00:40:54] Speaker B: No. [00:40:54] Speaker A: The answer was no, and I did it anyway. [00:40:59] Speaker B: There's so many things to hit on that you just said, if you aren't familiar with the house in Cypress Canyon, it is actually episode 1337 episodes ago of this podcast that we ever did. It is considered one of the classic old time radio shows, one of the best of all time. It's very terrifying. Terrifying. [00:41:17] Speaker A: And then cinnamon Bear is terrifying for completely different reasons. [00:41:22] Speaker B: Absolutely. We didn't really get into it. But could you please explain the epicness of cinnamon bear and what it means, especially to Oregon? [00:41:32] Speaker A: Apparently, cinnamon bear was a 26 part Christmas cereal from 1937. It had a tie in with local department stores, so they had people in terrifying cinnamon bear costumes. And for some reason, it really took hold in Portland. And it still to this day, is an important holiday feature in Portland, Oregon. There's apparently a cinnamon bear boat tour you can do in Oregon, which is weird. A Christmas boat tour, but anyway, see. [00:42:05] Speaker C: Where all the sunken cinnamon bears are. [00:42:09] Speaker A: So I lived in Portland when I was a child, and so I listened to cinnamon Bear, and it was. It was a big deal to me. It's what warped my imagination to a certain extent, in that I thought, well, old time radio is just this thing that exists that everyone knows about because it's on the radio, and I go to the department store with my family and there's cinnamon bear from the radio. I did not know what year it was when I was young. I was very confused. [00:42:34] Speaker B: Yeah. So the mashup that you edited together of House in Cypress Canyon and cinnamon bear makes both of those much more palatable and much more interesting shows. [00:42:48] Speaker A: So what I'm curious to ask Laura here about your first experience with old time radio. Were you like, where are the pictures? [00:42:57] Speaker E: I mean, I do know what the word radio means. [00:42:59] Speaker A: Oh, okay. [00:43:00] Speaker E: So, yes, I hadn't listened, but there's a lot of. I grew up reading a lot of mysteries, and there's a lot of sort of similar beats to the story, but with more of that voice that I guess I didn't provide in my head when I was reading. [00:43:17] Speaker B: Right. [00:43:18] Speaker A: Or the sound effects of cannons going off. [00:43:21] Speaker E: Right. Walking around. [00:43:24] Speaker C: Yes. [00:43:25] Speaker E: A lot of stairs. [00:43:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:43:28] Speaker C: The opening with the pastor and the young curate going up the stairs. Like, how many people are in this party? That's a lot of footsteps happening. [00:43:34] Speaker B: Right. [00:43:35] Speaker A: Well, I think if you are a diligent listener and you're not in a bowling alley, some of that noise is his cane. They put his cane in there to foreshadow that reveal clue. Yeah, you definitely hear it when he walks at the end into the other room to talk to just Madeleine alone. [00:44:00] Speaker E: Which makes it even stranger that his friend didn't notice. [00:44:04] Speaker D: Right. [00:44:04] Speaker B: You're blind. [00:44:05] Speaker A: I thought you were lame. Yeah. Or just doing some soft shoe. [00:44:10] Speaker B: Yeah. Right. I listened to this, unlike last time we did the live show and I didn't listen to before we came. And I was ridiculed for that. Yep. I decided, oh, I should come prepared. So I listened to this many times, but I did not catch the cane part of the stairs. So, again, I don't know what's going on. [00:44:34] Speaker A: It tries to trick you, I think, fairly effectively a number of times, because, I mean, even her sitting in the dark, you raise an eyebrow like, okay, what's going on here? But it's also 1947. It's unclear when this is supposed to take place. So I immediately thought of the blitz and, like, blackout protocol. You know, when she's hearing thunder and she says she just feels comforted to turn off the lights. I clearly over thought it. [00:45:02] Speaker B: Yeah. That's what you do best, though. [00:45:05] Speaker A: Thank you. Yeah. So. And then when she just tells you at the end, oh, the acid didn't hit my face at all. And I was like, ah, I'm totally wrong about this. [00:45:14] Speaker C: That's when I had my reverse princess bride. Like, no, no, no. You're getting the story wrong. She's horribly disfigured. I think you're taking the story a little too seriously. We'll stop now. [00:45:26] Speaker A: Imagining Tim yelling at Peter Falk. [00:45:27] Speaker B: Yes, I always do. [00:45:31] Speaker E: I thought maybe she was just sitting in the dark because now she's old and no one should look at her right. [00:45:37] Speaker A: Well, there. [00:45:38] Speaker E: Because she used to be beautiful and now she's not. [00:45:41] Speaker C: There is a little bit of abuse equity as far as a man with a double chin and a 40 inch waistline. [00:45:48] Speaker E: Yeah, that's rough. [00:45:54] Speaker B: How many times have you played Romeo, Tim? [00:45:57] Speaker C: I played Balthazar. It's his cousin. My first play I was ever in. Yes. That being said, if I were casting Romeo and a person with a 40 inch waistline, double chin came up, I'd probably say, are you all we have? [00:46:18] Speaker A: You'd say, so you found out what I'm paying. But I do think there is something a little more complex going on here. More than just your garden variety old time radio sexism and body shaming in that. There are a lot of riffs here, clearly, on the picture of Dorian Gray, which is the other thing I found fascinating. Because when this was originally written, it might have been why they cast Angela Lansbury. Their original script was broadcast with another actor in 1944. And then in between that time in this broadcast, Angela Lansbury had starred in a picture of Dorian Gray, which might have been why they thought of her. And we get this sort of bizarro Dorian Gray, who, instead of having the picture that gets old, she has the young picture pasted in there, and she gets grotesque. And even the husband has done his own faustian deal. Where he has traded his morality not for his own youth and good looks, but for hers to possess them. [00:47:18] Speaker B: Plus, she's the red kryptonite. Sorry. It was a bizarro reference. [00:47:23] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:47:24] Speaker B: I'll leave those to comic book. [00:47:25] Speaker D: Thank you. [00:47:25] Speaker B: I'm so sorry. [00:47:27] Speaker C: Actually, the mystery in here that had me hooked even more than, like, what happened to her, why she's in the dark and did the acidity burn her. Was the question of who killed that actress. And between the husband and wife, they both know. He said, like, I wasn't home. So I essentially, like, I know. I either I killed her, and now you know that I'm admitted to it, or you killed her. And now, you know. I know. But the listeners, we don't get to know what. [00:47:59] Speaker B: Dude, say that again. [00:48:00] Speaker C: Okay, so they're gonna get married, right? [00:48:03] Speaker B: And no, I'm out. [00:48:07] Speaker A: When two people love each other very much. [00:48:09] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:09] Speaker A: And one of them raises herself, skirt above her ankle. [00:48:13] Speaker E: And one of them has killed someone. [00:48:17] Speaker B: I pretty much figured from his reaction when she showed up at his house that he had killed her. Nobody else just. [00:48:26] Speaker E: I said, she killed. [00:48:28] Speaker B: Yes, three times. Still, no, she still don't know what's going on. [00:48:34] Speaker A: She killed him, or she killed her. Excuse me? And him. She was killing everybody. [00:48:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I remember that now. [00:48:41] Speaker A: I think that's what makes it such a fun story. In that they are all reprehensible characters. Right? Like, so it's hard to feel bad for him on the receiving end of the abuse from her. Because he has just ignored the fact that she has brutally murdered this other actor. Just to hopefully ride her coattails to a role in Romeo and Juliet. [00:49:04] Speaker C: And in theory, saw her do it. [00:49:06] Speaker A: And had that over her all this time. And it wasn't until he took up etching that it all came to a head. What if he had taken up something else? This story could have ended up very differently if he was just, like, bedazzling stuff. [00:49:22] Speaker C: My face. [00:49:24] Speaker B: Can't you see her face? [00:49:25] Speaker A: All those sequins? [00:49:27] Speaker C: It's grotesque, but it also sort of implied, like, okay, you know, that I killed someone, but we're still gonna get married, but I'm gonna carry a gun from now on in case it ever comes up again. [00:49:38] Speaker E: And so in that scenario in the dressing room, she said, I could really kill you. And then she was like, and now I'm going to. [00:49:47] Speaker D: Yep. [00:49:49] Speaker A: I love the way Lansbury delivers that line. It is just so cold and exact and quiet. And that's why you believe her. [00:49:59] Speaker C: In addition to the other sort of theatrical shaming that goes on, the disdain for music halls, apparently. What was the term? [00:50:08] Speaker B: Music halls were the improv of the forties. [00:50:12] Speaker C: That sort of gutter trash of ankles showing on stage. [00:50:18] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. It was pretty harsh. Yeah, Nell, I thought that performance was great. There was clearly an actor who's like, I have this one speech, and I am gonna wring everything out of it. I have been there. Speaking of actors, though, one of the things I thought was interesting about this story and might possibly open some wounds live on stage. [00:50:39] Speaker C: Yay. [00:50:40] Speaker A: Was this idea of these uneven artistic marriages where people are feeling jealous internally. [00:50:48] Speaker B: Why did you slow burn toward me? Uneven artistic marriage. [00:50:56] Speaker A: But it's, I think, really, really difficult for a man not to marry a woman more talented than him, in my experience, very difficult. [00:51:08] Speaker B: Oh, God. [00:51:08] Speaker A: I tried, failed. [00:51:10] Speaker B: Truth is harsh. What about you, Laura? Where do you and Levi stand? Who's more talented? [00:51:19] Speaker E: I do feel like that trope in this story, but in all stories of, like, competition between spouses is something that I don't actually witness in real life very much, but is so entrenched, this idea that, like, do you want to? No. That one person has to. [00:51:44] Speaker A: She's clearly the more respected of the two. [00:51:46] Speaker B: That's why she. [00:51:48] Speaker A: I've never seen this happen in real life. What? Unheard of. [00:51:57] Speaker B: I never did get to play Romeo. [00:52:01] Speaker E: I mean, that part's weird for both of them. [00:52:03] Speaker D: They. [00:52:03] Speaker E: Should you play Romeo, be playing Romeo or Juliet? Like. [00:52:07] Speaker D: Yes. [00:52:07] Speaker A: It depends how young she was when they got married and how much time has passed. [00:52:11] Speaker E: Well, she's six, right. [00:52:14] Speaker B: Because it's young teens. That's a weird production of weird. Of Romeo and Juliet. [00:52:22] Speaker C: I bet that's more common than weird. [00:52:27] Speaker B: I'd see a faceless Romeo and Juliet. [00:52:30] Speaker A: Whoa. Nice. [00:52:32] Speaker C: Wow. [00:52:32] Speaker B: Did I actually hit on something? Someone called a fringe? I got an idea. See? [00:52:39] Speaker C: How many faceless actors do you think there are in the Twin Cities? [00:52:43] Speaker B: Well, if you count my career as figuratively faceless. Figuratively faceless? Oh, I know you. You're Shannon Custer's husband. [00:52:57] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:52:58] Speaker A: It's got you some work, though. [00:53:00] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, some work. [00:53:05] Speaker A: I will awkwardly change the subject for Eric and say, did you notice there were some great subtle sound cues in this very over the top story? There's a great moment when she's proposing to him just as an alibi, where we have these bells tolling in the distance to sort of suggest the wedding bells, which I thought was a nice moment. As I already mentioned, the very subtle use of the cane is layered in there. [00:53:33] Speaker B: The bazooka shooting the bazooka. [00:53:38] Speaker A: I love how earnestly he wanted to describe his etchings to her. Like, you're married, you don't have to show her your etchings. [00:53:47] Speaker B: I'm still. I'll be honest, I'm still. I cannot wrap my head around what an etching is. [00:53:51] Speaker A: I knew we would have to explain etchings to Eric. [00:53:54] Speaker B: What is happening? [00:53:56] Speaker E: I also don't know what an etching is. [00:53:58] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:53:59] Speaker A: He describes them because they are engravings in metal. He describes a copper plate that has wax on it. Then he makes the lines. [00:54:07] Speaker B: And then you do prints from it. [00:54:09] Speaker C: Yes. [00:54:10] Speaker E: Oh, the etching is to make, like, a print. [00:54:13] Speaker A: Yes. But the art of it is making the actual. [00:54:17] Speaker C: Put ink on the surface that did not get burnt away. [00:54:20] Speaker E: I see. [00:54:21] Speaker B: So Gutenberg was an etcher. [00:54:22] Speaker A: He should have been carving scrimshaw, then he could have thrown whale bone at her. [00:54:27] Speaker B: Just wanted to get your name in. [00:54:28] Speaker A: I just wanted to get whalebone in there. [00:54:32] Speaker C: But I also caught that, like, I'm doing an etching of you. And then the murder started. [00:54:38] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:54:39] Speaker A: She was not impressed by eggshelling. [00:54:41] Speaker E: No, not like his representation. [00:54:43] Speaker A: I imagined a stick figure. [00:54:48] Speaker C: It may have been. And here's an etching of you killing an actress. [00:54:54] Speaker B: Right, so he's making etchings to, what, put up pamphlets? What is he, Johnny Tremaine? What's going on? [00:55:01] Speaker E: It's art. [00:55:02] Speaker B: Oh, so the etching itself is art in the story? [00:55:05] Speaker D: It's meant to be. [00:55:06] Speaker E: He's like a printmaking. [00:55:08] Speaker C: His stupid expert pursuit. [00:55:11] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:55:11] Speaker C: It's like the model trains in the basement. [00:55:13] Speaker B: Podcast recordings. [00:55:15] Speaker C: Exactly, yes. It's what he does instead of acting. [00:55:20] Speaker B: Don't get me started on the model trains. In the basement. That's another one. What's going on? [00:55:26] Speaker A: I did not think we would have to explain model trains. [00:55:28] Speaker B: No, I get it. [00:55:31] Speaker A: That was not on my bingo card. [00:55:32] Speaker B: I'm shocked at how much time people have. That's it. It's just. What do you mean? You built an entire. Anyway, what's going on? Are we voting yet? [00:55:41] Speaker A: Okay, so, for those of you who have never heard the podcast, at the end, we sort of summarize our opinions. We have a couple categories that we treat very poorly. But I'll still tell you what they are. We will deem if these radio shows we find are classics, if we find that they stand the test of time, maybe not the greatest radio show ever, but fun to listen to, or if they're of historical significance, or finally, if, like, I will never listen to this again, and I wish I could erase it from my mind. [00:56:09] Speaker B: All right, so who's starting? [00:56:12] Speaker A: I picked it, so I will start. And I had so much fun listening to this episode, and I think part of the reason I'm realizing one of the reasons I chose it is because I was listening to a number of episodes of suspense to choose one, and I hadn't come across one I really wanted. I got off of work really late, I think it was on St. Patrick's Day, and I was like, I'm gonna keep listening to old time radio. I'm not gonna go home until I choose an episode. So I stopped in at our local bar in Robbinsdale, the eagle's Nest. Put in my earbuds, and they had karaoke night, of course, you know, and it's at the eagle's Nest, so there's, like, a middle aged woman with neck tattoos singing Pat Benatar songs while I'm listening to this. And I think subconsciously I went. I could hear this played in a bowling alley. This would be great. Yeah. So I think that's part of the reason I chose it. But also, I just love all. How much is packed into this thing, the literary illusions, the genre bending, the Angela Lansbury, all the radio riffs on the picture of Dorian Gray. But ultimately, I think it is one of those cases of quantity over quality. It's incredibly fun to listen to, but I would not call it an old time radio classic just so you're not confused. It's not a classic. [00:57:34] Speaker E: Okay. Got it. [00:57:35] Speaker A: It's no thing. [00:57:36] Speaker E: I don't want to embarrass myself when I'm out in the world talking about this. [00:57:40] Speaker A: Have you heard a thing of beauty? But I definitely think it stands the test of time. I think it is really fun to listen to. I'm biased, but yes. [00:57:51] Speaker C: Yeah, me too. Often when we talk about a series that has a lot of very strong episodes in it, like, suspense is. It gets hard to discuss of like, this is a classic episode, but there's other episodes of the series that are even more classical. I would not call this a classic, singularly, because I feel like the twist at the end of he's blind is kind of dumb that you did not recognize that the man you had to help up the all these stairs. It's singular. [00:58:23] Speaker A: The delivery of the twist or the actual fact that he's blind. Did you tweak that he was blind earlier? [00:58:30] Speaker C: And fair play. It's because they give you these little clues of, like, he's the only person I'll talk to and he doesn't know why. Yes, but also the delivery, both that it's just like, that guy's an idiot after half an hour. Like, this is a great story and that guy's an idiot. Which makes this. I can't bear a second category. [00:58:51] Speaker A: A curate's egg. [00:58:54] Speaker C: Yes. So this definitely stands the test of time and would happily recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard radio before. I joined you on that. On that bus. Yeah, that's my vote. [00:59:06] Speaker B: What you said about suspense, first of all, this is up against suspense. If you've never listened to suspense before and you're new to it, there are, I don't know, probably five or ten at least, amazing episodes of suspense that are riveting and compelling and crazy good, beautiful storytelling and suspenseful. [00:59:26] Speaker C: We didn't give you that. [00:59:28] Speaker B: No, we did not. So when you compare this episode of suspense to itself, to the series of suspense, it's not even close. It's, it's not. It's not very good for suspense. I will take it a step further. I didn't really like it at all for just a. It was fine, I guess it was clunky. A little clunky and a little foreshadowed. I mean, don't forget the acid. You know, like, it wasn't. I didn't find anything really that compelling about it. From performance to writing to, to twist. So. [01:00:00] Speaker A: But the literary illusions, Eric. [01:00:02] Speaker B: Oh, I don't even know what you're talking about. I had no literary illusions. I didn't know you had a cane. So, you know, what am I. I don't know what's going on. [01:00:11] Speaker C: I do want to put on there that. [01:00:13] Speaker B: Who killed who now? [01:00:14] Speaker C: Angela Lansbury. Like oh, I wish she was in a whole bunch more radio. Cause she was awesome. [01:00:17] Speaker B: Sure. [01:00:18] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:00:18] Speaker A: Really good. [01:00:18] Speaker E: Misses Potts murdered someone. [01:00:20] Speaker B: What do you. What'd you think, Laura? [01:00:22] Speaker E: It was one of the best episodes I've ever heard. [01:00:30] Speaker A: Nice. Elaborate. [01:00:32] Speaker E: Oh, more? No, I really enjoy. I also really enjoyed the Angela Lansbury of it. She's. It is remarkable, that career all the way to murder. She wrote and misses Potts and all of that. That's a long and very diverse set of skills she has. [01:00:54] Speaker C: Yes. [01:00:55] Speaker E: Is that, like, Liam Neeson eras are. [01:00:56] Speaker C: Difficult to transition through if she did it ably, right? [01:01:01] Speaker E: Yeah. And I loved the. I'm a sucker for like, a theater mystery. So I liked that part a lot. [01:01:08] Speaker A: Got one thing right. [01:01:11] Speaker C: Hey, audience, by round of applause, how many folks in general really like this? How many folks? Not so much. Fair enough. [01:01:24] Speaker A: Slow clap. [01:01:25] Speaker B: I got one friend here. You and I are gonna hang out and listen old time radio, who was. [01:01:31] Speaker A: Minnesotan and didn't clap at all. See what I mean? [01:01:38] Speaker B: Yeah. All right, Tim, tell him stuff. [01:01:41] Speaker C: Hey, what I say at the end of every episode of the podcast we do is please go visit ghoulishdelights.com. that is the home of this podcast. You can find other episodes there. You can comment on episodes. You can comment on this episode. Episode. You can listen to yourself listening to this and then tell us what you thought of yourself listening to it. [01:01:57] Speaker B: You can vote in post and explaining etchings to us. [01:02:02] Speaker C: You can also link to our social media pages. You can link to our merchandise store if you would like, a backpack with our logo on it, because. Awesome. And you can also link to our Patreon page. [01:02:15] Speaker A: Yes, go to patreon.com themorals and please support this podcast. We appreciate that you actually bought tickets for the of you who did and didn't just slip in the back door again. But the Patreon is what keeps this podcast going, makes our performances possible. We also have a lot of great extras for Patreon supporters. We have actually enjoyable episodes of suspense on there. We have bonus podcasts. We have Zoom happy hours where we get together with our fans online and talk about, you guessed it, old time radio. So go to patreon.com the morals, and become a member of the mysterious old Radio Listening Society. [01:02:57] Speaker B: The mysterious old radio listening Society is also a theater company, and we do live recreations of classic old time radio shows and a lot of our own original work. Monthly, we perform old time radio drama on stage and to find out what we're performing every month and where you can go to ghoulishdelights.com and get tickets to that as well. If you're a Patreon, we film them and that's part of your Patreon perk. You can watch it at home and not come see us. We'll also be back here to do another podcast recording in May. Right, that's our next time here, so look for that as well. We'd love to see you back here. Hey, what are we listening to next? [01:03:34] Speaker A: Next we'll be returning to a series that has been kind of hit and miss for us, frankly the weird circle. But this time we are going to listen to their adaptation of a classic ghost story by Elizabeth Gasco, the old nurse's story. Until then. [01:03:53] Speaker B: Do we do the thing here where we say, what are we listening to next? [01:03:56] Speaker A: Yes, we do, Eric. [01:03:57] Speaker B: All right, here we go. [01:03:58] Speaker D: Smooth. [01:03:59] Speaker B: Yeah, here we go. [01:04:00] Speaker A: Don't you remember I'm blind. [01:04:05] Speaker B: Edit goes here.