Episode 423: Island of the Lost

[00:00:16] Speaker A: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society podcast. [00:00:27] Speaker B: 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. [00:00:35] Speaker C: I'm Tim. [00:00:36] Speaker D: 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 D: This week we present island of the Lost, an episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theater recommended by our Patreon supporter Melanie. [00:00:52] Speaker B: CBS Radio Mystery Theater was broadcast on CBS radio affiliates from 1974 to 1982. Created by Golden Age Radio producer Hyman Bryant, the series was part of a larger effort to reinvigorate the lost art of radio drama. In addition to CBS Radio Mystery Theater, the Network launched the General Mills Adventure Theater in 1977, also produced by Hyman Brown and Sears radio theater in 1979. [00:01:20] Speaker C: Actor E G. Marshall served as the host for most of the program's eight year run. Unlike Inner Sanctum's Raymond, the host of Hyman Brown's other famous radio series, Marshall was never self consciously artificial or over the top. His gentle, grandfatherly demeanor eased listeners into the dark world of each story, creating an appealing incongruity between storyteller and tale. Marshall left CBS Radio mystery theater on February 1, 1982, shortly before the program came to an end. Tammy Grimes took over hosting duties for the remainder of the run. [00:01:49] Speaker D: Island of the Lost was one of several CBS Radio Mystery Theater scripts written by stage and screen actor Arnold Moss. He is best remembered today for playing Kodos the Executioner in the classic Star Trek episode the Conscience of the King. OTR fans likely recognize Moss as the voice of Dr. Fabian in the suspense spinoff Cabin B13. Creativity ran in the Moss family. His son Jeff Moss was the first head writer, composer and lyricist for Sesame Street. His claims to fame include the songs People in youn Neighborhood and Rubber Ducky, as well as the creation of Cookie Monster based on a puppet Jim Henson called Boogal Eyes. [00:02:35] Speaker B: The star of island of the Lost is Norman Rose, a frequent CBS Radio Mystery Theater player. His distinctive baritone led his colleagues to dub him the Voice of God, a moniker that proved prophetic when Woody Allen cast Rose as the literal voice of God in his 1975 film Love and Death. A quarter century earlier, Rose was the voice of science fiction radio series Dimension X, serving as both announcer and narrator. If you don't recognize Rose from either of these roles, you might know him as the voice of Juan Valdez in the ubiquitous Colombian coffee commercials in the 1970s and 80s and now let's listen [00:03:14] Speaker C: to island of The Lost from CBS Radio Mystery Theater. First aired September 23, 1974 it's late [00:03:21] Speaker D: 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. [00:03:35] Speaker E: The CBS radio mystery theater presents. [00:03:56] Speaker F: Come in. [00:03:59] Speaker E: Welcome. I'm E. G. Marshall. The line between fact and fancy is often a very thin one. The border that separates illusion from reality can be very narrow, just as the distance from sanity to madness and back again to sanity can be a very short one. And do we always know where the real world leaves off and the dream begins? [00:04:28] Speaker F: Sometime the spirit of a man die before his body die when his soul, his spirit die before the rest of him. And the God Marco is especially sad when that happen. Melody of the drum is his special sad too. Like now. Listen to this song of lamentation. Death has walked among my people. Here is why this island is called the island of the lost. [00:05:25] Speaker E: Our mystery drama, island of the lost was written especially for the mystery theater by Arnold Moss and stars Norman Rose. It is sponsored in part by Anheuser Busch incorporated, brewers of Budweiser and Buick motor division. I'll be back shortly with act one. Dreams have breath and tears and tortures and the touch of joy. They leave a weight upon our waking thoughts. They take a weight from off our waking troubles. They can divide our being. They can become for us the heralds of eternity. For Tony Bridges, it began in the office of his eye doctor. [00:06:20] Speaker A: Tilt your head back just a trifle more, Tony. So very good. Now hold still, please. You know, every time you put that head mirror on to examine my eyes, there's no talking, my friend. You're the doctor. One moment more. [00:06:37] Speaker G: Mm. [00:06:38] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:06:39] Speaker A: So, finished you are saying, Tony? Oh, nothing important. It's only that every time you examine my eyes and put that big mirror on around your head with the hole in the middle, it always makes me think of one of those science fiction movies with, you know, Boris Karloff. Well, what's the verdict here? Dr. Werner, the hair doctor, will prescribe a stronger prescription for your eyeglasses. Well, isn't the prescription I'm wearing strong enough? Not quite, Tony. At your age, shall we say past 39? Past 39? What about for a man who's just past 59 a little stronger still? Fritz, if they'll help cut down on these headaches, it'll certainly be worth the trouble. Merdeloo glasses may help. May we? Can Never be sure about these things. We must always hope. You know something, Tony? What? Sometimes I think your headaches could be. How do you say? Triggered by something not altogether physical. Oh, come on, Fritz. What's that supposed to mean? How old is your wife now? You know perfectly well how old Martha is. 30. Almost on the nose. But what's Martha's age got to do with Tony? She's half your age. Charming, intelligent, beautiful. Black hair, green eyes. The figure of a goddess. The face of an angel. [00:08:00] Speaker G: Yes. [00:08:00] Speaker A: One of the most gorgeous young women you've ever seen, right? Exactly. Could it not be possible that there is a certain tenseness in your relationship with this beautiful young wife that causes the headaches? Oh, no, Fritz, I don't think so. I've seen you both at a dinner party. How you react whenever a younger man seems to be paying the slightest attention to her. Martha loves you. Loves you deeply. You have no cause in the world to be jealous of her, I promise you. So relax. Enjoy her. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy your life. Fritz. What you're prescribing is exactly what I have in mind. That's good. You know that Martha left a week ago for that vacation we've been talking about. A little hidden away island in the Caribbean. Well, I am joining her. You're joining her? That's perfectly wonderful. Yes, it's going to be like a surprise. She's not expecting me for another few days. You shouldn't do that, Tony. Who says so? Why do you surprise her? Can't you wire her or phone? No way. There's no direct phone to the island. And by the time a wire got there. What about the new glasses? Well, I've lived this long with the old ones. I can live a few more days with them. Here's the address of the island. It's the Hotel Paraiso. Send them air express. They should be there in two or three days. Whatever you say, Tony. Auf Wieder Saint Fritz. And thanks for the advice. Not at all. And don't forget the glasses. Of course not. See you in about 10 days. Ms. Elliot. Please take this letter. To Mrs. Martha Bridges, Hotel Paraiso, Isla de los Perdidos. I'll give you the exact address later. Send it airmail. Special delivery. Market. Urgent. [00:09:53] Speaker E: Ready. [00:09:54] Speaker A: Dearest Martha, when you get this letter, Tony will already have surprised you. I did my best to think of a way to keep him from coming without arising any suspicions. [00:10:08] Speaker F: No luck? [00:10:10] Speaker A: Under the present circumstances, it would be best for you to take any every possible precaution. You cannot be too careful. Dear Martha, At 1 o' clock the following morning. I was in the lobby of the Hotel Paraiso on the little island of Los Perdidos, the Island of the Lost. Behind the desk, his feet on the desk, was a bald, fat little man, fast asleep. Oh, excuse me. Maybe this will work. [00:10:52] Speaker F: Please forgive me, senor. [00:10:53] Speaker A: It's all right. [00:10:54] Speaker F: I was just taking a few wings of sleeping. [00:10:58] Speaker A: It's my fault. It is a little late. One in the morning, your time. [00:11:00] Speaker F: Oh, the hour is of no importance, senor. Welcome to the Hotel Paraiso. I am at your service. [00:11:09] Speaker A: My wife arrived last Tuesday and she doesn't. [00:11:11] Speaker F: Of course, Senor Pablo understands. Your wife arrived last Tuesday. [00:11:18] Speaker A: And you are, Pablo. [00:11:19] Speaker F: Always at your order, senor. Your lady, this good senora, is expecting you. You will find her in the bungalow. Be it is our very best expecting. [00:11:33] Speaker A: She doesn't even know that. [00:11:34] Speaker F: You must not keep her waiting. [00:11:37] Speaker A: This is a surprise. She doesn't even know that I'm coming. Are you sure, Pablo? [00:11:42] Speaker F: Oh, I am sure, senor. [00:11:44] Speaker A: You didn't even ask me my name. [00:11:46] Speaker F: I know, senor. Ehe you follow me now to Bongo de. See, This is our Bongo de Viento, senor. [00:12:04] Speaker A: Yes, well, you can put my bag over there near the coffee table. [00:12:08] Speaker F: This naturally is the living room. The bedroom is through that door. [00:12:14] Speaker A: Just a moment, I want to see. We must be quiet. It's dark, but. Yes, that's Martha right in there. And she's in bed, sound asleep. [00:12:23] Speaker F: Well, as you yourself have said, it [00:12:26] Speaker A: is a little late, but I just can't understand it. [00:12:30] Speaker F: Don't try, senor. Meantime, try to make yourself comfortable. Admire, if you will, the beauty of these bunkers. [00:12:40] Speaker A: Yes, it's very nice. [00:12:41] Speaker F: As you can see, all the furniture is what you call rattan. Beautifully handmade by the artistic makers of furniture of the island. And please, please do notice the draperies. They're very pretty fishing nets. Woven by the fishermen of the island and made into most unique decorative hangings. [00:13:07] Speaker A: But how could she have been expecting me? I wasn't surprised, senor. [00:13:12] Speaker F: When you awaken, you will see a view from the bedroom window as you have never seen before in all your life. [00:13:20] Speaker A: Are you sure that. [00:13:22] Speaker F: I'm quite sure. Bungoro B is situated on a most high cliff looking down 2000ft into our beautiful sea and the rocks below. [00:13:35] Speaker A: Yes, yes, of course. I look forward to seeing it in the morning, senor. [00:13:40] Speaker F: And now, senor, pleasant dreams. Until tomorrow. [00:13:49] Speaker A: What was he talking about? Martha couldn't possibly have been expecting me. Not for another three days. Oh, well, it'll all get cleared up in the morning. I better get undressed, get a little sleep. And my little gift for Martha. My anniversary present. Beautiful string of pearls, perfectly matched. Oh, wonderful luster. Well, I'll keep till morning. I'll put them around her beautiful neck as I wake her. Oh, Lord, I'm tired. Lights out, Tony. I feel as if I hadn't slept in. No, no, not again. Not here, of all places. Oh, that pain is coming again. It's spreading down the whole side of my face. It's hard to breathe. [00:14:50] Speaker G: It is me, my darling. [00:14:52] Speaker A: Alberto. [00:14:54] Speaker G: I'm sorry to be late. [00:14:56] Speaker A: Oh, I beg your pardon. What are you doing here? I. I apologize, sir. A frightful mistake. I. I thought this was Bungalow Bee. This is Bungalow Bee, young man. And I'm afraid that you've made a very great mistake. If this is Bungalow Beer, I have made no mistake. Who do you think you're looking for? I cannot see, senor, but this can [00:15:19] Speaker F: not be any of your business. [00:15:21] Speaker A: Please keep your voice down. My wife is in there asleep. Your wife? [00:15:27] Speaker F: This is beginning to be most amusing. [00:15:29] Speaker A: That beautiful young woman is the wife [00:15:32] Speaker F: of an old rooster like you. This is very funny. [00:15:36] Speaker A: Your wife. Listen, you better leave. You've come to the wrong place. [00:15:39] Speaker F: Perhaps it is you who've made the mistake. The American girl told me. [00:15:43] Speaker A: Get out of here fast before I kill you. So the old man has a gun too? Yes, and it is loaded [00:15:53] Speaker F: out. [00:15:54] Speaker A: As you say, senor. [00:15:55] Speaker F: She is all yours, old man. [00:15:57] Speaker G: Good night and good luck. [00:16:04] Speaker A: As the door slammed shut, something exploded inside me. I knew that these last few months of doubt, fear, suspicion about Martha were based on something more than fantasy. This young man was evidence of it. Clear and tangible proof. I hadn't been expected for a few days, and Pablo had mistaken me for this young man. My brain began to pound like a trip hammer. I no longer trusted myself to be in the same room with Martha if I stayed at that moment, I looked down at my hands. A string of pearls was still in them. I tore them apart furiously, then watched as they rolled. All night long, I wandered as though drugged up and down the long miles of beach, ghostly white in the moonlight. In the morning, weary and numb, I found my way back to the lobby of the hotel. [00:16:59] Speaker G: Tony, darling. No, it can't be. When did you get here? [00:17:05] Speaker A: Last night's plane, connecting boats. [00:17:08] Speaker G: Oh, darling. Why didn't you let me know you were coming? [00:17:10] Speaker A: Well, I had a crazy idea, Martha. I wanted to surprise you. [00:17:14] Speaker G: You certainly have. [00:17:16] Speaker A: Why didn't you come to the bungalow I did, Martha. [00:17:19] Speaker G: Oh, Tony, I would have heard you. [00:17:20] Speaker A: I came in very quietly. [00:17:24] Speaker G: Is anything wrong? Are you all right, sweetheart? [00:17:27] Speaker A: Oh, yes, I'm just dandy. [00:17:29] Speaker G: Where did you sleep last night? [00:17:31] Speaker A: I didn't. I walked along the beach after I left the bungalow. [00:17:36] Speaker G: Oh, why should you have done a silly thing? [00:17:38] Speaker A: Martha, what have you been up to since you got here? [00:17:43] Speaker G: Oh, Tony, dear. Now stop it. I won't be cross examined. You know very well. [00:17:49] Speaker A: Who was that young man? [00:17:52] Speaker G: Marta, what are you talking about? What young man? [00:17:56] Speaker A: The young man who came calling on you in the middle of the night. He said he had an appointment. [00:18:02] Speaker G: I haven't the remotest idea what you're talking about. [00:18:05] Speaker A: I'm leaving on the next boat. It goes at 4:00'. Clock. [00:18:08] Speaker G: Tony, could we go over to the bungalow, please? We can't talk here in the lobby. [00:18:14] Speaker A: All right, whatever you like. Martha, [00:18:21] Speaker G: We got to put the key. Oh, here it is. Martha, what is it? What's wrong? [00:18:32] Speaker A: Martha, you've made a mistake. [00:18:35] Speaker G: Mistake? [00:18:35] Speaker A: The furniture. The furniture. It's all different from what it was last night. [00:18:40] Speaker G: I don't understand you, Tony. [00:18:42] Speaker A: Draperies. They were made of fish netting. These are. What do you call them? Matchstick? Bamboo? Martha, what's the letter on this bungalow? [00:18:50] Speaker G: It's bungalow B, of course. [00:18:52] Speaker A: This isn't the bungalow where you slept last night. [00:18:54] Speaker G: Of course it is. [00:18:56] Speaker A: Let's take a look at the bedroom. Oh, no, no, it can't be. You were sleeping in a double sized bed. King size in fact. And this room has two twin beds. Wait, I know the view. Pablo said that the view from this bedroom window was something that I. [00:19:17] Speaker G: What is wrong, Tony? [00:19:19] Speaker A: He said that. He said that there was a beautiful view of the sea and the rocks below the cliff and palm trees. Martha. Martha, what do you see out of this window? [00:19:30] Speaker G: Nothing but the side wall of the bungalow next to us. [00:19:33] Speaker A: Then where is the beautiful view? Unless for some reason Pablo lied to me. [00:19:45] Speaker E: When the tree that has stood in the forest for a thousand years topples and falls crashing to the ground. Is there a sound if there are no ears to hear it? Do the brilliant colors of the rainbow exist for someone who has never had the blessed gift of eyes and eyesight? These are questions for which there are no easy answers. Just what similarly disturbing questions are there for Tony Bridges? Questions to which he has not yet found the answer? We'll find out shortly when I return with Act 2. [00:20:23] Speaker A: Now we return to Norman Rose and Marion Salda starring in island of the Lost on CBS Mystery Theater. [00:20:40] Speaker E: Worthy events for Tony Bridges. Of the night just passed. The tree falling in the forest unheard or colors never seen. What was the logical explanation for Tony? What had happened was all a little strange and curious. [00:21:02] Speaker A: Martha and I talked all morning. She finally convinced me that everything that had happened last night. Was in fact a series of reasonable coincidences that spelled out mistake. For the first time in months, I felt as close to Martha as I ever had. And I knew she felt the same way about me. We went for a walk into the mountains that rose behind the hotel. On the way back, just as we were nearly at the bungalow, Martha lost her footing, turned her ankle badly. I carried her into the bedroom. She rested while I unpacked and ordered dinner in our rooms. [00:21:36] Speaker F: So, with your permission, senor, a beautiful dinner has been prepared for you and the senora. Look here. This fish was swimming happily in the sea only half an hour ago. And one hour ago, these beautiful vegetables were growing proudly in our own garden. Yes, yes. [00:21:58] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you very much, Pablo. It all looks beautiful indeed. [00:22:02] Speaker F: I place the dinner here on the table. Thank you. And, senora, I hope you do not suffer too much pain. [00:22:09] Speaker G: No, it only hurts if I try to move it or put weight on it. [00:22:13] Speaker A: You just stay where you are for a day or two and it'll be fine. [00:22:16] Speaker F: I'm sure it is essential that one exercise care when walking in our beautiful mountains. From the time when there were earthquakes here. There are some cracks where one can trip and twist an ankle. [00:22:30] Speaker A: Oh, really? This is earthquake country. [00:22:33] Speaker F: I didn't know that, senor Was not in any more than 40 years. Now this. Your dinner is served. I leave you to the enjoyment of it. Buenos noches to you both. Senor. Senora. [00:22:49] Speaker A: Well, let me get these few things away in the closet. And then we'll have our so beautiful dinner. Do you have the key, dear? [00:22:57] Speaker G: What key? [00:22:58] Speaker A: To this second closet. It's locked. [00:23:00] Speaker G: Oh, I forgot. There isn't any key. Pablo said the last guest took it with him. There's no master key, so he's ordered a duplicate from the mainland. [00:23:09] Speaker A: Oh, well, I'll put my stuff in your closet then. [00:23:11] Speaker F: All right. [00:23:12] Speaker G: The key should be here by tomorrow or the next day. [00:23:14] Speaker A: That's great. And now, if the senora will permit that she be carried from her bed to this most appetizing dinner. [00:23:21] Speaker G: The senor has the senora's permission. [00:23:24] Speaker A: Up we go. Ah, there we are. Comfortable? [00:23:32] Speaker G: Yes. Couldn't be happier. Except for this stupid ankle. [00:23:38] Speaker A: Buen appetito, my darling. To us. [00:23:41] Speaker G: To us. [00:23:49] Speaker A: In the middle of the night? I was Wakened by the most curious sensation. My bed was being shaken violently all around me. I had a feeling of the furniture. The pictures on the wal were vibrating in some strange way. The whole bungalow was quivering. Martha. Martha, are you all right? Martha, are you awake? [00:24:14] Speaker F: Oh. [00:24:14] Speaker A: Where's that light? Oh, there. [00:24:17] Speaker F: Martha. [00:24:19] Speaker A: Her bed was empty. Martha, where are you? Where could she be? Then I suddenly remembered her ankle. How could she have left her bed? Where could she have gone? What had Pablo about this once having been earthquake country? [00:24:39] Speaker E: Of course. [00:24:41] Speaker A: That's what was happening. [00:24:44] Speaker F: At your service, senior. [00:24:47] Speaker A: We're in the middle of an earthquake, aren't we? [00:24:49] Speaker F: Earthquake? There is no earthquake, senior. [00:24:53] Speaker A: But of course there is. What are we supposed to do? [00:24:56] Speaker F: Do, Silver? [00:24:57] Speaker A: Oh, look, will you stop beating about the bush? Just tell me that it's nothing serious, or then it'll pass without damage. But don't tell me that it's nothing. [00:25:03] Speaker F: Would you please to tell me why the senor thinks there is an earthquake? [00:25:08] Speaker A: The pictures, my bed, the lamp, the whole room is shaking and jumping around. And that noise, that rumbling noise. [00:25:14] Speaker F: Senor, your wife, she is experiencing the same thing, senor. [00:25:18] Speaker A: Well, that's just it. It's really why I called. My wife is not here. [00:25:23] Speaker F: Oh, I am so sorry to hear. She is not there. [00:25:27] Speaker A: Have you seen her? I regret, senor Grim, I have. But where could she have gone? She can't walk. [00:25:35] Speaker F: Of this I have no knowledge, senor. [00:25:38] Speaker A: No, wait a minute. [00:25:39] Speaker E: Wait. [00:25:39] Speaker A: Wait just a moment. The sound seems to have stopped. And nothing's shaking anymore. Is it all over? [00:25:47] Speaker F: I think perhaps I can explain the strenuous climb you have made this afternoon in the mountains. The highness of the altitude and the thinness of the air. You are not used to it. [00:26:01] Speaker G: You. [00:26:01] Speaker F: It happens to many of our guests. [00:26:04] Speaker A: What happens? [00:26:05] Speaker F: It is a kind of a spasm of the muscle, senor, from the calcitude. I'm so happy it has passed. [00:26:15] Speaker A: But my wife. Where is my wife? [00:26:18] Speaker F: Ah, for that, senor, as I have already said, I regretfully have not the slightest idea. [00:26:32] Speaker A: In spite of my concern about Martha, I fell asleep immediately. A long and merciful sleep. When I awoke, it was broad daylight. The sun was streaming in through the windows. And everything was exactly as it had been in the middle of the night. Except for one thing. Lying in the next bed, reading calmly, was Martha. [00:26:54] Speaker G: Good morning, sweetheart. Did you have a good night? I slept like a rock. [00:27:00] Speaker A: Where were you last night? [00:27:01] Speaker G: Tony, let go of my arm. You hurt. [00:27:03] Speaker A: Where were you? Where did you go? [00:27:05] Speaker G: What are you talking about? [00:27:06] Speaker F: Where were you? [00:27:07] Speaker G: Let Go. Get your hands away from my throat. Again. [00:27:10] Speaker A: In the middle of the night. You left this bedroom. Now where did you go? [00:27:14] Speaker G: Are you out of your mind? Take a look at this ankle of mine. It's purple and blue. It's twice the size it was last night. I can't walk on it except with the greatest pain. You ask me where I was last night. I was here. Right here in this bed, every minute of the night. [00:27:38] Speaker A: A couple of days passed. They were blessedly peaceful, uneventful, golden. Two days before our vacation was to end, Martha's ankle was strong enough for her to venture out on another little walk into the hills that ran along the edge of the cliff that overlooked the sea below. [00:27:56] Speaker G: Oh, this cane's a great help. I really don't have to put my full weight on the anchor. [00:28:01] Speaker A: Just watch your step. Avoid any of those cracks that Pablo pointed out. [00:28:05] Speaker G: Look, darling, there's a clearing up ahead. We could rest for a bit when we get up there. Oh, listen to those birds. [00:28:14] Speaker A: Yes, the whole thing is like a Garden of Eden. [00:28:17] Speaker G: You know, Pablo said if we follow this path, we'll discover thousands and thousands of wild orchids. He should have come here long ago. It's so much more fun than going to those silly luncheons. [00:28:29] Speaker A: For the first time in months, I began to feel sure of myself. Sure of Martha. In spite of all my fears, I knew she loved me. I had no reason for being jealous of her. [00:28:39] Speaker G: Everything is so much more fun. [00:28:41] Speaker A: Not a single reason. As she spoke, I began to hear a stranger, like the flapping of a thousand wings, coming nearer and nearer. [00:28:52] Speaker G: Tony, look. The sky is black with them. [00:28:57] Speaker A: Birds. Huge birds. Martha, what are they? They're all pink and red. [00:29:03] Speaker G: I think they're flamingos. I've never seen so many birds in my life. They're coming closer and closer. Tell them they're upright. And what should we do? [00:29:11] Speaker F: I don't know. [00:29:11] Speaker A: Martha, use your cane. If they come close, use it like a baseball bat. Here's a branch from a tree. I'll do the scene. [00:29:18] Speaker G: My God. [00:29:19] Speaker F: Die. Here they come. That big one. Oh, that big one. [00:29:23] Speaker A: Just knocked off my glasses. [00:29:24] Speaker G: I can't see. Don't think I can spice them. There's too many objects. [00:29:27] Speaker A: Keep at it, darling. Sooner or later. [00:29:34] Speaker F: Martha, what happened? [00:29:39] Speaker A: Where did they go? [00:29:41] Speaker G: They? [00:29:42] Speaker A: The flamingos. The birds, they. They disappeared as suddenly as they came. Are you all right? [00:29:50] Speaker G: I'm fine. [00:29:51] Speaker A: I. I can't imagine. Oh, I need a cigarette. [00:29:54] Speaker G: You take one of mine. They're in my bag. [00:29:56] Speaker A: I can't See? Very well. I lost my glasses on those birds. [00:30:00] Speaker G: The bag. It's right near your feet. [00:30:02] Speaker A: Oh, yes, yes, I've got it. Oh, there's so much junk in your bag, I. What's that? [00:30:13] Speaker G: What is it? [00:30:14] Speaker A: Listen. [00:30:17] Speaker F: You hear it? [00:30:19] Speaker A: What do you suppose it is? Martha? [00:30:22] Speaker D: You. [00:30:22] Speaker A: You do hear it, don't you? [00:30:24] Speaker G: I. I think so. [00:30:26] Speaker A: In the distance, those. Those drums beating. [00:30:31] Speaker G: Of course. Of course I hear them, dear. [00:30:35] Speaker A: Thank heavens. I thought for a moment. Where do you suppose they come from? Who's playing them? [00:30:40] Speaker G: But I haven't the slightest idea. [00:30:45] Speaker A: That's funny enough for that cigarette. Down we go into the bottom of your bag and. And. [00:30:53] Speaker G: Martha. Martha. [00:30:55] Speaker A: What's this? [00:30:56] Speaker G: That's the key to the closet in the bungalow. [00:30:59] Speaker A: To your closet? [00:31:01] Speaker G: To my closet. And your closet. It's to both. Closet both. [00:31:05] Speaker A: When did it get here? [00:31:06] Speaker G: It's always been here. [00:31:08] Speaker A: Why, when I asked you about it the other night, you said there was no key to my closet. Somebody had taken it away and they were making a new one. [00:31:15] Speaker G: I said that? [00:31:16] Speaker A: Of course you did. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. It's all starting to make sense. That anyone could be so evil. That anyone could so despise another human being that she stop at nothing stooped and anything to get him out of the way. [00:31:32] Speaker G: You don't know what you're saying. I love you, Tony. You must believe me. [00:31:36] Speaker A: Anything at all. Even to the point of trying to drive a man out of his mind. All these strange things that have been happening. Oh, they were no coincidences. They were all part of some twisted, devilish scheme you worked out to get rid of me by driving me mad. [00:31:51] Speaker G: Careful, Tony. You're bagging me so close to the edge of the cloud. [00:31:54] Speaker A: The mix up with the bunker. Oh, that was a good one. How did you work that? And the business of your ankle and disappearing in the middle of the night. That was worthy of a master. [00:32:03] Speaker G: Stop it, Tony. [00:32:04] Speaker A: And the birds, huh? And now this key. Oh, you missed your calling, Martha. You should get an act together, Martha. The mysterious magician. She mystifies, she confuses. The hand is quicker than the eye. She cheats, she lies. But it's all part of the act, isn't it, Martha? [00:32:20] Speaker F: Isn't it? [00:32:20] Speaker G: Careful, Tony. I'm pleased. Losing my balance, Tonia. [00:32:28] Speaker A: Long trip, Martha. 2,000ft. And those sharp rocks down there can't be very comfortable, can they? The act is over, Martha. [00:32:41] Speaker F: Good, Martha. Jelly. [00:32:48] Speaker E: Jealousy is said to be the child of love. But if the parent does not do his best to strangle the child, the Child will not rest till it has poisoned its own father. Which may well be the case with Tony Bridges. To what further extremes will the deadly venom of his jealousy drive Tony? He may or may not know the answer. But we shall when we return shortly with Act 3. [00:33:18] Speaker F: This is WBBM Chicago. [00:33:24] Speaker E: A glorious feeling of exhilaration flowed through Tony. His head was as light as if he drunk too much champagne. For the first time in years. He no longer had a heavy millstone around his neck. The torment of having a beautiful young woman for a wife. Tony Bridge's only concern now was to find some way to get off the island before Martha's body was discovered. [00:33:54] Speaker A: The same drums I'd heard just before Martha. I started walking slowly, deliberately, in the direction from which they seemed to come. Without my glasses, I could just barely see where I was going. I tore my way through a tangle of creeping vines and found myself in some sort of a clearing. I almost stumbled over something seated before a small fire. It was an ancient little man of the island. His face like so much black parchment. His clothes in rags. He sat there hunched over the smoky fire, blinking his eyes and mumbling. I. I beg your pardon. [00:34:34] Speaker F: It is all my fault. I should not sit in the middle of the bath. But it is good place to meditate. [00:34:42] Speaker A: Who are you? What's your name, old man? [00:34:44] Speaker F: You've long forgotten my name written by me. [00:34:48] Speaker A: What are you doing here? [00:34:50] Speaker F: Sitting. Listening. Thinking. Listening to the sad, unmournful song of my people. [00:34:58] Speaker A: You mean those drums? You hear them too? [00:35:00] Speaker F: Alas, I hear them too well. I hear them. [00:35:05] Speaker A: What are they for? Where does the sound come from? [00:35:08] Speaker F: Our island is small. They come from everywhere. They are heard everywhere. [00:35:15] Speaker A: But why? [00:35:16] Speaker E: Why? [00:35:17] Speaker A: What do they mean? [00:35:18] Speaker F: This. What you hear is lamentation. Death has walked among my people. Among the lost one. It is why this place is called Isla. Island of the Lost. [00:35:37] Speaker A: Someone has died. [00:35:38] Speaker F: Someone has passed on to Mako. [00:35:41] Speaker A: Who is Mako? [00:35:42] Speaker F: The great. Father of all things in the sea. From where we all have come. To where we all shall go. [00:35:52] Speaker A: I see. [00:35:52] Speaker F: This is reason for the wearing of the drums. They beat out their farewell to the soul of a man who is making the journey to Marco. [00:36:06] Speaker A: The soul of a man or a woman? [00:36:11] Speaker F: Man. Always man. Not woman. For woman. Drums Play another song. Not this one. [00:36:21] Speaker A: I understand. I'm very sorry for the poor man who has gone on to Mako. When did he die? [00:36:28] Speaker F: No one can be sure. Perhaps he is not yet dead. [00:36:35] Speaker A: Then why? [00:36:36] Speaker F: The drums often sing with the promise of things to come to some soon, sometime. This Spirit of a man will die before he does. Then Mark, who is his special sad because he is made to wait when that happen. The melody of the drums is his special sad too. Like now. [00:37:10] Speaker A: I left my ancient friend as quickly as possible, made my way back to the hotel. I couldn't stop thinking of all the confusing things that had happened since I arrived on this cursed island. The mix up with the bungalows, the visitor that first night. The missing closet key, what I had thought was an earthquake. Martha's apparent disappearance in the middle of the night in spite of her bad ankle, the attack by the flamingos. And finally my realization that Martha in some way has made all these things happen to drive me out of my mind. But hold on there. Has made things happen. Made things happen. Martha is dead. Her body at this very moment is being battered against the sharp rocks by the angry waters of that beautiful blue sea. [00:37:59] Speaker F: Senor. Senor Bridges. I have been looking for you all over. [00:38:04] Speaker A: What do you want? [00:38:05] Speaker F: Most especially, I have been looking for the Senora, your wife. [00:38:09] Speaker A: What is it? [00:38:10] Speaker F: For you, senor, this small package has arrived by this morning's boat. [00:38:15] Speaker A: Thank you, papa. [00:38:16] Speaker F: For the senora, this letter ha. Very special delivery. He's marked most. [00:38:23] Speaker A: Yes, yes, I'll take it. [00:38:24] Speaker F: You will be sure, senor, it reaches the cons of the seora. Is also marked very pass on. [00:38:30] Speaker A: Don't worry. [00:38:32] Speaker F: Thank you, senor. [00:38:37] Speaker A: I walked over to bungalow B. Once inside, I collapsed into the big chair, feeling as though my life blood had been drained from me. I opened the package addressed to me. Good old Fritz. [00:38:56] Speaker F: My glasses. [00:38:57] Speaker A: I put them on and things came into focus once again. Then I tore open the letter addressed to Martha. Very especial delivery. Most urgent, very personal. As I read, my hands began to shake, my head to ache. [00:39:17] Speaker F: Dearest Martha, when you get this letter, Tony will already have surprised you. I did my best to think of a way to keep him from coming without arousing any suspicions. No luck? Under the present circumstances, it would be best for you to take every possible precaution. You cannot be too careful. Dear Martha. My last examination of Tony showed unmistakable symptoms. In the simplest language of deterioration of the brain tissues. The symptoms point clearly to a situation where Tony's sanity hangs by a very thin thread. At any given moment, that thread may snap. If it does, the first manifestations will be an attack of dizziness, accompanied by [00:40:16] Speaker A: a buzzing in the ears and the blurring of the vision. There are also indications of things that follow the classic pattern that there will be a series of hallucinations. Hallucinations. He will think he sees and hears things he actually does not see or hear. He will think he has done things he has not actually done. Hallucinations. Then none of these things ever really happened. And Martha's alive. She's alive. Like everything else. I imagined that too. I imagined that I killed her. [00:41:06] Speaker F: Si. Pronto. [00:41:08] Speaker A: Pablo. [00:41:09] Speaker F: Pablo, have you seen the Senora Momentito parfolor? I have not seen your wife since she left with you, senor. You. You. [00:41:17] Speaker A: You don't understand, Pablo. Everything is. [00:41:19] Speaker F: Will you please to have a seat for one small moment, Senor Bridges, until I complete this telephone call. Your pardon. See, Javi. [00:41:28] Speaker A: You see, Pablo, I'm not exactly well. And I had the foolish idea that Martha, my wife, had. Had fallen over the. That I had pushed her and that she would. You understand. [00:41:37] Speaker F: The guy who's dead kicked. Ah, no. It's incredibly. Esther Seguru. [00:41:43] Speaker A: I thought she might be dead. But now I know that that too was what we call a hallucination. Something that you think. What was that all about, Pablo? [00:42:01] Speaker F: I regretfully must inform you, senor, of some very bad news. [00:42:07] Speaker A: What is it? [00:42:07] Speaker F: Pablo had. The foot of the cliff, senor, just below the hotel. Two fishermen have just discovered the body of the senora, your wife. The police will soon be here. Are you all right, Senor Reniz? [00:42:31] Speaker A: Oh, yes, I'm fine, Pablo. [00:42:34] Speaker F: Did. [00:42:34] Speaker A: Did I hear you speaking on the phone a moment ago? [00:42:38] Speaker F: The phone? I see, senor. It was the contractor for the building of the annex to this hotel. [00:42:44] Speaker A: And you. You didn't tell me something about two fishermen, what they found at the bottom of the cliff? [00:42:52] Speaker F: Not one word, senor, about any fisher. [00:42:55] Speaker A: You said nothing about my wife. [00:42:56] Speaker F: Why not, senor? Thank you. [00:43:00] Speaker A: Thank you, Pablo. I'll be in the bungalow. Was that phone conversation? And what Pablo had told me about Martha's body being found at the foot of the cliff, Was that too a hallucination? Along with my backing her off the cliff. What was real? What was imagined? Was Martha dead? Was she alive? I rushed back into the bungalow. I knew Martha would be there. Dear, sweet, wonderful, beautiful Martha. Martha. Martha, sweetheart. [00:43:35] Speaker G: Where are you? [00:43:35] Speaker F: Martha? [00:43:36] Speaker A: The bedroom. The bathroom. Where on earth could she be? [00:43:43] Speaker F: Yes? Excuse me, senor, but you have two visitors. I will accompany them to the bungalow. We will be there in a moment. [00:43:51] Speaker A: She couldn't possibly have gone to. Oh, what's this? What have I got in my hand? Where did it come from? The key to my closet. I had it when I asked Martha for a cigarette and she told me that. And it's been here in my hand all that time. [00:44:12] Speaker F: Strange. [00:44:15] Speaker A: I must open the closet now. I do have the key. And that's what keys are for, to open things. Isn't that right, Tony? [00:44:29] Speaker F: You must to excuse us, Sayor. These are the police of the island. [00:44:34] Speaker A: No, no, no. Not just this minute, please. Not till I open the door to the closet. [00:44:40] Speaker F: We can't tell you. The maid, when she cleaned this morning, found the door to the closet. Copen. [00:44:49] Speaker A: So. No, no, it isn't for real. I'm only imagining this. It's my imagination, gentlemen. It's my imagination. [00:45:06] Speaker F: See, Senor Jefe, here in this closet, that is the body of his wife. With this string of precious pearls. [00:45:25] Speaker E: The poet Longfellow wrote, the moon, from some dark gate of cloud, throws o' er the sea a floating bridge of light across whose trembling planks our fancies crowd into the realm of mystery and night. So Tony bridges, as he stands staring into the sea, watching the floating bridge of light cast by a full Caribbean moon, Tony knows at last the difference between the real the imaginary. [00:45:59] Speaker A: Or does he? I'll be back shortly. [00:46:13] Speaker E: We trust you've enjoyed our little exercise in. Now you see it, now you don't. Or to put it another way, a string of precious pearls should never be used for anything other than show. But that's something everybody knows, isn't it? Our cast included Norman Rose, Marion Seldes, Bob Caliban and Ian Martin. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. [00:46:42] Speaker F: Now, a preview of our next tale. [00:46:46] Speaker G: It seems to me we could have skipped visiting Chris's grave today. You needn't have come if you didn't want to, Sybil. But you can't go on doing this the rest of your life. Come once a week or once a month. Well, you know what that would lead to. Coming? Not at all. No. I love Chris more than anyone else in the world. And I'm. [00:47:08] Speaker F: Who's that? [00:47:10] Speaker G: What? Someone. A man standing beside Chris grave. Then just make him out in the fog. I don't see. Oh, yes. A man standing with his head bent as if he were praying. He's raising his head. He's turning towards us. He. [00:47:33] Speaker F: Cybil. Oh, Seb. Oh, my God. [00:47:37] Speaker G: My God, it's Chris. [00:47:39] Speaker E: Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by contact, the 12 hour cold capsule. This is E. G. Marshall, inviting you to return to our Mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams. [00:48:11] Speaker B: That was island of the Lost from CBS Radio Mystery Theater, Here on the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Podcast once again. I'm Eric. I'm Tim. [00:48:21] Speaker D: And I'm Joshua. [00:48:22] Speaker B: I am so enthralled now from our opening. I want to talk about Arnold Moss forever. [00:48:30] Speaker F: This guy. [00:48:30] Speaker C: This is the Arnold Moss Listening Society. [00:48:32] Speaker B: That guy and his life and his family. [00:48:36] Speaker F: Wow. [00:48:36] Speaker B: If you had written just Rubber Ducky, you could hang your hat on that and say did a good job in this world. [00:48:42] Speaker F: But he. [00:48:43] Speaker B: Look at all that. He was on Star Trek and. [00:48:45] Speaker D: Yeah, well, it's his son did the Rubber Ducky. [00:48:48] Speaker B: Whatever. [00:48:48] Speaker C: Trying to live up to the Star Trek legacy. [00:48:50] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:48:51] Speaker C: Oh, man, I gotta write some Sesame street songs. [00:48:57] Speaker D: I. I am very happy that his son suggested that Cookie Monster might be better than calling him bugleyes. [00:49:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:49:06] Speaker D: Sounds vaguely racist, right? [00:49:09] Speaker B: Vaguely. I'll be honest. I'm going to be real curious to see how this conversation goes. [00:49:14] Speaker C: All right. [00:49:15] Speaker B: Because I'm all over the place on this. I'm of so many different mindsets. There are moments that I was enjoying this and moments I wasn't. So let's talk with about first of all, Norman Rose. Right. Who's the lead in this. Right. [00:49:30] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:49:31] Speaker B: There is something really difficult about how announcery he sounds. And I know he's the voice of God and I know he's. [00:49:39] Speaker D: This is so hilarious coming from the person I know who has the most announcer. [00:49:44] Speaker B: He like he's having a hard time separating how to deliver the line as not an announcer. [00:49:51] Speaker C: I'm following that. This is first person me describing my transitions in the story. Whatever. It starts to sound like an announcer doing it rather than the character. [00:49:58] Speaker B: Even sometimes when he's talking to his wife. Hi. I surprised you? No, he didn't do that. But I'm just saying there's something about. [00:50:09] Speaker C: Talk your wife about that. [00:50:12] Speaker B: There's just something about the delivery of that that he wasn't able to drop it. But that's a nitpicky thing I just wanted to get off my chest. [00:50:24] Speaker D: Did not bother me. Especially in this story where he is attempting to process all these hallucinations and what is real and what is not. And his sort of emotional distance when narrating leaves you as the listener in that same position. I think he doesn't give you any clues performance wise as he's processing all this. [00:50:52] Speaker B: Right. [00:50:53] Speaker C: I started listening. I mean, I started processing this episode in the same template I always do with CBS. Ready Mystery Theater of does it warrant the 45 minutes? And I thought it does. I did not feel slack in this story at all. I really, really, really loved the hallucinatory nature the back and forth of he doesn't know what's real, what's imaginary. And being on that journey with him. And my only complaint was the end was just kind of like, because you're crazy. [00:51:22] Speaker B: Right. [00:51:23] Speaker C: I kind of wanted a little more punch for it. [00:51:25] Speaker D: But maybe this was the conquest of him by Satan. We'll find a picture in his scrapbook. Tony. [00:51:37] Speaker B: Listen to last week's episode of this podcast. But it is alluded to by e. G. Marshall at the end. Or is he, you know, or is he crazy? So there that. That little caveat punched in. I spent most of this episode waiting for the payoff from the doctor, calling or leaving her a message saying, watch out, he's coming. Do whatever you can. And so I was waiting for, what is it? What is it? What is it? I wish they hadn't given me that until later because I was, like, waited [00:52:08] Speaker C: a good amount of time for that. [00:52:10] Speaker D: It's the very end of the episode. [00:52:11] Speaker B: No, in the beginning, when he's in this doctor's office, he writes the. [00:52:15] Speaker C: Even what the letter says. [00:52:16] Speaker B: Yeah. And he says, hey, be careful. He's coming. And I'm. This is going to get there after you, but you've got to take. [00:52:22] Speaker D: That was the hook for me. [00:52:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:52:24] Speaker D: I was like, is he dangerous? Does Dr. Fritz know that she's having an affair? But I was so puzzled by what information he had that I agree. Added all sorts of tension to everything that followed. [00:52:38] Speaker B: If you hadn't gotten that information. Right. So I'm spending the whole time going, well, what did that mean? Right. Instead of just, hey, here's a normal guy. Whoa, what's happening to him? You get what I'm saying? [00:52:51] Speaker D: Like, I feel you would have been saying, this was too weird for me. I couldn't follow anything if that were the case. Flamingo attack. I'm out. [00:53:02] Speaker C: I'm with Joshua on this one. That when he shows up and, okay, just go in her room and she's asleep. And I, like, that's already a tense situation to me of like, oh, this [00:53:10] Speaker D: is gonna be bad. [00:53:12] Speaker B: This because we know something bad's coming. [00:53:14] Speaker C: The implication being, like, he's gonna walk in on her with somebody or. Right. [00:53:18] Speaker D: Without the little bit of the letter we heard being dictated by Dr. Fritz, that would still be a tense scene because it's clearly telegraphed. But to me, that only makes it more intense. More intense. And then you go, okay, so it's [00:53:35] Speaker C: a situation so bad that the doctor knows about it. [00:53:37] Speaker D: Yeah. And so then I'm confused because. Wait, why Would the doctor know that his young wife is having an affair? [00:53:48] Speaker B: Right. [00:53:48] Speaker D: Each time you think you understand the story better, you realize, wait, I don't. And that's what kept me hooked throughout it. [00:53:55] Speaker B: Here's a question. What kind of doctor lets you travel knowing that you suffer from massive hallucinations? [00:54:02] Speaker C: It's not like I'm the pilot, right? Am I the pilots? [00:54:07] Speaker B: Don't you have some kind of ability to stop that from happening? [00:54:12] Speaker D: I think that leads to one of the questions that Melanie had for us in our discussion, and that is, what was real in this story? And when did Tony's murder of Martha actually happen? [00:54:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:54:27] Speaker D: And the reason I bring that up in relation to what you're saying about Dr. Fritz is there's something really strange about him because EG Marshall says he's an eye doctor, but he's examined his [00:54:42] Speaker B: brain, apparently something to do with him getting headaches. And the glasses would help. [00:54:48] Speaker D: Yeah. So you can see a connection there. But also then to your point, you question like, well, why wouldn't he just tell him what's going on or tell [00:54:59] Speaker B: the authorities, please don't let this man walk around the streets. He's hallucinating. [00:55:04] Speaker D: Yeah. Or do we trust Tony's presentation of that encounter? [00:55:09] Speaker B: Well, then we're getting even deeper, like. And Melanie's got a great question. Did any of this happen? [00:55:14] Speaker D: However, I think for. [00:55:15] Speaker C: Did he kill his wife? [00:55:16] Speaker B: Right. [00:55:17] Speaker D: For this not to be just kind of a jerk off episode, for lack of a better term. I'm sure there's a better term. I apologize. [00:55:25] Speaker B: There's always a better term. [00:55:25] Speaker C: That's technical. That's a scholarly term. [00:55:28] Speaker D: I think you have to decide that something in here is true that provides the framework for figuring out what is and isn't real, even though around the edges there can be some ambiguity. I feel like I needed to believe that the doctor's note was real and his diagnosis was real, and then everything else around it is up for grabs. [00:55:55] Speaker B: I think it's absolutely essential that the doctor's visit and the doctor's letter to her are real. [00:56:02] Speaker D: And for me, I found it easier to answer Melanie's second question first, which then helps me decide from my listening experience what is and isn't real? And her second question, which I think is a great one, is, when did the murder. If we are to believe that the discovery of his wife in the closet, strangled by pearls, is real, when did that happen in the story? [00:56:29] Speaker B: And it seems to me that it happened when he got there. [00:56:34] Speaker C: That's a strong argument. I Think that's the last time he mentions the pearls. [00:56:39] Speaker D: He also says, I'll put them around her beautiful neck as she wakes. So he even tells you what he's going to do in the end. And he has that moment where he breaks the pearls. And so as you're going along through the story, you just assume the pearls don't show up again because he broke them. [00:56:57] Speaker B: Well, they did. When she did that hilarious wacky step into the room and slid all the way across the floor, opened the closet, and pearls fall out and crashed through the wall. [00:57:11] Speaker C: That being said, there's his interaction with her, which maybe they are all fake, but it's. It is a good trick to have that some of them. It seems like some of them are fake and some of them are real. But that makes it a murkier question of when did he kill her? [00:57:27] Speaker D: One of the things I love about the ending is I felt like I could easily tell as I was listening what was a hallucination and what wasn't. Because at first you go through here like, crazy stuff happens. Okay, I did not have Flamingo Attack on my CBS Radio Mystery Theater bingo card, right? [00:57:47] Speaker C: And so, honest to God, when he was having the shaking in the earthquake in his room, I was on the internal logic track of they are rotating this hotel around and moving his hotel. [00:57:58] Speaker B: Oh, that would have been. That's a mission impossible. [00:58:02] Speaker D: Yes. [00:58:03] Speaker B: That is not the story. I mean, the TV show from the 60s, people. [00:58:08] Speaker D: But then after the Flamingo attack, he snaps out of it, and they're still sitting there, and she's like, what birds? What are you talking about? And then it feels, as you said, like a real scene with his wife. The scene in which he loses it and pushes her off the cliff. But then in the end, we're forced to reconsider just realism as our gauge of what is and isn't a hallucination any longer. Because it tells you that the weird ones were hallucinations and so were the mundane ones. Possibly. [00:58:43] Speaker C: Yeah. The ones that were taken as a contrast to the word one. See you. [00:58:47] Speaker D: So there were hallucinations that overlapped. [00:58:49] Speaker B: Right. [00:58:50] Speaker D: Almost. [00:58:51] Speaker B: Look, I believe. Because it happened to me while I was listening to it, and I went, oh. And everything clicked into place for me. Doctor's real. Him writing his wife real. I think that context needed when we hear, first of all, oh, I bought her pearls, and he pour them up at the beginning, and they don't come back until the end. And they purposely say choked by pearls. I think their intent. And I stand by this I think their intent is for you to go, oh, none of that happened. [00:59:23] Speaker D: Yeah, I think that's a strong reading. It's how I tend to read it. Also, when he comes back to the room the next morning, it looks completely different to him. And so it has that quality of a dream. Right. Where it's kind of the same but different. And there's a lot of dream imagery throughout here. Or it's misremembered like the back rooms. Great movie. Everybody go see it. But it had that surreal quality to me, which indicates immediately that these are hallucinations from then on. [00:59:57] Speaker C: Right. [00:59:58] Speaker D: And there's a lot of symbolism, I think in the end of him receiving his glasses from the doctor and he's able to find. To read the letter and see the truth. [01:00:09] Speaker C: Right. [01:00:09] Speaker D: Which is that he is losing his mind. And then you have the heavy obviously metaphor of a closet and that he had the key the entire time in his hand. [01:00:19] Speaker C: Yep. [01:00:20] Speaker B: Which is why I think he got there, killed her with pearls and everything else specifically did not happen. [01:00:27] Speaker C: Trying to put down. I think he got there. The guy really came into the room looking for his wife and gave him a little hard time about made him mad. And then he killed his wife. [01:00:38] Speaker B: Like maybe she was actually having an affair, not knowing he was coming up. And he figured that out and that snapped him. [01:00:43] Speaker C: Yeah. Cause then in the morning he's angry at her and she talks him out of it. [01:00:47] Speaker D: That really immediately it seems like it pretty fast. So that makes me think it's a hallucination. I was on the fence about the young man who comes to the room. [01:00:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:00:57] Speaker C: That's just his anxiety that because his [01:01:00] Speaker D: dialogue was so on the nose. Right. But I think it's actually a little more complicated and interesting if she really was hooking up with somebody on the island. Because there's a 30 year difference. And you're a fool, old man. You should not have done that. [01:01:17] Speaker B: Well, and then what the guy says, the young man says to him is really just parroting his deepest fear inside his head. You, you old rooster, you are lucky enough to have that. I don't think so. It's like his inner conscience is talking to him. [01:01:35] Speaker D: So that makes me think it might be a hallucination. But also I think if you're 30 years older than your wife, you're probably getting a lot of glances and looks and comments from people all the time. So maybe that's. [01:01:51] Speaker C: I am a month older than my wife and we. [01:01:59] Speaker D: 30 days. [01:02:02] Speaker C: And now that we're actually discussing that, like if there's a pair of glasses that can sort mental illness out for you. I think they should be more commonly available. [01:02:11] Speaker E: Right. [01:02:12] Speaker B: I'd vote for that. [01:02:13] Speaker D: Are they the old hitchhiker's glasses that just turn completely dark when you're confronted with anything dangerous or that causes you anxiety so you just can't see it? [01:02:26] Speaker B: What other thoughts do we have? [01:02:27] Speaker D: First of all, we haven't even talked about probably one of my favorite parts of this, which is the flash forward. I think is the best flash forward of any CBS radio mystery theaters I've heard for a host of reasons. Sounds great. The drums, the eerie atmospheric music that may or may not be diegetic. Again, back to the whole dream hallucination scenario. And it has a great opening line. Sometimes the spirit of man dies before his body dies. And it's a monologue without any real context clues. So it's intriguing. And the subject matter is mystical and spiritual. So it keeps it vague. It doesn't contain a spoiler and then kind of match what's going on throughout the entirety of the script when the story catches up to that flash forward, it's not as we initially perceived it. [01:03:22] Speaker E: Right. [01:03:23] Speaker D: Just like what Tony's going through. The words are in slightly different order. Tony is interjecting with questions and it's like, oh, which was real? Was I hallucinating the old man's monologue in the beginning or is this the real one? My soul died long before my body. [01:03:44] Speaker B: Yeah, I'd agree with that. It wasn't their typical the butler did it. Enjoy this next hour. [01:03:52] Speaker D: But the doctor still baffles me. And the only thing I can come up with is that they're clearly family friends. He talks about seeing them at a dinner party that he was thinking he was helping them out by not confronting. I mean, it's a stretch, but yeah. I think, like, if you believe that the doctor's diagnosis is correct, it is a little bit of a thing. You have to forgive that he would just let him go. [01:04:19] Speaker B: I'll plug something in here that'll make it all make sense for you. Awesome Nazi. [01:04:25] Speaker F: Yeah, [01:04:28] Speaker D: well, yeah. It did make me laugh though, as he starts the eye doctor. That starts immediately psychoanalyzing it. And it just made me think, you [01:04:36] Speaker C: guys don't get that. [01:04:41] Speaker D: Do all Germans just have occupation plus psychoanalyst? [01:04:44] Speaker B: Right. [01:04:45] Speaker D: It's like, you're German. You're a janitor and a psychoanalyst. [01:04:48] Speaker B: Right. It goes with the accent. [01:04:51] Speaker D: Yeah. When he creepily, just in great detail describes Tony's young, beautiful wife back to Him, Right. [01:05:02] Speaker B: You ever seen her walk? [01:05:07] Speaker C: I mean, I talk about this a lot with other people. We're all in agreement. Your wife, what is she doing with you? [01:05:16] Speaker D: No wonder you're having headaches. [01:05:22] Speaker B: All right, let's put it to the vote, Tim. [01:05:26] Speaker C: All right. I love this. I love this a lot. And largely in the. I love stories where the reality's uncertain and you don't know what is a solid bit of ground you can stand on or that's going to get pulled out from under you. I mean, ultimately, my complaint was it stopped at a certain point. That story stopped. [01:05:49] Speaker B: You just want to see him live the rest of his life in hell. Where am I? [01:05:54] Speaker C: Yeah. And I won't call this a classic because I got to draw the line somewhere, Right? But this is a great, great episode. This is, I think, CBS Radio Mystery Theater at its best, and I really, really liked it. [01:06:10] Speaker B: Yeah, I would agree with all that. I liked it. It's not a classic, but it was pretty good. Yeah, it's about. I can't really. [01:06:19] Speaker C: It really had that rubber ducky quality. [01:06:21] Speaker B: Yes, it did. This one was the one. [01:06:26] Speaker D: Yes. [01:06:26] Speaker B: This made my bath time so much fun. [01:06:29] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. Who are the people in your neighborhood? [01:06:34] Speaker B: That was prophetic, that song. Now we really don't know who the hell's in our neighborhood. [01:06:41] Speaker D: I agree with you guys. It's another standout episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theater. I think it comes really close to being a classic of the silver age of radio. I honestly think I'm only hesitant because we listened to a horror story really recently, and I loved that so much. It was like it was written for me. So I'm maybe being unfair by not giving it classic. But this is one of my favorite CBS Radio mystery theaters I've heard. And I feel like the more I listen to CBS Radio Mystery Theater, the more I realize how long of a name it is to say out loud over and over again, who is RMT named like that? Who would have a really long, convoluted name for their product? [01:07:23] Speaker B: At least ours goes. Shortens to morals. Cbs, rmt. [01:07:33] Speaker D: But I feel like the show in general has this dichotomous nature to it, where for me, it's either great and I love the episode or it's just terrible and boring and I'm dragging myself through it. I can't remember listening to many that I thought that was fine. That was a fun way to spend 45 minutes. Maybe I'm at the age where, like, there's no fun way to spend 45 minutes. 30 minutes maybe, but you get past that 30 minute mark and it's not fun anymore. [01:08:03] Speaker B: Right. [01:08:04] Speaker D: But no, I think I have to give CBS Radio Mystery Theater more of a chance. I think we put it in a box very early in the podcast and I feel like I have not given it enough credit. [01:08:16] Speaker B: I've listened to a lot of it. I think we've been pretty fair to it. Okay. [01:08:20] Speaker D: But there are clearly some standout episodes like this that I am missing and because a lot of them aren't great, I'm not digging in and finding these. But thank you Melanie for finding these. [01:08:31] Speaker B: Yeah, Tim, tell him stuff. [01:08:33] Speaker C: Please go visit ghoulishdelights.com home of this podcast. You'll find all kinds of things there, including all the rest of our episodes. You can go listen to all the episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theater that we thought, meh. Pretty exciting opportunity for you. I'm sure you'll also find a link to our merchandise store if you want to buy a T shirt that says CBS Radio Mystery Theater. [01:08:55] Speaker A: Meh Meh. [01:08:58] Speaker C: We don't actually have that T shirt, [01:08:59] Speaker B: but we could just ask for it. We'll make it. [01:09:02] Speaker C: And also find a link to our Patreon page. [01:09:04] Speaker F: Yes. [01:09:04] Speaker D: Go to patreon.com themorals and be like Melanie. Become a member of the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society. We have so many bonus podcasts for you to listen to and who knows, maybe some of them are audio hallucinations. You'll have to discern what is real, what is not. It'll be exciting for you. Just. Just don't murder your very young spouse. [01:09:27] Speaker B: And the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Theater Company performs live audio drama on stage where we do recreations of classic old time radio shows and a lot of our own original work. You can find out where we're performing and what we're performing and how to get tickets by just going to ghoulishdelights.com also, if you're a Patreon, we record the audio of our live stage shows and that is a perk of being a Patreon. You get that audio of our performances. What is coming up next? [01:10:00] Speaker D: Next is an episode of my choosing. We will be returning to the Shadow for Death Pulls the Strings. Until then, B is for boogal Good enough for me. [01:10:13] Speaker C: That's not good enough for me.