This is a Lucille Fletcher story that’s a little different than others. It deals with recovering from a mental illness rather than a spooky or threatening situation. It also involves music, one of her favorite subjects. Paul Muni plays Adolphus Flynn, a composer who completes his biggest work, turns on the radio, and hears it playing. He is so upset about the stealing of his composition that he is compelled to find the announced author of the work, Henri LeFevre.
It sounds like a possible time-shifting Twilight Zone story, but it’s actually all occurring in his head. He has lost some of his memory and the synchronization of memories with their time and the present. The story is not spoiled by knowing this: listening how Fletcher reveals the facts behind his predicament is the real entertainment here.
The east and west network recordings have survived. The Armed Forces Radio Service recording is drawn from the east recording. The network recordings are better for listening.
East Joe Kearns is the “Man in Black”; the closing music bridge under dialogue at about 27:24 “If I could only get it out of mind I might be able to be able to work again... [the music rises] I might be happy as I once was happy. I might look out of my window…” This matches AFRS at about 23:30
West John McIntire is the “Man in Black” as Kearns is likely on vacation; the closing dialogue is at about 27:08 “If I could only get it out of mind I might be able to be able to work again. I might be happy as I once was happy. I might look out of my window,” and then the music rises.
A Radio Life profile of 1945-06-03 mentions that Kearns spent a week in Mexico on vacation in 1944 and became ill while he was there. This week’s time away could be that Mexico trip.
Paul Muni did not start in New York on Broadway, he started in the Yiddish Theater in Chicago. He was beloved by those audiences in his fledgling career. He was a master of makeup and at a very young age, and was playing elderly roles in a convincing manner. His parents were actors and taught him many of the make-up techniques he employed in his career. He made his Broadway debut in 1926, and later moved to Hollywood. The film role that brought him the greatest recognition was starring role in The Story of Louis Pasteur in 1935, for which he won a 1936 Oscar. He was nominated for four others in his career. Muni was noted for immersing himself in research about the characters and the context of their times. He wanted to know everything he could about a part before he went on screen, or even the microphone. One can only wonder if he had conversations with Fletcher about her script. He was not one to would jump into a studio stand before a microphone. Muni did not appear on radio often; this is his only Suspense appearance.
Muni’s incredible life and career cannot be summarized in this space; the Wikipedia page for him is highly recommended as a good start https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Muni&oldid=1144411748
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/440706
THE CAST
PAUL MUNI (Adolphus), Lurene Tuttle (Lucille Le Fevre), Hans Conried (Dr. Pickard / Radio voice), Lucille Meredith? (Suzette), Joe Kearns (Man in Black [East]), John McIntire (Man in Black [West])
There are some online radio resources that mistakenly attribute this story to John Dickson Carr (or the doubly incorrect “John Dixon Carr”) or even Orson Welles!
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