Gene Kelly stars in one of the more amusing Suspense episodes. A gambler runs into the most unlikely and improbably lucky events after killing his nagging wife. Her nagging was very well-deserved. He is the most unlikable character and a terrible husband. Part of the fun of the story is that as he gets each undeserved lucky break, you hate him more and more.
This is another Suspense that with a little bit of adjustment could have easily been on the less sophisticated Inner Sanctum. There’s a good reason why: the author is Emil Tepperman who wrote many scripts for that series. The script is adapted by Robert Richards who keeps the crazy story well in Suspense high standards.
There are three recordings available. The surviving network recording marked “(8s)” is the best sounding recording. This episode has never been available in crisp, clean, sound. The recording posted here is much better than what has been in circulation. There are two different Armed Forces Radio Service recordings, but they are each in lesser sound quality than the surviving network recording. The AFRS openings are different. These are the names of the three files:
Suspense 1944-09-28 The Man Who Couldn't Lose (8s) (this is the best sounding file)
Suspense 1944-09-28 The Man Who Couldn't Lose AFRS#99 (from missing network)
Suspense 1944-09-28 The Man Who Couldn't Lose AFRS#71 (from missing network-different open)
The surviving network recording and the AFRS ones are from different coast broadcasts. It is not known which is east or west.
Network at about 26:20 “…you can’t lose…you can’t lose…naw, you can’t lose….”
AFRS at same point of the story “...you can’t lose…naw, you can’t lose…you can’t lose…”
The best sounding broadcast recording of this script is from 1947-12-12 starring Dan Duryea. His performance has makes the lead character even more unsavory than Kelly’s rendition. It can be accessed at https://archive.org/details/80thAnnivSuspenseMarathon/19+Suspense+1947-12-12+Man+Who+Couldn't+Lose.mp3
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP440928
THE CAST
GENE KELLY (Leonard Snell), Joe Kearns (Man in Black / Sam Mossley / Conductor), Lucille Meredith? (Celia Snell), Jerry Hausner (Floyd Heustis), Lou Merrill (Police Lt. / Banker), Ken Christy (Gangster), Harry Lang (Streetcar passenger / Gangster #2), Dick Ryan (Counterman), Jeanette Nolan? (Mrs. Mossley / Hysterical woman), Bill Johnstone (Jerry Malone), Jim Doyle (Radio Voice), Joe Forte?
The Radio Life issue of 1945-12-09 had some interesting news:
Although Gene Kelly played the title tole in the CBS Suspense drama, The Man Who Couldn’t Lose, when it was aired, several months ago. Robert Montgomery, another Suspense guest star, has engaged author Steve Fisher to write the radio drama into a screen play in which Montgomery will play the starring role.
The project did not come to fruition.
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