Who’s kidding whom here? It doesn’t take long to realize that the phrase “your devoted wife” is a cynical and sarcastic description of the couple in this story. He is a young man of (supposed) failing health and his (supposedly devoted) wife is taking him for medical evaluation in Chicago by train (assumed from New York City). She makes it clear to the train personnel that her husband is ill… and insane. He was sedated when we was brought onboard and into their compartment quietly. When she leaves for dinner, the porter returns to their compartment and the husband is gone! He seems to be trying to jump off the train! He is safely brought back to the compartment. His wife has the train conductor and porter well trained to not believe anything the husband says.
It turns out that when he hits 30 years old he receives a $50,000 inheritance ($850,000 in US$2023). Is she laying the foundation of illness so after his birthday in about two weeks he has a sudden but explainable demise that avoids suspicion and investigation?
They finally get to Chicago and he undergoes evaluation… but we learn his part in all of this was a ruse to test her honesty and the depth of her affections. Is she a devoted wife? It’s Suspense, so the ending is not what might be expected.
The author is David R. Gillespie, who scripted this episode and the upcoming Feast of the Furies. He also wrote for The Whistler. This script and Feast could have easily been done on that series. It was common that each series would review rejected scripts of the other.
The train travel sound effects throughout the performance are excellent. They are actually a highlight of the broadcast.
An aspect of the story is related to medical tests. The way they are handled in the story may seem odd compared to today’s modern testing and imaging. This episode is almost 80 years old, and testing did not have to be specified in the script then, but they would be expected among today’s listening audience. Gillespie gets away with being non-specific, but partly because there was little to be specific about, and it adds a little to the mystery of the story. It is a bit unsatisfying to a modern listener who knows that bad test results results in more tests and imaging and possible hospitalization. Gillespie does not explain why the wife went through the same medical testing. Despite this explanatory flaw, stick with the story, as it is still a worthwhile listen.
Horace Willard plays the porter on the train to Chicago. He has rarely had as many lines in as many scenes as he does in this episode. He is never heard on Suspense after the Roma Wines sponsorship ends. In fact, he just seems to disappear from radio. He was profiled in the blogpost for Cross-Eyed Bear https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/03/1943-09-16-cross-eyed-bear.html
There are two surviving network recordings but their region is not known, and there is a surviving Armed Forces Radio Service recording (#160). Of the network recordings, one is direct to network ID at the end (“dirID”) and the other is 20 seconds to ID (“20s”). The AFRS recording is derived from the “dirID” broadcast. Times are approximate.
dirID 26:33 “Huh? Oh, uh… some woman… she jumped”
20s 26:27 “Huh? Oh… some… some woman… she jumped”
AFRS 23:40 “Huh? Oh, uh… some woman… she jumped”
The “dirID” recording is in the best sound of the three.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP460620
THE CAST
JUNE DUPREZ (Melissa Thornton), Bill Johnstone (Martin Thornton), Wally Maher (Doctor), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice / Train conductor), Horace Willard (Train porter), Jerry Hausner (Interne), Peggy Rea? (Nurse)
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