This broadcast is the first “truly new” hour-long script for Suspense. The prior episodes in this period were half hour scripts that were joined to make a full hour with little adjustment to the original storylines (The Kandy Tooth, originally presented on The Adventures of Sam Spade in two episodes, and Donovan’s Brain, originally presented in two parts on Suspense). The others were scripts that were expanded from their earlier use in the series. How strange: the 60-minute initiative was started in a big rush of activity and enthusiasm, and there were no suitable original scripts. It was expedient to expand earlier scripts employing of the writing and adapting talent Spier recruited for both Suspense and Sam Spade. Only now, after the Auto-Lite deal is done, were any true original 60-minute scripts available. Perhaps the title “Beyond Reason” is just as apt for the bedlam of Suspense management as it is for this episode’s story.
The story stars Ruth Warrick and Robert Ryan. The script was by Devery Freeman. He had a long and very successful career as a writer, novelist, screenwriter, broadcast executive, and producer. He played a key role in the forming of the Writers Guild. In his WW2 service, he was a co-founder of the Navy unit of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
This is the first Suspense broadcast produced by Anton M. Leader. His tenure would continue through the first full season of the Auto-Lite sponsorship.
A pedestrian man dies in when a car strikes him down, and he leaves his estate to his three daughters. There is a large area of undeveloped land that is left in the will. The man’s business partner wants to develop the land. Ruth Warrick’s character (Vangie, short for “Evangeline”) ends up being courted by him. For what reason? To get the property? She’s suspicious. They eventually learn that the partnership did not begin until just before the father was killed in the accident. He had never had a partner before. Nonetheless, Vangie marries the partner in Las Vegas. The young sister is irked at the situation… and she is found dead! This very strange man is disrupting the family and his motives are suspect for everything he does. A gas heater that is set up incorrectly almost kills Vangie. Something’s wrong but there’s still broadcast time to fill. Is Vangie to blame, with a psychological disorder that compels her to create accidents as a means to suicide? Or is that a convenient, concocted alibi for him to get away for murder?
This production drags, suffering from a lack of urgency and an absence of building danger or tension. The 30-minute format did not allow for such issues; by its very nature it forced urgency into the scripts. They had to be crisp, and clear, and not belabor events or themes.
One of the problems with this episode is the casting and performance of Robert Ryan. The character is supposed to be confusing to the listeners. Is he sincere and caring or cold and calculating? Instead of being convincing in walking that fine line, the performance is uninspired. In discussing it with researcher Keith Scott, he said it seems more like a table reading of the script before a full rehearsal.
There are some recordings of this broadcast that have a clipped opening. Keith advised that there was a chip in the edge of the first transcription. The recording here is complete, indicating that there was another attempt at a different time to record that section of the disc and it was successful.
This is the sole appearance of Ruth Warrick on Suspense. In more recent decades, Warrick was known for her long run in the ABC television soap opera All My Children. But her career was much greater than that. Her film career began with Citizen Kane and then appeared in other Welles projects. Her film, stage, and television career was long and varied. An overview is available at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Warrick
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP480221
THE CAST
ROBERT RYAN (Harry Newton), RUTH WARRICK (Vangie Carr), Joan Banks (Grace Carr), Berry Kroeger (Witness / Gurney), Harald Dyrenforth (Dr. Rupert), Bill Johnstone (Signature Voice / Leonard Walden), Franc Hale (Aunt Martha), Dick Ryan (Lawyer / Erin, the gardener), Peggy Webber (Suzie Carr), Gail Bonney (Bystander)
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