Suspense favorite Van Heflin returns to the show in a Lou Huston script. Heflin plays an opportunistic low-life, with no money and no scruples. He’s hitch-hiking in the Arizona desert when a driver on the highway suddenly stops when he realizes Heflin’s character has a strikingly similar resemblance to him. He gets in the car and they’re headed to California. The driver says he’s going to Santa Barbara to visit his only living relative, a wealthy, elderly, and frail aunt. They haven't seen since each other since childhood, and he thinks he’s going to to inherit a lot of money once she dies. This sounds too good to be true, as Heflin’s character starts thinking about how he can get in on the deal by impersonating the driver. The driver has no clue this is going on, even as he is quizzed about the smallest details of his past life. He’s being pumped for all the information to swindle the old woman. It’s obvious what’s next… the driver is killed and buried in the desert. The story continues… and he plot is creepily implemented. But there’s a surprise fact revealed at the conclusion that gives the story a Whistler-like ending.
Heflin delivers his usual fine radio performance. The script is okay, but does not challenge his talents in any way approaching Three O’Clock.
The original title of this script was “Murder of My Aunt.” It was likely changed to not cause confusion with the Richard Hull novel of the same name. It was the popular British author’s first book, published in 1934.
Writer Lou Huston would have a very successful career in television, especially writing rural comedies such as Petticoat Junction. The script cover has a typo, spelling Lou Huston’s name as “Lou Houston.”
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP491110
THE CAST
VAN HEFLIN (Dort Sharples), Ted Von Eltz (Glendon Braley), Jeanne Tatum (Rena), Jane Morgan (Delia Farnum), Howard McNear (Bryce Crittenden), Paul Frees (Signature Voice)
COMMERCIAL: Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)
###
