John Lund stars as a mystery writer with a challenging case of writers block. He’s hired a typist, an older woman who has just moved into town. They settle on a price for the work, and he gives her his notes as he develops the story. Then he never sees her any more, he drops off his work, and when it’s completed he has to pick it up at the front desk. He asks the strange elevator operator why, and he always has an excuse for her. (At this time, the elevator operator was usually clued in to all kinds of goings on in small office buildings). He says that she isn't in one time and has a different excuse another time, but the manuscripts are always delivered and returned typed. The operator is so odd, and the circumstance so confusing that he begins to think that his experiences might be the basis for a story, and break his block. All he needs is to come up with some facts around the events, like supposing that the typist was murdered, and that the operator did it. Then he had to figure out why those characters would behave the way they do, and what motives they had. He’s still not getting where he needs to be in the flow of a storyline, so he starts to do a little research on the actual lives and experiences of his characters. When the elevator operator comments on the manuscript that’s been typed… and offers advice for a better story… he wonders if things are even more weird than he first thought. When his storyline speculations start seeming like fact, he realizes he might be in some big trouble. And then there’s the scene at the bottom of the elevator shaft...
Lund’s narrative sections is well-delivered compared to those of other actors whose scripts were similarly structured. Lloyd Nolan had a very difficult time of it in one of his appearances, for example, but Lund’s is exciting and builds interest in the plot. He moves from narrative to dialogue smoothly, especially during the very active scenes where he needs to switch back and forth quickly.
This is not a Suspense classic but it is a very entertaining listen. It’s even better when you just know the elevator operator is the culprit, because the surprise is how odd this man is, not that he commits an evil act. (Oh, spoiler alert, but you should know by now if a story doesn’t include a butler, there’s a good chance it’s the elevator operator in some manner).
There’s a part of the script that might seem unintelligible during the concluding scenes in the elevator shaft. Grecklen, the elevator operator, yells at Lund’s character at the 23:45 mark. A working draft script says “And you were way off on my name. It's really Al Jones!” The final script changed it to “And you were wrong on my name. It's Al Jones!” Al Jones? Yes. No reason for that name selection because of an inside joke or other reason can be found. It’s just a name. (Many thanks for that clarification go to Mary Huelsbeck, Assistant Director at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research where the William Spier scripts are archived).
The script is by “William Idelson” whom we know better in classic radio as “Bill” or “Billy,” and his sister, Mary Castle. She is not the actress Mary Castle, but is Mary Idelson, who was about seven years older than Bill. Her different last name, as best as can be determined, was from a prior marriage but the best guess is that she was divorced at this time because she is referred to in non-radio newspaper clips as “Miss Mary Castle.” Bill was about 31 at the time of this broadcast, and she was about 38 and teaching at a drama school. Bill was a multitalented performer and writer, who had an early career success in radio as Rush in the Vic and Sade series. He was one of the constantly busy and fondly regarded performers in Hollywood, in radio, movies, and television. He also became a director and producer. He is often remembered as a character on the Dick Van Dyke Show. He played the beau of Sally Rogers, “Herman Glimscher.” Rogers was played by Rose Marie, always looking for a marriage prospect; he was always looking for the approval of his mother before he proposed marriage. Idelson was also a teacher and writer of books about the entertainment business and how to write scripts for it.
“The Shortest Way Home,” described as “a thriller” by Christopher Davis in the newspaper listings, was originally planned for this date. No information can be found about this story or this writer (or if the name is a pseudonym). It appears that the story never made it to the air.
Some collectors accidentally confuse the title of this episode with the 1945-08-02 A Man in the House. The stories have nothing in common.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP500511
THE CAST
JOHN LUND (Bert Freeland), Wilms Herbert (Gracklen the Elevator Man), Lurene Tuttle (Miss Markham), Joe Kearns (George / Cab Driver / Signature Voice), William Conrad (Policeman)
COMMERCIAL: Ken Christy (Hap), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)
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