John Hodiak returns to the series in another script by effects artist Ross Murray. A raging oil fire has to be stopped by the well owner when a fire fighting expert is not able to help him. Hodiak plays a “wildcatter,” and independent well owner, with many failed “dry holes” in the past. His investors are becoming very impatient and want to stop funding his efforts. He finally brings in a real gusher, only to see it burst into an inferno of flame. As a geyser of flame mounts in the sky, he sends out a desperate SOS for the one man who may have a chance to put it out, a man named Burnette. He’s a specialist in fighting large oil fires. But Burnette is away, and the wildcatter decides to battle the fire himself. He has no experience beyond being in the oil business for a long time, but he is intent on using what he learned and knows and decides to take that risk. Dynamite appears to offer the only hope, but there seems no way to plant it without being roasted alive. Unable to bear the sight of his precious well going up in smoke, he moves in with the explosive charge. One of his workers tries to keep him from being seared with a constant spray of water from a high-pressure hose.
Martin Grams had a conversation with Ross Murray about this script when he was compiling his Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills book, published in 1998. Murray talked about how he got the idea for the plot. “I read a story of Red Adair or his predecessor, who went to Saudi Arabia to put out an oil well fire. I thought about how interesting it would be if some little old wildcat in Texas had his single oil well catch fire, and couldn't get a hold of the professional, and what would he do to put it out himself.” (Martin had sent Murray a letter… and they talked by phone. How lucky he was 25+ years ago that there were still performers and artists around who could answer his queries).
The dramatic portion of the episode was recorded on Thursday, September 10, 1953. Rehearsal began at 10:00am, and the recording was done from 2:30pm to 3:00pm.
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https://archive.org/details/TSP530928
THE CAST
JOHN HODIAK (Wally Drake), Joseph Kearns (Smiley), Clayton Post (Pete), Charlotte Lawrence (Dorothy Drake), Jerry Hausner (Collins), Junius Matthews (Hotchkiss), Herb Butterfield (MacLain), Dick Ryan (Whitey), Larry Thor (Narrator)
COMMERCIAL: Tom Holland (Hap), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)
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