Terence De Marney stars in an Antony Ellis story about a Scotland Yard detective who recalls one of his early and stranger cases. It started when he received a letter from a news reporter, Colin Farragut. He described odd meetings with men in bowler hats and his relationship with a woman who was not really attracted to him. She considered him just a convenient date, but he wanted a different and deeper relationship, and resented her sentiments. We start getting suspicious about what’s going on, but it’s all revealed in somewhat of a rush at the end of the broadcast.
It’s here that there is some meaning in the title “sight unseen.” The phrase refers to buying something on the trust in a description of an object without actually seeing or touching it. Or it could refer to only seeing the outside of a house, for example, and not going inside before buying it. The strange combination of words literally means to see something but not see it at the same time, essentially making the phrase an oxymoron. That’s the case with the letter; the letter says one thing, but the story is really something else. In the end, we learn that Farragut is actually a delusional killer, and the letter makes his experiences seem so very common. The strange men in the bowler hats that Farragut is so confused about turn out to be detectives, one of them being that narrator of the story, and they were suspicious of Farragut’s behavior for a while. Spoiler alert? Some of the foundation of the story could have been done better to build suspense and create some shock at the conclusion that the realities behind it. Some of the story is presented in such a matter-of-fact manner that there is really no surprise at the ending, possibly making the production fall flat to some listeners. Understanding this before listening may actually help pick up some clues here and there which may make the story a little more engaging.
De Marney stumbles on dialogue here and there but when it happens it seems quite natural as if a common person were talking to you and not a polished actor.
A new performance of Going, Going, Gone was originally scheduled for this date, but was moved to 1955-05-10. Sight Unseen had no newspaper coverage, indicating that it might have been rushed into the schedule.
There are three recordings of the broadcast, and the network recording is the best, with clear, rich sound. There are two Armed Forces Radio Service recordings (AFRS#530 and AFRS#751) which are good-sounding recordings but do not have full range like the network one does.
This is Terence De Marney’s only appearance on the series. His stage career began in the 1920s in Britain and his film work started in the 1930s. He was also a regular in radio and eventually television. He was usually a supporting player in British and US productions, and one of those actors who fit in the modern-day category of “it’s that guy… who was in that thing…” Not all of his film appearances were credited on screen. The Wikipedia profile has more background about this busy performer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_De_Marney
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP550426
THE CAST
Terence DeMarney (Colin Farragut), Betty Harford (Ellen), John Dodsworth (Inspector Ealing), Richard Peel (Wimper), John Irving (Bill), Richard Aherne (Withers), Charlie Lung (Joe), Eric Snowdon (First Man in Bowler hat), Raymond Lawrence (Second man in Bowler hat), Larry Thor (Narrator)
Richard Peel and Charlie Lung swapped parts, originally scheduled as Wimper and Joe, respectively
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