This Antony Ellis script is marvelously performed by Parley Baer as a tired, henpecked husband who decides to take his wife on a fishing trip. That is, she’s in a trunk, bound and gagged, and he’ll be disposing her body in a lake. It’s not a spoiler alert if you suspect you’re going to be pranked, and it seems that way almost from the start. The situations the husband encounters in the effort to implement his plan forces him to be flexible and resilient, even among the slightest changes. His excuses to others become more and more unlikely. The ending is still a surprise even though you know something is up.
It is one of the most surprising and delightful stories of the Ellis period and of the entire series, despite its unseemly topic. What makes it so is that Parley Baer is so very good in the role as the husband with the dastardly plan. He seems so nonplussed in the beginning of it all, but as he encounters obstacles that he really should have known about, his frustrations become amusing.
One of the online reviewers, however, has an opposite opinion of the story, and comments that the
… story is a pretty unpleasant one. It has also dated badly. The plot centers on a man who wishes to kill his wife, but the episode seems to expect the audience to sympathize with him, rather than her, because she is -- or, at least, is presented as -- an overbearing nag. This is why the episode feels very old-fashioned, and quite mean-spirited… Yet the final nail in the story's coffin is that - SPOILER ALERT! - it has a terrible ending…
The listener ultimately decides. The hobby’s general affection for Parley Baer and his happy and generous demeanor, known well by classic radio fans who met him through the years, make this role reversal funny in and of itself. Perhaps the delight in the real-life Baer is what really makes this story so appealing. A listener who does not have that experience or angle would therefore find it harsh and angry.
This program was recorded on Monday, January 16, 1956. The session began at 2:00pm, announcing and narration, and music, were recorded between 3:30 and 5:30pm. The drama was recorded between 5:00 and 6:30pm.
The full network broadcast of this episode is available in excellent sound. Prior recordings tended to have narrow range or background buzz, or both. This recording has none of those flaws that affected enjoyment of the performances. It can now be appreciated in full. The program was released by the Armed Forces Radio Service as AFRS#561. Unfortunately, only part one of that recording is available at this time.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP560207
THE CAST
Parley Baer (Herman Milford), Paula Winslowe (Mrs. Jo Milford), Helen Kleeb (Louise), Barbara Fuller (Julie), Sam Edwards (William), George Walsh (Train Guard / Narrator), Peter Leeds (Driver / Butterfield)
###
