This “one-man-show” of the famous A.M. Burrage short story is presented for a second time on the series. The first broadcast was in 1947, and it has an interesting history. It was originally planned to star Alfred Hitchcock! Wiser heads prevailed, and after many delays, the 1947-03-20 broadcast featured Claude Rains. That production is unfortunately missing; the only hope may be that an Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) recording might be found.
Nine years later, William Conrad has the opportunity to put his talents on display in a superb performance filled with action, subtlety, and nuance. What is most amazing about it is that the broadcast was done live in a period where there was growing reliance on tape recording. Listen to the recording and the music carefully. It is quite an achievement. The March 1959 production, however, would be pre-recorded.
The story is very basic; it’s the detailed descriptions of the scenes and conversations that make it special. A freelance newspaper writer is looking to get some attention by staying overnight, alone, at a famous wax museum. They have a special display of vicious murderers, named “Murderer’s Den.” Since they are wax figures, nothing can happen. One wax figure is just like another, and they are inanimate objects. The museum curator agrees, wanting the benefit of the publicity, with the reporter promising to “make it gruesome… with just a saving touch of humor.” For that, the owner will pay him 5 pounds; that would be $385 in US$2025. Overnight, the reporter’s mind runs away with him. He confronts a French serial killer, Dr. Bourdette, known for slashing his victim’s throats. He is convinced the Doctor and his attack, are real. There is only gruesome; there is no touch of humor. We learn in the closing narration that the reporter likely scared himself of fright, and was found expired the next day, with the waxwork of Dr. Bourdette looking on.
The production had virtually no publicity by CBS. The Waxwork may have been a fill-in production for The Man Who Threw Acid that was originally planned for this date. That episode, loosely based on the national news story of the vicious acid attack of prominent labor union reporter Victor Reisel, would be delayed multiple times. The attackers were still being hunted by the authorities, and it is likely that CBS attorneys were reluctant to give their permission for the broadcast. Because this was a second broadcast, the script and musical scores were already available. It is likely that Conrad was happy with the challenge the script offered.
The original short story was by A.M. Burrage and was adapted for the 1947 broadcast by Mel Dinelli. This performance by Conrad used the same script, but there were new edits and other changes to the Rains script when this broadcast is compared to that. There are multiple copies of the 1947 script at different stages of revision, and the Conrad production uses some of the text that was edited out in 1947 and some text was removed in 1956. Conrad also ad libs certain words and asides to make the dialogue flow more naturally.
This broadcast is also one where the superior use of music in Suspense is very evident. It is sometimes said that the orchestra should be considered a character in the story just like any other actor. Between Conrad’s performance and the music to intensify the emotion, this is an exceptional performance. The music is likely the very same arrangements used for the 1947 broadcast.
A.M. Burrage wrote in many different genres in the early 1900s, often under a pen name. When he wrote about his experiences in World War I, he used the name “Ex-Private X.” He was better known in these early years for his fiction work in history and romance, often targeted at teenage and young adults. The Waxwork was published in 1931 and has been featured in many ghost and horror anthologies. It was not until late in his career that he was best known for his works in these kinds of stories. Burrage passed away seven months after this broadcast, on December 18, 1956.
The story was produced on radio multiple times, Suspense three times, likely on Murder by Experts 1951-01-08 (has not been fully verified), on Lights Out, and Sleep No More. This story or an altered rendition of it was broadcast on the Suspense television series on 1952-09-16 as The Return of Dr. Bourdette. The story was offered on the Lights Out television series as well. A more polished presentation was in the fourth season of Alfred Hitchcock Presents on 1959-04-12.
In 1945, there were many newspaper references to Myrna Loy starring in a Suspense presentation of this story. This was changed to the Cornell Woolrich story, Library Book. It is not known if the Loy presentation was a mistake in CBS publicity or if it was actually under consideration. Now newspaper or trade publications indicated such casting was being planned.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP560501
THE CAST
William Conrad (ALL PARTS: Raymond Hewson + Narrator + Wax Museum Manager + Dr. Burdette), George Walsh (Suspense Narrator), Roy Rowan (CBS Announcer)
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