John McIntire stars in another story that involves prison life written by Jules Maitland, formerly of San Quentin. He plays a prisoner, Ben, who is really tired of his stay, and has figured a way to sneak out. The key person is a young inmate about to be paroled who is also a server at Sunday Mass offered by the Catholic chaplain. He learns the chaplain’s schedule and habits, including that of the young soon-to-be parolee who always helps carry the chaplain’s belongings whenever he leaves the prison. On a very rainy day when wearing the necessary heavier clothing and head covering that can obscure someone’s identity, Ben decides to subdue the chaplain, take his obviously recognizable clothes, and wear them out through security. He coerces the young man to help him. But Ben forgets something very important.
This is a good story, not very complex, that benefits from Maitland’s first hand experience. It is not a top Suspense episode, but it holds interest throughout and has a good payoff at the end.
The term “galoshes” is not used as often as it used to be. Many shoes are now considered “all weather” and have some protection from rainwater and other aspects of wet weather. These rubberized overshoes were more common decades ago. It was common for men to have a good pair of dress shoes and, because they were so expensive, would always have galoshes at the ready to protect the shoes in bad weather.
The program was recorded on Wednesday, June 18, 1958. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and recording commenced at 4:30pm. It continued, with some in-studio edits, until 6:00pm. Final production edits were done from 6:00 to 8:00pm.
No network recording has survived. Two of the ad spots were for GMC Trucks and the Savings & Loan industry. Two ad spots were allocated closer to broadcast day.
An Armed Forces Radio Service recording (AFRS#986) has survived and is in excellent sound. It replaces previous recordings that were heavily edited airchecks from an Armed Forces Radio station that were in low quality sound.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP580629
THE CAST
JOHN McINTIRE (Ben Reeves), Barney Phillips (Pop the Partner), Tommy Cook (Dominic), Norm Alden (Usher / 1st Con / Tower Guard), Jim Nusser (2nd Con / Cell Guard), Jay Novello (Chaplain O’Dea / Voice), Jack Moyles (Guard at Gate / 2nd Voice), George Walsh (Narrator)
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