Escape

 

 

Through the stirring notes of Moussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain comes the gripping voice of William Conrad booming out over the airwaves:

 

Tired of the everyday grind? 

Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? 

Want to get away from it all? 

We offer you - ESCAPE!

 

ESCAPE: designed to free you from the four walls of today

for a half hour of high adventure!

 

Escape was heard on CBS from July 1947 to September 1954. 

There were two pilot shows before the series proper began: The anthology program: Out Of This World featured "Dead of Night" on February 28, 1947.  This show was repeated as Escape on March 21 before the normal series began with Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King on 7th July.

 

Escape featured spine-tingling escapist adventure tales from such masters as Joseph Conrad (The Brute & Typhoon), Arthur Conan Doyle (The Lost Special & The Ring of Thoth), Edgar Allen Poe (Fall Of The House Of Usher), Roald Dahl (Poison), Alexandre Dumas (The Second Shot), F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Diamond as Big as The Ritz), H. Rider Haggard (She), W. Somerset Maugham (The Out Station &The Vessel of Wrath), Robert Louis Stevenson (The Sire de Maletroit's Door & The Young Man with the Cream Tarts), Percival Wren (Beau Geste) & H. G. Wells (Country of the Blind, Dream of Armegeddon, The Man Who Could Work Miracles & The Time Machine).

Modern authors also featured extensively across a broad range of genres including: Eric Ambler (Journey into Fear), Ray Bradbury (The Earthmen, Mars is Heaven & Zero Hour), Graham Greene (Confidential Agent & Orient Express), Geoffrey Household (The Fortune of Vargas, A Rough Shoot, & Taboo), Hammond Innes (Killer Mine), Jack London (The Scarlet Plague), Richard Connell (The Most Dangerous Game) and Harry Rieseberg (Port Royal).

 

Escape also provided first time productions of what were to prove legendary radio adaptations: Three Skeleton Key, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Leinengen vs. the Ants, A Shipment of Mute Fate & Evening Primrose

It was produced by William N. Robeson (later Norman McDonald) and featured many seasoned radio actors: Jack Webb, William Conrad, Paul Frees, Jay Novello, Jeff Corey & Harry Bartell

 

With a deft mixture of classic and contemporary tales combined with solid scripts, excellent acting and high production values, Escape is remembered as one of the very best radio action/adventure series. During parts of the series, the broadcast day was different on the East and West Coast.  Although the same scripts were used for both east and west cost shows, there was one big difference: the west coast versions used organ music in place of the full orchestra of the east coast versions.

 

In all there are 182 different stories from the series proper which have survived and they are included here on this 4 CD set - repeat programs aren't counted (in the 182) and nor are they included - in cases where East and West Coast versions of the same show were available, preference was given the East Coast (ie orchestra) editions.

However in 34 programs, organ music is used (as the corresponding orchestra version hasn't survived). The single episodes (1948-03-06 The Grove of Ashtaroff & 1953-10-11 Elementals), a run of 15 episodes (from 1948-07-04 A Tooth for Paul Revere to 1949-04-23 The Great Impersonation, inclusive) and a further sequence of 17 episodes (from 1950-04-07 Ambassador of Poker to 1950-08-25 Crossing Paris, inclusive) have the organ. With repeat broadcasts preference was given to the earlier treatment but in a few cases, later ones were chosen because of a better base sound quality.

 

All episodes have been carefully restored to very nice clarity however 2 episodes are a bit less so (but still quite "listenable"): 1950-03-31 Green Splotches & 1953-01-18 A Matter of Conscience.

 

In 1977 an attempted resurrection (reinvention?) of Escape occurred with the broadcast of new version of a previously lost episode from 1953: The Blue Room

This was a one-off which didn't take-off. It is included here along with the two Audition programs.

 

Want to check out an episode? - why not "taste & try"?

The episode available for download below is a beauty! - from the pen of Geoffrey Household (he also wrote Rogue Male) comes The Fortune of Vargas, an exciting piece of escapism complete with exotic locales, wild action and a savage denouement - and starring Hollywood actor Victor Mature

 

This episode can be freely downloaded to your computer - just right button click on any link below and chose "Download Linked File" (or words to that effect). The file is on an average about 21Mb - download time will depend on your (broadband) speed

 

ESC_1949-09-21 The Fortune of Vargas.mp3

 

 

These 4 MP3 CD contains all 182 episodes of Escape

as well as the two Audition & the single Re-creation episodes

Each has been fully & carefully

restored and provides an excellent listening experience

 

A. Escape

 

1.              ESC_1947-07-07 The Man Who Would Be King.mp3

2.              ESC_1947-07-14 Operation Fleur De Lys.mp3

3.              ESC_1947-07-21 The Diamond as Big as the Ritz.mp3

4.              ESC_1947-07-28 Typhoon.mp3

5.              ESC_1947-08-04 Sire De Maltroit's Door.mp3

6.              ESC_1947-08-11 Ring of Thoth.mp3

7.              ESC_1947-08-18 The Fourth Man.mp3

8.              ESC_1947-10-01 The Most Dangerous Game.mp3

9.              ESC_1947-10-15 Shipment of Mute Fate.mp3

10.           ESC_1947-10-22 Fall of the House of Usher.mp3

11.           ESC_1947-10-29 Pollack and the Parrah Man.mp3

12.           ESC_1947-11-05 Evening Primrose.mp3

13.           ESC_1947-11-12 The Young Man with the Cream Tarts.mp3

14.           ESC_1947-11-19 Casting the Runes.mp3

15.           ESC_1947-11-26 Country of the Blind.mp3

16.           ESC_1947-12-03 Taboo.mp3

17.           ESC_1947-12-10 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.mp3

18.           ESC_1947-12-17 Wild Oranges.mp3

19.           ESC_1947-12-24 Back for Christmas.mp3

20.           ESC_1947-12-31 Confession.mp3

21.           ESC_1948-01-07 Second Class Passenger.mp3

22.           ESC_1948-01-14 Leiningen vs the Ants.mp3

23.           ESC_1948-01-21 Papa Benjamin.mp3

24.           ESC_1948-01-28 Three Good Witnesses.mp3

25.           ESC_1948-02-01 The Vanishing Lady.mp3

26.           ESC_1948-02-08  Snake Doctor.mp3

27.           ESC_1948-02-15 Ancient Sorceries.mp3

28.           ESC_1948-02-22 How Love Came to Professor Guildea.mp3

29.           ESC_1948-03-06 The Grove of Ashtaroff.mp3

30.           ESC_1948-03-07 Jimmy Goggles, the God.mp3

31.           ESC_1948-03-14 The Log of the Evening Star.mp3

32.           ESC_1948-03-21 Misfortune's Isle.mp3

33.           ESC_1948-04-04 Action.mp3

34.           ESC_1948-04-11 The Brute.mp3

35.           ESC_1948-04-18 The Drums of the Fore and Aft.mp3

36.           ESC_1948-05-02 John Jack Todd.mp3

37.           ESC_1948-05-09 The Time Machine.mp3

38.           ESC_1948-05-16 The Match.mp3

39.           ESC_1948-06-06 Beau Geste.mp3

40.           ESC_1948-07-04 A Tooth for Paul Revere.mp3

41.           ESC_1948-07-11 She.mp3

42.           ESC_1948-07-18 Habit.mp3

43.           ESC_1948-08-15 The Fugitive.mp3

44.           ESC_1948-08-22 SS San Pedro.mp3

45.           ESC_1948-09-05 Dream of Armegeddon.mp3

46.           ESC_1949-02-12 The Lost Special.mp3

47.           ESC_1949-02-19 Orient Express.mp3

48.           ESC_1949-03-12 He Who Rides the Tiger.mp3

49.           ESC_1949-03-19 Finger of Doom.mp3

50.           ESC_1949-03-26 Adaptive Ultimate.mp3

51.           ESC_1949-04-02 Confidential Agent.mp3

52.           ESC_1949-04-09 When the Man Comes, Follow Him.mp3

53.           ESC_1949-04-16 The General Died at Dawn.mp3

54.           ESC_1949-04-23 The Great Impersonation.mp3

55.           ESC_1949-08-11 Red Wine.mp3

56.           ESC_1949-09-21 The Fortune of Vargas.mp3

57.           ESC_1949-10-22 Night in Havana.mp3

58.           ESC_1949-11-08 Plunder of the Sun.mp3

59.           ESC_1949-11-15 Three Skeleton Key.mp3

60.           ESC_1949-11-22 Maracas.mp3

61.           ESC_1949-11-29 Letter From Jason.mp3

62.           ESC_1949-12-06 Command.mp3

63.           ESC_1949-12-13 Border Town.mp3

64.           ESC_1949-12-20 Figure a Dame.mp3

65.           ESC_1949-12-27 Seeds of Greed.mp3

66.           ESC_1950-01-03 The Pistol.mp3

67.           ESC_1950-01-17 The Sure Thing.mp3

68.           ESC_1950-01-24 Treasure Incorporated.mp3

69.           ESC_1950-01-31 Present Tense.mp3

70.           ESC_1950-02-07 The Outer Limit.mp3

71.           ESC_1950-02-14 Two If by Sea.mp3

72.           ESC_1950-02-21 The Red Mark.mp3

73.           ESC_1950-02-28 The Man Who Won the War.mp3

74.           ESC_1950-03-10 Port Royal.mp3

75.           ESC_1950-03-24 Danger at Matecumbe.mp3

76.           ESC_1950-03-31 Green Splotches.mp3

77.           ESC_1950-04-07 Ambassador of Poker.mp3

78.           ESC_1950-04-14 The Golden Snake.mp3

79.           ESC_1950-04-21 The Shanghai Document.mp3

80.           ESC_1950-04-28 Something for Nothing.mp3

81.           ESC_1950-05-05 The Man Who Stole the Bible.mp3

82.           ESC_1950-05-12 The Rim of Terror.mp3

83.           ESC_1950-05-19 Pass to Berlin.mp3

84.           ESC_1950-06-02 Mars is Heaven.mp3

85.           ESC_1950-06-16 Serenade for a Cobra.mp3

86.           ESC_1950-06-23 Sundown.mp3

87.           ESC_1950-06-30 Blood Bath.mp3

88.           ESC_1950-07-14 Shark Bait.mp3

89.           ESC_1950-07-21 Yellow Wake.mp3

90.           ESC_1950-07-28 Poison.mp3

91.           ESC_1950-08-04 Two Came Back.mp3

92.           ESC_1950-08-18 The Footprint.mp3

93.           ESC_1950-08-25 Crossing Paris.mp3

94.           ESC_1950-10-06 A Sleeping Draught.mp3

95.           ESC_1950-10-13 Roulette.mp3

96.           ESC_1950-10-20 The Power of Hammer.mp3

97.           ESC_1950-11-03 Seven Hours to Freedom.mp3

98.           ESC_1950-11-05 Earth Abides Part 1.mp3

99.           ESC_1950-11-12 Earth Abides Part 2.mp3

100.       ESC_1950-11-19 Journey into Fear.mp3

101.       ESC_1950-11-26 Funeral Fires.mp3

102.       ESC_1950-12-03 This Side of Nowhere.mp3

103.       ESC_1950-12-10 A Passenger to Bali.mp3

104.       ESC_1950-12-17 Wild Jack Rett.mp3

105.       ESC_1950-12-24 The Cave.mp3

106.       ESC_1950-12-31 The Man Who Could Work Miracles.mp3

107.       ESC_1951-01-07 Conquest.mp3

108.       ESC_1951-01-14 A Bullet for Mr Smith.mp3

109.       ESC_1951-02-16 The Killer Mine.mp3

110.       ESC_1951-02-23 The Follower.mp3

111.       ESC_1951-07-11 The Island.mp3

112.       ESC_1951-07-18 Macao.mp3

113.       ESC_1951-07-25 The Earthman.mp3

114.       ESC_1951-08-01 The Gladiator.mp3

115.       ESC_1951-08-08 Up Periscope.mp3

116.       ESC_1951-08-15 Rough Shoot.mp3

117.       ESC_1951-08-22 The Silent Horror.mp3

118.       ESC_1952-10-12 Gringo.mp3

119.       ESC_1952-10-26 Robert of Huntingdon.mp3

120.       ESC_1952-11-02 The Running Man.mp3

121.       ESC_1952-11-16 The Loup-Garon.mp3

122.       ESC_1952-12-07 Incident in Quito.mp3

123.       ESC_1952-12-14 Four Went Home.mp3

124.       ESC_1952-12-21 The Man Who Liked Dickens.mp3

125.       ESC_1953-01-11 Conquerer's Isle.mp3

126.       ESC_1953-01-18 A Matter of Conscience.mp3

127.       ESC_1953-01-25 Diary of a Madman.mp3

128.       ESC_1953-02-01 A Study in Wax.mp3

129.       ESC_1953-02-08 Jetsam.mp3

130.       ESC_1953-02-22 I Saw Myself Running.mp3

131.       ESC_1953-03-01 The Tramp.mp3

132.       ESC_1953-03-15 The Man with the Steel Teeth.mp3

133.       ESC_1953-03-22 Pressure.mp3

134.       ESC_1953-03-29 The Invader.mp3

135.       ESC_1953-04-12 Classified Secret.mp3

136.       ESC_1953-04-19 El Guitarero.mp3

137.       ESC_1953-04-26 The Derelict.mp3

138.       ESC_1953-05-03 Lillie and the Colonel.mp3

139.       ESC_1953-05-10 The Vessel of Wrath.mp3

140.       ESC_1953-05-17 North of Polaris.mp3

141.       ESC_1953-05-31 A Good Thing.mp3

142.       ESC_1953-06-07 The Voyages of Sinbad.mp3

143.       ESC_1953-06-14 Clear for Action.mp3

144.       ESC_1953-06-21 The Far-Away Island.mp3

145.       ESC_1953-07-05 A Source of Irritation.mp3

146.       ESC_1953-07-12 The Out Station.mp3

147.       ESC_1953-07-19 The Open Boat.mp3

148.       ESC_1953-07-26 The Notebook.mp3

149.       ESC_1953-08-02 The Red Forest.mp3

150.       ESC_1953-08-16 The Thirteenth Truck.mp3

151.       ESC_1953-08-23 The Man from Tomorrow.mp3

152.       ESC_1953-08-30 The Game.mp3

153.       ESC_1953-09-06 Train from Obersfeld.mp3

154.       ESC_1953-09-13 The Abominable Snowman.mp3

155.       ESC_1953-09-20 The Log.mp3

156.       ESC_1953-09-27 The Untouchable.mp3

157.       ESC_1953-10-04 Zero Hour.mp3

158.       ESC_1953-10-11 Elementals.mp3

159.       ESC_1954-03-11 The Bird of Paradise.mp3

160.       ESC_1954-03-18 Violent Night.mp3

161.       ESC_1954-03-25 The Second Shot.mp3

162.       ESC_1954-04-01 The Return.mp3

163.       ESC_1954-04-08 The Scarlet Plague.mp3

164.       ESC_1954-04-15 Affair at Mandrake.mp3

165.       ESC_1954-05-06 The Adversary.mp3

166.       ESC_1954-06-03 An Ordinary Man.mp3

167.       ESC_1954-06-10 Benchillina and the Fisherman.mp3

168.       ESC_1954-06-17 Blood Waters.mp3

169.       ESC_1954-06-24 Judgement Day at Crippled Deer.mp3

170.       ESC_1954-07-01 The Dark Wall.mp3

171.       ESC_1954-07-10 The Birds.mp3

172.       ESC_1954-07-17 Eye of Evil.mp3

173.       ESC_1954-07-24 Flood on the Goodwin.mp3

174.       ESC_1954-07-31 Night of the Guns.mp3

175.       ESC_1954-08-07 The Price of the Head.mp3

176.       ESC_1954-08-14 The Coward.mp3

177.       ESC_1954-08-21 Two and Two Make Four.mp3

178.       ESC_1954-08-28 The King of Owanatu.mp3

179.       ESC_1954-09-04 The Boiling Sea.mp3

180.       ESC_1954-09-11 Carnival in Vienna.mp3

181.       ESC_1954-09-18 The Target.mp3

182.       ESC_1954-09-25 The Heart of Kali.mp3

 

 

 

B. Audition and Re-creation Episodes

 

1.              ESC_1947-02-28 Dead of Night (Audition).mp3

2.              ESC_1947-03-21 Dead of Night (Audition).mp3

3.              ESC_1977-10-15 The Blue Hotel (Recreation).mp3

 

 

 

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