Suspense: 05/03/51, episode 426
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project
Rosalind Russell returns to the series in a fine performance that involves a newlywed couple and their strange honeymoon. The bride and groom are each in mortal fear of the other, in a very odd circumstance. Russell’s husband is played by Sheldon Leonard, author of the story. The story was adapted by Antony Ellis. Russell and Leonard are superb together in this very dark presentation.
The broadcast opens with the husband carrying his wife over the doorstep of their honeymoon cottage. Their wedding was just one day after the bride was acquitted of the murder of her grandfather, from whom she inherited a large amount of money. We hear her stream of consciousness narrative where she talks to her grandfather about being surprised about the money and that she regretted not telling him how she met her new husband. The story continues in normal first person narrative but still has some flashbacks implying some abusive childhood discipline by her grandfather that is the main reason for his murder.
Before they are even unpacked, they have a visit from a newspaper reporter who still believes that she killed her father and that her husband helped her. He tells them he’s working on a big feature story about how she holds her husband's life in her hands because, while she could never be tried again for the same crime, a word from her to the police could send the husband to the electric chair. You realize that they did conspire to murder the grandfather, but, unknown to them, he had a terminal illness, and the evil actions would have been “needed.” Their act created a lack of mutual trust, and it meant they deserved their mutually selfish misery. The surprise ending is how she exacts a strange self-destructive revenge on her new husband. The title of the episode from the nursery rhyme’s ending certainly fulfills the next line of “and down will come baby, cradle and all,” if one uses “cradle” as a metaphor for their new and combative marriage.
The CBS publicity release mentions Leonard’s authorship and that he “thoughtfully included a male lead” that hew said was “made to order for me.” While he played tough guys in film roles, he was usually in a comedic role on radio. Those included Jack Benny’s horse race track “tout,” Judy Canova's boyfriend, “Joe Crunchmiller,” and Phil Harris’ friend “Grogan.” His previous Suspense role was for the excellent episode, Feast of the Furies of 1946-07-11. Leonard became a very successful television producer in the 1960s.
The episode has some of the wow and flutter issues that are common to the 1951 recordings that become obvious as it nears the drama’s concluding music.
The cast:
ROSALIND RUSSELL (Evelyn Striker), Sheldon Leonard (Harry Stryker), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice / Corcoran / Doctor), Barney Phillips (Kahn the Policeman), Jeffrey Silver (Delivery Boy)
COMMERCIAL: Bert Holland (Hap), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)
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