Christopher Bell, a wealthy and aging Londoner, travels to the Swiss Alps and attempts to climb the west face of the Shaliok Glacier. Earlier in the episode, a series of conversations with his guide, his valet, his office clerk and a bus conductor reveal that Bell has recently been troubled by a health problem and has grown withdrawn. Hanging from the ice in peril, he hears a distant call for help and finds himself drawn back into action. Escape is a radio drama series, and this episode is an adaptation of C. E. Montague's story Action, broadcast in 1948. The cast includes Joseph Kearns as Christopher Bell, Louis Van Ruten as Dr. Golan and Joan Banks as Mrs. Golan.
Characters: Christopher Bell, Jean-Paul Duval, Madame Gaspard, Matthew Braff, John Huxford, Jenkins, Anna Golan, Dr. Theodore Golan
The transcript of “035- Action -Berry Kroeger”, an episode of Escape first broadcast April 4, 1948. Press a time to play from that line (a 60-second preview; Potato Plus plays it all). Escape plays Escape free, live around the clock. Search inside this transcript.
Transcript
Tired from a strenuous weekend? Spring fever give you the wanderlust? Want to get away from it all? We offer you escape! You are hanging by your fingertips on the sheer face of a nice cliff.
So spend a thousand feet above instant death with your strength running out. And with no chance for escape. Escape! Designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure.
Tonight, we escaped to the cold loneliness of a glacier high in the Swiss Alps, and to a man who learned much about death, as told in CE Montague's grim story, action, I am the Swiss Alps, well above 12,000 feet.
A man clings with desperation to the frozen glass wall of the shaliok glacier, Hands and feet jammed into shallow steps, chopped an iron hard ice. A cold wind drives a spray of dusty sleet along the overhanging wall, and the sun has fallen away among the crags to the west.
Darkness lies one hour ahead. The man has climbed with painful care of thousand feet up the glacier's face from the broken moraine at the foot, and is moved now under the underside of a great bulge in the ice.
A part of the wall which breaks out beyond the perpendicular, and the man is forced to hang from slots cut by his axe much as a sloth hangs from a tree branch. Twelve more feet lie between him and the brow of the overhang.
Six more steps to be chopped out with the axe, and a thousand feet devoid space waits beneath him. A man is unable to lift his heavy axe for even one more stroke. He's tired, and he's 52 years old.
…
What his answer would be. My wife and I discussed that before she went out to join him. You may have heard of my wife, incidentally. Though it would likely have been under the stage name she uses in the Paris theatre.
You see, she's quite a talented actress. This is produced and directed by Norman McDonald, and tonight brought to you action by C.E. Mottigeu, adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield and featuring Joseph Kearns as Christopher Bell and Eric Rolf as the voice.
With Louis Van Ruten as Dr. Golan, Martin Mitrovich as Greta, Jeff Corey as Braff, Ray Lawrence as Huxford, Barry Kroger as Jenkins, and Joan Banks as Mrs. Golan. The musical score was conceived and conducted by Wilbur Hatch.
Next week... You are in mid-ocean. A boarded jinx ship. Already three men have died. And you know that some malignant force is aimed at you. And you cannot... escape. Next week, escape with Joseph Conrad's great story, The Brute.
Read the full transcript with Potato Plus
92 more paragraphs, about 2 more minutes of the episode. Potato Plus is every episode on demand from any moment, every transcript in full and unlimited transcript search, for $5 a month.
Stupid Potato
Join Potato Plus