What happens
John Ashcroft Allison, the gate superintendent of a traveling carnival set up in the rubble of postwar Vienna, is a man who lives by schemes and borrowed names. When a wallet is stolen at the carnival and its owner's letter of credit turns up in his hands, Allison begins to plot a way to collect the money. His friend Joey, a small-time crook, tries to get a share of the scheme, while Lily, who works the gas stand, is drawn toward Allison's promises of a better life. The story is part of the Escape radio series, first broadcast on September 11, 1954, and this episode is the second part of the carnival story.
A traveling carnival set up in the rubble of postwar Vienna, with its midway, rides, and trailers.
Characters: John Ashcroft Allison, Joey, Lily, Anna, Paul Max Wallace
Listen for: Allison's efforts to pass himself off as the owner of the letter of credit, and the tension between him and Joey as Joey tries to claim a share.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.