What happens
Helen, a young mute servant at the Warren house, is pursued by a killer who has been murdering disabled women in the town. Dr. Perry, who has grown fond of her, urges her to leave the house for her safety. Tensions rise between Professor Warren, his half brother Stephen, and Blanche, the professor's secretary, as the household grows increasingly uneasy. This is a radio adaptation of the 1946 film Spiral Staircase, presented on the Screen Director's Playhouse series on 1949-11-25. Dorothy McGuire reprises her film role as Helen, and John Dana plays Dr. Perry.
A country house in a small New England town, during a rainy November
Characters: Helen, Dr. Perry, Professor Warren, Stephen, Mrs. Warren, Blanche, Ellen, Mrs. Oates
Listen for: Helen's silent struggle to be heard, and the rising tension as the household's secrets come out
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.