What happens
In 1846, Patrick Breen records in his diary the decisions of a stranded emigrant party in the Sierra Nevada. Edmund O'Brien stars in this Suspense episode, broadcast by CBS on November 2, 1953, and produced by Elliot Lewis. Caught by early snow after a failed attempt to cross the pass, the families debate whether to push on or stay in their makeshift cabins. Food runs short, tempers fray, and disputes break out over the few supplies that remain. As the snow deepens and the camp weakens, Breen keeps his record of the days, the storms, and the people around him.
A snowbound emigrant camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, 1846 to 1847
Characters: Patrick Breen, Mr. Eddie, Mr. Donner, Mr. Graves, Mrs. Reed, Mr. Keasberg, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Williams
Listen for: Breen's diary entries read aloud, the vote over whether to attempt the pass again, and the arguments over food and shelter in the snowbound cabins
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.