Crime Classics: "The Axe and the Droot Family: How They Fared" 8/10/53
A woman inherits a small amount from her father--she won't get the big bucks unless her two brothers happen to pass away. So she and her husband try to arrange for the brothers to pass away sooner rather than later.
The dialogue in this episode is really fun to listen to. The tale is set in the Dutch region of Pennsylvania in the 1790s and the rhythm and grammer of the various characters catch the time and place perfectly.
Like most Crime Classics episodes, there's a dark, dry humor running through the story, most of it provided by the narrator. There's also a hilarous sequence in which several unsuccessful attempts are made to do in the younger of the two brothers. He keeps surviving through sheer dumb luck while remaining completely oblivious to the fact that someone is trying to kill him.
It's too bad Crime Classics had such a short run--it had a wonderful grasp of the elasticity and variety of the English language--reflected in the dialogue and narration--that made it one of the best efforts of 1950s radio. And considering the number of quality shows that ran during the 1950s, that's really saying something.
Click HERE to listen or download.
I downloaded it from the OTR website, however the direct link you have to it is dead. Thanks for making me aware of it though.
ReplyDeleteFixed it.
Delete