Suspense: Very Much Like a Nightmare (#385) LQ
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 2024-03-30

Suspense: 05/25/50, episode 385
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

Dennis O’Keefe portrays an employee who falls asleep at his desk, sleeps through the end of the workday, and when he wakes discovers that a burglary is in progress. He had returned to work after some sick days for the flu but took enough “stay awake” pills to function. He was getting tired as the afternoon wore on and was given a project to finish before the end of the workday. He would take one just one more to make it through to the end of the workday. But then he mistakenly takes a dose of his sleep aid prescription and falls asleep. He wakes up at 2:15 in the morning!

He tries to make sense of things as he wanders around the dark office. It’s not long before he realizes that a woman is murdered by the burglars. When he tries to call the police, one of the robbers surprises him and forces an end the call. His worried wife calls at 3:00 am, and the tough guys let him answer in fear that if he doesn’t, someone may come searching for him unless he tells the caller he’s okay. He does his best to convey that he’s in trouble with some small talk that the wife realizes makes no sense. It succeeds as a ruse and does not make the robbers more suspicious than they were. She knows to call for help on his behalf. There’s some gunplay and a scuffle, and (spoiler alert) police sirens can be heard faintly in the background.

The script was written by M. Carl Holman and John Michael Hayes. Both were about 31 years old and had started their careers in newspapers, though independently. Their careers would take interesting diversions. Hayes’ radio work caught the interest of Universal, and by the end of the 1950s, he had written screenplays for four Hitchcock films. Hayes and “Hitch” would have a falling out, but Hayes would continue his writing career. Holman was in academia as a college professor. He earned his master's degree from Yale with the support of a creative writing scholarship. His college teaching career would continue, but he gradually became active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. He became a leader in the National Urban Coalition. He served in the organization's leadership from its founding until his death in 1988. His work in civil rights won him great acclaim; the organization he helped found is still active today. It is not known how Holman and Hayes were paired for the story, if they knew each other or had common acquaintance, or if someone from CBS writing department or the Suspense staff facilitated the collaboration.

It is not among the best Suspense scripts, for sure, but it is a good listen. Sound quality may play a role in its enjoyment and appreciation. There are two surviving recordings of this episode, and both are in disappointing sound quality. They have never been available in good sound. Over the years, many collectors have attempted to “fix” the recordings and sometimes did more damage than good. It is hoped that different discs may be discovered at some time so new recordings can be made. The network recording is slightly better than the Armed Forces Radio Service recording. Both leave a lot to be desired and require more attentive listening than usual.

Donald O’Connor was originally planned for the starring role, but became unavailable.

The cast:
DENNIS O’KEEFE (Barclay McClain), Jerry Hausner (Eddie / 1st Man), Yvonne Peattie (Marie Dupree), Joan Banks (Catherine Warriner), Jack Edwards (Farris / Elevator Operator), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice / Gillman / Police Officer), Mike Barrett (Miss Tyler / Operator), Jay Novello (Joe), Howard McNear (Albert / 2nd Man), John Dehner (Petey)

COMMERCIAL: Ken Christy (Hap), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)

For more information visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/03/1950-05-25-very-much-like-nightmare.html