Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high
adventure.. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor, it
was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets,
although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in
1950.
Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during
its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined
Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with the introduction, intoned
by Paul Frees and William Conrad: “Tired of the everyday routine?
Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from
it all? We offer you... Escape!”
Of the more than 230 Escape episodes, most have survived in good
condition. Many story premises, both originals and adaptations,
involved a protagonist in dire life-or-death straits, and the series
featured more science fiction and supernatural tales than Suspense.
Some of the memorable adaptations include Algernon Blackwood's "Confession",
Ray Bradbury's oft-reprinted "Mars Is Heaven," George R. Stewart's
Earth Abides, Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," F. Scott
Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," John Collier's "Evening
Primrose", later adapted to TV as a Stephen Sondheim musical starring
Anthony Perkins. Vincent Price and Harry Bartell were heard in the
chilling "Three Skeleton Key," the tale of three men trapped in
an isolated lighthouse by thousands of rats. The half-hour was adapted
from an Esquire short story by the French writer George Toudouze.
This collection of Escape Greats includes 235 different
shows and appearances for a total of 113 hours of listening enjoyment.
This product is a DVD collection of Old Time Radio mp3s. It is
designed to be played on your computer DVD drive with standard mp3
software - like Windows media player or its equivalent on Macintosh
computers. The mp3 files on the DVDs can be copied onto CDs for
play in your car stereo, home entertainment center, etc so you can
take your favorite shows with you anywhere you go.
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