Breaking Walls

Escape, CBS’s high-adventure anthology, debuted on July 7th, 1947.

During its erratic seven year run it was shifted and dropped frequently, almost always cost-sustained by the network. It developed into an experimental training ground in the late 1940s for those who’d come to dominate radio in the next decade.

Escape's one period of national sponsorship came in the summer of 1950 when the Richfield Oil Company sponsored the show. This episode is part of that run. In Pass to Berlin, written by Morton Fine and David Friedkin, an occupation G.I. is desperately trying to break through a web of death that is being spun around him.

This episode was produced and directed by William N. Robson. Featured in the cast were Stacy Harris, Peggy Webber, and Ben Wright. Paul Frees was the voice of Escape. The music was arranged by Ivan Ditmars. Tom Hanlon was the announcer.

On December 15th, 1969 William Conrad sat down with interviewer Chris Lambesis for a conversation about his career in radio. During the course of the conversation, Conrad gave his feelings on former Gunsmoke co-star Howard McNear, and told a beautiful story about Parley Baer's eulogy for Howard earlier that year.

On the May 17th, 1959 episode of Gunsmoke, Cora meadows and her young son Tad are visited by a dying man named Rourke, who is seeking refuge at their home. The man is soon murdered in cold-blood right in front of their eyes. The killer says he will leave them alone if they mind their own business. However, Mrs Meadows is worried when her son goes missing, as she fears the brave little boy may have gone after the man.

(Photo from the private collection of Harry Bartell)

On August 14th, 1982, Parley Baer was a guest of SPERDVAC (https://www.sperdvac.com/) along with John Dehner, Virginia Gregg, Peggy Webber, Harry Bartell, and Vic Perrin.

Throughout the course of the interview, they told many stories about Jack Webb, including this great one by Parley Baer about his eight-year feud with Dragnet's creator.

Detective Sergeant Joe Friday is assigned to Robbery detail. A United States mail truck is held up and robbed. Twenty-two sacks of registered mail are taken, the hold-up men escape and there’s no lead to their identity. It’s Friday’s job to get them.

Barbara Walters interviewed George Burns for 20/20 in 1979. During the course of the interview George spoke about how Gracie forever altered his life.

On the May 12th, 1949 episode of Burns and Allen, Burns is still convinced that he has no place in TV. He's been trying to conceal his anxiety from Gracie, but she can see that all is not well with her little man. Burns lets it slip that he's nervous, so Gracie comes up with a brilliant idea. It's going to make him a sensation! What's the idea? George should combine the biggest things on TV right now, like Hopalong Cassidy and Baseball. That's sure to make George a star!

In 1982, John Dehner was an in-studio guest of Neil Ross' at KMPC for a conversation about his acting career. During the course of the chat, Dehner explained how be became an actor.

The May 11th, 1958 episode of Frontier Gentleman took J.B. Kendall to Chugwater, Wyoming Territory. There is a rail station for the Cheyenne and Black Hills stage line and because of a rain storm Kendall, ever the faithful reporter for the London Times, witnessed a tragedy there.

In September of 1975 Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran of WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio sat down with famed New York actor Joseph Julian for a conversation about his life and career (Full interview here - https://goldenage-wtic.org/gaor-66.html). During the course of the conversation Julian told a funny story about double booking radio roles and needing to call an ambulance to get from one radio studio to the other.