Starter of this subject: Bill Mahan
Last post in this subject: 1/21/2002
Messages in this subject: 3
| Bill Mahan | 1/21/2002 3 replies |
| I have just listened to the three versions of "Three Skeleton Key" in my collection. Though all three are classics, it seems clear to me that Vincent Price's second version on 11/11/56 (Suspense)is the best of the three. This is the last OTR production I am aware of. It is my guess that by then everyone knew this show was something special and Price acted it more seriously than he did the first time for Escape on 8/9/53. The earliest production I am aware of was Escape's 11/15/49 episode. It had Eliot Reed in the starring role. William Conrad had a supporting role as Big Louie. I think William Conrad was the king of all OTR, but those who claim this was the best version of Three Skeleton Key because Conrad was in it need to do some explaining. He was only in a supporting role and Eliot Reed was no where near as good as any of Vincent Price's versions. Did Conrad have a starring role (John) in another version I am unaware of? I'd love to hear it if he did. |
| gary | 1/21/2002 0 replies |
| Bill,, you are right. The Best was done by Price. Like you, I have the various copies. Almost any OTR with Price will stand out as outstanding. |
| Peter Greco | 2/11/2002 0 replies |
| Hi, I also have listened to all the versions of TSK. I still think the Elliot Reed is the best.Vincent Price to me on that program sounded just like he was reading not acting it.The other members of the cast were also excellent..BiLL Conrad and Louie Van Rooten as Augus [sp]. Rooten as Auguswas great,you could just picture him playing with the rats, with his red hair flowing...The only horror story that still rises the hairs at the back of my neck, everytime I hear it. Pete |
| JB | 4/3/2002 0 replies |
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I heard the Vincent Price version last night and it, well, blew me away. Excellent radio, and the sort of thing that television, for various obvious reasons, cannot do. Price did seem an odd choice for the lead, but he was such a sympathetic presence that he drew me along despite the fact that I have a hard time seeing him working in a lighthouse. It's about as good as it gets on OTR in the suspense-horror genre, which they did so well.
(BTW, I heard an Escape version of Country Of the Blind, but it was not, alas, the one in which Raymond Burr played the lead,--which maybe wasn't Escape, I don't know--and though it was very good, I was a little disappointed, as I was expecting the famous Burr voice. There was apparently a lot of "remaking" on OTR, with Passenger T |