Friday, August 22, 2014

Claude Rains in "The Catbird Seat"

A friend of mine said he is a fan of Claude Rains and was complaining that some of the actor's radio appearances are not known to exist in recorded form. He wishes recordings would be found so he can listen to them. Well, knowing Bill reads my blog, I am presenting a surprise for him.

On the evening of Sunday, February 10, 1952, from 6:43 to 6:53 p.m., Claude Rains played the lead in an adaptation of the James Thurber story, "The Catbird Seat." His performance was the highlight of the evening on the NBC radio program, The Big Show. Most of the second season broadcasts of The Big Show are not known to exist in collector hands -- but thankfully, they do exist. But seeing that it might take another decade before the recording surfaces, I am offering the next best thing: a scan from the original radio script featuring that very performance. If you can envision the voice of Claude Rains, you'll enjoy this little treat.