"...designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half-hour of high adventure..."
Many of the shows dramatized on Escape have established permanent residence in the recesses of this author's memory: "Zero Hour," an eerie science-fiction tale about the end of the world; "Evening Primrose," in which a misfit removes himself from the rest of society by hiding out in a department store...and discovers to his horror the strange creatures that roam there after hours; "Poison," a sweat-inducing allegory on prejudice that develops when a man awakens to learn that a deadly snake has joined him in his bunk. "A Shipment of Mute Fate" was another of Escape's all-time classics - an African bushmaster gets loose on a passenger ship, much to the dismay of both travelers and crew - and "Leinengen vs. the Ants," in which a stubborn plantation owner must fight off an army of African ants. Perhaps the best remembered tale aired on Escape is "Three Skeleton Key," in which a group of lighthouse keepers find themselves besieged by ravenous rats. (Fans simply refer to it as "the one with the rats".)
During the course of its seven year run on radio, Escape was moved up and down the broadcast day and time dial a good eighteen times before the last show of the series aired. CBS kept moving its popular radio program all across a wide range of broadcast times and days, which prevented the show from obtaining long term-sponsorship. Yet despite CBS hodge-podge approach, Escape did manage to get sponsors – just not regular, long term ones. Among the companies that sponsored Escape were the Richfield Oil Corporation of New York, the Ford Motor Company, and the Chrysler-Plymouth Company.
Port Royal
Friday, March 10, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining
Three Skeleton Key starring Vincent Price
Friday, March 17, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining
Danger at Matecumbe
Friday, March 24, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Ambassador of Poker
Friday, April 7, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Golden Snake
Friday, April 14, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Shanghai Document
Friday, April 21, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Richfield Oil
Something for Nothing
Friday, April 28, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Richfield Oil
The Man Who Stole the Bible
Friday, May 5, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Richfield Oil
The Rim of Terror
Friday, May 12, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Richfield Oil
Pass to Berlin
Friday, May 19, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Richfield Oil
Mars Is Heaven
Friday, June 2, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Richfield Oil
Serenade for a Cobra
Friday, June 16, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Richfield Oil
