Suspense Sundays (153) Dead Man's Story

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.

"Dead Man's Story"

Air date: May 15, 1960
Starring Kevin McCarthy

>>Episodes here<<

This is the story of Larry King, and how he was declared dead after his ship went down at sea.  It begins with Larry on the run from the police.  His dear wife Julia, gets him away, and Larry takes a job on a ship with questionable cargo.  Larry is picked up by the police though, and is made to sail back to the States.  The ship goes down, but Larry and the arresting officer are trapped in their cabin, in an air pocket - sure to eventually suffocate.  However, the ship resurfaces and although the officer dies from injuries, Larry breaks out and takes the life raft to shore.  He's prepared to go to obscurity now that everyone thinks he's dead.

The whole 'being trapped underwater' thing is already a pretty horrifying and suspenseful concept, but that's just half the story here.  There's another more ironic twist to the story that makes Larry's decision to take up a new identity more difficult.  I did think the idea of Larry surviving the shipwreck stretched belief a little too much, but this was overall an interesting tale and I enjoyed the dilemma of it, although this was a dilemma that I have heard Suspense do before!