My old-time radio selection for today is an adaptation of Walter Van Tilberg's novel The Track of the Cat.
An isolate Nevada ranch...trapped by a violent snow storm...a hunt for a killer mountain lion, but could the lion be the same one that an old Indian claimed to have killed his family 80 years ago?
The Track of the Cat is one the best-known works by Walter Van Tilberg (1909-1971), who is best-known for his novel The Ox-Bow Incident. Both books were adapted for the screen: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) starred Henry Fonda and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar; Track of the Cat (1954; note the slightly truncated title) starred Robert Mitchum in a wonderful performance.
Richard Widmark is no Robert Mitchum, but he was certainly a great choice to star in this February 18, 1952, episode of Suspense. Also in the cast for this half-hour presentation are Elliot Lewis, Lee Millar, Jr., Martha Wentworth, and Sharon Douglas. Sylvia Richards adapted Van Tilberg's novel.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7RDbw7ln8c
It's been a while for both, but I think I liked theradio version better than the film, if neither as much as the novel (while the first film of OX-BOW is nearly on par with the novel)...thanks for the reminder...
ReplyDelete1942 Retro Hugos shortlist should include...Clark's "The Portable Phonograph" in THE YALE REVIEW, Spring 1941. I have that issue. Looks like a pulp on much better paper and with a sedate all-text cover, "standard" size, untrimmed edges and all...
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