Weird Circle 31 - Wuthering Heights

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll the bell, so that all may know that we are gathered again in The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: Wuthering Heights."

This episode, first broadcast on March 26, 1944, is an adaptation of Emily Brontë's famous novel of the same name, first published in 1847. The adaptation took great liberties with the original, condensing the significant elements of the plot involving Heathcliff and Catherine, and framing it as a gothic tragedy with supernatural elements. Heathcliff's treatment is undersold, so he seems far more of an outright villain. On the whole, though, it was a very compelling adaptation, and makes me want to finally go ahead and read this classic, and see if I can find the horror elements that have been extracted here.

And so ends my spooky project for October 2022. It has been a very different experience than last year's. I'm not sure if The Weird Circle was the best choice of series for this project, but it did introduce me to a variety of authors and their works, and it was interesting to see a breadth of quality, and to try and think of how this speaks to radio as a medium. I might have a bigger summary post later in the week.

Weird Circle 30 - The Strange Judgment

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Strange Judgment."

This episode, first broadcast on March 19, 1944, might be an original - although as I was looking for its origin, I found that a previous episode, The 4:15 Express, was actually based on a short story with the same name by Amelia B. Edwards, which can be found in this collection with other authors on Project Gutenberg, or in this scan of Monsieur Maurice and Other Tales, which is where the story was first published in 1873 on the Internet Archive. I should have consulted resources like this more often.

Back to today's story: our protagonist is isolated at the top of a hill overlooking his former home village, barred from speaking to anyone. The tale is of why: of his success at fishing sardines, at him and his wife welcoming a child, and that child's promise and frustration, culminating in a horrifying conclusion which led him to this penance. Moving, although sometimes inexplicable.

Weird Circle 29 - The Spectre of Tappington

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll bell, so that all may know we are gathered again in The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Spectre of Tappington."

This episode, first broadcast on March 12, 1944, is an adaptation of the short story with the same name in the collection The Ingoldsby Legends, penned by Richard Harris Barnham under the pen-name "Thomas Ingoldsby", and first published in 1840. The adaptation spreads aspects of the third-person narration of the original more evenly among the active characters while reducing their overall number somewhat, making it much more lively for radio, but the legend of the Spectre, the romance, and the mystery of the stolen pants, as well as its conclusion, remain.

Weird Circle 28 - The Murder of the Little Pig

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll bell, so that all may know we are gathered again in The Weird Circle." "We are met in this cave by the restless sea to reveal the horror in Man's mind. Listen to The Weird Circle!" "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Murder of the Little Pig."

This episode, first broadcast on March 5, 1944, is an adaptation of a story starring M. Lecoq, a character created by French author Émile Gaboriau. I was not able to find out where the original was published.

The story is compelling detective story, starting with the crime all but solved, except for some lingering suspicions by our protagonist, Lecoq, who by wit and guile manages to dig down into the truth. Still, a mystery lingers.

A fun story well executed, although a bit didactic at parts. The inspiration for Sherlock Holmes is quite apparent, although this might be the result of a post-Holmes adaptation.

Weird Circle 27 - The Feast of Redgauntlet

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll bell, so that all may know we are gathered again in The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Feast of Redgauntlet."

This episode, first broadcast on February 27, 1944, is an adaptation of the Steenie Steenson story from Letter XI - Same to the Same, in Redgauntlet, by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1824. The adaptation is pretty much one-to-one, with the Scots replaced with English in a Scottish accent, presumably to make it more accessible to the American listeners.

Being composed as or adapted from a folktale, it makes a great transition to radio.

Weird Circle 26 - Frankenstein

"Listen to the waves, listen to the bells, listen to The Weird Circle!" "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: Frankenstein.".

This episode, first broadcast on February 20, 1944, is an adaptation of the famous novel with the same name, by Mary Shelley, first published in 1818 (although the 1831 revision was more widely published and read). The adaptation cuts a lot of the framing to leave us with an abridged narrative of Victor Frankenstein, his creation of the monster, his rejection of it, his escape, its pursuit, and the tragic end of their relationship.

Thankfully bereft of a lot of aspects made almost canon by the famous Universal adaptation from 1931, both the action and the characterization are very good, and it seems like the gist was preserved despite the short length.

Weird Circle 25 - The Heart of Ethan Brand

"Who are the outstanding writers of weird and uncanny stories?" "Poe, de Maupassant, Bulwer-Lytton, Wilkie Collins!" "Where can I hear these stories?" "Listen to The Weird Circle!" "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Heart of Ethan Brand.".

This episode, first broadcast on February 13, 1944, is an adaptation of the short story Ethan Brand,  by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1852. The adaptation is very loose, reducing the cast of characters (the absence of the Wandering Jew was not felt), and following closely after the eponymous Brand as he leaves honest living to manipulate the people around him through their weaknesses, in his search for the unpardonable sin. His dialogues with his eviler inner voice and with his victims push the plot forward very effectively.

I don't know that I can say more without spoiling the experience - I would recommend listening to this one yourselves. A solid character study well done in radio.

Weird Circle 24 - The Niche of Doom

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll the bell, so that all may know we are gathered again in The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Niche of Doom.".

This episode, first broadcast on February 5, 1944, is an adaptation of La Grande Bretèche by Honoré de Balzac, first published in 1831. The adaptation decides to dispense with the frame story of the doctor curious about the abandoned manor - instead we are at the end of the action, with the narrator continuing the theme of the previous episode by complaining about an incessant noise, in this case a tapping, before taking us with narration to the start of what she has gone through. A woman married too young to a very old husband, a judge, she is easy prey to the affections of the young, pushy neighbor. Faith perverts truth, and tragedy results.

Weird Circle 23 - The Tell-Tale Heart

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll the bell, that all may know we are gathered again in The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Tell-Tale Heart.".

This episode, first broadcast on January 30, 1944, is an adaptation of the short story with the same name by Edgar Alan Poe, first published in 1843. Like the original, the adaptation centers on the narrator who does the horrible deed, but to his narration is added a choir of internal voices goading him on. Outside of his mind, the old man is made explicitly into his uncle, and another character, a long-winded friend and neighbor, is added, both to provide commentary early on, and to be the one bringing in the police towards the end.

Weird Circle 22 - A Terrible Night

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll the bell, that all may know that we are gathered again in The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: A Terrible Night.".

This episode, first broadcast on January 23, 1944, is an adaptation of the short story with the same name by Fitz-James O'Brien, first published in 1856. (This is a link to a reading, as I was unable to find the text online. Another reading with more background as part of a podcast can be found here) As in many previous episodes, we start towards the end - the protagonist, Charles Costa. is on trial, and is asked to tell his story in his own words, which leads us to the bulk of the plot. This is different from the original, that started mid-action. This action is in the woods - in the original, Upstate New York, in the adaptation, even farther north, in Canada. Costa and his brother in law are on a hunting trip. They get lost, and find shelter, but can they trust their taciturn host? Throughout there is a sense of dread as we wonder what the crime is until we reach the deeply tragic ending.

The original was very short and had little characterization beyond impressions from the protagonist and some bravado from his there future and here brother-in-law, Dick Linton. Bertha, there the fiancée and here the wife, and the host, Joel, are given more to say. The small amount of active characters made this easy listening, despite the backwards and sometimes outlandish statements ("that's the way writers are - so sure of themselves"). There is a real sense of the isolation and danger in the woods, and then at the cabin.

Weird Circle 21 - The 4:15 Express

"An ill wind blows away the present and returns Man's mind to the horror of a world gone by... listen to The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The 4:15 Express.".

This episode, first broadcast on January 17, 1944, might be an original - although it is very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's film, The Lady Vanishes, from 1938. An investigator boards a train, trying to keep a light veneer over his very important mission, and wondering what to think of the story of the ghost that haunts his compartment, 42A, and whether it has anything to do with the man he saw there, and who very quickly disappeared on him.

The limitations of the medium for a story such as this are clear here: it is very important to know who is speaking where during tense scenes of action and suspense involving multiple characters, but the voice actors are not sufficiently distinguishable, leading to some confusion at critical moments. The brevity of the show, meanwhile, makes the revelations a bit too bunched together for comfort.

Weird Circle 20 - The Lifted Veil

"By what token can man live after death?" "By his works! Poe, de Maupassant, Balzac - these great writers of horror stories live on! Listen to The Weird Circle." "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Lifted Veil.".

This episode, first broadcast on January 9, 1944, is an adaptation of the novella of the same name by George Eliot (ironic, considering the maleness of the introduction), first published in 1879. The adaptation starts with a narration by the articulator of the ending section of the introduction. It cut down on the characters and sped up the pacing, which results in a crowding of weird issues - the protagonist's premonitions and his doctor friend's life-giving serum. To that was added a police matter to tie the whole thing together.

Weird Circle 19 - The Murders in the Rue Morgue

"Incredible! Unvelievable!" "Yes, truth is often incredible, but you must believe! Listen to The Weird Circle!" "Out of the past, phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Murders in the Rue Morgue."

This episode, first broadcast on January 2, 1944, is an adaptation of the short story with the same name by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1841. The adaptation cuts right to the detective (a term that did not exist when the original story came out), Dupin, stating to a bemused audience that the murderer will arrive at his apartment shortly. His narration of the case becomes a lot of dialogue between the active participants in the story - and the conclusion is arrived at chronologically. Unlike the original, we are not really presented with a clear logical path to it.

Weird Circle 18 - Jane Eyre

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out the past stories strange and weird." (abrupt cut) "Phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: Jane Eyre."

This episode, first broadcast on December 26, 1943, is an adaptation of the Thornfield Hall section of the novel with the same name by Charlotte Brontë, first published in 1847. The adaptation retains Jane as the viewpoint character and narrator, while cutting down on characters and subplots, and making the ending much more explicitly painful to all involved. This particular recording has a significant amount of background noise, which occasionally made it hard for me to follow what was going on (especially during a melée).

The outro again integrates a credit to the United States Armed Services Radio and Television service.

Weird Circle 17 - The Hand

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out the past stories strange and weird." (abrupt cut) "Phantoms of a world gone be speak again the immortal tale: The Hand."

This episode, first broadcast on December 19, 1943, is an adaptation of a story with the same title by Guy de Maupassant, first published in 1883. The adaptation took the basic premise of the original story - an English peer on a long sojourn to France, deathly afraid of a severed human hand - removed ambiguity, the framing story, and its narrator, and added more characters to interact with Sir John Rowell, including a daughter, a family friend turned suitor to same (also the new narrator), and a neighboring doctor. The original was somewhat unsatisfactory, but this one ties things together much too cleanly for my taste.

The outro again integrates a credit to the United States Armed Services Television and Radio, not heard since Episode 4.

Weird Circle 16 - Expectations of an Heir

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: Expectations of an Heir."

This episode, first broadcast on December 12, 1943, is an adaptation of an essay, The Lingering Expectation of an Heir by Samuel Johnson, first published in 1750. The adaptation took the minor element of the original narrator's resentment of his aunts longevity and turned that into the emotional center of the story, adding romance, crime, and punishment.

A lot of narration takes us into the mind of the protagonist, and otherwise there are very few characters around for the minor bits of dialogue. Repetition seems to be used as an expression of evil or emotional extreme, reminding me of their The Horla.

Weird Circle 15 - The Great Plague

(New voice, now with some reverb) "The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll the bell, so that all may know that we are gathered again in The Weird Circle!" (Bell tolling) (Old voice) "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: The Great Plague."

This episode, first broadcast on December 5, 1943, is an adaptation of A Tale of the Great Plague by Thomas Hood, first published in 1840. To the original was added a sympathetic protagonist - a poor transient pulled into a monstrous crime through the company he keeps - who drives some of the transitions with his monologues, while the Great Plague of London itself as background is not properly established until later. A bit of humor mixed with the gruesomeness of the planned deeds makes for an entertaining twenty minutes of radio.

Weird Circle 14 - Dr. Manette's Manuscript

(New voice) "The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call out of the past stories strange and weird. Bell-keeper - toll the bell, so that all may know that we are gathered again in The Weird Circle!" (Bell tolling) (Old voice) "Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: Dr. Manette's Manuscript."

This episode, first broadcast on November 28, 1943, is a very loose adaptation of incidents from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, first published in 1859. The original was a wide-ranging condemnation of both the French aristocracy and the horrors of the Revolution. This is merely a tale of violence and comeuppance, focusing on the ills resulting from the privileges of the ancien regime.

In this story we are promised a happy end from the start, which reduces the tension dramatically. The repeated abductions, the cruelty, and the wild chase don't make up for it. There just isn't a sense of stakes. Can't say that the added framing by a much goofier voice actor helped much, either. Another one to skip.

Weird Circle 13 - The Man Without a Country

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: The Man Without a Country."

This episode, first broadcast on November 21, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Edward Everett Hale, first published in 1863. While short, the original had many details which were cut out to hone this down to its core. The result is an effective piece of patriotic propaganda, suitable for a World War II audience. This is only fitting, as the original was a pro-Union piece, published during the American Civil War.

The story is told from the perspective of a former colleague of the eponymous man, Philip Nolan, who is a huge, embarrassing fan of Aaron Burr, and follows him through thick and thin. When the latter is tried for treason, so is Nolan. He ends his very minimal defense by damning the United States, and wishing to never hear of it again. In a fantastical ruling, the judges give him what he wants, and he is condemned to spend the rest of his days aboard ships, under guard, with all around him forbidden from mentioning the US or anything about it. This has a chilling effect on all who interact with him, so not only does he never hear of his homeland, but few people will share his company for long, when they have to avoid mentioning anything to do with a significant world power, even then. In a pivotal scene, Nolan is tasked with using the Portuguese he has learned in his isolation to communicate with the crew and captives of a slaver ship. The people once enslaved and now free yearn to return to their home, while Nolan cannot go to his. On his deathbed he allows a crew member to see his cabin, which is a shrine to as much of the US as he could remember, and he is finally told of its subsequent development.

The surreal punishment makes for compelling listening, despite the melodrama. The story is mostly told through narration by Nolan's former colleague, with some dialogue mixed in.

Weird Circle 12 - Mateo Falcone

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: Mateo Falcone."

This episode, first broadcast on November 14, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Prosper Merimee, first published in 1829. A subplot was added, and the fugitive in the original was made into the eponymous Mateo's brother, making him the capricious Fortunato's uncle, intensifying the drama. To add a bit of confusion, the online title in most places is "Matao Falcon", even though that is not the exact title of the original, and not how the name is pronounced throughout the episode.

Fortunato is established as extremely bright and curious at first - it's only with time that more unsavory aspects come to the fore. The child's moral quandary is set up throughout: will he follow the dictates of his stereotypical Corsican familial honor, or the rule of law? He chooses his path, with tragic results.

Most of the voice actors are attempting Italian accents, except for the child's, who jarringly sounds like a precocious Midwesterner. The story is driven by a series of dialogues involving the many characters - again there is a bit of a free-for-all when violence is afoot, but here it's pretty clear what ultimately happens.

Weird Circle 11 - A Passion in the Desert

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: A Passion in the Desert."

This episode, first broadcast on November 7, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Honoré de Balzac, first published in 1830. Some of the elements of the original were retained, but they were put together to make a different story.

"Have you ever noticed how very much a woman is like a beast?" The story unfortunately does not improve from there. This sexist metaphor is the driver of the story - of a French Foreign Legionnaire being seduced by a woman to abandon his post, befriending a female panther they encounter on the way, and confusing the two as all come to an unfortunate end. One to skip.

Weird Circle 10 - William Wilson

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: William Wilson."

This episode, first broadcast on October 31, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839. The adaptation seems to have mostly kept the core of the story, while transporting the setting across the Atlantic to the Northeast.

We start with Charlie Vernon coming unexpectedly to a party where his former college fraternity brother, William Wilson, is to announce his engagement to Laura St. Clair, although that was supposed to be a secret. Soon, shots are heard from the library, and it seems like Wilson has shot himself. He insists he did not, and so starts a story of his unpleasant deeds, of which Charlie was but one victim, and of another, younger William Wilson, who stalked and taunted him through the low points of his life.

This story is very similar in structure to The Knightsbridge Mystery, which also starts at the end and then fills in the gap through a long flashback, mostly seen from the point of view of a single individual, although it's more dialogue- than description-driven nonetheless. The other William Wilson serves a similar function to the outsider in The Horla.

Weird Circle 9 - The Horla

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: The Horla."

This episode, first broadcast on October 24, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Guy de Maupassant, first published in 1887. From reading a summary and skimming over the story, it seems that the creators took the journal-based original, gave the unnamed protagonist a name, compressed a lot of his internal world into instances of him speaking to himself out loud, added an objective narrator for descriptions, and upgraded the outside presence and the people mentioned into fully active characters.

The story starts with an objective narration of the protagonist, Gabriel Bouvet, spending his days enjoying the view of the boats from his dilapidated sea-side home, until a Brazilian schooner casts a shadow over him that starts haunting him. He writes a letter to his cousin, Renee Sable, who is so disturbed she arrived with her friend, Dr. Parent, to have a look at him. She initially rejects the idea of a supernatural presence, while the Doctor is more methodical, skeptical but open to belief. In the end it doesn't matter much - despite the content added by the dialogue between them, it's ultimately the conflict between Bouvet and the Horla, the outsider, that drives all the action, up to the horrible conclusion.

The violence that precedes this conclusion reverts to the confusing free-for-all of much earlier episodes. The evil presence is characterized a bit too extremely to my taste. I'll have to give the original a good read at some point.

Weird Circle 8 - The Knightsbridge Mystery

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: The Knightsbridge Mystery."

This episode, first broadcast on October 17, 1943, is an adaptation of a novelette with the same title by Charles Reade, first published in 1882. From skimming the original text, it seems that, while the main plot is similar, the story's development was condensed, and significant subplots were excised entirely.

The story starts with the narrator-character, Captain Cowen, confessing to the murder and burglary of wealthy landowner Mr. Gardiner, and to shock at the victim sitting alive right next to him as if nothing had happened. He proceeds to describe his motives, the setup to the crime, his preparation for it, its execution, his escape, and his return to an unchanged Knightsbridge Inn.

If being a murderer wasn't bad enough, he admits to taking advantage of a mentally disabled man, and putting a woman at physical danger. Some aspects of his story hint at the roots of his own downfall.

While there is some dialogue, this particular story was moved mostly by narration, especially the lengthy description of the details of the crime. This did a good job of keeping the point of view focused on the narrator-character.

Weird Circle 7 - What Was It?

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: What Was It?"

This episode, first broadcast on October 10, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Fitz James O'Brien, first published in 1859. Skimming some summaries, it looks like it's a reasonably close adaptation of the original.

In a first return to the supernatural since The House and the Brain, lodgers at a New York City boarding house encounter a haunting. Their reactions range from incredulity to faith, and their methods of finding out more about it range from a séance to systematic observation.

The haunting turns out to be both more mundane and more fantastic than any of them imagined - but they struggle to spread their knowledge of it further once it has passed on.

I think the creators might have finally managed to get a crowd scene going well - despite the fact that they had five to six participants in the conversation for long periods, it was clear who was talking to whom. The action sequences had, instead, a more limited cast, keeping them focused. This is in contrast to some instances in previous episodes, where over-subscribed fights sounded like a confusion of voices. Narration by the protagonist, Dr. Hammond, provides framing to the story and drives the plot forward where dialogue wouldn't make sense.

An enjoyable adaptation to a story I'm now glad I know about.

Weird Circle 6 - A Terribly Strange Bed

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: A Terribly Strange Bed."

This episode, first broadcast on October 3, 1943, is an adaptation of a short story with the same title by Wilkie Collins. From the summary, it seems like Collins` tale was merely a seed for this one, which is far more gruesome and titillating than the original.

Like The House and the Brain, we are led by a thrill-seeking protagonist and a more reserved partner; this time it is Jack Wescott, who has become morbid since joining his author friend Burke Manning on a trip to Paris. Burke is there to do research on historical murders; Jack is far more interested in recent killings.

When a flattened corpse is dragged out of the Seine, and they are told that this is part of a series of such grisly murders, and in addition, they witness an inconclusive back-and-forth with a strange man who has been to all previous discoveries (and who is unfortunately frequently characterized by his weight, both antagonists and colleagues referring to him as "The Fat Man"), Jack is eager to pursue.

Despite having prior knowledge about the dangers involved, that the original protagonist did not have, he steps into a a gambling den, and falls into the same trap, with similar results.

The creators decided to add more narration to move the plot forward in this one - some subjective, some all-knowing - but it did not feel out of place. Dialogue was used well, even if it does seem to add far too many additional characters.

Weird Circle 5 - Declared Insane

"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: Declared Insane."

This episode, first broadcast on September 26, 1943, again adapts a full novel, this time The Commission in Lunacy (L'interdiction) by Honoré de Balzac, first published in 1839. Skimming the summary suggests that this adaptation covers similar ground to the original, although obviously with much less detail.

I am starting to wonder whether my first impression, that this series is focused on the supernatural, was misguided. Instead, Declared Insane joins The Vendetta and Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym as another mundane tale, about power and its relation to justice, and how far decency and integrity could get you in Bourbon Restoration Paris - not as far as the connections and influence, which will provide you with very sincere liars to muster to your cause.

We see this as the conflict unfolds between the estranged wife of the Marquis d'Espard, who wants to seize control of her husband's affairs by committing him to an asylum, and Judge Popinot of the inferior courts, who would preside over the necessary hearing, but is not easily swayed by influence or wealth (a poignant quote: "Such a place for a judge to live... what kind of a judge are you anyway, living here? Huh! You must be an honest one!"), in parallel series of dialogues and described actions that believably lead to a not so satisfying conclusion.

The theme of the mental health system being used as punishment unfortunately lingers to this day. An investigating judge, however, probably reads as unusual to an American audience.

Weird Circle 4 - Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

"The Weird Circle. In this cave by the restless sea we are met to call from out the past stories strange and weird. Phantoms of a world gone by, speak again the immortal tale: Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym."

This episode, first broadcast on September 19, 1943, is an adaptation of a full novel by the same title by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1838. Skimming the summary suggests that this is, again, a very loose adaptation.

Another mundane horror like The Vendetta, this compresses many of the real terrors of life at sea into one neat package. Shanghaiing, abuse of power by captains, storms, mental stress, mutiny, and the extremes to which thirst and starvation lead people are all there. Obviously a nautical theme goes well with the show's shoreside frame.

This recording adds some organ music to the outro, as well as a statement about this being part of the Armed Forced Radio and Television Service (now Armed Forces Network), which suggests that this was recorded from an overseas broadcast, or possibly that at this point this was produced for that purpose.

Weird Circle 3 - The Vendetta

"Out of the past, phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale: The Vendetta."

This episode, first broadcast on September 12, 1943, doesn't immediately suggest an adaptation of any individual story. I guessed it would be Guy de Maupassant, and he did write a short story titled A Vendetta, but other than Corsica featuring in both, and the fact that a vendetta drives their plots, there seems little in common between them.

Unlike the previous two episodes, this is a purely mundane tale about the destructive power of revenge. The writers chose to start with two framing stories - a Roma (the slur is used) is offering to tell stories for a penny, and when a passerby takes her up on it, she begins a tale with a man and a woman, lovers, and that woman also starts telling a story of the day her mother was burned to death in a fire started by members of the Porte family. Her father was able to save her, and the two of them, the last of the del Piombo family, leave Corsica for Paris, where the bulk of the tale, including that of the star-crossed lovers, takes place. (I do apologize if I got the names wrong - the audio quality was especially poor, and I did have to try and parse Americans attempting to parse Corsican names through a Mid-Atlantic accent)

In the end the framing does make sense, and there is no real point in which its existence becomes an issue (compare The Princess Bride with its frequent interruptions, and imagine someone catching fragments of that on the radio), but it was still a bit risky. The dialog in this one moved between different pairings, rather than sticking predominantly to one driving couple as in their The House and the Brain - to great effect.

The lack of supernatural elements might be disappointing to an audience primed for something more, but I felt that it was nice to show that natural human passion can also lead to horrifying results. From my sampling months ago, I expect this will happen again from time to time.

Weird Circle 2 - The House and the Brain

"We are met in this cave by the restless sea to reveal the horror in Man's mind. Listen to The Weird Circle!"

This episode, first broadcast on September 5, 1943, adapts Edward Bulwer-Lytton's The House and the Brain, first published in 1859. I've not had a chance to be exposed to the original, so I'll focus on the show itself.

The story starts in London, where our protagonists, Paul and Sandra Whitney, a young couple, are attending an art auction run by their friend, Jim. Paul and Sandra tease each other amicably, and we find a typical mid-20th Century dynamic of a rational, practical husband with his emotional, impulsive wife. They are both fascinated with the occult - he more logically, she more passionately, excited about the details of the macabre. This fascination leads them from a sinister portrait Jim shows them, of an evil old "cutthroat", to his now haunted house, built 450 years ago.

The haunting's physical effects are described as entirely factual - and despite later dismissing claims by Mrs. Browning, the housekeeper, that ghosts swarm the place day and night, they both seem to take the possibility seriously, although Sandra absolutely believes it, while Paul is dubious.

This is a strange, occultism-friendly version of London, where later a policeman is very easily convinced that a ghost was responsible for a murder. Indeed, this contrast between Sandra and Paul isn't like Mulder vs Scully - the true believer vs the skeptic - but instead of two somewhat different attitudes towards an admittedly ultra-mundane world. Sandra is also shown as more susceptible to the hypnotic influences of the antagonist, but Paul still does barely fight it off.

The real horror for them isn't that there is a haunting, or that ghosts are around us, but that there is a malign, mesmeric presence able to control all that is living and dead in the house. That there's supernatural evil specifically alarms them - and leads them to the action which defeats it.

As for sound effects, repeated use of Mrs. Browning's cackle, as well as a children's choir singing a song I couldn't identify, are used to express the presence of horror and the supernatural. There's no repeated reuse of water and wind to connect to the framing seaside story.

Overall, I enjoyed this more than their adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher, and the dynamics between Sandra and Paul really manage to drive the story along and expose us to this weird London.

I'm looking forward to reading Bulwer-Lytton's original and comparing notes some day.

Weird Circle 1 - The Fall of the House of Usher

"Can the dead return to life? Listen to The Weird Circle!"

This episode, first broadcast on August 29, 1943, adapts Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, first published in 1839. Poe's story is presented from the point of view of an unnamed narrator, and beyond that, as far as developed characters go, there are Roderick and Madeline Usher. There's a slow, subtle, intertextual buildup to the famous conclusion. Additionally, going by Mr. Spike's Bedtime Stories` example (in three parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), it would take about 45 minutes to read out loud. These might explain why The Weird Circle, a 25-minute radio drama series competing for attention with other radio shows, as well as the variety of concerns that an American listener might have during World War II, chose to make this adaptation very loose.

The characters of both Roderick and Madeline are far more dynamic in this adaptation, and we almost immediately see them in argument. The titular Fall is explicitly predicted by a prophecy tied to the red rains, which are soon described. No time for subtlety here! More characters are added: Dina, Roderick's cousin and fiancée, Talbot, a servant, driver, and occasional comic relief, and Charles Wilson, an outside friend of the family, possibly replacing the narrator in the original, brought in to add his perspective to the central tension of the story, which is more explicitly supernatural here. A doctor makes his own appearance. Almost everything is driven by either dialog or the description of movement, sometimes both. There are no extensive descriptions of scenery and structure, no intertextuality, no stories within stories, all of which make for fine reading, but difficult radio to follow.

As for the sound effects, the wash and rain and wind of the intro and outro were often reused to reflect stormy weather, which I felt lent the whole episode a nice coherence.

Overall, not the most exciting start. I would go with another adaptation of Usher, or with Mr. Spike's full read-through linked above, if you have the time.