Pollock_And_The_Parrah_Man

Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense (a sister program that often used the same actors and scripts), it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950.Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run.

The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with this introduction, as intoned by William Conrad and later Paul Frees:"Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!"Following the opening theme, a second announcer (usually Roy Rowan) would add:"Escape! Designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half-hour of high adventure!"

Episode Transcript

(00:14):
Worried about the United Nations, anxiousabout those bills piling up. I want
to get away from it all.CBS offers you escape. You are the

(00:35):
victim of a native witch doctor,pursued from the west coast of Africa to
the West end of London by thegrinning face of a dead man. You
are under the curse of a poorerman. The Columbia Broadcasting System and its
affiliated stations present Escape, produced anddirected by William N. Robeson, and

(00:57):
carefully plotted to free you from thefour walls of to day for a half
hour of high adventure to night,we escaped to the dark lowlands of West
Africa and the mind of a manwho scoffed at native magic. As H.
G. Wells painted in his grippingstory Pollock and the Poorer Man.

(01:30):
I had spent considerable time in Africa, but I have given little credence to
the many superstitions of the natives there, voodoo curses, weird incantations of which
doctors and the like had always seemeda pretty silly business to me. But
that was before the affair of Pollockand the Poorer Man. Even then,
while the thing was happening, Itook little notice. Twas only when I

(01:52):
got back to England some months laterand went to see Pollack climbing up the
three flights of stairs to his lonelybedroom that I began to realize the ghastly
truth of it. One look athim was enough. I had never before
seen a man so unnaturally wasted,so prematurely aged and broken, so eerily
mad, This man lying on thebed looking up at me with haggard eyes.

(02:15):
It was. It was good ofyou to come water house, nonsense,
old chap. I just thought i'dlook you up and say hello.
But I had no idea I wouldfind you will ill? Yes, I
I suppose I am ill. Isuppose that's what you'd call it. What
in Heaven's name is the matter,Pollock? I said, come closer,

(02:38):
will you? I barely see you. Yes, of course, I just
drop a chair. No, takeit away, take it away? What
are you talking about? What isit? Then? Ting in your hand?
Take it away? Please? IfI haven't say take it in my
hand, the Pollock, this isonly my hat? Why? Yes,

(02:59):
of course, just an ordinary blackhomboy style is offensive to know. I
just put it on the table,the floor somewhere where I can't see it.
Please, of course, old man, I suppose you think I'm may
I don't know you do. Everybodydoes, because I'm used to it now.

(03:23):
The worst of it is perhaps Iam, I say, Pollock.
I mean I don't think so,because I do see it. I don't
care if no one else does.I can see it. See what a
head that hid des face, followingme everywhere, grinning at me and always
upside down? Pollock, what areyou talking about? You don't believe me

(03:47):
either? Well, look at mywrist. It's broken and the bandage is
still on it. That's real enough, isn't it. Yes, of course
broken? You say, yes itdid, and my other accent. And
when I first got back to England, they said I walked in front of
a bus. But I know betterit did that tool ahead exactly. You

(04:11):
wouldn't expect to see a man's headcome rolling down the middle of a busy
street in London, now, wouldyou know? Poll you'd better lie back
rest a bit. I'll call adoctor. You too, And I thought
you might understand, after all,you were with me when it started.
It was you who first warned me, who sent me home. You don't
mean that the business with a parlorman. Oh yes, yes, of

(04:35):
course you remember how it started.We were camped at that little village on
the lagoon behind the turn of Peninsula. It was swampy and hot, and
I was bored to tears. Maybethat's why I did it. But anyway,
when when I got back, youwere furious with me. No,

(04:59):
no, you're a fool pollock.You've got to take it back immediately,
you hear, or what possible difference? Get it neck Waterhouse. Why all
this fuss, old boy, It'sonly a little wooden statue. Can't be
worth anything except for curial. You'renot that stupid pollock. You know very
well this is a porah idol.You must have stolen it from the hut
of a witch dog, don't yousee? To them this is sacred,
as sacred as an altar cross toa Christian. You've not only committed a

(05:23):
crime in their eyes, but aterrible sacrilege as well. Don't tell me
they're going to sit their painted godson me. I should be frightened dead
before they can do anything. You'regoing to take this back where you found
it and apologize to the poro man. Apologize to an illiterate black witch manner
you create, Pollock. I've hadabout as much of you as I can
stand. You're one of those infernalfools who think a black man isn't a

(05:45):
human being. I can't turn myback. Which you're running crossways to them,
getting your some scraper over the thirdtime this month, and this time
it's serious. Are you telling meyou're going to send me home? I
honestly think it would be best.As a matter of fact, I'm all
for it, very happy to getout of this sticky, dirty, god
forsaken place very well. But beforeyou go, Pollock, for the good
of the expedition, you've got totake a thing back and apologize. Oh

(06:09):
I didn't think i'd better. Whynot? Well, tell the truth.
I don't think they'd give me achance to apologize, all right, tell
me what happened? Oh, nothingvery much, except well, as I
was carrying the thing away and whenof those chaps popped up and saw it,
started yelling trying to take it fromme. Yes, go on,

(06:31):
Well we had a bit of atussle. I got away. Go on,
Pollock. We uh we were onthe bank of the river, and
I toppled him over that song.He fell into the river. Yes,
I think he may have hit therocks first. Was he badly hurt?
I don't know. I didn't stopto find out he was dead, wasn't

(06:51):
he I really don't know, youfool. It was an accident. I
had not an accident A lot.They care bad enough with the idol,
but you've probably killed a man.We're in for it now. Well,
there's nothing to be frightened about.Nothing. In the first place, I
should think even your conscience would suffera little. The second, you don't
seem to understand about this poror business. It rules the country. It's the

(07:15):
law, religion, medicine, everythingin these porror are the most vindictive men
on earth. The one whose idolyou've stolen, whose follower you killed,
will be duty bound to do somethingabout it, and there's no telling what
he will all come. Now,you don't believe in these voodoo curses and
things, of course not, andthinking of something much more real than that
mean you might try something rough.I can only advise you to lie low

(07:38):
until we can get you out ofhere. In the morning. I'll take
you as far as Sulima and seeyou safer boarders. You needn't. I
can go alone from here, notfar. You still don't understand this business.
You wouldn't get a quarter of amile from this camp alone. I

(08:03):
still thought you were making a mountainout of the mole Hill waterhouse. But
I must admit I didn't sleep muchthat night. I lay there on the
mat in my hut and listened tothe sounds of the village and then later
to the noises of the of thenight wakening jungle. Some time after midnight,

(08:31):
I must have dozed off, becauseI awoke with a start. For
a moment I was confused, butI sensed something wrong, and then,
framed against the moonlight square of thedoor, I saw a handle praised,
and in it a knife. Stopit stop, Russhult, Stop you you

(08:56):
hollo? What is it? Whathappened? I missed the begger waters?
I missed who missed who? Whathappened? A poorer man waterhouse? He
was in my hut. He hada knife. He tried to kill.
Now, wait a minute, aminute, quit life, by delight.
There you're right, man, I'mall right. I just saw it in
time rode aside in him. Lookeh, in my bed the knife.

(09:26):
That was a narrow one. Well, perhaps now you understand the seriousness of
this Waterhouse. I saw his face. He stopped just at the door for
a second. He was crouched down, and he looked back at me from
under his arm. His face wasedged clearly in the moonlight. It was

(09:48):
upside down. I'll never forget it. I'll get you are listen, waterhouse
listening. He glared back at mewith his painted face upside eye down,
and streaked with those hideous scars theycut in their cheeks. See that in
my dream. Steady on, oldman, here you are drink this all

(10:11):
right? What the idol's gone?I've just noticed the idol's gone. He
took it. It's gone. Yes, Well, then it's all over.
He got what he wants. Hewell bother me again, Willy. I
am afraid there's more to it thanthat. But he's got the blasted idol
back and he won't try it again. Oh, Willie, I have just

(10:33):
noticed something, too, Pollock,there's something here on the floor. One
of your shots clipped off the tipof his little finger. It's too bad
you aren't a better shot. Whywhy do you say that? Because I'm
afraid. We haven't seen the lossof this business yet. You were more

(11:01):
right than your new waterhouse. Thenext morning was only the beginning. We
were standing with the river and supervisingclocking. I'm glad we're getting out of
here. Something brewing or things wouldn'tbe so quiet. Oh what would be
brewing? A stink in the copperpot, probably dancing in a circle of

(11:22):
skulls putting curses on you that whatcan he do? How the devil should
I know? The first five people? We know? A lot of rum
dodges. The best thing to lookout work for? Man that's closer?
What was it? One of theirbeastly poisoned arrows? And the tree behind
you missed your head by inches.Came from over there in the bush.

(11:43):
Let's let's do something. Let's chasehim something no use now, never find
him in there. Best thing forus to do is to get out of
here quick. Well we go out, all right. You remember how we
went down the river, keeping asfar from the banks as possible. You

(12:09):
thought I was safe when you gotme to Salima and said goodbye. Didn't
you water us? So did I? You said goodbye and went back to
the interior. Nothing happened for twodays, and I was beginning to feel
that the whole thing was just anasty dream. And then then as I
was walking in the compound, Iwas hitting the arm with a slug.

(12:33):
It was a long shot, thebullet was spent. I only got a
flesh wound. But I knew orhe was there, and I decided to
confide in Berea, the little Portuguesewho rented me a Hutney's compound. He
took it seriously. It is apersonal question, you though, is revenge?

(12:56):
See? And he must turry becauseyou will leave the county. Yes,
I'll be on the boat of freeTown in three more days. Then
I'll be rid of him forever.Perhaps then there's this magic. Of course
I don't believe in it, superstition, but still it's not nice to think
that wherever you are, there's ablack man spends a moonlight night, sometimes

(13:20):
dancing around a fire to send youbad dreams. You have any bad dreams
there, keep seeing the beggar's headupside down, grinning at me, showing
all his teeth the way he didnot. It's nothing to be afraid of.
It's not pleasant either. Then theysay potman. Send snakes. You

(13:46):
seen any snakes lately? Only one? I killed one this morning on the
floor under my hammock. Almost steppedon him when I got up. Of
course it's is coincidence. Still,I would keep eyes open. Then there
is the pains in the legs andarms. I thought they were caused by

(14:07):
miasma. Oh, probably they are. When did they begin? Why?
Three nights ago? The night?Ah? Oh, blast it, it's
nonsense. If I could just meetthe stebber face to face, put the
gun in my hand, you mightshoot him. But then he might shoot
you. I think he do notwant to kill you anyway, not yet.

(14:31):
Their idea is scarce and worry aman with their spells and narrow misses
and pains and bad dreams and allthat until he's sick of life. Of
course it's all talk. See,you must not worry about it. Oh
no, no, no, no, of course nothing. But I wonder

(14:52):
what he'll be up to next.Perhaps it is I who shall be up
to something. What you mean?Never mind? But I'm not one to
just sit and take this. Thatvery afternoon I had a conversation with her
rough necked men, thy tribesmen.I found there in Salima. He showed

(15:13):
me a little iron dagger and demonstratedhow one struck at the back of the
neck. He agreed to do thejob for the price of a double barrel
gun with an ornamental lock. Iwent back to Pereers feeling better than I
had in days. That night,the Portuguese and I was sitting in his
living room playing cards, when suddenlythe men die rough strode in without so

(15:37):
much as is it? What doyou want? Oh? Won't you have
done? What you tell me?Hell bru, what is it you have
in the package? Is that blooddripping rue? Yeah? His head?
Oh no, no, no,this man you want? No, I

(16:00):
get gone. You didn't have tobring this. I didn't ask for such
proof. You mean, Senor Pollock. You got him killed. You did
not kill him yourself? Why shouldI? But he will not be able
to take it off? Now,what do you mean take it off?
Look at the cards, they areall spoilt with this blood. What do
you mean take what off? Youmust send me a new pack from Freetown.

(16:22):
You can't buy them there. Takewhat off? It is only a
superstition I forgot. The natives sayif the witch he was a witch.
What did is all rubbish? Goon, go on, well, they
say you must take make the boroman, take the curse off, or
kill him yourself. It is verysilly. Gone. No, I'll make

(16:44):
it. Two guns if you'll takethat beastly thing away. No one gun,
No, all right, rayah,that gun. You have to say,
I'll give it to him. Havethe money right here over here,
take it and go. It isfunny how the head sits upside down,

(17:08):
just the way I saw him thatnight, just the way I see him
in my dreams, like it waswaited that way. You will take him
with you when you go. Maybetake him now. My cards are all
spoiled. There is a man sellsthem in Freetom. You should have killed
him yourself. It stop it,stop it. I took the thing to

(17:37):
my hut, and no matter whatI did, it always came to rest,
upside down and glaring at me.I got a shovel. I buried
it in the soft earth behind thehut. But in the middle of the
night I was awakened by some soundin my room. Oh what is it?
Who's there? Speak up? Ishoot? Oh a dog? Only

(18:06):
a dog, Yes, it wasonly a doll. But in the morning,
when I awoke and started to getout of bed, there it was

(18:33):
in the center of the floor,glaring at me upside down. It was
uncanny until I remembered the dog.I found these paw prints and the dug
up earth outside, and I knewhow it got there. I took the
thing down to the river. Ithrew it as far as I could into
the current. At last i'd berid of it. That morning I killed

(19:00):
two snakes. But late in theafternoon the little steamer arrived. They would
take me away from this insane lambof the Purrow and freak down and civilization.
Ay. It almost begun to feelgay as that boat carried me swiftly

(19:22):
away from the shores of the BoraNan. At last I would be free,
and soon I'd be back where borowand curses and nightmares would be forgotten.
I was standing at the rail,sighing with relief, when the captain
of the steamer, whom I'd metbefore I, strolled up and began to
make conversation. After the usual exchangeof pleasantries, he said, I picked

(19:47):
up a ramcyrio on the beach.This go thee thing I never saw done.
This out of injury before. Whyis that so? Eh? The
aid of one of these poro chips, all ornamented with knife cuts. I
see, what's the matter? Chip, agreed in the face. I wouldn't
have took you for a bad sail. I'm quite all right. Eh.
Well, this here I was tellingyou about. He's a bit queer in

(20:10):
a way. I've got it,nador of spirits in my cabin, you
know. I mean, if youdon't float upside down, you're our chip.
What's the matter? That was thelast straw. I suppose something seemed
to snap in my brain. Andfor the rest of the voyage I laid

(20:33):
there in the bunk, staring atthe ceiling, and I had the strange
sensation that the boat was made ofglass, transparent. And then I could
see up through the ceiling into thecaptain's cabin, see the poorer man's face
floating in a jar of alcohol,upside down, grinning at me. Was

(20:57):
the actually head is still in thecaptain's cabin in free Town. But it
didn't matter that poorer Man's work hadbeen done by then, because now I
carried it with me everywhere in mybrain. I sew it everywhere anywhere.

(21:18):
Any object that was round, likea hat or a pillar of oars suddenly
developed features when I looked at it, ugly scarred features with a grinning mocking
mouth. Features turned upside down whenI When I docked in London, I
went straight to my banker's office incorn here, and the security is on

(21:40):
an order. Mister Pollock. Youshall have to watch things, of course,
but all on oiler. You shallhave enough to live quite comfortably and
to enjoy a reasonable amount of freedom. Then to mmm, I say,
Pollock, what are you staring atso fixedly? That thing hanging from your
mantelpiece? Oh yes, I seethe potted fern. Rather pretty one,
isn't it. Oh yes, yes, yes, very I must do something

(22:02):
about it. Though it's always drippingwater down on the fender of the fireplace.
Makes it rusty. I was wonderingabout that. It looks red,
almost like like blood. Rust Youenough? Yes, By the way,
that reminds me, can you recommendthe physician for mental troubles? I've got
a little uh what do you callit, eh, hallucination? The poorer

(22:29):
man grinned at me fiendously, andI stared back at him. The banker
watched me very crueously for a moment, and then he gave me the dress
of a doctrine. I left hisoffice. That's when my accident happened.
To a man who's been many monthsin the jungle of busy London streets,
confusing enough, but when a headcomes rolling down the middle of the street
and between your legs, no woodno. I was in the hospital for

(23:00):
weeks. The only permanent injury,however, was the loss of the tip
of my little finger, my strangecoincidence, the same fingertip of the left
hand that i'd shot off the borerman that first night. Even in the
hospital, the poorer man was withme all the time. Everywhere. The

(23:23):
doctors couldn't help me. My friendscouldn't either. So I tried cycling in
the country, but that thing keptrolling along beside me and getting tangled up
in the wheels and spilling me.That's how I've got the broken wrist.
It well, they the worst cameonly last week. I'd just come back

(23:49):
from a long walk, hoping tobe tired enough to go to sleep as
usual. That bronze vase was overthere in front of the big French window,
and it well, perhaps the poorman enjoys the view of the street
three floors below. Anyway, thisnight I felt a little devil make care.

(24:14):
So I turned round towards and Ilooked him in the eye, and
I said, so you're still here, are you, my ugly shadow?
Yes, power, I am stillhere? What what? Who? What
did you say? I said,I am still here, and I all

(24:41):
ways will be No no, no, not that too, not that no
no no. So now you understandI not only see the poorer man,

(25:03):
I hear him too, polla culture. This is frightful. It is rather,
is it? I mean you areill, man, very ill.
Now, surely there's something someone cando. Some doctor, can any doctor
do? Can he take off thepoor man's pollock? That's nonsense? And
you know it is it? Ofcourse, man, it's all in your
mind or what do they call it? To suggestion? The power of suggestion

(25:27):
is strong. You're impressionable. Youlet these stories prey on your mind,
and you've got to snap out allI should have killed him myself. I'd
do it too, with my barehands, if only I had the child.
And you're talking rot. Look athim there, look at him grinning
at me like that's only a bronzevase, always grinning at me, more

(25:48):
and more famously every day. Stopit, Stop it you devin't stop it
yourself? Lie back rest red,Yes, yes, since that's what I
mean. If I'd only known,I'd never have left you there in sulima
load, all this might have beenprevented. Might it listen what I asked?

(26:12):
When you came in. I wasjust lying here thinking I see him,
I hear him. My sense ofsight and the hearings effected, and
some day my sense of touch willgo too. When it does, I
know that will be the end.I'll be finished, and the poorer man

(26:33):
will finally have his revenge, won'the? Pollock, old man, you
came in. I was lying here, trying to get up the nerve to
walk over there and make the test, and I'm going to do it.
No, No, I won't letyou. You can't stop me Waterhouse,
Don't you see I've got to Ican't go on like this. I've got
to know. Have it over,will Pollocks beyond anything you can do?

(26:56):
Stand aside, But stand aside,please, no, come back to bed.
That window is open. If youhaven't. Never mind, this is

(27:17):
just an ordinary bronze vase, isn'tit, Waterhouse, don't do it.
I know it's only a bronze vase. I know that when I I will
feel only cold metal when I reachout and touch it. I know like

(27:41):
this, Oh, hold out thatwindow. You're backing into that window.

(28:06):
Escape is produced and directed by WilliamN. Robeson and Tonight brought you Pollock
and the Poorer Man by H.G. Wells, Adapted for radio by
John Duncle, with Barton Yarborough asPollock, Louis van Ruten as Waterhouse,
and Bill Conrad as Berea. Thespecial musical score was conceived and conducted by
Cypurer. Next Week, you aregroping through the darkened corridors of a gigantic

(28:34):
department store in the dead of night, and suddenly you realize you're not alone,
and a hundred eyes are glaring atyou from the shadows, a hundred
hands reaching for your throat. Nextweek, Escape with John Collier's eerie story

(29:03):
Evening Primrose, Good Night. Thenuntil this same time next week, when
CBS again offers you Escape. Thisis CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System