These were broadcasts of popular films or stage shows adapted to
the radio broadcast between 1934 and 1955. They ran for 1 hour
with a few breaks for ads (or "A Message From Our Sponsor").
But on the 12th April 1955 they broadcast it again with a different cast
which included David Niven playing Peter Carter once again.
Details
Thanks to
Matthew Barker for these
"Stairway to Heaven" 27 October 1947
Episode #587
Based on the 1947 Archers-Independent Producers/Universal-International film
(screenplay by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
Intermission guest: Nella Hart, Universal-International starlet.
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| Ray Milland | Peter |
| Ann Blyth | June |
| Nigel Bruce | Dr. Reeves |
| Joseph Kearns | Conductor |
| Alan Reed | Engineer |
| William Johnstone | Farlan |
| Ben Wright | Mr Hannah/Man Two |
| Herb Rawlinson | Waiter |
| Charles Lung | Doctor/Chinese |
| George Sorel | Dutchman |
| June Whitley | Nurse |
| Edward Phillips | Architect/Reno |
| Edward Marr | Man [Act1]/Irishman |
| Paul Marion | Man [Act3]/Frenchman |
| June Bannon | Girl/Nurse Two |
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Commercials:
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| Dorothy Lovett | Libby |
| Truda Marson | First Voice |
| Helen Andrews | Second Voice |
| June Whitley | Third Voice) |
Stairway to Heaven, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1947 fantasy
(made in England and released in the United States by
Universal-International) of a British flyer who sidesteps his scheduled
earthly departure through a mix-up, and who subsequently appeals to be
allowed to remain among the living with the girl he loves, made its first
visit to Lux with Ray Milland in David Niven's screen role and Ann Blyth in
the part played by Kim Hunter in the motion picture. (The movie was
released in England as A Matter of Life and Death.)
"Stairway to Heaven" 12 April 1955
Episode #918
Based on the 1947 Archers-Independent Producers/Universal-International film
(screenplay by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
Adpated for radio by S.H. Barnett
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| |
| Irving Cummings | Producer / Announcer |
| |
| David Niven | Peter |
| Barbara Rush | June |
| Herb Butterfield | Dr Reeves |
| Maurice Marsach | Conductor |
| Hans Conried | Farlan |
| William Conrad | Recorder |
| Leo Britt | McKuen |
| Byron Kane |
| Yvonne Peattie |
| Al Darenford |
| Richard Peel |
| Truda Marson |
| Eddie Marr |
Lux's second version of "Stairway to Heaven" features David Niven resuming
his screen role and Barbara Rush in the part taken by Kim Hunter in the film
(Lux director Fred MacKaye called the program "an exceptionally good fantasy
... A better show than when it was done before.")
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Proposed CD Cover
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Now for the good news. A copy of the broadcast of April 1955 with
David Niven & Barbara Rush has been found!
Katie Yu in Vancouver has found a
tape of the broadcast.
It's not great quality but it's audible and understandable.
The ads weren't recorded on the tape and the end credits are
clipped off.
All the lead players do quite a good job, although Hans Conried
seems to be doing a W.C. Fields impersonation as Farlan.
David Niven sounds older but this might be that it was made shortly
after the death of his first wife in a tragic accident and it
hit him very hard. Herb Butterfield does a reasonable job as the
Doctor but of course his voice can't be as good as Roger Livesey's :)
The music is quite "standard radio serial" type music and they seem
to have a laugh track (or an audience) for the courtroom scene (it's
also heard lightly in a few places earlier) - but they are also heard
when they leave the courtroom and come down to the operating theatre
so it can't be meant to be just the audience at the trial.
The tape says that they'll be talking to the stars about the performance
"later" - but that didn't make it to the tape either :(
There are some differences between the film and the radio play:
Time given when the crew baled out is different - 04:45, not 03:35
The Chief Recorder is male (played by William "Cannon" Conrad).
The Conductor is identified as "Conductor R 34".
No naked shepherd boy, June and Peter are heard to meet on the beach when
the Chief Recorder is explaining to Trubshaw what happened to his skipper.
June is named as "Miss June Adams". She is never given any other name
than "June" in the film.
Doc Reeve's meets Peter at Lee Wood House while they are playing
chess but there's no mention of a rehearsal for Midsummer Night's Dream.
(Although there are some noises in the background which can't be made
out over the hiss and crackle - that might be them.)
In the courtroom the adversaries play the cricket match & the "modern"
music, but they aren't the ones used in the film.
The stairway doesn't appear until the Conductor shows it to Peter
inviting him to walk up it while they are discussing who should
represent him. When June agrees to take Peter's place at the end
she starts to walk up the staircase - but then it disappears!
They don't say if June then tumbled back to earth :)
A lot of these differences are probably due to adaptations necessary
for a live radio broadcast. But others are probably to the use of the
original script, which was modified and adapted heavily as the film was
being made as people thought up new ideas and some things didn't work as
well as hoped.
Katie is looking to make CDs of the recording. It's far from "broadcast
quality" but is audible. The tape Katie has was probably recorded off air
and there's a slight gap where the tape was turned over.
Oddly the end announcer mentions "The Lux Radio Theatre in 1950"
despite all records showing it was broadcast in 1955.
This production is now available as an MP3 download from ThenRadio.com along with the Screen Director's Playhouse production
And a pair of broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, 14 & 21 October, 2023
Part 1 & Part 2.
Written by Ben Cottam
Adapted from the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Editing and sound design by Richard Fox
Music by Howard Carter
Produced and directed by Simon Barnard
Cast:
Peter Carter... Will Tudor
June Archer... Lydia West
Frank Reeves... Geoff McGivern
Administrator 48... Miles Jupp
Bob Trubshawe... Jonny Weldon
Bhagat... Mikhail Sen
Judge... Jacqueline King
Yes, but...
Why did they have to change Conductor 71 to Administrator 48?
And why did they have to make the prosecutor Indian (killed at the well at Jallianwala Bagh by orders of Brigadier-General Dyer) instead of American (killed by a British bullet)/? That missed the chance for him to say that June was a girl of "good American stock"
Why did they have to give June a surname? she wasn't called June Archer in the film or the book.
and various other minor changes.
