Suspense: The Cave (

Suspense: 12/20/55, episode 628
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project
This Antony Ellis script is a favorite among classic radio enthusiasts for playing year after year during the Christmas season. It was first broadcast on Escape on 1950-12-24.
It is about two curious young boys who use the flashlight one received to go exploring in a nearby cave where there may be some pirate treasure. As they go deeper into the cave, they find a stream, and what must be a big cavern, but it is confusing when they see stars above, even though it is clear that they are still in the cave. They realize that there are other people there… a Princess and a band of Seventeenth Century pirates who are very much alive and well! They welcome the boys, and it becomes a heartwarming Christmas season story.
A repeat of Twas the Night Before Christmas with Greer Garson was originally planned for broadcast on this date.
The Cave was broadcast five different times on three CBS series. This was the only time it was used on Suspense. and is the fourth use on CBS. These are the five broadcasts, with three surviving:
1950-12-24 Escape
1952-12-25 Romance (missing)
1954-12-25 Romance (missing)
1955-12-20 Suspense
1956-12-22 Romance
Blogger Christine Miller notes that there are improvements in the music, dialogue, and presentation in the Suspense version compared to the original Escape production. It is not known if those improvements were made for the still-missing Romance productions of 1952 and 1954 and carried over into Suspense or if they were made for this Suspense broadcast.
The cast: Richard Beals (Dan as a boy), Billy Chapin (George Fennell), John Dehner (Dan Imbrie, the narrator), Hans Conried (Captain Blackton), Ben Wright (Namby / Voice), Larry Dobkin (Shill), Ellen Morgan (Alicia), Raymond Lawrence (Gonfalon), Larry Thor (Suspense Narrator)
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