Suspense: The Missing Person (

Suspense: 05/12/52, episode 472
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project
Macdonald Carey makes his sole appearance on the series in a script about a “cold case” about a missing violinist. The story is by Richard-George Pedicini. The story is good and Carey’s portrayal as a magazine reporter could fall into police-style interrogation of the people he meets, but does not. It might not be as satisfying a story as listeners may want because of its open-ended “conclusion.”
Carey plays a magazine reporter assigned to investigate the four-year old disappearance of a concert violinist who also was a composer. On the night of a concert, he arrived a few minutes early to play with the symphony orchestra as scheduled, but when the conductor raises his baton, the violinist is missing. Everyone had seen him, but no one saw him leave. Police were called, and ran an investigation for a week. They gathered a great deal of information over that time, but none of it led to finding the man. Four years later, the reporter’s editor assigns him the story believing it would make for an interesting article. The reporter starts from scratch with the police file, and plans his approach. He meets the acquaintances and the wife, but learns nothing that clarifies the situation. The is, however, an unfinished composition, named “Hildy” that the wife plays on the piano for the reporter. Who is Hildy? The mystery deepens with this new question. He eventually finds the answer… the husband was having a quiet affair… but even after he finds Hildy, she does not know where he may have gone.
Some listeners are dissatisfied with this story because it does not seem to end. The violinist is never found. This kind of open-end story frustrates many people, I know, but the set-up was right in the beginning of the story when the editor tells the reporter why missing persons stories can be so interesting. Some people just stay missing. Many times it’s because they want to. Even though the reporter gains some insights into the circumstances of the disappearance, the motive remains a mystery.
There is a disc skip (that does not affect the story) at 22:17. The dialogue that seems to be missing is likely to be (in italics):
Dexter: Is your name “Hildy”? [SKIP BEGINS]
Hildy: Yes…
Dexter: My name is [SKIP ENDS] Dexter, Phil Dexter.
Flight of the Bumble-Bee was originally scheduled for this date. That script was very complex and may have needed an extra week to work out the details of the effects. Or, it could be as simple as Fred MacMurray’s schedule changed.
The cast: MACDONALD CAREY (Phil), Jim Nusser (Looby), Paula Winslowe (Martha / Landlady), Herb Vigran (Nicky), Jay Novello (Maestro), Joe Kearns (Derwin / Eric), Irene Tedrow (Hildy), Larry Thor (Narrator)
COMMERCIAL: Tom Holland (Hap), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)
For more information visit suspenseprojec...

[@michaeladamo1188]

This is one of my favorites! I had no idea about the nice description you have written about it. I love information like this!