At the time, "The Teddy Bear" scared the stuffing out of me because it (according to E.G. M.) was based on reality, upon psychic experiments the Soviets were doing.

(Warning: this episode is a bit bothersome due to recent events of the year. It also scared the heck out of me when I first heard it, because unlike others this one was quite based in reality at the time (1979) A newspaper reporter and his editor are very shaken when news arrives that an American space capsule in orbit has burned up upon re-entry to the earth's atmosphere. The capsule had previously had a rendezvous with a Russian counterpart. The newspapermen are suspicious not only because of that but also because of news reports of a Soviet icebreaker heading up towards the arctic, apparently transmitting some sort of high frequency radio signal. Later a military contact of the reporter's says only one object was recovered floating in the ocean from the crash - a teddy bear. The reporter heads to the Soviet embassy and gets the predictable treatment. He then makes the contact of a Soviet doctor and breaks and enters into her apartment. She catches him, and he learns that she's involved with some kind of Soviet brain institute (which according to E.G. actually existed) that specializes in trying to find ways to implement mind control via specialized transmitters, to suddenly make potential mass murderers go on killing sprees, to induce spontaneous brain hemorrhages and heart attacks...stuff Saddam would love to have. (In the meantime, the military confirm from one of the dead astronaut's wives that the teddy bear was indeed a gift from the Soviet cosmonauts.) He resists her attempts to read his mind and falls asleep. She lets him go...only he finds out his watch has mysteriously stopped.)

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. This reminds me of #1391-PORTRAIT OF THE PAST and #0111-YESTERDAY'S MURDER. In those CBSRMT episodes, the stories go so well in ACT-1 and ACT-2. But once you get to ACT-3, it's downhill from that point on. And this Drama-Mystery, written by James Agate, Jr., is the same. You got an intriguing storyline, important plot points, characters to love & hate, and a teddy bear that has everyone's attention, but the ending (both climax & resolution) isn't what I expected. Another way to Title this would be "The Russian Bear" or "Believe In Actions, Not Words" because that's what our characters are focused on. The sound effects of the typewriters, people murmuring in the newsroom, the Teletypes, static & frequency from the tape reel, rotary phone, door buzzer, footsteps, dial tone of the rotary phone, magazine pages, birds chirping, and the howling wind were all necessary in the tale of suspense. The suspenseful music was good, but I think there was too much of it. The music that you'd hear in the first scene is repeated in all 3 Acts. As for our Host, E.G. Marshall was a cross between Alfred Hitchcock & Rod Serling in this tale; both mysterious & pensive. In his Prologue, he warns us that this episode is NOT an ordinary mystery (like a Who-Done-It), but a mystery involving total annihilation that stretches beliefs. In ACT-1, not only he brings up the topic of science, but introduces us to our main character from the Washington Record newspaper. Later, he asks if there are actually 2 teddy bears in this story. In ACT-2, he informs us about the life of a newspaper reporter, but also informs us that Psychic Warfare is a reality. My favorite part of his narration is in ACT-3 where he talks about world power and says, "We're no better off than when we were cavemen attacking and defending with clubs, sticks, and stones. Will it ever end? Will civilization…ever become…more than…a word?" (He says that with candidness and he does make a point; fashion will change, transportation will change, technology will change, but our primitive instincts will not.) Later, E.G. Marshall asks does anyone know what certain gifts are given to traveling executives when they go to foreign soil (another mystery we'd have to solve). In his Epilogue, he talks about new fears replacing the old ones; it's almost as if our Host was giving us a cautionary tale. And finally, our great cast: Michael Wager (as Jack Woods the reporter), Ian Martin (as Captain Tom & the Russian Ambassador), Martha Greenhouse (as Mission Control & Dr. Gerda Kessler), and Court Benson (as Bob Buckley the editor & the Embassy Attaché). Kudos to Court Benson, Martha Greenhouse, and Ian Martin for playing their roles with American accents & Russian accents. But I'd give a big hand to Michael Wager for playing the lead role, especially in ACT-3 when he was trapped in the Detaining Room and begins to talk like Jack Webb from DRAGNET. Check this episode out, everyone, if you're interested in mystery stories that take place in the Cold War. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =0)

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. This reminds me of #1391-PORTRAIT OF THE PAST and #0111-YESTERDAY'S MURDER. In those CBSRMT episodes, the stories go so well in ACT-1 and ACT-2. But once you get to ACT-3, it's downhill from that point on. And this Drama-Mystery, written by James Agate, Jr., is the same. You got an intriguing storyline, important plot points, characters to love & hate, and a teddy bear that has everyone's attention, but the ending (both climax & resolution) isn't what I expected. Another way to Title this would be "The Russian Bear" or "Believe In Actions, Not Words" because that's what our characters are focused on. The sound effects of the typewriters, people murmuring in the newsroom, the Teletypes, static & frequency from the tape reel, rotary phone, door buzzer, footsteps, dial tone of the rotary phone, magazine pages, birds chirping, and the howling wind were all necessary in the tale of suspense. The suspenseful music was good, but I think there was too much of it. The music that you'd hear in the first scene is repeated in all 3 Acts. As for our Host, E.G. Marshall was a cross between Alfred Hitchcock & Rod Serling in this tale; both mysterious & pensive. In his Prologue, he warns us that this episode is NOT an ordinary mystery (like a Who-Done-It), but a mystery involving total annihilation that stretches beliefs. In ACT-1, not only he brings up the topic of science, but introduces us to our main character from the Washington Record newspaper. Later, he asks if there are actually 2 teddy bears in this story. In ACT-2, he informs us about the life of a newspaper reporter, but also informs us that Psychic Warfare is a reality. My favorite part of his narration is in ACT-3 where he talks about world power and says, "We're no better off than when we were cavemen attacking and defending with clubs, sticks, and stones. Will it ever end? Will civilization…ever become…more than…a word?" (He says that with candidness and he does make a point; fashion will change, transportation will change, technology will change, but our primitive instincts will not.) Later, E.G. Marshall asks does anyone know what certain gifts are given to traveling executives when they go to foreign soil (another mystery we'd have to solve). In his Epilogue, he talks about new fears replacing the old ones; it's almost as if our Host was giving us a cautionary tale. And finally, our great cast: Michael Wager (as Jack Woods the reporter), Ian Martin (as Captain Tom & the Russian Ambassador), Martha Greenhouse (as Mission Control & Dr. Gerda Kessler), and Court Benson (as Bob Buckley the editor & the Embassy Attaché). Kudos to Court Benson, Martha Greenhouse, and Ian Martin for playing their roles with American accents & Russian accents. But I'd give a big hand to Michael Wager for playing the lead role, especially in ACT-3 when he was trapped in the Detaining Room and begins to talk like Jack Webb from DRAGNET. Check this episode out, everyone, if you're interested in mystery stories that take place in the Cold War. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =0)

An excellent suspense tale. Makes me think of the movie Manchurian Candidate, both 1962 & 2004 versions & another old Charles Bronson movie, made in 1978, named TELEFON(u can read about the movie on . CB plays a Russian officer in the movie). The part in this episode where the doctor talks about practicing mind control being activated by the power(s) of suggestion made me think of these movies. It can be a scary thing, I agree. The bottom line is mind control but the methods of delivery in the RMT play & the movies I mentioned were different. Truth can, most certainly, be stranger than fiction.....& a lot scarier. Again.....a very suspenseful paly & 1 of my faves. I give it an 8.5 out of 10. I must return 2 have another adventure in the macabre. Until next time.....pleasant..dreams. YEAH, RIGHT.

I enjoy reading the comments on these episodes, but I do wish the date was shown with the comment. With Lisa Mae Canning's comment above, she mentions this episode will be bothersome because of recent events this year. (So, now I'm curious as to what "this Year" is so could relate. I don't have any profound comments about this episode (I enjoyed it because it was so 1970s (and all the ESP, and spontaneous combustion and eerie out-of-body experiences that everyone thought about in those days). the whole cbs radio mystery theater brings back my teen years so vividly - I don't usually remember the actual episodes, but I remember going to sleep every night to these. I especially enjoy when the commercials and newscasts are included for the same reason. Anyway, thanks for putting all these episodes here for us to enjoy.

Very suspenseful.

"A classic cold war phobia narrative" Those days have returned!