MARK TWAIN SERIES: CBS Radio Mystery Theater christened the airwaves on Sunday, January 6, 1984, and so they always tried** to celebrate each Anniversary with a weeklong bonanza of new shows all written by the same writer. 1976 was the year for writer, Sam Dann, to kick things off and he chose to adapt a series of selected works from Mark Twain, which all aired following a rebroadcast of Mark Twain’s “The Real Printer’s Devil”, adapted by writer Ian Martin. Apart from that series, only three more Mark Twain adaptations were written, episodes 937, 984 and 1002; they are included in the list to give a complete catalog for all Twainian aficionado’s to enjoy. The Mark Twain Series includes the following shows: “The Real Printer's Devil”, episode 119, adapted by Ian Martin, first aired on Wednesday, July 17, 1974, and later rebroadcasted Sunday, January 04, 1976; cast included: Paul Hecht, Jada Rowland, Bryna Raeburn and Ian Martin. “Tom Sawyer, Detective”, episode 408, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on Monday, January 05, 1976, and later rebroadcasted Monday, November 15, 1976 and Saturday, August 11, 1979; cast included: Kristoffer Tabori, Paul Hecht, Evie Juster, Gilbert Mack and Robert Kaliban. “Is He Living or Is He Dead?”, episode number 409, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on the second year Anniversary for the show, on Tuesday, January 06, 1976, and later rebroadcasted Tuesday, November 16, 1976 and Sunday, April 15, 1979; cast included: Alexander Scourby, Bryna Raeburn, Court Benson and Paul Hecht. “The Belated Russian Passport”, episode number 410, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on Wednesday, January 07, 1976, and later rebroadcasted Wednesday, November 17, 1976 and Saturday, October 06, 1979; cast included: Robert Morse, Robert Dryden, Russell Horton, Earl Hammond and Dan Ocko. “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court”, episode number 411, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on Thursday, January 08, 1976, and later rebroadcasted Thursday, November 18, 1976 and Saturday, September 01, 1979; cast included: Kevin McCarthy, Robert Dryden, Russell Horton and Arnold Moss. “The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg”, episode 412, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on Friday, January 09, 1976, and later rebroadcasted Friday, November 19, 1976 and Sunday, October 14, 1979; cast included: Fred Gwynne, Ralph Bell, Earl Hammond, Court Benson and Joan Shay. “The Stolen White Elephant”, episode number 413, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on Saturday, January 10, 1976, and later rebroadcasted Saturday, November 20, 1976 and Saturday, October 13, 1979; cast included: Bryna Raeburn, Ian Martin, Peter Donald and Robert Dryden. “The Mysterious Stranger”, episode number 414, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on Sunday, January 11, 1976, and later rebroadcasted Sunday, November 21, 1976 and Sunday, April 01, 1979; cast included: Fred Gwynne, Ralph Bell, Earl Hammond, Court Benson and Joan Shay. “The Dead House”, episode 937, adapted by writer Ian Martin, first aired on Friday, December 29, 1978, and later rebroadcasted Tuesday, July 10, 1979; cast included: Leon Janney, Robert Dryden, Bryna Raeburn and Ian Martin. “A Curious Experience”, episode 984, adapted by writer Sam Dann, first aired on Tuesday, January 24, 1978, and later rebroadcasted Tuesday, June 20, 1978; cast included: Kevin McCarthy, Marian Seldes, Earl Hammond and Joan Shay. “The Goddess Caper”, episode number 1002, adapted by writer Sam Dann based on “The Legend of the Capitoline Venus”, first aired on Wednesday, August 01, 1979 and later rebroadcasted Friday, November 30, 1979; cast included: Court Benson, Russell Horton, Bryna Raeburn and Gordon Gould. ** 1978 was the only year the show failed to produce a weeklong anniversary kickoff featuring a series from the same writer.

A memorable line appears near the beginning of this play. E.G. Marshall says, "No writer .. has such wit and finess as our own Mark Twain." Then the scene opens in the year 1897 with Mark Twain entering a hotel lobby somewhere in Rome. A woman approaches him, "Uhh, Mr. Clements? I am an American." Mark Twain, "Yes, I would say so. You are definitely, tangibly an American. Not only an American, but an American lady." (Wow! Mark Twain is a veritable Sherlock Holmes with his witty powers of deduction!) This episode goes on however with sly remarks about this lady's eating habits. Another funny thing and this may be a SPOILER is near the end the Italian government is taken in by the art connoisseurs and pays 5 million francs for the statue. If Twain's short story was written around 1869 and this play timeline is set in 1897, wouldn't the Italian government be paying in Italian Lira instead of francs?

I found this episode very tedious and tiresome. And if I hear one badly sung Perfect Sleeper commercial I’m going to scream. Whoever told her she could sing was obviously going by her looks alone.