Much of Sam Dann's writing for RMT takes familiar plot elements and adds a new twist or perspective to them (or, in his lesser scripts, adds nothing at all). In the case of the entertaining "Ton of Gold," the listener can hardly help but think of THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (Bogart film or B. Traven novel)--the same desert setting, the same kind of greedy-people-turning-on-each-other plot. At a further remove, it's also reminiscent of the great silent film GREED (and the novel on which it's based, Frank Norris's MCTEAGUE). But in general the story is of a piece with any number of "thieves fall out" tales (or, more specifically, "thieves fall out over a woman"). But this episode added the element of Joe Raincloud, who plays a very interesting role here. It's obvious by the end that, whether or not the curse is real, Crazy Joe is something of a master at manipulating our evil characters' emotions. Telling the tale from his perspective helped make the rather familiar story elements seem fresh--something Dann often does. Sam Dann was not the most original writer in the world, but he was often able to find ways to make old stories seem new. I do wish there had been some sort of final twist to this tale--the ultimate fate of the characters is telegraphed early on, and while it's fun to follow the twists and turns near the end, everything does indeed end up where we all knew it would, which, at least for me, is slightly disappointing. Still, a very solid, thoroughly engrossing episode!

Nice choice. Gordon Gould didn't usually play a bad guy, so this was an interesting twist for him as well.

Your comments are extremely astute. i hadn't made note of the comparisons until you brought them up. very good... i enjoyed this one a lot. the Crazy Joe character reminds me of the locals in Vermont during foliage season, who depise tourists for trampling on their day-to-day to come see the leaves change, infest the local establishments to use the bathrooms, and spend zero dollars to aid the local economy. one fellow i know who resides there, refuses to give directions during this time of year. i didn't find the show totally predictable, but was not surprised by the outcome at all. it was a fun ride, much like watching an episode of Columbo where you know what's going to happen, but like you said, it's fun to follow the twists and turns. a great choice! thanks again! i gave this one a 4.4. terrific acting and an a good storyline. honestly, i don't know how these writers came up with such a body of work in such short amounts of time. i think i take for granted how much effort went into these tales.

I really enjoyed this episode. I knew what was going to eventually happen early on, but this seemed to work for the program to create tension. By the time the characters actually got to the cave, I was at the edge of my seat. Crazy Joe really is a unique character that certinally adds depth to an otherwise mediocore show. He is definately smarter than what he first seems to be. While not the best, "A Ton of Gold" is definately one of the better episodes I've heard. Is it just me, or did it seem like the first scene at the gas station is simular to some of the scenes from "A Tourist Trap"? I actually pictured the begining of "A Ton of Gold" as being set in the same town as "A Tourist Trap". I know that I'm really stretching this comparison, but I like to play with ideas and make episodes seem somehow to connect.

great comparison, i'll have to check out A Tourist Trap again! glad to read your voice here... welcome!

Yeah, I liked the "standard" treasure hunting theme mixed with the classic romantic triangle. Then throw in a hint of a supernatural curse flavored with a good deal of sardonic humor. Crazy Joe was a delightful touch, all in all. Over the years I've loaned out my original cassette recordings to my brother and other friends. They've enjoyed this story in particular, partly because of Crazy Joe.

I love listening to the old time radio shows some time it's better then the movies