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Title

The Gift of Doom

Plot

A snowbound prospector is saved by an Eskimo witch from a fatal accident. He soon learns of her powerful skill with healing magic and decides to marry her. Her talents soon help further his political ambitions. However, bloated with his own self-importance he decides that he no longer needs the savage that is his wife and schemes to get rid of her.

Episode

0622

Air Dates

  • First Run - March 24, 1977
  • Repeat - July 31, 1977
  • Repeat - December 15, 1979

Actors

Writer

Listen

Rating

112
90     22


13 Responses to Episode 0622

A snowbound prospector is saved by a Eskimo witch. He takes her as his wife and brings her back to the states. When his political importance grows, he decides he needs to be rid of the "savage".

Jeron L.

A rather dark ending on this one. Mason Adams gives a more emotional performance than usual, though Kim Hunter is a bit miscast. If you've ever thought about leaving your Alaskan witch-wife for a polished and presentable woman, this will story may make you reconsider.

Phillip M.

LOL. Great story.

Caroline Pitchford

Its great to relive my childhood. I listened from 5th grade "1975" to Senior year in "1980". It was exhilarating to lose myself in these stories when falling asleep at night. Listened on WBBM 780am in Chicago. Station still on the air. Love the commercials too.

Eddy Hayes

i cant pick up the show on my radio but i am a fan of the series

Tracy

That is a great one

Thomas

I rate this episode ★★★★★ for EXCELLENT. Not only Arnold Moss is a great actor, but also a great radio dramatist for writing this Greek Tragedy adaptation of Medea. If you have read Greek Mythology growing up, you can tell who is who in this story. The eskimo witch represents Medea, the snowbound prospector represents Jason, Uncle Phineas Cobb represents Pelias, Phoebe represents Creusa, and the Argo represents the boat that the Argonauts were on during their quest for the golden fleece. The sound effects of the grains, birds tweeting, Argo boat sailing, maps & equipment, snowy blizzard, fire wood, body thuds, people murmuring and applauding during classical music, doors, the wooden box, seagulls, and the howling wind were splendid to hear. And the music was dynamite. Adventurous tunes in ACT-1, suspenseful tracks in ACT-2, and bone-chilling melodies in ACT-3; not to mention hearing music from the TWILIGHT ZONE series. Our Host was dynamite as well. In his Prologue, E.G. Marshall brings up the topic of the essence of tragedy. In ACT-1, he draws us into the story where it's 1897 and gold is everyone's desire. In ACT-2, after Jason finds his golden fleece and makes plans for home, E.G. Marshall brings up an important quote: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" (especially if that woman has supernatural powers) In ACT-3, he quotes a part of William Shakespeare's SONNET 116: "…Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove; o no; it is an ever-fixed mark, that looks on tempests, and is never shaken…" And at the end of our final Act, he quotes a famous Englishman who said, "Few people know how to love. Or how to hate. There love is an unbounded weakness fatal to the person they love. Their hate--a hot rash and imprudent violence always fatal to themselves." I don't know what famous Englishman said that, probably we'll never know, but it is very informative. In his Epilogue, E.G. Marshall informs us that Medea was produced in 431 B.C. where it's one of the first few stories that focuses on feminine human nature. And finally, our gifted cast: Kim Hunter (as Medeekah A.K.A. Medea), Mason Adams (as Jason Cobb), Arnold Moss (as Cannibal Joe & Senator Tom), Russell Horton (as Phineas Cobb & Hector), and Bryna Raeburn (as Watonah & Phoebe). I use the word "gifted" because that's how I heard them play out their roles in this CBSRMT episode. Kudos to Arnold Moss, Russell Horton, and Bryna Raeburn for playing their 2 roles. But big props to Mason Adams & Kim Hunter for stealing the show! Their voices + their scripted words = a CBSRMT classic. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =^D

Russell

Mason Adams and Kim Hunter were always good in these

Paul

Top rating! the best one

Frank

I became trapped in this little box while listening to this episode and can't get out. I'm certain that I will go insane if I am subjected to re-listening to this even one more time - please HELP ME!

Charles Swanley

I'm not condoning her violent actions, but I feel sorry for Eskimo witch. Her husband is a total, selfish jerk for abandoning her and their children to be a politician. I don't blame her for being angry after she gave him back his sight and he seems very ungrateful. I wondered why she didn't take away his eyesight, reverting him back to being blind, instead of some of the other stuff she did. It might have been easier to simply undo the gift of sight, which would have most likely prevented him from becoming a politician anyway. It would have solved the problem, since he wouldn't have been able to leave and all his plans would be ruined.

Amy

I really enjoy the adaptations of classical drama (this one is particularly creative since it is set in a more modern time than Ancient Greece). My problem with this episode is that the ending is so completely altered from the original. I was waiting to see how the witch would be rescued (as in the Greek myth when the chariot comes and whisks Medea away) but instead she just jump as down a chasm. Perhaps something supernatural rescued her but her diminishing scream seems to rule that out. I never thought it was fair that Helios rescues his daughter in the original but I don’t want to have the classic not follow the original ending.

Christine

Russ, I love the way that you describe sound effects.

Gemini lady Jackson


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