Suspense - "Lazarus Walks" (Old Time Radio, 1943)
Evaluation and Summary
This 1943 Suspense radio episode stars Orson Welles as Dr. Graham, a psychiatrist, and Hans Conried as Roger Holcombe, a man who survives clinical death during surgery and returns with a disturbing new ability: an uncanny relationship with truth and lies. The episode explores the psychological and supernatural implications of this transformation, positioning it as a mystery that blends medical drama with the paranormal. Adapted by Robert L. Richards from a story by J. Marion Speed, the episode was originally broadcast on October 1, 1943. The production includes a newly recorded contextual introduction by Victor Sterling, the original 28-minute broadcast, and a closing announcement, with audio that has been cleaned and mastered for modern listening. The episode's central tension appears to revolve around whether Holcombe's newfound abilities are genuinely supernatural or psychological manifestations of trauma from his near-death experience—a classic Suspense formula that plays on audience uncertainty about the nature of reality and sanity. The title 'Lazarus Walks' invokes the biblical figure who rose from the dead, suggesting themes of resurrection, rebirth, and the uncanny return of someone fundamentally changed by their brush with mortality. The episode represents early Golden Age radio drama, a period when the medium was experimenting with psychological horror and supernatural storytelling, leveraging the power of sound design and voice acting to create atmosphere and dread.
Verdict: A well-cast classic radio drama with an intriguing psychological-supernatural premise that likely delivers solid period entertainment, though the source material doesn't provide enough detail to confirm whether execution matches concept.
Fiction rubric
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Writing 3/5 20%
Adapted from an existing story with a competent premise (death-induced truth-perception), but source material provides no dialogue samples to assess script quality beyond the setup.
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Performance and production 3/5 20%
Orson Welles and Hans Conried are accomplished actors, but without hearing the actual performance, quality can only be inferred; audio has been remastered for consistency.
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Plot momentum 3/5 15%
The central mystery (what Holcombe's abilities mean and their origin) provides forward momentum, but source material doesn't reveal pacing or whether tension sustains across 28 minutes.
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Substance 3/5 15%
Solid psychological-supernatural premise with thematic depth (death, truth, sanity), but show notes don't indicate whether the episode explores these ideas substantively or remains surface-level.
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Delivers on its title 4/5 15%
Title 'Lazarus Walks' directly invokes resurrection and the changed nature of the returned; the episode's premise of a man transformed by near-death experience aligns well with this promise.
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Value for time 3/5 15%
30-minute total runtime with 28 minutes of content is standard for Golden Age radio; pacing cannot be assessed from notes alone, but length is appropriate for the format.
Worth it if you enjoy Golden Age radio drama, Orson Welles performances, or psychological horror with supernatural undertones.
Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.
Show notes
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