CBSRMT Episode Information Next Episode

Title

The Guillotine

Plot

A young medical student meets the love of his life as while waiting out the war. His naive ideals take a beating as he witnesses the brutality of the French Revolution first-hand.

Episode

1013

Air Dates

  • First Run - September 17, 1979
  • Repeat - December 28, 1979

Actors

Writer

Listen

Rating

76
65     11


6 Responses to Episode 1013

I'm ready for Halloween and this CBSRMT helps set the mood in the evenings by a fall fire.

Will

I like to start off by saying "Cheers" to Elspeth Eric for writing a terrific adaptation by Washington Irving. The original title of this is called "The Adventure of the German Student." Everything your hear from this CBSRMT episode is close to the short story. Don Scardino as Karl was nicely done. But Paul Hect is flawless as Gottfried Wolfgang, a lonely bachelor who travels to France for a change of scenery/a change of company. Love the dialogue at the 20-minute 10-second mark when he says, "The Library. Those catacombs of departed authors." This lone wolf goes to the libraries and reads Past tales to separate himself from the events of the French Revolution. But then at the 33-minute mark, his talks about the Girl of his dreams in great detail. He's a victim of his own imagination by falling in love with an imaginary girlfriend. And when he actually meets her (played by Bryna Raeburn), there's compassion & companionship at its finest between the 44-minute mark & the 50-mintute mark. 6 minutes of deep affection! Listen to Paul Hect's scream at the 53-minute 19-second mark. It will turn "heads." The music is great for this twisted tale because there's epic music at the 19-minute 30-second mark, there's intense music at the 25-minute 9-second mark, and mystifying music at the 43-minute mark. If you enjoyed this gothic tale, check out E.G. Marhsall's epilogue where he talks about other horror writers: Horace Walpole from England, Honore de Balzac from France, and Washington Irvi

Russ

"The Guillotine" dealt with a gentleman who was lonely in the 18th Century looking for companionship. He left Sweden for France to find himself a woman. He had dreams of a woman in his sleep every night ... all the while living in a dark apartment in France. Little did he knew that men, women, children, and everyone in France were beheaded by the guillotine. He met a woman that shared a small apartment in Paris. He would soon know the woman was dead. I was quite moved by the direction of the tale. Horrific And Yet Factual!! People that were executed by the guillotine in France dealt with the realities of life in 18th Century France. Brilliant Tale!!

Eric L. Ellis

I really enjoyed this episode. I was completely surprised by the ending, and that is rare for me!

Susan

I enjoyed the story except when I was jarred out of it by the anachronism of the protagonist's friend having to catch a train -- in 1789 Paris! Trains wouldn't be invented for decades. No trains, no train station in Revolutionary France

Wanda

What a chilling, sad, and horrific tale. I highly recommend!

Susan


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