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Title

Hell Hath No Fury

Plot

An actor conspires to kill his rich wife, but her sister, being a modern witch, is keeping abreast and schemes against him.

Episode

0228

Air Dates

  • First Run - February 24, 1975
  • Repeat - May 14, 1975

Actors

Writer

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Rating

140
110     30


7 Responses to Episode 0228

A couple in the entertainment industry achieve different degrees of success. She is making significant money with her career while he is only spending what she is making. Her sister-in-law is his wife's manager and agent and sees the disparity between the income and the expenses. She recommends to her sister that she go on an allowance and cut her husband off with minimal access to the cash. The husband is bitter and blames it on jealousy because of their affair in the past. The agent sister is also a practicing witch and seeks insight into the future of her sister.

Sergei

Another supernatural tale about precognition and revenge. The only character that was likeable was the wife, the rest weren't really good people (her sister was a witch after all and took personal and magical revenge rather than giving the courts their due). Was the punishment at the end just? I guess it depends upon your point of view and mine is conflicted.

Alec

Ian named the witch sister Elspeth Eric Whitmore. I presume it was an inside joke at the CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

Dale

The witch in this story came up with a really awful punishment for the jerk who killed her sister. It's clear she loved her sister very much, but wow! She can surely think of ways to torture people! But one could say he deserved it, since he didn't get punished legally for murdering his wife. On the other hand, part of me feels a bit sorry for him at the same time, so I have some mixed feelings. Still, he is such an unlikable character that I don't care much about what happens to him, lol! @Ian, I wonder what the "Elspeth Eric Whitmore" joke was about, lol! :D

Amy

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. Let’s begin with what was terrific. First, the Host. In his Prologue, E.G. Marshall starts the show off by quoting William Congreve’s play from The Mourning Bride: “Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury, like a woman scorned.” A classic quotation and an informative phrase that shouldn’t be ignored. In ACT-1, he introduces us to our main characters, both protagonist & antagonist. In ACT-2, he informs us on a famous Epitaph in England’s Cheltenham Church-yard that reads: “It is so soon that I am done for, I wonder what I was begun for!” (to which E.G. Marshall thinks it may be applied to the wife’s life before being murdered.) Later on, the Host reveals it is time for battle: Murderer VS Witch. In ACT-3, after the killer gets his punishment in the end, E.G. Marshall quotes William Congreve again. In the Epilogue, not only we get to know the Resolution of the killer’s career, but shocking to find out (SPOILER ALERT) that the Witch died on the same day that the killer did. Another part that was terrific, was the list of sound effects: Doorbell ringing, telephones, lighting of the matches, explosion of spells, shuffling of the Tarot Cards, cups clinking, water running, car engine running, busy phone signal, funeral music, tires screeching, car crash, tow truck cranking, and birds tweeting. The music had a lot of dramatic tunes in this Fantasy-Mystery, each track pulled it off. The last thing that was terrific, was the cast: William Redfield (as Mark Blaine Stanton), Patricia Wheel (as Madame Arexo and Emily Lawrence), Teri Keane (as Elspeth Eric Whitmore), and Ken Harvey (as Sergeant Harkness and the Reverend). CBSRMT must’ve put Elspeth Eric’s name in this episode as an Inside-Joke. But more importantly was the performance of Teri Keane and William Redfield. These 2 stole the show, portraying characters with shrewd ideas to deal with death & revenge. Now, here’s why I rate this episode 4 out of 5 stars: the Script. Everything was going so well at the beginning and in the middle. But in the final Act, knowing what the Witch had done at the 39:28 mark, things took an unexpected turn. The Witch could’ve cast a spell on the killer or do the same thing the killer did to murder his wife, only with more wickedness. But at the 39:28 mark, I never thought that this would be the type of revenge a modern Witch would do. Her plan was unique, yet cruel. The title was perfect for this type of story, but another way to title it would be “Wicked Revenge” or even call it “The Intimations of Disaster.” Either way, it’s a very entertaining witch story to listen to. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =0)

Russell

Mark Stanton, a has-been classical actor, smothers to death his popular and wealthy actress wife, Emily Lawrence, when he learns she is planning to cut down on his allowance and change her will. Because he plotted the murder so carefully, he is sure no one will ever be able to prove he did it. But Elspeth Whitmore, Emily’s half-sister who once thought Mark was hers, suspects him and soon proves that “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Adam

A decent story of the kind where there are no heroes. A contest between a witch and a murderer? The outcome is of little interest. Evil one versus evil two. Now, had the story shown the price of each evil with a little more focus, that would have been something! As it is, however, the story seems to be less about scorned femininity and more about two vampires feeding off one another.

John


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