The Black BookIn The Black Book, the "Teller of Tales" (Paul Frees) tells stories of meticulously planned almost perfect crimes, climaxing with the revelation of the flaw which kept the crime from perfection. The tales are adapted from published stories and narrated in dramatic fashion, from conception to commission, through the eyes of one of the characters. Performers included some of the most talented actors of the era, such as Virginia Gregg and John Dehner. The quarter-hour show aired on CBS, but failed to catch on; only three episodes aired. The first two tracks in this collection, "Different Readings" and "The Price of the Head," appear to be audition shows. "Different Readings" contains several different five-minute versions of the same story; hearing the different approaches to the same tale is instructive. "The Price of the Head" is in what became the final format of the broadcast. For more information, see the Old Time Radio Catalog. Series description provided by Frank Bell. |