Jerry Haendiges Productions 1996
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And so began another brilliantly conceived story
in the Quiet Please series which was first broadcast on 8 June
1947 and was last heard on 25 June 1949. As we approach the 50th
anniversary of this unique series, Quiet Please is receiving much
wider recognition and appreciation by OTR enthusiasts since the
recent emergence of many programs that were once thought lost
forever.
What is there about Quiet Please that generates such a loyal,
devoted following? As one of the most original and creative series
ever heard on radio, at least four things immediately spring to
mind;
With the opportunity to listen to the 80+ programs
in circulation, devotees of this series now know that Quiet Please
encompasses much more than the four attributes mentioned above.
Originally, there were twelve Quiet Please shows in general circulation;
the most famous of which was, "The Thing On The Fourble Board"
.... considered by many to be the best horror show ever broadcast.
In this classic program, as an oil rig towers above the ground,
a strange being emerges from the bowels of the earth. The story's
conclusion contains several chilling ending lines that still leaves
the listener stunned...almost a half century after it was originally
broadcast.
(Now, THAT'S radio!)
On the strength of "Fourble", and the imaginative stories
found among the remaining 11 shows such as a computer that falls
in love with the operator ("The Pathetic Fallacy") and
flowers that feel pain and emotion ("Let The Lilies Consider"),
Quiet Please quickly attained near cult-like status.
With so few shows available, one could only hope that perhaps
some day, more shows from this obscure series (so it seemed at
the time) would be discovered. In the late 80's, six additional
Quiet Please shows appeared. These were in extremely poor sound,
but through painstaking studio re-mastering, listenability was
dramatically improved. Two of the six shows, are regarded as radio
classics:
"My Son, John"
"Shadow Of The Wings"
"My Son, John" is almost as horror-laden as "Fourble",
but while "Fourble" is graphic, the degree of horror
in "My Son, John" is largely determined by what the
listener imagines. The story concerns a grieving father who seeks
to recall his son from the dead. The ending is every bit as spine
tingling as "Fourble".
On the other hand, "Shadow of The Wings" is a tender,
emotionally-moving story about a dying child in whose presence
the figure of death is waiting. "Wings" has a religious
tone which seems to heighten the dramatic impact of this story.
Several years ago, a virtual treasure of 82 Quiet Please programs
appeared. This "find" comprised approximately 75% of
the total (106) shows in the series. Although many shows were
in very poor sound, for the first time, it was possible for a
listener to trace the evolution of this series from the first
show through the last.
Fans of this series were now able to gain an appreciation of Cooper's
fertile and limitless imagination as well as the unparalleled
writing skills that resulted in week after week of captivating
radio plays. In comparing Cooper's enormous range of stories written
for a weekly radio series, only the great playwright, Norman Corwin,
comes to mind.
Cooper's stories dealt with many diverse subjects and he was adept
at painting a vivid picture in the listener's mind. In the story,
"Tap The Heat Bogdan", we learn of the steel making
process and can visualize huge vats of molten steel in an oppressive
smelting factory. In "The Smell Of High Wines" Cooper
describes for us, the process of making wine. "The Thing
On The Fourble Board" informs us how an oil rig is setup
and that a fourble board is a catwalk high on the rig.
At various times, Cooper wrote about historical and patriotic
themes ("A Red and White Guidon" and "In The House
Where I Was Born"). He could reach out to the child in us
through a delightful childhood fantasy, ("The Time Of The
Big Snow") or he could emotionally affect us through his
deeply moving semi-religious stories ("Shadow Of The Wings"
"The Third Man's Story" and "Berlin: 1945")
Cooper also wrote tender love stories; one concerns a young Abe
Lincoln in love ("Valentine"), a man who plans to "meet"
his fiance who has recently died ("The Little Morning")
and a vision of the perfect love ("And Jeannie Dreams Of
Me").
Scary stories abound, among the best: "Beezer's Cellar",...
in which the characters are trapped in a haunted house, "The
Man Who Stole A Planet"...a descent into a sacred temple,
and "Whence Came You?" ...entering an Egyptian tomb.
So wide was Cooper's range of radio plays, he even wrote a program
in which he poked fun of himself. ("Where Do You Get Your
Ideas?") In this satire, Cooper played himself, sitting at
a neighborhood bar with Ernest Chappell playing a slightly drunk
lush. As usual, Chappell had the best lines and Cooper's flat
speaking tone played off well against Chappell's role of the annoying
but lovable bar fly.
Being a great writer and possessing a vivid imagination, alone
cannot, by themselves, create a great series. A critical ingredient
is the featured performer and the supporting cast. Cooper selected
his long time friend, Ernest Chappell as his featured actor. (The
term "star" was never used on the programs when referring
to Chappell.) Chappell was often thanked at the end of the program
by Cooper, calling him, "My good friend".
It would be difficult to imagine a better choice for lead actor
than Ernest Chappell. Chappell could portray many believable characters
including a lovable guy ("Good Ghost")...a hen-pecked
husband ("Let The Lilies Consider")...a pompous actor
("I Always Marry Juliet") ...an immigrant steel worker
("Tap The Heat Bogdan") and in a voice that listeners
would hardly believe was Chappell, a midget! ("Little Fellow").
Generally, there were only one or two supporting cast members
per show; all were capable and effective in their roles. During
the two year run, Les Tremayne ("Radio Reader's Digest"
etc.), Anne Seymore ("Magnificent Montague"), and Lon
Clark ("Nick Carter") appeared in some episodes.
Mood and style distinguished Quiet Please from other shows. The
series was notable for its narrative style of story telling (usually
by Chappell relating the tale in the first person) and for it's
unmatched use of.... silence! Whereas the "ESCAPE" series
had superb sound effects to accompany the stories, Quiet Please
relied upon its narrative style, pauses for dramatic impact and
the use of short bursts of organ cords to highlight a situation.
(Though in almost all instances of radio programming, organ accompaniments
were indicative of a low-budget production, in this unique series,
the use of an organ made a major contribution to the mood of the
Quiet Please.)
And speaking of mood, the best illustration of silence as a "mood"
came at the end of the story... usually concluding with a final
statement spoken dispassionately by Chappell, a pause and then
the soft notes of the series' theme...Cesar Franck's, Symphony
In D Minor. Brilliant!!....No need for screams, shouts or gunshots...just
a quiet ending line by Chappell, a pause with absolute background
silence, and then the soft strains of the theme which told listeners
the story had ended. Never had the use of silence been used so
effectively on radio.
In the next concluding article, additional impressions about the
series, my 10 favorite shows...(as well as the worst show!), a
listing of "Quiet Please" shows in circulation and a
review of a recent publication on the "Quiet Please"
series.
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