Escape: Three Skeleton Key

Escape: Three Skeleton Key is a banger of an old time radio episode. Imagine, if you will, working on a remote lighthouse in the nineteenth century. Your own company is two other light-keepers. One is a strongman who doesn’t like to talk. The other is a humpback, trembling on the edge of madness.

Now, imagine spending months with such company.

You may go mad yourself, or simply want to go mad for something interesting to do. I can deal with isolation, but isolation without the internet sounds almost inhuman 🙂

Now, after months of tending a light that seems to help no sailor, a new ship appears on the horizon. It drunkenly flails back and forth in the swells, until finally, it aims directly at the lighthouse. It strikes the rocks of the key with the popping and cracking of salt crusted boards.

As it sinks into the black sea, you spot the occupants of this vessel stream out of the side of it. These occupants are not sailors. They are not passengers. They are rats. Hundreds and hundreds of rats. Starving, mad, and attracted to the bright beacon of lighthouse. Eager for both shelter and food.

Thoughts on the episode

This episode appears to have been quite a popular episode at the time It is based off the short story with the same name by Georges-Gustave Toudouze.

Escape: Three Skeleton Key was the first audio adaption of the story. A later remake featured Vincent Price as the lead character. I don’t like that version. Some of these shows are already over-the-top, but Vincent Price dials it to eleven.

Mind you, I like Vincent loads. From The House of Wax to The Saint, I always find him entertaining. I actually remember growing up and seeing commercials with him pitching these weird Halloween gift certificates.

As for this episode, there are many things to like.

First off, I like all the characters. The only time they work as a team is when they are being threatened by the rats. Otherwise, they are all a mess with each other. I’m surprised they lasted as long as they did, considering what happened to each of them in the end.

Next, I love the screeching of the rats. It’s truly disturbing. The sound folks did a wonderful job.

Finally, the ending is simply wonderful. I love the sound of that lone trumpet playing what will be the final notes of that banana boat. And while it’s cool to think that the rats are still out there, I don’t think it really needed to be mentioned again. Just hearing the song cut short was all we needed to hear.

Yes, this is a great episode in many ways. Long story short, a derelict ship crashes against your lighthouse, lock the doors and windows, turn of the lights, and wait out the rats by listening to a few good old time radio episodes.