Rupert Croft-Cooke’s story of a ghostly trap set for a murderer had its first incarnation in 1926 as
a radio play entitled “The Telegram.” The author subsequently offered it as a stage play in 1930.
In 1945 it was made by Republic Pictures into the filmFatal Witnessand in 1956 was offered on
the television seriesAlfredHitchcock Presentsas one of a handful of that series’ episodes directed
by the Master of Suspense himself.
Croft-Cooke: series of South American travel talks between 1925 and 1927. March 11, 1927: play
“In the Tunnel,” 5IT, Birmingham, played by the Station Players.”
rather decayed house on Sydenham Hill… This play has a very exciting story—one of supernatural
value. It seems that in a certain house an old woman was murdered exactly one year from the date
of the opening scene of the play. Everyone knew that her nephew had murdered her, but he had
had one of those ‘air-tight’ alibis which the police had been unable to break down. Consequently
when brought up before the court the young man had been acquitted. Sir William Brent, who is
very much interested in the case, plans to wring a confession from the nephew by a very singular
plan. By having an actress (a Miss Dacklethorpe, a friend of his) impersonate the aunt who had
been murdered, he planned to frighten Bedford, the nephew, into a confession. Exactly what the
outcome is when Bedford sees the ghost of his aunt walk into the room and the strangely
significant incident at the end of the play will all be revealed in ‘Banquo’s Chair’.”
(Croft-Cooke laid another one of his murder stories in Sydenham—the 1939 “Sergeant Beef”
novelCase Without a Conclusion, in which he describes the neighborhood as a gloomy place of
“faded grandeur.”)
May 26, 1926“The Telegram”
[
“…a short play written specially for broadcasting… Sir
William Brent is sitting by the fire in the dining-room of Ridgewood, a
large house in an out-of-the-way suburb. Dinner is laid for four persons.
Long comes in to announce the arrival of Mr. Gandy and Mr. Stone…”]
Rupert Croft-Cooke (scriptwriter).
Howard Rose (producer).
Adrian Byrne (Robert Stone, a friend of Sir William’s), Reginald Dance
(Long, the butler), Michael Hogan (John Bedford, the nephew), J. C. Lawrence
(Sergeant Campbell), Henry Oscar (Sir William Brent, a retired chief of police),
Bryan Powley (Mr. Harold Gandy, a well known novelist).
DON’T LISTEN TO THIS (MIDLAND REGIONAL PROGRAMME—BBC)
October 13, 1934“Anniversary” / “Retrospect”
THREE SHORT PLAYS (MIDLAND PROGRAMME—BBC)
June 17, 1936“Five at the George” / Object All Sublime” / “Anniversary”
Howard Rose (producer).
Godfrey Baseley, John Bentley, Alfred Butler, Percy Dewey, Denis Folwell,
William Hughes, John Lang, Aubrey Standing, Stuart Vinden.
September 16, 1937“Anniversary Night”
June 1, 1943“Banquo’s Chair”
[
“…When a Scotland Yard detective, Donald
Crisp, gives a dinner party at a murdered woman’s home and includes
among his guests the suspected murderer, anything can happen, and
does, on ‘The Extra Chair’…”]
Sigmund Miller.
Ted Bliss (director), Lud Gluskin (music conductor), Joseph
Kearns (voice of “The Man in Black”), Lucien Moraweck (composer), William
Spier (producer).
Hans Conried, Donald Crisp, John Loder, Ian Wolfe.
[
Announced at the end of the previous week’s broadcast as “The Extra
Guest”.]
THE WORLD’S GREATEST STORIES (WMAQ, CHICAGO—NBC)
October 2, 1943“Banquo’s Chair”
anniversary of his ‘World’s Greatest Stories’ program by telling a tale he
has been seeking permission to use since a little after his network debut
in 1940…”]
August 3, 1944“Banquo’s Chair”
[
“…Ghosts, make-believe ghosts and real murders provide
an eerie half hour of radio entertainment, when Screen Actors Donald
Crisp and John Loder co-star… The plot deals with a Scotland Yard
detective who tries to wring a confession from a murder suspect by
confronting him with the ‘ghost’ of his victim. Unexpected developments
force changes in the detective’s plan, in a strange climax…”]
Sigmund Miller.
Lud Gluskin (music conductor), Joseph Kearns (announcer),
Lucien Moraweck (composer), William Spier (producer-director).
Hans Conried, Donald Crisp, John Loder, Jane Morgan, Ian Wolfe.
SENSATION (THE LIGHT PROGRAMME, LONDON—BBC)
September 10, 1946“Banquo’s Chair”
[
Croft-Cooke’s story “Peter the Painter” was originally scheduled.]
THE PHILIP MORRIS PLAYHOUSE (WCBS, NEW YORK—CBS)
March 25, 1949“Banquo’s Chair”
to crack a case on his own…”]
Claude Rains, et al.
March 9, 1950“Banquo’s Chair”
Sigmund Miller.
Rene Garriguenc (composer), Lud Gluskin (music conductor),
Norman Macdonnell (director).
Hans Conried, James Mason, et al.
February 6, 1957“Banquo’s Chair” / “The Coward”
Nelson Olmsted (narrator).
Rupert Croft-Cooke