May 30, 2004 - 740717 - The Real Printer's Devil

[vgarci]

This week's program is presented for your review by Hamlet2003.

For those who do not have the program, you can download it (with or without a Streamload account) at: www.streamload.com/vgarci (http://www.streamload.com/vgarci)

[hamlet2003]

A brief synopis: A couple looking for a bargain on an apartment seem to find the place of their dreams. When they arrive to look at the apartment it appears they are the only ones who saw the ad in the paper. The location and the rent are perfect, even if the landlord is a little weird (he keeps a locked closet full of bizzare occult items in the apartment). Unfortunately, anything that looks too good to be true always is. This is a frightening episode. If you want a real scare, listen to this one in the dark...alone.

[vgarci]

Wow. This program freaked me out. I'll be honest in that I simply wouldn't have been able to handle this one as a kid and it's probably the creepiest program I've heard to date. First, I have to admit that I find cats to be one of the scariest things on the planet. I had a bad experience as a kid so I find them to be unpredictable and dangerous. The cat in this program sent shivers up my spine and it exploited almost every fear I have. Second, (plot spoiler coming) the play was crafted with three principle characters and one seemingly ancillary character, the aunt, whom I thought would be our last minute saviour. Instead, our protagonists actually lost their battle with the devil (the dramatic music during this scene was fitting of the drama that unfolded)! Whoa - what a shocker!!!

One point of interest I noted: Our author, Ian Martin, chose to use the opening segment of the program as a "working" lead-in to this drama. In general, the opening segment is drawn from the body of the program so we know it will be repeated somewhere in the play. However, this program's opening segment was truly a unique part of the play.

[Texas]

It's funny...did they ever mention anything about printing in the play? (I had a printer back in the 90s who had an assistant I joked in calling "his printer's devil". He told me how the term originated, and I thought it was because the young kids who helped the printers way back in the early days of the profession would get black ink all over themselves, and since the color black is associated with satanic things...)

Vince, I agree...I would have been very shaken by this one as a child. I thought one of the most compelling and powerful scenes in the play is when the woman opens the closet door. We've got a hint as to what's behind it, but the music bed underneath (again, way to go, RMT folks) plus her shaken voice as she delivers a stream of adjectives without ever saying what they describe. Priceless.

I like Ian Martin's acting and his plays.

[Fizzlestix]

First off, I just love the fact that the opening monologue by EG Marshall was part of the story. Usually, his comments are disconnected from the show, so to hear this format really caught my attention. It was enough to make me stop nailing the shingles on my roof and wear a skewed face!

Talk about a fun, chilling journey. I kind of had that "feeling" of knowing what was going to happen, but I admit, I was a bit surprised that there was no last-minute heroics to save this couple. And what a way to go... an elevator shaft!

This tale led me into the thoughts of Rosemary's Baby and even a bit of the Amityville Horror. All the signs were there for the couple to be aware of. Even a person who puts no stock in superstition would have to draw a red flag on the circumstances in this situation. Too true to be good? Nice!

Then there is the cat. The RMT has a way of transmogrifying cats into demonic devices. Enough so, that beyond my natural dislike for cats (due to lifelong allergies of them), I now have a new respect for them... in fact, I pretty much steer clear of them altogether! ;)

Though this show was fairly predictable, it's traditional ghost story quality never waivered and held me to the end. Our ghost was charming and a totally convincing devil, indeed.

The title was cute, as the etymology of a "printer's devil" comes from when a printer's apprentice would become black with ink - suggesting, of course, witchcraft or black magic. The title was also a title used in an episode of the Twilight Zone, called Printer's Devil, in which Burgess Meredith plays the Devil. Very appropriate!

I gave the show a solid 4.5 rating. The fairly predictable nature of the tale kept it from being higher, but the production quality, acting, and script were of expected standard, if not above.

Finally, one question that must be asked: What the heck do you think was in that closet, anyway?? :twisted:

Great choice! Thanks and best wishes!

[Steve]

I liked this one too. I wouldn't have been able to sleep for a month if I'd heard it as a kid--which, actually, I may have. I can't really add anything to what everyone's already said 'cept that I [i:631006b9f4]love[/i:631006b9f4] cats, [i:631006b9f4]and[/i:631006b9f4] dogs (And most other warm blooded animals. No reptiles, thanks.) It kinda bums me out that they always use a cat as a symbol of evil on these shows. How 'bout a hellhound for a change? Or a meeeeaaan parakeet! smile.gif

Steve

[Texas]

BTW, on second listen, a couple of notes:

- Remember our former SOTW from last year (I believe) "The fall of Gentryville" (http://www.cbsrmt.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=388)? Remember how the devil (who is a REALLY self-centered, prideful, hideous creature) kept making sure "Ginny" in that show knew how worldly he was by saying "Don't say 'goodbye'. Say 'au revoir', or 'ciao', or 'auf widersehen'", etc.?)

I kept remembering that when Satan was fumbling about trying to make sure the couple knew how worldly he was when saying British terms and then correcting them with American terminology, i.e. "Lift, oh, er, 'elevator'." in this show.

The faces of Satan were fascinating in the RMT, and none of them were good. (i.e. the one in this week's SOTW; the worldly womanizer who could not stand to have his advances denied in "The fall of Gentryville"; Ian Martin's guttural, groaning, cackling, thing who invades a woman in "Speak of the devil"; Norman Rose's schemer who could set a man up to make millions but always had to bum some coins to pay for a cup of coffee in "Transmutations, Inc."; Robert Dryden's mysterious, cellar-dwelling creature in "Crack in the wal (http://www.cbsrmt.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=752)l"; the fork-tailed thing which left the nostrils of a drunkard to enter those of a man who had suffered a fatal skull injury in "Possessed by the devil"; etc.)

- I don't know whether this would be perceived as an insult or a non-insult today, or even if it could be said in a show in this politically correct day and age, but...I'd forgotten about this dialogue between Hecht and Rowland around the 4:27 mark (and my apologies in advance to anyone out there who's offended, because that's not my intent):

[quote:9f4ee5621f]

HECHT: "Here it is...H.S.M. Apollion(sic?). That's our fairy godfather".

ROWLAND: "Don't call him that."

HECHT: "I don't care how gay he is...the apartment's all I care about."

[/quote:9f4ee5621f]

No, I just realized [b:9f4ee5621f]who[/b:9f4ee5621f] they're talking about (and remember his collection of torture items in the closet...no metaphor intended, or maybe there was!)...I'm almost assured that there's NO WAY this dialogue would make it on a CBS program today.

[Fizzlestix]

I can only imagine it may not have been intended as it seems. The word "gay" used to have another meaning once, long before it became the word that defines the gender preferenced.

Of course, seeing the "fairy godfather" might make it suspect, nonetheless. I just can't allow myself to believe that an intellectual writer for the RMT would be so thoughtless and free with a word that was not in the mainstream and rarely used in corporate media, such as CBS.

I could be wrong, too! :wink:

[Texas]

Fizzlestix, I would have agreed were it not for the "fairy godfather" context (and remember that Martin's character, before he revealed himself :evil: , was a single, somewhat fey-sounding man).

This also was before political correctness really took hold (though maybe it already had in New York City) but in a way maybe it could have been included to make us less sympathetic to Hecht's character (though not Rowland's) and to show him to not be as innocent, or rather, "good", as he first appeared.

[Fizzlestix]

I tend to agree with you. When I first listened to the show, I heard the comment and paused... I rewound my iPod a few notches and listened to it again. Sure enough, there it was. I didn't think much of it until now, and of course, it certainly makes sense. I guess I just don't want to believe that an RMT writer would use such a cold device. But as you said, there was no such thing as PC back then. Oh how times have changed!

[scarlson33]

Now this was a good episode!

The only complaint is that the ghosts were pretty light in the storyline.

This is one where the good people don't win out in the end. CREEPY! For the supernatural/creepy side of things, this one is great. What more is there to say other than, this one is one of the top episodes!

Sonya

[Kizer Sosay]

Not the brightest at navigation, I didn't find a newer Show Of The Week posted, so I thought it would be cool to go to the older ones. I listened to this one over the weekend, the 30th anniversary of its initial broadcast.

This was the kind of stuff that made us turn the lights on and check under the bed for monsters. No surprise twists, we know right off the bat that His Satanic Majesty is going to torment this nice young couple; we just don't know if they'll be the lucky ones that get away. Nice little horror tale with chilling sound effects and a wicked, shiver-inspiring ending. I give it a 3.5, though I don't know if my rating fits the ballot, so I voted for Bucahanan and left my chad hanging in between the 3 and 4. Now I'm going to read what you other listeners wrote, and then I will post on "The Chinaman Button," one of my all-time favorite episodes.

[Kizer Sosay]

Great catch by Texas on that "gay" comment. When I heard it I hadn't realized that that it was preceded by "fairy godfather." Very clever, though much more subtle than the phallic images in Walt Disney movie posters.

I disagree with the thought a line like that would never be written or pass through censors in today's world... the airwaves are full of ethnic and sexual punch lines. The word "gay" was coming in vogue back then (1974), but it was not as universally understood as it is today. I would venture to say that the vast majority of people 35+ (and "straight') would have missed that line's punch altogether, though I'm sure in NYC it was understood and appreciated. And I don't believe it was written to make us dislike the character, otherwise he'd have been far more mean-spirited and said "fag" or something more derogatory. I think it was more of an inside joke, a reference that only "hip" people would get and the rest would miss, like something in "The Simpsons."

I agree that in those days, few who might have been offended by the remark would make a stink about it; on the other hand, it is exactly the kind of pun my gay friends would have been the the first to make. (Have you seen the new guy on Comedy Central? His name slips the memory, but there are few analogies, cliches and innuendos of gay culture left unspoken.) Sort of like the rule that only Richard Pyor, Eddie Murphy or LL Cool J can say the "N" word. It's not necessarily the word, but the intent, and I think Ian was just being clever and hip. Now, the "devices" in the closet? Who knows?