4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
RADIO DRAMA AT ITS BEST, July 14, 2005
This review is from: Captain Underhill Uncoils the Mystery: The Cobra in the Kindergarten and The Whirlpool (Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater) (Audio CD)
Those who may remember how eagerly listeners anticipated their favorite old-time radio dramas may also recall the frissons of excitement felt when listening to "I Love A Mystery." Surely it was one of the most popular programs on radio.
Writer/director Steven Thomas Oney has recalled that concept and now gives listeners a mystery story read by a full cast, enhanced by music and sound effects. These sound effects, I might add, are very fine, especially if one recalls those used on the radio. Remember the rattling of metal sheets for thunder?
Somehow, listening can be more entertaining than seeing as it gives us an opportunity to run mental pictures through our minds - scenes of the crime, faces of the protagonists, etc. These impressions are often more compelling than what might be seen on a screen.
For me, this is the case when listening to the stories presented in the Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater. Oney's protagonists, retired police captain Waverly Underhill and his pal, Doctor Scofield, are both amusing and affecting (a little reminiscent of Holmes and Watson).
"Captain Underhill Uncoils the Mystery" is a double treat as the CD holds two stories. The first, "The Whirlpool" finds Underhill and Scofield on vacation. It's not at all as restful as they had hoped. Once a convict gets them in their grips, they may wish they'd never left home. Little do they know there's more in store - yes, a whirlpool.
In "The Cobra in the Kindergarten," the second tale, we find that the reptile of the title is much more than your ordinary snake in the grass. There is a deadly cobra spied by a school. Underhill has never received an SOS call like this before. Will he be able to vanquish the viper?
A highly recommended listening experience.
- Gail Cooke
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good pair of Underhill adventures, June 10, 2005
This review is from: Captain Underhill Uncoils the Mystery: The Cobra in the Kindergarten and The Whirlpool (Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater) (Audio CD)
This CD set contains two Waverly Underhill cases, "The Whirlpool" and "The Case of the Cobra in the Kindergarten". Both are entertaining enough, but of the two I would have to give the "Whirlpool" the stronger recommendation. While vacationing, Underhill and his sidekick Scofield give a young park ranger a lift home from her first day on the job. Before long they are taken captive by an escaped fugitive, and if that weren't bad enough they also have to face nature's wrath in the form of a massive whirlpool which threatens to suck their ferry down to a crushing death. Good performances and production here. Mark Birmingham turns in another great musical score and the sound effects are excellent. Less satisfying is "The Case of the Cobra in the Kindergarten". It starts off with a chilling premise: A baby Egyptian Cobra escapes from its careless teenage owner, who happens to live across the street from an elementary school, and it's up to Underhill and Scofield to find the snake (which is just as poisonous as an adult) before any children come to harm, and it could he hiding anywhere in the school. This episode had some major fright potential, and for a while there is indeed a measure of suspense. But I felt the ending was a bit anti-climactic and defused the thrilling atmosphere it had sought to create. It is enjoyable to listen to nonetheless, although Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater has produced far better tales.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
another winner !, March 15, 2007
This review is from: Captain Underhill Uncoils the Mystery: The Cobra in the Kindergarten and The Whirlpool (Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater) (Audio CD)
If you love a good mystery then try this series ! If you like old fashioned radio drama with chactors you can fall for & enjoy the mystery & adventure ! Then try this series .
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