Papa Benjamin (ESCP)

A New Orleans band leader walks into a police station and confesses to murdering Papa Benjamin, a local voodoo priest. But why?

This is a great episode with some wild music. Fair warning, there is a fair amount of racism highlighted in the episode. When "Eddie" confesses, the cops ask him if he killed a white man. Eddie explains "No, a Negro." The officers seem ready to dismiss the murder with a "Well now, here in New Orleans..."

* The announcer for the version that aired Jan 21 attributes the music to Feuer and the announcer for the Jan 24 airing credits Dunstedter. I suspect Feuer is correct. He was a regular writer/conductor of music and Dunstedter was a regular organist on Escape.

Escape #24
Papa Benjamin
21 Jan 1948
19480121(024)_ESCP_PapaBenjamin.mp3
William N. Robson (producer), Norman Macdonnell (director), Cornell Woolrich (writer, billed as William Irish), John Dunkel (script), Frank Lovejoy (Eddie Block), Luis Van Rooten (Papa Benjamin), Harry Bartell (police commissioner), Joan Banks (Judy), Cey Feuer (music), Eddie Dunstedter (music). Verified.

Frank Lovejoy