Bathysphere (LOUT)

A political thriller about a scientist and a dictator sharing a deep sea diving bell. 

Thriller may be too strong a word for it. Call it a dramatic dialogue; it's slow but interesting. Solid performances by Hans Conried and George Zucco lend credibility to an otherwise contrived premise in which the oppressed is allowed to confront the oppressor.

What's probably more interesting is the real story of the bathysphere.

Fom Greek words that translate to "deep sphere," the bathysphere was a unique spherical deep-sea submersible that was unpowered and lowered into the ocean on a cable. It was designed in 1928 and 1929 by the American engineer Otis Barton, to be used by the naturalist William Beebe for studying undersea wildlife off the coast of Bermuda. Beebe and Barton conducted a number of dives in the Bathysphere together, marking the first time that a marine biologist observed deep-sea animals in their native environment. Their dives set several consecutive world records for the deepest dive ever performed by a human. The record set by the deepest of these, to a depth of 3,028 feet on August 15, 1934, lasted until it was broken by Barton in 1949.

[It just occurred to me how odd this show is, given the medium. The requirements for the soundscape are minimal; make the voices sound closed in and any communications with the surface sound electronic/remote. Maybe add a few bubble noises now and then. As far as audio drama goes, it's not very dramatic. There is no real change of scene and only two characters who don't move and can only interact with things within reach and that would logically be in a bathysphere. I'm sure it was very budget-conscious, at least!]

Lights Out
29 June 1943
19430629(000)_LOUT_Bathysphere.mp3

Blue Network. Arch Oboler (writer), George Zucco, Hans Conried. 

Barton and Beebe with their bathysphere