Theater Five #60 "The Sacrifice" -- assistance in detecting Biblical references in the story needed
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Joe Webb
Theater Five episode #60 "The Sacrifice" was written by Raphael David Blau. He wrote for radio starting in the mid-1940s and also movies and TV. He was known for using his studies in psychology for plotlines, but also used religious themes for plot ideas. Blau's father was a prominent rabbi, so he was very familiar with Scriptures as part of the family's observant religious life.
Blau used the Genesis account of Abraham and Isaac as a foundation for this particular Theater Five script. He adapted the names to Abbie and Ira for the father and son. He also used phonetic Hebrew for a character name. The story is set in a corporation, and the boss is Mr. "L.O. Hay," and from what I have been able to learn, "el elohe" can be translated as "mighty God." Perhaps someone can detect other Scriptural references in Blau's plotline, dialogue, and character names? Help via replies to this post or as private messages would be greatly appreciated! A recording of the episode is at https://we.tl/t-w5pCX6XiHc Blau's writing in other episodes of this series has been fascinating. Thanks so very much! The Theater Five project continues with daily posts of episodes in upgraded sound and details of casts and plotlines. Join us! https://theaterfive.blogspot.com/ -- ---------- Suspense resource page https://sites.google.com/view/suspense-collectors-companion Suspense enhanced log https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11XflGB-S18jQ8JPr4EV1C9aZsRM_3Dw4xlLpGqgpBiU/edit?usp=sharing The Whistler complete log, presentations, and more https://sites.google.com/view/the-whistler-files The Big Story Revealed! https://sites.google.com/view/thestoriesbehindthebigstory/ Casey, Crime Photographer episode analysis https://bluenotebulletin.blogspot.com/ |
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Scott Mahan
Well, actually the whole phrase for the name of the alter in Genesis 33:20 is “El Elohe Israel”. Which, El being used in this case as God’s given name, you see translated in most Bible version as “God”, “the god of” “Israel”. (Which makes not a lot of sense to the English language reader.) Anyway …. If he’d really meant the "mighty God" context I think he’d have called the character “L.L. O’Hay”. Since he only used the middle part, it’s really more like “little god”, which is certainly how the character in this episode behaves.
There aren’t a lot of potential other references in the story. “Sally” could easily have been “Sarah” but he didn’t go there for some reason. Although I guess it’s about as close as “Ira” is to “Isaac”. “Red Rapids” doesn’t seem to have any connection to Moriah but it’s a very specific-sounding name. Maybe there’s something there that I’m missing. And, of course, atomic fire = burning alter is pretty obvious but “Red Rapids” still bothers me. Seems like it ought to mean something.
From: main@OldTimeRadioResearchers.groups.io <main@OldTimeRadioResearchers.groups.io> On Behalf Of Joe Webb via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2022 2:28 AM To: main@OldTimeRadioResearchers.groups.io Subject: [OldTimeRadioResearchers] Theater Five #60 "The Sacrifice" -- assistance in detecting Biblical references in the story needed
Theater Five episode #60 "The Sacrifice" was written by Raphael David Blau. He wrote for radio starting in the mid-1940s and also movies and TV. He was known for using his studies in psychology for plotlines, but also used religious themes for plot ideas. Blau's father was a prominent rabbi, so he was very familiar with Scriptures as part of the family's observant religious life. ---------- |
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THANKS SCOTT -- perhaps we'll get more input later that adds to the discussion -- this was so helpful
On the OTRR FB page, this was posted this morning: Kenneth J Narde
Abraham's wife in the Bible account is Sarah, in the episode Abbie's wife is Sally.The Biblical account is Genesis Chapter 22, verses 1-19.The only other paralell i heard ,was that Ira willingly went along with his father as did Isaac in the scripture, and after Abraham showed his loyalty God did not ask him to go through with it. The 'turnaround' ending is the authors own.
-- ---------- Suspense resource page https://sites.google.com/view/suspense-collectors-companion Suspense enhanced log https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11XflGB-S18jQ8JPr4EV1C9aZsRM_3Dw4xlLpGqgpBiU/edit?usp=sharing The Whistler complete log, presentations, and more https://sites.google.com/view/the-whistler-files The Big Story Revealed! https://sites.google.com/view/thestoriesbehindthebigstory/ Casey, Crime Photographer episode analysis https://bluenotebulletin.blogspot.com/ |
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Joe Webb
I'm stumped by the "Red Rapids," too. It could refer to blood in the Nile River or any other body of water of the times. The Nile does have some rapids through its length. But the Abraham-Isaac narrative does not take place there, so it is likely some obscure reference that might have personal significance to Blau and not related to the narrative.
Blau lived in Nova Scotia at this point in his career, and he had made reference to a landmark there in a prior script. There is a "Red Rapids" town in New Brunswick in an out-of-the-way place, and there's no indication he went there in the time he lived in eastern Canada and the Maritimes. Ken Narde added this to his notes on FB: "Giving and taking away..." that may be a reference to a verse in the book of Job..(Job 1:21) -- ---------- Suspense resource page https://sites.google.com/view/suspense-collectors-companion Suspense enhanced log https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11XflGB-S18jQ8JPr4EV1C9aZsRM_3Dw4xlLpGqgpBiU/edit?usp=sharing The Whistler complete log, presentations, and more https://sites.google.com/view/the-whistler-files The Big Story Revealed! https://sites.google.com/view/thestoriesbehindthebigstory/ Casey, Crime Photographer episode analysis https://bluenotebulletin.blogspot.com/ |
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Joe Webb
The episode becomes more fascinating and it may be biographical. I think I've caught what I can and what others (Scott Mahan and Ken Narde -- THANKS!!!) have pointed out.
BASICS
Abraham = AbbieIsaac = Ira Sarah = Sally Altar of (animal) sacrifice = atomic reactor The boss is named "L.O. Hay" and "elohe" in Hebrew means "little god" in a demeaning sense. The boss is mean and full of himself. The phrase is usually "el elohe" which means "mighty God" The reference to "Red Rapids" still has not been identified. Red in water is often in the Bible as blood. It's not a Biblical place, and may have no meaning to the story other than a personal reference or being purely made up. Red - adom (Hebrew), related to adam, earth Rapids is a fast-flowing and turbulent part of the course of a river
It could just refer to the chaos of the atomic age of the 50s and 60s
At 1:40 LO Hay says he sent 3 men to inspect Red Rapids with no results - likely a reference to the three angels/men that visited Abraham (Gen 18)
There are other names before the break
Nancy - Hebrew name refers to "filled with grace" -- she does not answer LO Hay, and implies that LO Hay is not filled with grace, but has evil intentions
LO Hay's secretary is Annie -- Hebrew "ani" - is English "I"
LO Hay keeps asking Annie questions and gets no answers, and is incapable of introspection (taking to himself, ie conscience) about what he does
LOH was disappointed the guards at the gates were not happy, perhaps gates of heaven, and that he would fail in the final judgment at the end of his life
Blau's father was Rabbi Joel Blau who died at 49 in 1927 who was a prominent rabbi and writer in the US and was recruited to lead a community in London https://www.jta.org/archive/rabbi-joel-blau-dies-in-london-at-age-of-49 Raphael David Blau was 15 at the time I don't know when the family moved back to the US, but they obviously did
The end of the story may be biographical in that Blau may have been pressured into following his father's footsteps, and did not. This fits in with the ending of Ira refusing to take part in the deal at the end. Or it could be that Blau did not continue in observant practice of the faith he was raised in. In the obits there are no indications he was affiliated with any temple or synagogue or religious organization.
The emphasis that everyone knew the reactor was "safe" and that Ira's taking the money and the position were sure things were the exact opposite of the Biblical storyline, and doing the opposite seems to be what RDB did with his career.
OTHER COMMENTS GREATLY APPRECIATED ### -- ---------- Suspense resource page https://sites.google.com/view/suspense-collectors-companion Suspense enhanced log https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11XflGB-S18jQ8JPr4EV1C9aZsRM_3Dw4xlLpGqgpBiU/edit?usp=sharing The Whistler complete log, presentations, and more https://sites.google.com/view/the-whistler-files The Big Story Revealed! https://sites.google.com/view/thestoriesbehindthebigstory/ Casey, Crime Photographer episode analysis https://bluenotebulletin.blogspot.com/ |
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Joe Webb
The episode is now posted!
It's at the T5 blog.
Thanks to all here and the OTRR groups.io forum who helped us dig into the symbolism and references used in it. Blau's writing is almost always more than it appears to be on the surface. https://theaterfive.blogspot.com/2022/04/t560-sacrifice.html -- ---------- Suspense resource page https://sites.google.com/view/suspense-collectors-companion Suspense enhanced log https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11XflGB-S18jQ8JPr4EV1C9aZsRM_3Dw4xlLpGqgpBiU/edit?usp=sharing The Whistler complete log, presentations, and more https://sites.google.com/view/the-whistler-files The Big Story Revealed! https://sites.google.com/view/thestoriesbehindthebigstory/ Casey, Crime Photographer episode analysis https://bluenotebulletin.blogspot.com/ |
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