THE MONKEY'S PAW

Someone has blown the dust off some old tapes in the archives of the CBC, Canada's public broadcaster, and resurrected them for the Mystery Theatre series, of which this is the third volume. It includes four half-hour radio plays from 1967-68, including two tales of Hoffman and the title drama about a family that acquires a monkey's paw that grants wishes--but with tragic consequences. Full of mediocre acting, deep voices made spooky with reverb, and sound effects that seem cheesy to modern ears, these tales have some sentimental appeal, but they've lost much of their dramatic effect. D.B. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]