KILLER HAND

The six dramas collected here, dating from 1945 to 1958, all feature card play, from the light story of an American adventurer in China who can't lose at cards to Peter Lorre chewing up the scenery in Pushkin's THE QUEEN OF SPADES. Sound quality is mostly excellent; more documentation (such as cast lists) would have been helpful. The selections are uneven, ranging from hokey to average, basically along the time curve of the original writing; even the commercials improve, from awful to amusing. Some listeners may be offended by ethnic stereotypes, but fans of old-time radio or those tolerant of the entertainments of another era will find a solid, well-selected program. W.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]