Salem’s Lot 1/7 (Prokletí Salemu, 1995)

Přidal: Premek |

Listopad 8, 2023

Stephen King. Dramatizace Gregory Evans. Hudba Elizabeth Parker ( BBC Radiophonic Workshop). Režie Adrian Bean.

Osoby a obsazení: Ben Mears (Stuart Milligan), Susan Norton (Teresa Gallagher), Mark Petrie (Danny Cannaba), Kurt Barlow (Doug Bradley), Richard Straker (John Moffatt), Matt Burke (Gavin Muir), Jimmy Cody (Kerry Shale), Parkins Gillespie (Don Fellows), otec Callahan (Nigel Anthony), Nolly Gardner (George Parsons), June Petrie (Lorelei King), Henry Petrie (Vincent Marzello).

Nastudovala BBC v roce 1995. Premiéra červenec – srpen 1995 (BBC Radio 4, 1 díl cca 30 min.). K poslechu zde.

Lit.: anonym: Salem’s Lot (radio drama). In Wikipedia, b. d. (encyklopedické heslo). – Cit.: Salem’s Lot is a 1995 BBC Radio 4 dramatization of Stephen King’s 1975 novel ‚Salem’s Lot written by Gregory Evans. It combines the psychological thriller and the classic horror genres, making references to Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula at several points and sometimes replicating its storyline.

Plot summary

Ben Mears, a successful writer who grew up in the (fictional) town of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine (known to locals as „Salem’s Lot“ or „The Lot“), has returned home following the death of his wife. Ben plans to write a book about the „Marsten House“, an abandoned mansion that gave him nightmares after a traumatic (and possibly supernatural) childhood experience. Once in town, he meets local high school teacher Matt Burke and strikes up a romantic relationship with Susan Norton, a young college graduate.

Mears discovers that the Marsten house has been bought by Mr. Straker and Mr. Barlow, a pair of businessmen who are also new to the town, although only Straker has been seen. Their arrival coincides with the disappearance of a young boy, Ralphie Glick, and the suspicious death of his brother Danny. It then becomes clear that Barlow is a vampire, and is taking over the town with Straker’s help. Ben, Matt, Susan, and a few other residents of the Lot try to prevent the vampires from spreading. In the end, Ben and young Mark Petrie succeed in neutralizing Straker and destroy the master vampire Barlow, but, lucky to escape with their lives, are forced to leave the town to the newly created vampires.

Differences between the novel and radio adaptation

Although the story’s overall structure remains similar, several lines have been consolidated and/or simplified, in keeping with the much-shortened radio format (seven 30-minute broadcasts).

Ralphie Glick’s role is reduced (from both 1975 novel and 1979 TV-film)
Dud Rogers and the junkyard see only cursory mention (much of the Barlow/Dud Rogers dialogue having been re-scripted into the Barlow/Larry Crockett death scene)
Danny Glick’s rise from the grave (and Mike Ryerson’s death) are now explicitly enabled/supervised by Barlow, who mesmerizes Ryerson and calls Danny forth
Father Callahan and Dr. Cody become quick/willing vampire-hunters, with virtually no complaint or skepticism
Mark Petrie uses shards of broken glass (rather than contortionist rope-tricks) to free himself from Straker’s knots
The entire narrative is framed by Ben Mears‘ confession to a Mexican priest (who periodically interrupts the retelling with specific questions)