Radio/Movie Combo: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

6 Aug

Ray Bradbury’s 1962 novel about a sinister carnival rolling into a small Illinois town one week before Halloween is one of his most iconic and thought-inducing tales. I’m a sucker for a classic Devil vs. Good tale.

Cover for Something Wicked This Way Comes, produced by The Colonial Radio Theatre. A dark silhouette of a figure in a top hat stands centered against a moody blue twilight sky, with a large Ferris wheel framing the figure from behind. The title "Something Wicked This Way Comes" appears in white hand-written script. "Ray Bradbury" is printed in large white letters at the top, with "The Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air Presents" above the figure and "With Jerry Robbins and the Colonial Radio Players" along the bottom.

For those unfamiliar, Something Wicked This Way Comes is Bradbury’s 1962 dark fantasy horror novel about two teenage boys, Will and Jim, who confront a supernaturally sinister carnival led by Mr. Dark. The carnival preys on secret desires, offering wishes at a terrible price. The boys and Will’s father fight the carnival and Mr. Dark to save themselves and the town. I’d also consider it a coming-of-age story that pokes at the fear of growing old.

​The Radio Production.
I admit, I haven’t read the book, and while searching for it I found a gem – the live radio production, dramatized by Bradbury himself, from the Colonial Radio Theatre complete with a full cast, sound effects and original music.

This is Bradbury’s work, and not just a regurgitated word-for-word reading, which makes it a lot of fun to, frankly, close your eyes and watch the imagery flow.

The key sense, obviously, to tap into here is hearing – you hear the carnival arrive, Mr. Dark get defeated, the boys run for their lives, and even in the hesitation of the dialogue.

The Film (1983)

Movie poster for Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983). Two boys' faces emerge from swirling red and blue smoke at the top. Below, a man in a top hat and suit stands in front of a carnival featuring a Ferris wheel and tents. The title reads, "Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes" in white lettering, with the Disney logo at the top.

Directed by Jack Clayton with the screenplay by Bradbury, this film stars Jason Robards as Charles Halloway, a middle-aged, worn-down librarian, and Jonathan Pryce as Mr. Dark, the carnival owner who collects human souls.

This is early Disney storytelling, so the dialogue is a little cringy and the structure a bit wobbly, but overall it is an endearingly satisfying heroic-arc tale that honors Bradbury’s manuscript well.

Bradbury reportedly had issues with some production changes, but, in the end, the film was a general success, and Bradbury accepted the retelling.

My assessment. It’s imperfect, but it’s innocent in how the boys see the world. I also loved James Horner’s score.

If you haven’t read the book, start with the movie first, so you can better imagine the radio production.

Find the radio production in Hoopla here.

Reserve the movie in the BCCLS system here.

Comment below your thoughts once you’ve had a watch and listen.

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Written by:
Sean Willey
Information and Digital Services Assistant

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Books to Crow About: Probable Caws and A Tangled Magic

4 Aug
Cover of A Tangled Magic by Andrea Eames, Author of a Harvest of Hearts Features a women with stylized tangles of blond and red hair with black ravens perched inside

Looking for some great new fiction? Check out these two just hatched novels!

Probable Caws
by Donna Andrews
Donna Andrew’s Meg Langslow Mysteries are my favorite cozy mysteries. In Probable Caws, Meg is helping care for formerly neglected and abused horses from an equine rescue group that have been temporarily moved to her friend, Ragnar’s property. Several other reoccurring characters including her twin sons, her animal expert grandfather, and the empathic Rose Noire also help out. I find Andrews quirky cast of characters are always a highlight of her story for me. Each of the novels features a focus on a different bird species, in this case a flock of clever crows (often fittingly for a mystery called a murder). Of course an actual murder also occurs that Meg tries to help the local police officers solve. The conclusion was not as plausible as some of her other entries in the series, but the story was overall a fun and heartwarming one which both animal lovers and cozy fans will highly enjoy.

A Tangled Magic
by Andrea Eames
Andrea Eames, author of A Harvest of Hearts, which I previously blogged about has created another unique and compelling fantasy. A Tangled Magic takes the traditional Rapunzel story and transforms it into a dramatic quest for its heroine to find her missing family, lost memories, and her own inner strength and powers. I loved Baldbeak, her raven sidekick, and that the novel is populated with many intriguing characters. This reminded me of works I have enjoyed by Tanith Lee and T Kingfisher, who are masters of dark fairytale reinvisionings. The story is filled with many twists that will keep you turning the pages. This novel is especially recommended for fans of high fantasy, fairytale reimaginings, found families, and works with complex and sometimes morally grey characters.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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