
(22) Magic Island - Trapped In An Elevator
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Narrator
When Jerry released a homing pigeon with a message to Johnson on the rescue boat, it was stopped by gas in the fog ring surrounding the island. G47 is now working on the formula taken from the message. The formula he believes to be Captain Tex Bradford's universal solvent. The other pigeon has been covered with magnetic paint to make it impossible for him to fly through the fog around the island. It is daylight, and as there is no chance of planning anything further toward their escape or Rescue until dark, Mrs. Gregory and Captain Bradford are working in the chart room of the yacht while Joan takes Jerry on a tour of the magic island.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Now, Jerry, you must do just as I tell you and do not touch anything without permission.
Jerry
This is going to be some sightseeing to her, like letting two of the prisoners in jail go around and look at the other prisoners.
Joan / Cleo Astra
You're supposed to be a clever boy, Jerry.
Jerry
Supposed to be? I am clever.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Then if you are, you should appreciate the opportunity of going through some of the laboratories and control chambers on the island and perhaps observing something which will facilitate our ultimate plan of escape.
Jerry
Hey, look, why don't you learn to talk English? All those big words are just a waste of time. And besides, I'm too busy for that.
Joan / Cleo Astra
You would find the larger words more expressive, Jerry, if you would only learn to employ them more frequently.
Jerry
Okay, okay. Well, where do we start looking at all this stuff? We've been all over this island now, and I haven't seen anything but these little steel houses on top of the.
Joan / Cleo Astra
We are nearly to the general elevator shaft entrance. I will take you down into the subterranean observation chambers.
Jerry
Well, take me where something makes a little noise, will you? This walking around on concrete that sounds like carpet is getting on my nerves.
Joan / Cleo Astra
There are not many places on the island where you will hear noise, Jerry. It is made silent deliberately and has proven the best method of protection yet discovered. I don't see how anything foreign to the island and its people, any boat, device or method of communication which has any sound is recorded instantly. While if there were local noises, it would be Difficult to distinguish sounds emanating from an outside influence.
Jerry
Never mind. I'll figure out the next one myself.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Here we are, Jerry.
Narrator
Here we are where?
Joan / Cleo Astra
At the elevator entrance.
Jerry
Maybe you're right, but I can't see anything except this little platform of steel on the floor of the island.
Joan / Cleo Astra
That is the elevator.
Jerry
Gee whiz.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Cleostra at the main elevator shaft. Cleostra at the main elevator shaft.
Jerry
Hey, what is this? Your name's Joan. Now cut out that cleostra stuff.
Joan / Cleo Astra
I am called Cleo Astra here on Eupydia, and it is the only name they will ever recognize.
Jerry
Oh, all right. But what was that hocus pocus you started to recite?
Joan / Cleo Astra
When I identified myself, my voice was recorded in the main control chamber in the center of the island. One of the guards looked out to see if it was really. I saw you with me, communicated with G47, secured his permission to allow you to enter and started the machinery which is raising the top of the elevator shaft.
Jerry
Oh, there wasn't time enough for all that to happen.
Joan / Cleo Astra
When you have been longer on Euclidea, you will learn the reason the Euclideans speak of time in seconds. Minutes are too long for the speed and accuracy of things on this island.
Jerry
Everything on this island is nutty. Boy, look at that thing come up out of the island. It's pretty near as tall as we are now.
Joan / Cleo Astra
It will soon be ready to enter.
Jerry
But say, when I ran after those fellows who went down inside the island when they thought someone was escaping. That was a regular building. It stuck up out of the island all the time. We didn't have to wait for it to grow like this thing is doing.
Joan / Cleo Astra
That was the elevator in the control chamber. Only the trusted members of the scientist group are allowed to use that.
Jerry
Then why didn't they stop me when I tagged along with them?
Joan / Cleo Astra
Douglas, they thought you would foolishly say something or do something that would be of use to them. Remember, these men want very badly. Something that Captain Bradford and only Captain Bradford has.
Jerry
Keep quiet. If they heard you asking for this elevator. They can hear all we can say now.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Certainly they can. But we will talk about nothing that is not already known. Now the chamber has stopped rising. We may enter.
Jerry
Okay, but that wall looks kind of solid to me.
Joan / Cleo Astra
It is opening now.
Jerry
How does that thing run? Compressed air?
Joan / Cleo Astra
No, Jerry. All elevators on the island are run and controlled by electromagnets.
Jerry
Gee, a magnet strong enough to lift that elevator.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Were not the magnets strong enough to pull my mother's large yacht to the island?
Jerry
That's right. Boy, what a place.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Now we will enter.
Jerry
Hooray. Something makes noise. Boy, I'm gonna stay in this elevator just so I can hear the noise of our field.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Stop that, Jerry. The Euclideans will not like it. The vibrations will be so heavy, they will overload the delicate recording instrument.
Jerry
Anyhow, I found a place I can come to for a little noise when the quiet on the rest of this island drives me crazy.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Now we will descend to what floor would you like to go?
Jerry
Make it easy on yourself, kid.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Jerry, I do not know what you mean.
Jerry
I'm sorry. What I meant to say was it will be my pleasure to leave the choice of points of interest on this tour completely in your hands.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Why, Jerry, you can speak properly when you want to.
Jerry
Oh, I can do a lot of things that I don't show off about all the time. Well, let's get going.
Joan / Cleo Astra
I think you would enjoy seeing the submarine locks. We will go down to the fifth level, 50ft below the ceiling of the island. You may press the indicator button there. The numeral five.
Jerry
Okay, it's pushed. Boy, this is slick. The door is closing all by itself.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Nearly everything on the island is automatic.
Jerry
Now we're starting down. This sure runs nice and smooth. What happened? We've stopped.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Only for a moment. That is a check on the 10 foot level.
Jerry
And that happens on every floor?
Joan / Cleo Astra
Every level on this elevator? Yes. Some of the private elevators of the scientists and the escape elevators will drop rapidly and continuously.
Jerry
But this one, that's the second level, huh?
Joan / Cleo Astra
Yes. Now it will release again. You see, this elevator is made so it may only be run one floor at a time, as it is in general use by everyone on the island and can easily be stopped at each floor from the control chambers in the event of escape.
Jerry
There it is again. The third level. Now, but I don't see how all this is done by magnets, of course. I can feel them take hold and then let go of the car. Like that one just. Then let go. But how do they pull it up and control it all by magnets.
Joan / Cleo Astra
They employ both types of electromagnets. The tractive is used to move the car through the shaft and the portative to hold and release it at the various levels.
Jerry
You sure learned a lot from these guys. Now we're at the fourth level. The next one will be ours, huh?
Joan / Cleo Astra
Yes. The car will automatically stop and the door open at the fifth level.
Jerry
I wish Captain Bradford and your mother could see all this.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Oh, they will. I wanted them to come with us today. But Mother and the captain had something to work on in the chart room of the yacht. And I think they wanted to be alone while working it out.
Jerry
We're at the fifth level now, and this is 50ft below the top of the water. 50ft below sea level?
Joan / Cleo Astra
Hardly that, Jerry. At high tide, the surface of the island is well above the water level. Remember that you stepped from the deck of the yacht directly onto the island pier.
Jerry
Oh, sure. That's right. But we're 50ft below the top of the island. And maybe 40ft below water level.
Joan / Cleo Astra
That is right, Jerry. Now, when this door opens, I will take you on an inspection tour of the island submarine locks. This is the level at which they are anchored.
Jerry
And you can get into the subs down here in more than six fathoms of water.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Naturally. G47 has always said it was very stupid to call a boat a submarine when it had to be loaded on the surface. These boats have never been on the surface.
Jerry
Oh, where do they build on that?
Joan / Cleo Astra
On this level, you will see one under construction when we. Well, that is strange. The door should be opening now.
Jerry
Maybe we're supposed to push something to make it open.
Joan / Cleo Astra
No, it will open automatically or not at all. I've never seen it take this long.
Jerry
Something's wrong with it. Then what'll happen if I try to open it?
Joan / Cleo Astra
Nothing. You will simply not be able to open it.
Jerry
Well, I'm gonna try anyhow. No, nothing doing while this is your party. Where do we go from here?
Joan / Cleo Astra
It must be that something secret is being done on this level. And the door checks are set. Push the indicators for one of the other levels. We will go there for the time.
Jerry
Okay, I'll try number six. There we are.
Joan / Cleo Astra
On the sixth level, you will see the. Jerry, something is very wrong here. The car does not move.
Jerry
Why, Ginger, you're right. We're stuck. I guess their electricity has failed them.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Jerry, that thumping noise. This car is going to be held here.
Jerry
What do you mean? What's that noise?
Joan / Cleo Astra
Those are the permanent magnets being set into place to hold this car. You can hear them taking hold.
Jerry
What does that mean, Joan?
Joan / Cleo Astra
I'm afraid, Jerry, it may mean something terrible. There's an emergency of some kind. All the electrical energy is needed someplace on the island. That is why they're placing the permanent magnets to hold this car. So the electromagnets will not drain the current supply.
Jerry
Well, what can we do? What can happen to us here?
Joan / Cleo Astra
I am not sure, though. I think we are in no danger. But what is happening?
Jerry
Well, whatever it Is. I don't like it. I'm going to try pushing some of these buttons for the other levels.
Joan / Cleo Astra
That will do no good. Jerry. I'm sure the current has been taken from the electromagnet. Yes, and it is being taken from the lighting system.
Jerry
Golly whiskers, the light's going out.
Joan (distressed)
It's gone. Oh, Jerry, what will happen?
Jerry
Now, now, don't act like a girl. We've got to. Hey, what's that noise? Water.
Joan (distressed)
Water rushing around the elevator shaft. The submarine lock must have broken. Oh, Jerry, in this awful dark with the water rushing around, what will happen
Jerry
if this car is airtight? We'll be all right, I guess. There's that alarm gong again. What's that mean?
Joan (distressed)
That is the submarine level emergency signal, Jerry. The lock must have broken. The ocean is flooding into this level. Oh, Jerry. Jerry.
Jerry
Gee whiz, Joan. You act just like any other girl when something's gone wrong. You ought to know all about these things. Can't you do something to get us out of here?
Joan (distressed)
No. The electricity is turned off. The car can't be moved. And if we could open the door, we would be drowned.
Jerry
But somebody will come and get us out. They know we're in here.
Joan (distressed)
That would make no difference to the Euclideans. Their island comes first with them. And we will be looked for only after the damage is repaired and the instruments checked.
Jerry
But gee, we can't stay in here. This thing's airtight. I know it must be. And we'll run out of air to breathe pretty soon.
Joan (distressed)
Yes, the air will be shut off. Oh, dearie, I'm afraid. Listen. Listen to the water. The elevator shaft is shaking with it.
Jerry
Yeah, it's getting kind of hard to breathe in here.
Joan (distressed)
Oh, Jerry, listen.
Joan / Cleo Astra
Hey, everybody.
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Episode 22: Magic Island - Trapped in an Elevator
Release Date: June 7, 2026
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Runtime: ~13 minutes (excluding ads)
In this episode of Harold’s Old Time Radio, listeners are transported back to the Golden Age of Radio with a classic episode of the sci-fi adventure serial Magic Island. The story centers on Jerry and Joan, who find themselves trapped in an elevator deep beneath the mysterious “Euclidea”, an artificial island filled with secrets and dangers. As technical malfunctions and floods threaten, the tension rises, providing a thrilling glimpse into the golden age production style and its timeless adventure storytelling.
Joan’s Caution to Jerry:
“You must do just as I tell you and do not touch anything without permission.”
— Joan (01:06)
Jerry’s Humor Amidst Tension:
“Why don't you learn to talk English? All those big words are just a waste of time.”
— Jerry (01:34)
Revealing the Technology:
“All elevators on the island are run and controlled by electromagnets.”
— Joan (04:44)
Realization of Imminent Danger:
“Those are the permanent magnets being set into place to hold this car. You can hear them taking hold.”
— Joan (09:39)
The Cliffhanger:
“The submarine level emergency signal, Jerry. The lock must have broken. The ocean is flooding into this level. Oh, Jerry. Jerry.”
— Joan (11:12)
“Trapped in an Elevator” delivers a riveting, suspenseful cliffhanger—showcasing both the era’s inventive science fiction plotting and dynamic character interplay. The episode embodies the spirit of Golden Age radio storytelling: a mix of high-stakes adventure, ingenious tech, and relatable human fear, all paced for maximum suspense.