Network broadcast date: Friday,
December 4, 1964
Sound
Track of a Happy Family
Genre: Human interest
Author: Robert A. Arthur
Production number: 88
Production date: Friday,
November 13, 1964
Director: Warren Somerville
Plotline: The Carter Family seem perfect and their move out to the country is the best thing that’s ever happened to them. So why is their beautiful country home suddenly for sale with everything just as they left it?
Listen: https://archive.org/details/T5project/Theater+Five+641204+090+Sound+Track+of+a+Happy+Family.flac
Cast: Augusta Dabney, Peter Fernandez, Bill Griffis, George Petrie, Rosemary Rice
Notes:
Ending credits identify Ted
Bell as Executive Producer, an interim role after the death of Edward A. Byron on November 21. Lee Bowman would become executive producer in January 1965. It is not likely that Bell was made executive producer before Byron's passing, so this was probably noted in post-production when Foy's announcements of show credits would be edited in.
If there's any episode that indicates T5 was intended for night listening for adults, this is a compelling example. The ending is depressing, intended to emphasize the importance of appreciating the happy times and challenges of life in present moments. Robert Arthur is known for the kinds of supernatural and odd stories of Mysterious Traveler. This is a serious departure from that type of story.