Lost Horizon
Have you ever heard the term Shangri-La used to define paradise? It’s been used in hit songs, movies, and books, people even use the term in day-to-day life. But do you know where it came from? It is the result of the mind of James Hilton who wrote about a paradisiacal utopia.
Lost Horizon began as a novel by Hilton set in 1930s China where a plane has crashed in the Himalayas leaving the four survivors in a strange new utopian society called Shangri-La. The film version was a masterpiece directed by Frank Capra and as was often the case in the time of the golden age of radio, it quickly became a radio classic as well.
According to the story, Shangri-La was a place of perfect peace and people lived there much like immortals. But as the survivors arrive, it appears that their chance arrival was no accident. The high lama was over a hundred years old and needed someone of great wisdom to replace him and that person was to be the British diplomat Hugh Conway. However, his young vice-consul Mallinson was keen to leave and take the beautiful Lo-Tsen with him. Conway is torn between this paradise and Mallinson and Lo-Tsen whom he also loves, desire to escape and return to England.
As the drama unfolds, it is uncovered that each of the four characters has their own reasons for wanting to either stay or leave and this Tibetan paradise is more than what it seems. The story of Lost Horizon is one that seems timeless and has been appreciated by all kinds of audiences.
In old time radio, audio versions of hit films were often created and sometimes even starred the original cast members. Lost Horizon was actually produced by many different radio theater companies including, Academy Award Theater, Lux Radio Theater, NBC University Theater, Theater of Romance, Favorite Story and Hallmark Playhouse.
In addition to going to radio, Lost Horizon was also made into a musical in 1973. It flopped and failed to maintain the same audience that earlier versions of the story could easily draw.
If you’re interested in the story of Lost Horizon and the way that old time radio was able to take a screen success and adapt it for a listening audience, you’ll be happy to know that you can still listen to recordings of Lost Horizon on RUSC. In 1948 when Hallmark Playhouse produced their version of Lost Horizon the author James Hilton can be heard giving a message for the New Year. James Hilton can also be heard in a recorded commentary in the intermission of the NBC University Theater version which was broadcast on the 10th September 1950 four years before Hilton died from liver cancer in 1954.
Once you hear Lost Horizon, you’ll see that it’s a timeless piece that even in modern times is just as fascinating.
Happy listening my friends,
