Revenge in Old Time Radio

The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest known religious texts and which predates the Hebrew Bible, taught the concept of "An Eye for an Eye, a tooth for a tooth". The concept was taken up by the Talmud and is expressed Exodus and Numbers. Scholars take the expression to mean that if you are harmed by another, you may seek retribution by inflicting the same but not more harm on them. This is generally considered a primitive but effective form of justice, and if practiced justly, does not become revenge.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus acknowledged the law of an eye for an eye but encouraged his followers to "turn the other cheek". At first glance, this seems to be a call to abandon justice. Revenge is, indeed, a form of justice, a "bringing into balance'. One of the lessons from the Sermon on the Mount is that others may be able to hurt you, but by demonstrating the power to forgive you show that you are the mightier. You are essentially beyond the hurts of others because your reward shall be that much greater before the eyes of God.

The important distinction between justice and revenge is who dispenses it. Justice is about harmony and bringing the relations between people and society into balance. An important test for justice is that the judgment does not come from the harmed party, rather it is arrived at by a prince, priest, or court of law. Revenge implies seeking justice outside of that system.

Revenge itself can be seen as a crime, not necessarily against the one against whom you are seeking retribution, but against the society in which you live. The Christian Bible teaches that "Vengeance is Mine, Sayeth the Lord". The implication is that ours is a Just God and an evildoer will get what he deserves, if not in this world than the next. Awaiting karmic justice in this way is almost never satisfying, but very often true justice is meted out in forms that our mortal brains would never conceive, but are ultimately satisfying to see.

• The Campbell Playhouse, October 1, 1939, CBS, "The Count of Monte Cristo". On the day of his wedding to the beautiful Mercedes, Edmond Dantès is arrested under a false charge of treason. After escaping from a grim island prison, he finds a buried treasure which he uses to finance his revenge when he returns to Paris.
• Front Page Drama, July 20, 1941, Hearst Syndication, "The Mummy's Revenge". From a story published in the American Weekly. The story of an Air Raid Warden in London during the Blitz whose beat includes the Museum of the Royal Medical College. The numerous corpses in the Museum is an Egyptian mummy of a nobleman who was conscripted into Pharaoh's Army. Thousands of years later, the mummy is on the front lines.
• Lights Out, April 27, 1943, "Execution". A Nazi official in Occupied France sentences 50 women to hang in revenge for shooting a German Soldier. The women are gathered at random for the crime, but the official continually hangs the same woman, over and over again.
• The Adventures of Superman, February 12, 1946, Mutual. Robin follows a false-Superman after a bank robbery after Batman is knocked out. He gets a message to the real Superman over a walkie-talkie before shots ring out. Batman swears revenge after they find the bullet-riddled radio, but they soon find Robin alive with news of a $50 million robbery that night.
• Rocky Jordan, October 2, 1949, CBS Pacific net/AFRTS, "Pattern for Revenge". A pretty girl's husband has too much to drink at the Café Tangerine, so Jordan puts him on the cot in his office. Before he can get back to the Café, Rocky's phone rings with a call telling him his time on earth will be shortened. Next, he gets a call from the cops; a body has been found with a list that has four names on it. The first three have been murdered, and Rocky can guess who the fourth is.
• Have Gun, Will Travel, March 1, 1951, CBS, "Hey Boy's Revenge". Paladin returns to the Carlton Hotel to discover that his friend Hey Boy no longer works there. Worried, Paladin begins an investigation and discovers that Hey Boy has quit so that he can avenge his murdered brother. Now Hey Boy has Paladin on his side.
• Suspense, October 13, 1951, CBS, "A Murderous Revision". A radio mystery writer is frustrated with his 'murder-a-week' existence and the fact that the producers consistently tear the heart out of his scripts. For his last episode, he plots to record an actual murder.
• Bold Venture, March 10, 1952, ZIV Syndications, "Revenge is Sweet", Sailor has a bad feeling about Joe Ralston, who spends a quiet night at Slade's hotel and then robs the safe the next morning. Ralston needs the money so he can kill the man who wronged him.
• The Six Shooter, October 25, 1953, NBC, "Red Lawson's Revenge". James Stewart as Britt Ponsett is on his way to visit some old friends when he runs into Red Lawson who has sworn revenge on Britt's friend who killed Red's brother back in Texas.
• The Great Gildersleeve, November 18, 1953, NBC. Gildy is recalling his glory days to Principal Henshaw when Dr. Olsen embarrasses him in front of his romantic interest. Throckmorton is determined to get his revenge on the badminton court, which does not seem all that likely.

See also compilations including: Double Crossed, Greed, and Conspiracy in Old Time Radio!