A.M. Burrage Article By Matt Cowan

Alfred McLelland Burrage was born in 1889, in Middlesex, England.  His father and uncle were both successful writers, which may account for his early writing skill.  He published his first story at the age of 15.  He fought for his country during World War I, joining in 1917.  He was evacuated in April of 1918, due to trench foot.  Burrage wrote a book about his experiences in the war titled, War Is War (1930).  He published it under the name ‘Ex-Private X’ because he said “were it otherwise I could not tell the truth about myself and others”.  He used the pseudonym for some of his other works as well.  He also published some young adult books under the name Frank Lelland.  Some of his stories have been adapted for both television and radio.  Probably his most famous tale ‘The Waxworks’ was adapted for the TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1959).  The radio show Suspense aired three versions of it, and The Price of Fear also adapted it, starring legendary actor Vincent Price.  His short story ‘Playmates’ was adapted for the television show The Schaefer Century Theater in 1952, which featured the television debut of actress Natalie Wood.  He died in 1956.

1- “The Green Bungalow” (1919) – A man tells his boss he needs time off from work somewhere quiet and peaceful due to medical concerns.  The boss insists he take a place he owns to retreat to.  Some friends accompany him.  Once they arrive at this green bungalow, odd things begin to occur.  A door keeps blowing open exerting a powerful force of some sort.  Sounds of a struggle are heard, and some see two men engaged in a violent struggle that disappear.  The place was the scene of a murder, and something remains that wants the killer brought to justice.

2-“Playmates” (1927) – A wealthy man adopts a girl from a man he did not like.  The man generally did not like children but viewed the adoption as a sort of experiment.  There was no real love shared between the two.  He let her teach herself from his large library of books, choosing not to send her to school.  She had no one her own age to play with, lacked social skills and was very plain.  She never displayed any enthusiasm or excitement about anything until they moved to an old house in the country.  At the new house she started to have several ‘invisible’ playmates that gradually began to change her.  When others commenced to see them, things change for everyone in the house.

3- “The Waxwork” (1931) – A freelance journalist stays overnight alone in a wax museum’s ‘Murderers’ Den’ to write an article on the experience.  He believes he will be fine, as he is not superstitious.  The night is not uneventful, as the effigy of a French mass murderer Dr. Bourdette begins to talk with him.  Bourdette was never found but was believed dead.  Bourdette was said to be a master mesmerist who could use those abilities to paralyze his victims while he cuts their throat with a shaving blade.

4- “The Sweeper” (1931)  - A young woman takes a job working as an attendant for a rich old lady.  The woman is viewed by many as difficult but shows a propensity to give generously to beggars without question.  After some time the younger woman becomes a friend with her boss.  The older woman grows nervous when the season changes to fall, telling the other that she knows she will die during that season either that year or one soon after.  She becomes even more disturbed when sounds of someone sweeping the leaves on a path near the house begin to echo up to the two women.   It is strange because of the lateness it is heard and the fact that none of the servants admit to doing the work.  Added to that, is the fact that the leaves are not gone.  The younger woman goes to look to see who is sweeping the path the next evening.  She sees a gaunt, disheveled man with a malicious stare, who also happens to be semi-transparent.

 5-“I’m Sure It Was No. 31” (1955) – An 18yr. old boy is invited into a house for tea while trying to locate a new house for his mother and him to let.  There are two women inside.  One is “less than 40”, and the other is 17.  He stays for a while and falls in love with the younger girl.  When he returns to the house a few days later, he finds a different family living there who say they have been there for years.

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