Voice in the Night

This is a very faithful rendition of the short story by William Hope Hodgson. James Coburn and Barbara Rush are shipwrecked, and find their way to an island where an unusual fungus has taken over everything. Finally they find a small beach where the fungus cannot grow. Most of the story is the narration of Coburn's character to a passing ship. The mystery is that he refuses rescue, and only asks for some food. Of course the reason for his odd behavior becomes clear at the end. I first heard this story when my mother read it in a collection of short stories edited by Alfred Hitchcock, and titled "Stories They Wouldn't Let Me Put on TV." Oddly enough, we saw this teleplay a few weeks later. I managed to find it again by chance in the early 1960's when it was re-broadcast as a time-filler by a local station. The story always stayed with me, and looking at the credits today (Director Arthur Hiller, writer Stirling Silliphant), it is easy to see why. This was a very well done production, and I would jump at the chance to see it again.