The Man with the Steel Teeth

Originally Aired: February 17, 1955 Suspense #585, "The Man with the Steel Teeth," presents the harrowing tale of Arthur Henderson Lutrel, an American newspaper correspondent who finds himself suddenly arrested at the Moscow Opera and thrown into the notorious Lubyanka Prison. His captor is Inspector Golovin of the MVD, a peculiar little man with a remarkable set of stainless steel teeth who presents Lutrel with fabricated espionage charges. Golovin demands a confession linking Lutrel to executed Soviet citizens, claiming he used personal influence to encourage sabotage and treason. When Lutrel refuses to confess despite psychological torture and sleep deprivation, the situation takes a bizarre turn. After passing out from exhaustion, Lutrel awakens to find his cell door mysteriously open. Seizing what appears to be an impossible opportunity, he makes his escape through the empty prison, dons an abandoned coat, and drives an MVD limousine toward the American embassy. Just as safety seems within reach, Lutrel spots the unmistakable figure of Inspector Golovin waiting by the embassy gates, and a frantic chase through Moscow's streets begins, leaving Lutrel to wonder if his escape was ever real at all.