THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is George Lothar's fantastic re-telling of the classic Poe tale in a modern setting.  Go back and read the original (only 3 pages or so); Poe is simply genius.  The always stellar Tony Roberts and the genuine Marian Seldes are superb as a married couple caught up in the twisted complexities and dark stakes of national security and bio-warfare secrets.  The story ventures into the interesting question of how far a country might go in encroaching personal freedoms to ensure the safety of the masses; chilling and timely.  Norman Rose is the master of this tale.  As the antagonist, he evokes in the listener a visceral hatred of his character on a level rarely experienced in radio theater.  By the way, there is not one Poe adaptation by CBSRMT that I haven't found thoroughly enjoyable.  CBSRMT never shines as well as when Poe is in the cards; I especially recommend The Fall of the House of Usher (in my top five CBSRMTs of all time) as well as the Masque of the Red Death.  Five star maximum for PIT and PENDULUM - JUROR # 4.    