With over 900+ broadcasts written by various authors and directors of their time, Suspense is a conglomeration of some of the most acclaimed old time radio shows that graced the airwaves from the years 1942 until 1962.
Suspense was a radio series broadcasted on the CBS Radio Network in the early 1940’s that featured many of the era’s famous Hollywood stars. Most notable among them are the highly talented Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Orson Welles and Marlene Dietrich to name a few.
Living up to its name, majority of the program’s episodes were dedicated to the thriller and mystery genre wherein the protagonist was usually thrown into strange and unusual circumstances that seemingly had no resolution. Miraculously, a means of salvation would somehow manifest towards the finale to illustrate the triumph of good over evil.
Suspense is one of the classics of old time radio. Some fans have special favorites in the thriller/chiller/macabre genre, but all will agree that Suspense did it best. The guiding light of this show was William Spier, who developed the formula into a human drama that attracted the finest of Hollywood's elite as well as the cream of radio's great actors.
Orson Welles was in many episodes, and Cary Grant was quoted in 1943, "If I ever do any more radio work, I want to it on Suspense, where I get a good chance to act." Spier's method with his show's stars was to keep them under-rehearsed, somewhat uneasy. In Suspense, as it were. He got great performances, and the show gained greater and greater popularity.
The Roma Wine sponsorship in 1943 allowed the show to create works that are a lasting part of the old time radio entertainment experience. All the production values were first class. The great Bernard Hermann did the musical scores. He previously had worked with Orson Welles in his Mercury Theater series, and went on to do of Alfred Hitchcock film fame. Lucian Moraweck did many of the greatest episode scores.
The "Man in Black" is your host, reminding one of the many thriller show presenters, but Suspense was the best of the bunch, and never did the show lapse into over-the-top melodrama. William Spier was so deft in his weaving of the spell of Suspense, he was dubbed "the Hitchcock of the airwaves."
The Suspense anthology marked the end of the golden age of radio drama as the 1960’s gave birth to other forms of more colorful entertainment. Relive the glory days of old time radio and hear Suspense! Click here to read more about Suspense
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Please enjoy these 914 old time radio episodes:
Air Date | Title | Synopsis | Rating |
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12.01.1942 | the bride vanishes |
+ "The Bride Vanishes". A haunted balcony in an Italian villa encourages a madman to try a second ... | |
11.24.1942 | the body snatchers |
+ "The Body Snatchers". 9:30 P.M. A well-written tale of old England at a time when doctors bought... | |
11.17.1942 | menace in wax |
+ "Menace In Wax". 9:30 P.M. Two English reporters discover a secret code hidden in Mme. Toussaud'... | |
11.10.1942 | will you make a bet with death |
+ "Will You Make A Bet With Death?". A great, suspenseful story about a man who matches his life a... | |
11.03.1942 | devil in the summerhouse |
+ "The Devil In The Summer House". A crime decades old is brought to light again by means of a rec... | |
10.27.1942 | lord of the witch doctors |
+ "The Lord Of The Witchdoctors". English diplomats outwit the Germans in the eyes of the dumb Cal... | |
09.30.1942 | one hundred in the dark |
+ "One Hundred In The Dark". A strange series of tales with no conclusive endings. The show actual... | |
09.23.1942 | a passage to beneris |
+ "A Passage To Benares". A beautiful Hindu maiden is beheaded in a temple on the island of Trinid... | |
09.16.1942 | the kettler method |
+ CBS net."The Kettler Method". A chilling, exciting story about inmates taking over an asylum for ... | |
09.02.1942 | hitchiker |
+ CBS net."The Hitch-hiker". One of the great supernatural stories ever on radio, a modern classic.... | |
08.19.1942 | the cave of ali baba |
+ "The Cave Of Ali Baba". An adventure of Lord Peter Whimsey, the gentleman crime buster. A secret... | |
06.24.1942 | wet saturday |
+ "Wet Saturday". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Who killed the curate? Almost everybody it seems! A very... | |
06.17.1942 | the burning court |
+ "The Burning Court". A story of poisoning with supernatural overtones. One of the guests at a di... | |
07.21.1940 | forcast the lodger audition |
+ CBS Presented The Lodger as its audition program of the hugely successful radio series Suspense. M... |
Mike
Jerry
John
Peggie
Dave
Daniel
Daniel
John
Michael
Kristi
Travis
Dan
Michael
Tommy
Jim
Robert
Joe
Jay
Russ
David
Dale
David
Kenneth
Jamie
Archie
Scott
David
Mark
Rick
Annette
John
Mike
Damian
Randy
Kim
Joe
Steve Hodel
SUSPENSE
Martin
Lynne
Dan
Bert
SM
Norma
Judy
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