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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04.03.1947 | swift rise of eddie albright |
+ "The Swift Rise Of Eddie Albright". Sponsored by: Roma Wine. West coast broadcast. An elevator op... | |
04.10.1947 | community property |
+ "Community Property". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A man with a huge inheritance and a bad case of g... | |
04.17.1947 | green eyed monster |
+ "Green-Eyed Monster". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A man's car is stolen. When it's recovered by the... | |
04.24.1947 | win place and murder |
+ "Win, Place and Murder". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A Runyonesque tale about two bookies, two priv... | |
05.01.1947 | lady in distress |
+ "Lady In Distress". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. A woman picks up a hitch-hiker... | |
05.08.1947 | dead ernest |
+ "Dead Ernest". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. An unusual, and classically suspens... | |
05.15.1947 | death at live oak |
+ A man is on death row for a crime he did not comm... | |
05.22.1947 | knight comes riding |
+ "Knight Comes Riding". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. A woman who dislikes her hus... | |
05.29.1947 | a thing of beauty |
+ "A Thing Of Beauty". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. An actress finds herself in n... | |
06.05.1947 | make mad the guilty |
+ "Make Mad The Guilty". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. An out-of-work Shakespearean actor fakes his own... | |
06.12.1947 | stand in |
+ "Stand-In". Sponsored by: Roma Wines (two of the commercials have been deleted). The stand-in for... | |
06.19.1947 | The Dead Of The Night |
+ "Dead Of Night". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. Here's an interesting way to get ... | |
06.26.1947 | phobia |
+ "Phobia". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. Who shot Henry? The crippled millionaire... | |
07.03.1947 | money talks |
+ "Money Talks". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines, Roma Wines. A bank cashier spends almost three ... | |
07.10.1947 | murder by the book |
+ "Murder By The Book". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines, Roma Wines. A murder mystery authoress i... | |
07.24.1947 | murder by an expert |
+ "Murder By An Expert". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. A dancer plans a "perfect c... | |
07.31.1947 | mortmain |
+ "Mortmain". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines, Roma Wines. A lawyer double-crosses his partner to... | |
08.07.1947 | quiet desperation |
+ "Quiet Desperation". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines, Roma Wines. A bank employee living a life... | |
08.14.1947 | smiley |
+ "Smiley". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines, Roma Wines. A slow-witted but likable fellow is wron... | |
08.21.1947 | murder aboard the alphabet |
+ "Murder Aboard The Alphabet". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. A tugboat with a mad... | |
08.28.1947 | double ugly |
+ "Double Ugly". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, the first two commercials have been deleted. An ugly boy... | |
09.04.1947 | argyle album |
+ "The Argyle Album". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A good adventure yarn about a reporter who encounte... | |
09.11.1947 | twist |
+ "The Twist". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A strange story about two radio comedy writers and the you... | |
09.18.1947 | the visitor |
+ "The Visitor". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines, Roma Wines. A young man returns home to his wea... | |
09.25.1947 | blue hour |
+ "The Blue Hour". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A Chicago hoofer and a New York reporter team up to so... |
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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