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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05.31.1955 | beirut by sunrise |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Beirut By Sunrise". A modern tourist looks for romance an... | |
06.07.1955 | frankenstein |
+ "Frankenstein". Many liberties have been taken with the original, but the story is still a winne... | |
06.14.1955 | the whole towns sleeping |
+ "The Whole Town's Sleeping". "The Lonely One" is roaming the night, strangling women out oafter ... | |
06.21.1955 | the bounding main |
+ "Over The Bounding Main". A two-timing woman plans to kill her husband aboard a broken down fish... | |
06.28.1955 | the holdout |
+ "The Holdout". The score is 11 to 1 in the jury room. Slowly, opinions start to charge. A good st... | |
07.05.1955 | the cave in |
+ The Cave In is the story of murder in a sealed coal mine. Produced and directed by: Antony Ellis ... | |
07.12.1955 | kaleidoscope |
+ "Kaleidoscope". After a space ship explodes, the surviving crew members have a last conversation... | |
07.19.1955 | backseat driver |
+ "Backseat Driver". A killer commandeers the car of a couple leaving the movies. The story has a ... | |
07.26.1955 | the greatest thief in the world |
+ "The Greatest Thief In The World". Scotland Yard pursues "The Squire," a notorious jewel thief. T... | |
08.02.1955 | black death |
+ Black Death is the story of a pet black cat and the fear it carried with it… | |
08.09.1955 | love honor or murder |
+ "Love, Honor or Murder". A cab-driver's wife goads him into committing murder, so he can keep th... | |
08.16.1955 | a study in wax |
+ "A Study In Wax". A good story and fine performance by William Conrad, about two men trapped in ... | |
08.30.1955 | the lady in the red hat |
+ "The Lady In The Red Hat". Two reporters and a cop trying to track down a killer known as "The T... | |
09.06.1955 | strange for a killer |
+ Strange For A Killer is the story of a killer and the family which he held in a night of fear. Hen... | |
09.13.1955 | a story of poison |
+ "A Story Of Poison". A British doctor, the infamous Neil Cream, poisons his wife...and a few oth... | |
09.20.1955 | the stool pigeon |
+ "The Stool Pigeon". A group of prisoners on Devil's Island decides to find out who is the stool ... | |
10.04.1955 | goodbye miss lizzie borden |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Goodbye, Miss Lizzie Borden". Interesting "what if" story... | |
10.11.1955 | heavens to betsy |
+ "Heaven's To Betsy". When a flying saucer lands in his back yard, Henry Doyle is determined that... | |
10.18.1955 | life ends at midnight |
+ Life Ends At Midnight is the story of a prodigal son’s return from prison but for no better reas... | |
10.25.1955 | to none a deadly drug |
+ "To None A Deadly Drug". A druggist gives a small boy the wrong medicine and tries to find the y... | |
11.01.1955 | the mountain |
+ "The Mountain. The system cue has been deleted. | |
11.08.1955 | report on the x915 |
+ "Report On The X-915". + Report On The X915 is the fictional story of what might have happened to... | |
11.15.1955 | once a murderer |
+ "Once A Murderer". A cockney discovers the way to get away with murder...confess! + Once A Murde... | |
11.22.1955 | classified secret |
+ CBS net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Classified Secret". Spies and counterspies match wits on a... | |
11.29.1955 | this will kill you |
+ This Will Kill You is the story of a man’s life and his defeat at the hands of his greatest enem... |
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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