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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01.06.1957 | a shipment of mute fate |
+ Christopher Warner has spent two months on the jungle trail where he was sent by the museum to ret... | |
01.13.1957 | russian new year |
+ In these last hours of his life he wonders how will he be remembered? Will he be forgotten or wors... | |
01.20.1957 | second class passenger |
+ Ronald Dawson is taking a cruise around the world. He’s a second-class passenger but what’s im... | |
01.27.1957 | freedom this way |
+ A Man’s got to have a good reason to renounce his native land forever, a reason such as death or... | |
02.03.1957 | frankie and johnny |
+ Suspense presents the celebrated murder story of Frankie and Johnny. Everybody knows whodunit, Fra... | |
02.10.1957 | door of gold |
+ "Door Of Gold". An excellent edge-of-your-chair horror tale about two archeologists trapped in a... | |
02.17.1957 | murder and aunt delia |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Minutes Of Hate". A man just... | |
02.24.1957 | two hundred and twenty seven minutes of hate |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Minutes Of Hate". A man just... | |
03.03.1957 | present tense |
+ WCBS-FM, New York City aircheck. "Present Tense". A strange, well-written story of an axe murder... | |
03.10.1957 | the paralta map |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Paralta Map". An excellent story, about the search fo... | |
03.17.1957 | the outer limit |
CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Outer Limit". The oft-repeated story about the experime... | |
03.24.1957 | shooting star |
+ WGBI, Scranton Pennsylvania aircheck. "Shooting Star". A good story about an aging movie star wh... | |
03.31.1957 | a good neighbor |
+ "A Good Neighbor". A well-written story with a fine performance by Jeff Chandler. A jewel thief ... | |
04.07.1957 | vanishing lady |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Vanishing Lady". A retelling the classic tale about t... | |
04.14.1957 | thou shalt not commit |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Thou Shalt Not Commit". A doctor's wife on a tropical isl... | |
04.21.1957 | chicken feed |
+ "Chicken Feed". Sponsored by: Kent. For want of a dime (a nickel in previous broadcasts of this s... | |
04.28.1957 | escape to death |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Escape To Death". A Hungarian doctor is forced by the Com... | |
05.05.1957 | celebration |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Celebration". A woman checks out of her "club"...which ha... | |
05.12.1957 | tarawa was tough |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Tarawa Was Tough". A well-done dramatization of what it w... | |
05.19.1957 | death and miss turner edited |
+ Agnes Moorehead in Death and Miss Turner, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense… please... | |
05.26.1957 | the big day |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Big Day". Which is the fastest car on Earth? The Stan... | |
06.02.1957 | crossing paris |
+ "Crossing Paris". Sponsored by: Kent. Four suitcases of black-market pork, a meek man and a bully... | |
06.09.1957 | the green and gold string |
+ "The Green and Gold String". Sponsored by: Kent. Dr. Alkazar, a Coney Island fortune teller, know... | |
06.16.1957 | trial by jury |
+ "Trial By Jury". A lady attorney is married to a gambler. She has a unique plan of revenge, whic... | |
06.23.1957 | a load of dynamite |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "A Load Of Dynamite". A good story about a dynamite truck ... |
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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