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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05.03.1955 | remember me |
+ "Remember Me?". A good story, making creative use of radio sound. A killer is alone with his vic... | |
08.24.1958 | remember me |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Remember Me?". A murderer's old school chum has too good ... | |
07.10.1960 | report from a dead planet |
+ "Report From A Dead Planet". A spaceship lands on a beautiful world and finds that all the inhab... | |
08.27.1951 | report on the jolly death riders |
+ "Report On The Jolly Deathriders". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Hot rodders on the loose; a serious p... | |
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... | |
05.10.1945 | reprieve |
+ "Reprieve". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. From "Death Ro... | |
02.01.1959 | return to dust |
+ "Return To Dust". A well-written and superbly produced horror story about a biologist shrinking ... | |
06.27.1946 | return trip |
+ KQW, San Jose aircheck. "Return Trip". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. Four people are trapped in a sno... | |
03.13.1960 | revolution |
+ "The Revolution". In a dictatorship, a honeymoon turns into an execution when a photo is taken o... | |
11.13.1947 | riabouchinska |
+ "Riabouchinska". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca, Roma. A murder is solved by a ventriloquist's d... | |
01.18.1959 | ride down cajon |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Ride Down Cajon". An exciting story about a ride down a B... | |
12.31.1951 | rogue male |
+ "Rogue Male". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. An Englishman, who had Hitler in his gunsights, finds hims... | |
10.04.1959 | room 203 |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Room 203". A new bride sees a murder in a hotel room wind... | |
10.05.1950 | rose garden |
+ "The Rose Garden". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. After her husbnad's death, a young woman moves in wit... | |
07.06.1958 | rub down and out |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Rub Down and Out". A man who runs a gym is having an affa... | |
08.05.1962 | run faster |
+ "Run Faster". While an escaped mental patient menaces his wife, an air traffic controller tries ... | |
07.13.1954 | run sheep run |
+ "Run, Sheep, Run". An average guy with a nagging wife picks up a beautiful hitch-hiker and quick... | |
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... | |
04.06.1950 | salvage |
+ "Salvage". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A pilot, his ex-wife and her new husband are involved in a th... | |
03.01.1955 | screaming woman |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Screaming Woman". A couple of kids hear a screaming w... | |
03.22.1959 | script by mark brady |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Script By Mark Brady". Who killed who? "I didn't know the... | |
11.03.1949 | search for isabel |
+ "Search For Isabell". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Red is bothered by a lot of people calling on the... | |
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... | |
04.19.1959 | see how he runs |
+ "See How He Runs". A good story about a blind man with larceny in his heart who's the fingerman ... | |
10.15.1961 | seeds of disaster |
+ Anger and frustration engulfs him as he tries desperately to contact his wife before she can give ... |
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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