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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08.31.1944 | the black path of fear |
+ "The Black Path Of Fear". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. An excellent story about murder and revenge i... | |
07.27.1944 | the black shawl |
+ "The Black Shawl". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A good mood piece about a young girl kept in the man... | |
05.01.1948 | the blind spot |
+ "The Blind Spot". A complex murder-mystery about an author who tries to solve the murder of an e... | |
09.21.1944 | the bluebeard of bellac |
+ "The Bluebeard Of Belloc". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. During the Nazi occupation of France, an ama... | |
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... | |
06.21.1955 | the bounding main |
+ "Over The Bounding Main". A two-timing woman plans to kill her husband aboard a broken down fish... | |
12.01.1942 | the bride vanishes |
+ "The Bride Vanishes". A haunted balcony in an Italian villa encourages a madman to try a second ... | |
08.17.1958 | the bridge |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Bridge". An eternal triangle finds itself trapped in ... | |
12.21.1944 | the brighton strangler |
+ "The Brighton Strangler". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A British actor is hit on the head during the... | |
12.29.1949 | the bullet |
+ "The Bullet". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. The story of a jealous ex-con husband, an errant wife, and... | |
06.17.1942 | the burning court |
+ "The Burning Court". A story of poisoning with supernatural overtones. One of the guests at a di... | |
06.14.1945 | the burning court |
+ "The Burning Court". Sponsored by: Roma Wine. The story was first heard on the initial Suspense p... | |
02.09.1950 | the butchers wife |
+ "The Butcher's Wife". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A clerk in a supermarket plays around with the wif... | |
04.19.1954 | the card game |
+ "The Card Game". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A good suspenseful story about a compulsive gambler out... | |
01.28.1952 | the carnival |
+ "Carnival". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Rene, a side show "mechanical man," has very human feelings ... | |
01.07.1952 | the case against loo doc |
+ "The Case Against Loo Doc". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A well-written story of the San Francisco To... | |
06.28.1951 | the case for doctor singer |
+ "The Case For Dr. Singer". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. The last show of the season. Someone is passi... | |
12.17.1951 | the case history of a gambler |
+ "The Case History Of A Gambler". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A nineteen twenties melodrama about the... | |
06.08.1950 | the case of henri vivard |
+ "The Case Of Henri Vibard". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. An amnesiac denies any knowledge of his wife... | |
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 ... | |
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... | |
12.20.1955 | the cave |
+ "The Cave". The thoroughly delightful Christmas story about two boys who enter a cave filled wit... | |
01.24.1956 | the cellar door |
+ "The Cellar Door". A predictable and annoying story about a two-year-old boy trying to free his ... | |
03.22.1955 | the cellar |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Cellar". A British bloke murders his wife, buries the... | |
04.27.1950 | the chain |
+ "The Chain". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A nagging woman vindictively sends a cursed chain letter to... |
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Tommy
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Robert
Joe
Jay
Russ
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Dale
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Kenneth
Jamie
Archie
Scott
David
Mark
Rick
Annette
John
Mike
Damian
Randy
Kim
Joe
Steve Hodel
SUSPENSE
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Lynne
Dan
Bert
SM
Norma
Judy
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