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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03.09.1958 | the chain |
+ "The Chain". A woman appears to be in desperate trouble when her husband leaves her and then her... | |
11.17.1957 | the city that was |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The City That Was". A murder story of old Hollywood. The ... | |
10.30.1960 | the city that was |
+ "The City That Was". Sponsored by: Sylvania Flash, French's Worcestershire Sauce, Kellogg's All-B... | |
05.09.1946 | the clock and the rope afrs |
+ CBS net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Clock and The Rope". Time is running out for a man fac... | |
11.15.1959 | the companion |
+ "The Companion". Sponsored by: Winston, Fitch Shampoo, 4-Way Cold Tables, Kellogg's All-Brn. The ... | |
04.21.1949 | the copper tea strainer |
+ "The Copper Tea Strainer". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A woman poisons her nagging mother, but is su... | |
12.13.1959 | the country of the blind |
+ "The Country Of The Blind". Sponsored by: Winston, Yardley, Four Way Cold Tablets, Fitch Shampoo,... | |
03.15.1945 | the cricket |
+ "Cricket". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. The story of a little girl and her strange-but-unseen friend... | |
10.18.1959 | the crisis of dirk diamond |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Crisis Of Dirk Diamond". A comic-strip cartoonist cre... | |
09.16.1943 | the cross eyed bear |
+ CBS net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Cross-Eyed Bear". A continuously twisting adventure in... | |
09.21.1950 | the crowd |
+ "The Crowd". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. An excellent radio sound picture of a homicidal maniac on t... | |
01.19.1958 | the crowded void |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Crowded Void". One public announcement has been delet... | |
04.22.1962 | the curse of kamoshek |
+ "The Curse Of Kamoshek". Sponsored by: Alpine Cigarettes. A bone from an ancient Egyptian, the cu... | |
05.04.1944 | the dark tower |
+ "The Dark Tower". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. Orson appears in several roles in a story about actor... | |
06.30.1949 | the day i died |
+ "The Day I Died". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A man kills his business partner, but finds himself th... | |
03.09.1953 | the dead alive |
+ "The Dead Alive". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A fine story of the supernatural, set shortly after th... | |
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 ... | |
03.30.1943 | the dead sleep lightly |
+ "The Dead Sleep Lightly". A tingling ghost story about a rich old man and the ghost of his long ... | |
06.28.1945 | the dealings of mr markham |
+ "The Dealings Of Mr. Markham". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. An antique dealer, who stocks up-to-date... | |
11.02.1958 | the dealings of mr markham |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Dealings Of Mr. Markham". The story about an antique ... | |
09.02.1962 | the death of alexander jordan |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Death Of Alexander Jordan". A week after the death of... | |
05.26.1952 | the death of me |
+ "The Death Of Me". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A man working in a remote lumber camp witnesses a mur... | |
02.15.1951 | the death parade |
+ "The Death Parade". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A story almost identical to "Sorry, Wrong Number," b... | |
05.15.1956 | the death parade |
+ The Death Parade is the story of a woman who finds a letter warning of death and has only three ho... | |
03.09.1944 | the defense rests |
+ "The Defense Rests". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A story about an ex-con, framed for murder, who ge... |
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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