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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03.01.1951 | the gift of jumbo brannigan |
+ "The Gift Of Jumbo Brannigan". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A safecracker is released from jail after... | |
03.15.1954 | the girl in car 32 |
+ "The Girl In Car Thirty-Two". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite ($100,000 Charity Giveaway). A plainclothes... | |
08.28.1960 | the girl in the powder blue jag |
+ "The Girl In The Powder Blue Jag". Sponsored by: Pepsi-Cola, G. M. Guardian Maintenance Service. ... | |
04.13.1953 | the great train robbery |
+ "The Great Train Robbery". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. An ordinary, everyday guy and his uncle decid... | |
06.21.1951 | the greatest thief in the world |
+ "The Greatest Thief In The World". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Is Peter Marriott really "The Squire,... | |
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... | |
06.09.1957 | the green and gold string |
+ "The Green and Gold String". Sponsored by: Kent. Dr. Alkazar, a Coney Island fortune teller, know... | |
09.17.1961 | the green idol |
+ "The Green Idol". A "Down East" couple visits Mecca, deep in the land of the Arabs. An interesti... | |
03.13.1956 | the groom of the ladder |
+ "The Groom Of The Ladder". A story of the many problems of a servant of the king...the hangman. ... | |
03.22.1954 | the guilty always run |
+ "The Guilty Always Run". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite (a salute to Kyser-Fraser). When a man is accuse... | |
12.02.1948 | the hands of mr ottermole |
+ "The Hands Of Mr. Ottermole". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A "strangler" is prowling the streets of L... | |
02.09.1943 | the hangman wont wait 1st half | ||
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... | |
12.05.1946 | the house in cypress canyon |
+ "The House In Cypress Canyon". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A chilling story of the supernatural wit... | |
01.12.1958 | the island |
+ "The Island". What is the secret of a hidden Japanese island, the most terrible weapon during th... | |
09.03.1961 | the juvenile rebellion |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Juvenile Rebellion". A good story about a plot by mut... | |
09.16.1942 | the kettler method |
+ CBS net."The Kettler Method". A chilling, exciting story about inmates taking over an asylum for ... | |
01.10.1948 | the khandi tooth caper |
+ "The Kandy Tooth". The story of the return of the "Fat Man!" A sequel to "The Maltese Falcon," w... | |
08.28.1943 | the kings birthday |
+ "The King's Birthday". A touch of voodoo in Nazi occupied Denmark? The program has a surprise en... | |
11.30.1943 | the lady in the red hat |
+ The police department contacted journalist Mitchell to ask him to stop his article about the kille... | |
11.30.1950 | the lady in the red hat |
+ "The Lady In The Red Hat". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. "The Avenger" has killed five women, all of w... | |
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... | |
06.22.1958 | the last kilometer |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Last Kilometer". The program begins its 17th year on ... | |
07.27.1943 | the last letter of dr bronson |
+ "The Last Letter Of Dr. Bronson". A scientist has an interesting theory about "The Five Checks T... | |
11.08.1959 | the last trip |
+ When a husband leaves on an overseas business trip his loving wife is apt to slip a remembrance gi... |
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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