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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09.06.1959 | after the movies |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "After The Movies". A juror finds $10,000 in a drugstore, ... | |
10.27.1952 | alan in wonderland |
+ "Allen In Wonderland". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A southern lawyer in New York quotes a bit of Lew... | |
01.04.1951 | alibi me |
+ "Alibi Me". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A two-bit hoodlum murders his competitor and finds himself i... | |
04.20.1958 | alibi me |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Alibi Me". A two-bit hoodlum murders his competitor and f... | |
07.07.1957 | alibi |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Alibi". A businessman hires an assassin to murder his par... | |
02.20.1947 | always room at the top |
+ "Always Room At The Top". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A good story about the dirty infighting that ... | |
07.21.1957 | americas boyfriend |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "America's Boyfriend". A murder is solved by a two-year-ol... | |
07.04.1946 | an evening diversion |
+ "An Evening's Diversion". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A man overhears a murder plot and plans to fo... | |
08.05.1948 | an honest man |
+ "An Honest Man". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A psychotic's best friend isn't always his mother. 44 y... | |
12.09.1956 | an occurrence at owl creek bridge |
+ An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is a weird and wonderful story of the civil war. "A man stood up... | |
12.15.1957 | an occurrence at owl creek bridge |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge". The shocking story abo... | |
07.19.1959 | an occurrence at owl creek bridge |
+ "An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge". Sponsored by: A. T. & T., Columbia Phonographs, Casite 3C, Gu... | |
06.28.1959 | analytical hour |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Analytical Hour". A good story about a patient and his ps... | |
12.10.1961 | and so to sleep my love |
+ "And So To Sleep My Love". A good story about a man determined to kill his wife for her money. +... | |
05.18.1950 | angel face |
+ "Angel Face". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A woman's determined effort to save her brother, who's bee... | |
01.03.1946 | angel of death |
+ KQW San Jose aircheck. "The Angel Of Death". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A super-intelligent murder... | |
05.17.1951 | another mans poison |
+ "Another Man's Poison". An interesting story about a man who finds $98,000 in cash...and what... | |
01.31.1956 | arctic rescue |
+ "Arctic Rescue". The story of the attempted rescue of the Franklin expedition to the arctic in 1... | |
09.04.1947 | argyle album |
+ "The Argyle Album". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A good adventure yarn about a reporter who encounte... | |
01.25.1951 | aria for murder |
+ "Aria From Murder". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A famous opera singer confesses to a murder. The bas... | |
04.06.1953 | around the world |
+ "Around The World". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. The program is broadcast live from the stage of the ... | |
12.22.1952 | artic rescue |
+ "Arctic Rescue". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A well told chronicle of an early voyage of exploration... | |
09.23.1962 | at the point of a needle |
+ "At The Point Of A Needle". Sponsored by: Parliament Cigarettes, Chase and Sanborn Coffee. A nagg... | |
05.31.1945 | august heat |
+ "August Heat". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A very hot day finds strange predictions of the future s... | |
12.23.1943 | back for christmas |
+ "Back For Christmas". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A meek British botany professor plans a "Devil's ... |
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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