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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07.03.1956 | the music lovers |
+ "The Music Lovers". Scotland Yard is on the trail of a gang of spies who torture and murder for ... | |
01.05.1953 | the mystery of edwin drood ep01of02 |
+ "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood" Part One. Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A well-done adaptation of the fam... | |
01.12.1953 | the mystery of edwin drood ep02of02 |
+ "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood" Part Two. Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Where is Mr. Jasper's favorite ne... | |
02.07.1960 | the mystery of marie roget |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Mystery Of Marie Roget". Who killed the beautiful Fre... | |
12.27.1955 | the mystery of the marie celeste |
+ "The Mystery Of The Marie Celeste". A most imaginative interpolation of a true-to-life mystery a... | |
04.11.1946 | the name of the beast |
+ "The Name Of The Beast". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A good role for Vincent Price as a slightly ma... | |
07.22.1962 | the next murder |
+ "The Next Murder". Sponsored by: Alpine, A. T. & T. Long Distance. A chance meeting takes place i... | |
12.21.1953 | the night before christmas |
+ "'Twas The Night Before Christmas". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. The parents of a little girl aren't ... | |
10.26.1944 | the night man |
+ | |
12.09.1943 | the night reveals |
+ "The Night Reveals". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. An insurance investigator is convinced that his wi... | |
04.18.1946 | the night reveals |
+ "The Night Reveals". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A fire inspector suspects his wife is a pyromaniac... | |
05.26.1949 | the night reveals |
+ "The Night Reveals". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A fire inspector is convinced that his wife is the ... | |
02.18.1962 | the old boyfriend |
+ "The Old Boyfriend". Sponsored by: Alpine Cigarettes, Ford. A man just out of prison asks his old... | |
06.22.1950 | the one millionth joe |
+ "The One Millionth Joe". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A man is lucky enough to be the one millionth v... | |
11.14.1946 | the one who got away |
+ "The One That Got Away". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A bank auditor coerces an embezzling teller to... | |
01.27.1955 | the operation |
+ "The Operation". A robber holding up a doctor's office is forced to join a nurse when the two of... | |
02.15.1954 | the outer limit |
+ "The Outer Limit". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite (a salute to Dodge). A warning to mankind from "The Gu... | |
03.17.1957 | the outer limit |
CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Outer Limit". The oft-repeated story about the experime... | |
04.20.1944 | the palmer method |
+ "The Palmer Method". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A forger finds refuge (of sorts) from fighting the... | |
03.10.1957 | the paralta map |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Paralta Map". An excellent story, about the search fo... | |
01.17.1946 | the pasteboard box |
+ KQW San Jose aircheck. "The Pasteboard Box". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A man kills his twin broth... | |
01.21.1952 | the perfectionist |
+ "The Perfectionist". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A killer who considers himself a perfectionist has ... | |
05.08.1956 | the phones die first |
+ The Phones Die First is a story based on fact of a man’s last hours in a death cell awaiting exe... | |
01.12.1943 | the pit and the pendulum |
+ "The Pit and The Pendulum". "The Man In Black" introduces the famous horror tale of the Spanish ... | |
11.27.1947 | the pit and the pendulum |
+ "The Pit and The Pendulum". The classic story about the French officer in the clutches of the In... |
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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