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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06.16.1949 | the trap |
+ "The Trap". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A woman seems to be going crazy, caused by someone trying to... | |
06.26.1956 | the treasure chest of don jose |
+ "The Treasure Chest Of Don Jose". A search for a treasure chest is successful...too successful! ... | |
06.14.1951 | the truth about jerry baxter |
"The Truth About Jerry Baxter". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. When a teenaged drug dealer is paroled, he... | |
06.05.1956 | the twelfth rose |
+ "The Twelfth Rose". Death and eleven roses. What about the twelfth rose? + The Twelfth Rose is t... | |
11.02.1950 | the victoria cross |
+ "The Victoria Cross". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A housemaster at a British public school is being ... | |
05.11.1944 | the visitor |
+ "The Visitor". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A young boy who was thought dead returns home. Or does h... | |
09.18.1947 | the visitor |
+ "The Visitor". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines, Roma Wines. A young man returns home to his wea... | |
08.03.1958 | the voice of company a |
+ "The Voice Of Company A". A missile scientist places aboard a military satellite a tape recordin... | |
10.19.1950 | the wages of sin |
+ "The Wages Of Sin". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. The story of Ruby Miller, a tough girl who finally b... | |
09.07.1958 | the wait |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Wait". A well-written story of revolution, honor, and... | |
05.01.1956 | the waxwork |
+ "The Waxwork". A reporter spends the night in an eerie wax museum. All voices are by William Con... | |
03.01.1959 | the waxwork |
+ "The Waxwork". Sponsored by: 4-Way Cold Tablets, Fitch Shampoo, Rambler, Tums, McCall's magazine.... | |
10.13.1957 | the well dressed corpse |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Well-Dressed Corpse". One of the "ten best dressed wo... | |
07.06.1943 | the white rose murders |
+ "The White Rose Murders". A good story about a maniacal murderer, one who kills only young girls... | |
06.14.1955 | the whole towns sleeping |
+ "The Whole Town's Sleeping". "The Lonely One" is roaming the night, strangling women out oafter ... | |
08.31.1958 | the whole towns sleeping |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Whole Town's Sleeping". The famous story about the lo... | |
02.08.1951 | the windy city six |
+ "The Windy City Six". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A Chicago band deals with speakeasies, gangsters a... | |
04.06.1944 | the woman in red |
+ "The Woman In Red". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A story about a femme fatale German spy and her nep... | |
03.17.1952 | the wreck of the old 97 |
+ "The Wreck Of The Old 97". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A great piece of radio writing, telling a pos... | |
10.23.1947 | the xray camera |
+ "The X-Ray Camera". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A good story about a "perfect crime" to blow up a m... | |
06.30.1957 | the yellow wallpaper |
+ "The Yellow Wallpaper". Sponsored by: Kent. A well-written story, excellently performed by Agnes ... | |
12.12.1946 | they call me patrice |
+ "They Call Me Patrice". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A good blackmail story about a woman who assume... | |
11.16.1943 | thieves fall out |
+ "Thieves Fall Out". A confused mystery about black marketeers and double murder. + Gene Kelly pl... | |
08.23.1945 | this will kill you |
+ "This Will Kill You". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A not-too-bright wartime assembly line worker is ... | |
11.29.1955 | this will kill you |
+ This Will Kill You is the story of a man’s life and his defeat at the hands of his greatest enem... |
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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