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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02.22.1955 | waiting |
+ "Waiting". As the execution hour approaches, the relatives of the condemned man are waiting. An ... | |
10.02.1956 | waiting |
+ "Waiting". A man's wife, mother and sister await his execution. The story was previously produce... | |
06.29.1944 | walls come tumbling down |
+ "The Walls Came Tumbling Down". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. There's some nice detection by a newspap... | |
01.25.1954 | want ad |
+ "Want Ad". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite ($100,000 Charity Giveaway). "A story based on fact" about a s... | |
07.11.1956 | want ad |
+ "Want Ad". A robber uses the newspaper to find mink coats to steal, but a murder complicates his... | |
07.29.1962 | weekend at gleebes |
+ "Weekend At The Gleebes". Sponsored by: Alpine, A.T.&T. Long Distance. A woman from America canno... | |
05.24.1954 | weekend special death |
+ "Weekend Special: Death". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Agnes has another tangle with a telephone oper... | |
01.18.1951 | well dressed corpse |
+ "The Well-Dressed Corpse". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. One of the "ten best dressed women" is reject... | |
03.20.1948 | wet saturday august heat |
+ "Wet Saturday" and "August Heat". A program of two different stories. For "Wet Saturday:" Who ki... | |
06.24.1942 | wet saturday |
+ "Wet Saturday". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Who killed the curate? Almost everybody it seems! A very... | |
12.16.1943 | wet saturday |
+ "Wet Saturday". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. Who killed the curate? Almost everybody, it seems! A ve... | |
12.19.1947 | wet saturday |
+ Frederick Princey was just an ordinary family man with a son a daughter and a wife. He would have ... | |
05.03.1951 | when the bough breaks |
+ "When The Bough Breaks". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Tensions mount between newlyweds after the brid... | |
12.06.1955 | when the bough breaks |
+ When The Bough Breaks is the story of a woman who holds death over her husband’s head. It is a s... | |
02.24.1949 | where theres a will |
+ "Where There's A Will". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. An Englishman is plagued by gambling debts. He p... | |
01.09.1947 | will to power |
+ "The Will To Power". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. The secretary to a millionaire kills him, marries ... | |
11.10.1942 | will you make a bet with death |
+ "Will You Make A Bet With Death?". A great, suspenseful story about a man who matches his life a... | |
02.23.1943 | will you walk into my parlor 1st half | ||
04.24.1947 | win place and murder |
+ "Win, Place and Murder". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A Runyonesque tale about two bookies, two priv... | |
04.13.1958 | win place or die |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Win, Place or Die". A book-keeper in debt to a book-maker... | |
04.27.1958 | winner lose all |
+ "Winner Lose All". + Bobby went to a gambling joint with a proposition for gaining the establishm... | |
06.24.1962 | with murder in mind |
+ "With Murder In Mind". Sponsored by: Parliament Cigarettes, A. T. and T.. When the wife of a nigh... | |
10.09.1960 | witness for death |
+ "Witness For Death". Sponsored by: Pepsi, Kellogg's All-Bran. A well-written story about a man wh... | |
10.22.1961 | witness to murder |
+ "Witness To Murder". + Louise and her husband Larry are travelling home from Europe on the same s... | |
01.20.1944 | world of darkness |
+ "A World Of Darkness". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A young girl has been murdered, but the foul dee... |
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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