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 |
---|---|---|---|
02.10.1955 | diagnosis of death |
+ "Diagnosis Of Death". A hypochondriac overhears the wrong diagnosis and thinks he's going to die... | |
08.10.1958 | diary of sophronia winters |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Bridge". An eternal triangle finds itself trapped in ... | |
01.13.1944 | dime a dance |
+ "Dime A Dance". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A madman has been murdering dance hall girls and then d... | |
12.22.1957 | dog star |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Dog Star". All that a little girl wants for Christmas is ... | |
05.18.1944 | donovans brain ep01of02 |
+ "Donovan's Brain" Part one. Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A determined scientist plans to keep Mr. Do... | |
05.25.1944 | donovans brain ep02of02 |
+ "Donovan's Brain" Part two. Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A determined scientist plans to keep Mr. Do... | |
02.07.1948 | donovans brain |
+ "Donovan's Brain". The classic tale of the mad scientist and his "brain in the bottle." The stor... | |
01.04.1959 | dont call me mother |
+ "Don't Call Me Mother". Sponsored by: 4-Way Cold Tablets, Fitch Shampoo, Tums. A good story about... | |
03.04.1962 | doom machine |
+ "Doom Machine". Sponsored by: Alpine, Ford. In the year 2500, an artificial brain named "Max" is ... | |
02.10.1957 | door of gold |
+ "Door Of Gold". An excellent edge-of-your-chair horror tale about two archeologists trapped in a... | |
12.20.1945 | double entry |
+ KQW, San Jose aircheck. "Double Entry". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A comedy about a bookkeeper's b... | |
12.22.1949 | double entry |
+ "Double Entry". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A story of "Clerical Crime At Christmas Time." Eddie por... | |
08.08.1956 | double identity |
+ "Double Identity". A man steals $50,000 from the company safe and heads off towards Paris. Who g... | |
08.28.1947 | double ugly |
+ "Double Ugly". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, the first two commercials have been deleted. An ugly boy... | |
11.06.1947 | dream song |
+ "Dream Song". Sponsored by: Cresta Blanca Wines. Henry Morgan appears in a murder mystery about a... | |
10.08.1961 | dreams |
+ A young man knocks desperately on the door of Dr Harris. The young man is called Robert and he wor... | |
11.21.1946 | drive in judy garland |
+ "Drive-In". Sponsored by: Roma Wine. A car hop is threatened by a homicidal maniac.. The story wa... | |
01.11.1945 | drive in |
+ "Drive-In". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A car-hop is threatened by a homicidal maniac. The script w... | |
06.14.1959 | drive in |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Drive-In". Hamburgers and a murderer-to-go. The story was... | |
01.25.1945 | drurys bones |
+ "Drury's Bones". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A Scotland Yard inspector with an amnesiac past tackles... | |
10.26.1953 | dutch schultz |
+ "Dutch Schultz". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A well-done drama/documentary about the famous gangster... | |
12.06.1959 | dynamite run |
+ "Dynamite Run". A last truckful of dynamite is complicated by an escaped killer. + If he goes on... | |
04.12.1951 | early to death |
+ "Early To Death". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A fight for $300,000 in stolen loot in the Mexican des... | |
11.07.1946 | easy money |
+ "Easy Money". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A man decides to kill his wealthy wife to be free of her.... | |
06.12.1960 | elemental |
+ CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Elementals". Can a man and a woman go without food for on... |
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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