"The Legend of Sonny Tufts" is an urban legend about a radio broadcast. Who was Sonny Tufts? How did his name become a joke? What supposedly happened on a Suspense episode hosted by Joseph Cotten? Snopes.com delved into this famous legend and came up with some possible answers. To find out, visit their Sonny Tufts urban legend page for the story and the audio clips.
The two radio broadcasts mentioned in the Snopes.com article,"Sneak Preview" and "Cat & Mouse," are posted below. Neither ranks among the best Suspense offered, but they aren't among the worst either. Any radio performance by Joseph Cotten is worth listening to once, even if the radio-play isn't exceptional. The radio-play for "Cat & Mouse" isn't that bad, but Tufts' colorless performance does nothing to help it.
"Sneak Preview" was written by Robert L. Richards and starred Joseph Cotten, Hans Conried, Dennis Hoey, Cathy Lewis, and John McIntire. When he appeared on this episode, Cotten was promoting his upcoming movie Since You Went Away. This show aired on March 23, 1944.
. Download Suspense_1944.03.23_Sneak_Preview.mp3
"Cat & Mouse" is a WWII era story that takes place in Boston and in a ski resort in Vermont. It was written for Suspense by Hugh Pentecost and starred Sonny Tufts as John Guthrie. Also featured were Wendell Holmes, John McIntire, Lurene Tuttle, and Will Wright. At the time he appeared on Suspense, Tufts was promoting the movie, I Love a Soldier. This episode aired on March 30, 1944.
Comments