Escape and Suspense!

Escape - The Rim of Terror

"The Rim of Terror" was adapted from the 1949 novel by Hildegarde Tolman Teilhet. Escape's version of this story is a good one, but only for the first half of the book. There wasn't enough time to cover this novel's many details in just half an hour.

In the book, Elizabeth Whitehill is a prim young woman who is driving across country with her dog to meet her fiance in Seattle. On her way through northern Nevada, she picks up a hitchhiker named Alex Peck and becomes involved, against all sense, in helping him escape from the spies who are chasing him.

Most of the book follows their road journey and their many screw-ups from Nevada to Idaho, but it also covers, in painstaking detail, the complicated relationship that develops between Elizabeth and Alex. In the end, the U.S. government saves the day, and Elizabeth chooses Alex over her fiance.

Escape didn't have time for all of that.

"The Rim of Terror" was adapted for radio, produced, and directed by William N. Robson. Nancy Kelly starred as Elizabeth Whitehill. Hans Conried played Alex Peck. This episode aired on May 12, 1950.

. Download Escape_1950.05.12_Rim Of Terror.mp3

Suspense also presented this episode with Barbara Whiting in the lead role. Ben Wright played Alex. William N. Robson produced/directed. This episode aired on December 6, 1956.

. Download Suspense_1956.12.02_Rim Of Terror.mp3

Suspense - Tell You Why I Shouldn't Die

In "Tell You Why I Shouldn't Die, a Coney Island pitchman has to talk fast to save his own life.

Charlie is holding Nat at gunpoint. He wants to kill Nat in return for the many things that his buddy "has done for him."

Before he does, Charlie allows Nat to give him one last pitch. One last chance to explain why he shouldn't die.

Nat explains that he did steal Charlie's girl, Eileen, but that was partly her fault, too. He did take Eileen to Reno to get married and then dump her for someone else, but only because they really weren't right for each other. Yes, he did turn Charlie into the police for murdering Eileen when she returned from Reno, but he only did it because it was in Charlie's best interest...

Will Charlie let bygones be bygones?

"Tell You Why I Shouldn't Die" was written by David Ellis and produced/directed by Elliott Lewis . Richard Widmark starred as Nat and Hy Averback played Charlie. Also appearing were Mary Shipp, Cathy Lewis, Joy Terry, and Larry Thor. This episode aired on June 7, 1951.

.  Download Suspense_1951.06.07_TellYouWhyIShouldntDie.mp3

(Image from Morguefile)

Paul Newman (1925-2008)

Paul Newman never appeared on the Suspense radio show, but he did make an appearance on the Suspense television show in 1952. Click here to read about his supporting role in "Woman in Love."

It is an episode that offers a glimpse of Newman early in his career, and he easily outshines everyone and everything in it. "Woman in Love" is one of the many episodes of the Suspense television show that became available recently, after being "lost" for over fifty years.

Suspense - The Lost Ship

Suspense's "The Lost Ship" takes its inspiration from the legends of California's Colorado Desert. There are numerous tales of treasure-laden ships lost in the desert north of the Gulf of California, and this episode explores what might happen if one were found. For more information about these lost ships, click here.

Harry Turner and his wife are on the run from the police. Harry stole $50,000 from his employer and now they are driving toward the Mexican border. To avoid the highway patrol, they take a turn onto a desert road, but their car soon breaks down. After walking awhile, they come to a cabin in the mountains that belongs to an old prospector named Pete. He takes them in for the night and tells the Turners the legend of a Spanish galleon filled with treasure that is said to be hidden in the desert sands. At first Harry doesn't believe in the legend, but later, his greed gets the better of him. Harry decides, against Pete's advice, to go after the ship -- alone.

"The Lost Ship" was written by Irwin Lewis and produced/directed by Fred Hendrickson. Matt Cooper, Bill Adams, and Jean Gillespie starred.  This episode aired on August 26, 1962.

.  Download suspense_1962.08.26_The Lost Ship.mp3

(Map of the Colorado Desert from Wikipedia)

Escape - Blood Waters

"Blood Waters" is the story of a diver who makes a deal to retrieve a fortune in gold from the bottom of an Argentinean River. He knows that he can't trust the man who hired him, but he doesn't appear to know anything about the native fish...until it is too late.

Paul Trent is an American who has been working as a diver in Argentina for three years. One day, he receives an unexpected visit by an old acquaintance, Vincent Murdoch. The two of them have a bad history, but Murdoch wants to hire him.

He tells Paul the story of a fortune in gold that was lost on the Paraguay River forty years earlier. The government was never able to find the wreck, but Murdoch believes that he can. He has found the shipwreck's sole survivor.

Paul doesn't want the job, but a local girl named Maria convinces him to accept. Her father is the shipwreck survivor, and she is scared that Murdoch will harm him. When Paul meets her father, he finds a drunken, incoherent old man with arms scarred by many small bites...

"Blood Waters" was written by Tony Barrett and directed by Norman MacDonnell. Vic Perrin starred. Also appearing were Jack Kruschen, Lillian Buyeff, Tony Barrett, and Barney Phillips. This episode aired on June 17, 1954.

The sound quality dips around 5 minutes into this episode but then gets better around the 12 minute mark.

. Download Escape_1954.06.17_Blood_Waters.mp3   

(Image from Wikipedia)

Suspense - Till Death Do Us Part

"Till Death Do Us Part" tells the odd story of a murder plot that never seems to work.

Paul can't forgive his wife for leaving him ten months ago. She left and then returned two months later, as if nothing had happened. Try as he might, Paul can't forgive or forget the pain she caused him. So, he decides to rid himself of her.

Paul steals a prescription pad from his doctor's office and then has numerous prescriptions filled for dangerous drugs. Every night he poisons his wife's wine at dinner, but the poisons never seems to work. Did the pharmacists suspect him and give him harmless substances instead? No matter what he does, his plan always fails. What is going wrong?

"Till Death Do Us Part" was written by Ben Kagen and produced/directed by Bruno Zirato Jr.. Sam Grey starred. Elaine Rost, Jim Boles, Carl Frank, Herb Duncan, Bill Lipton, and Barbara Cassar.

. Download suspense_1961.11.05_Til Death Do Us Part.mp3   

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Suspense - The Evil of Adelaide Winters

In "The Evil of Adelaide Winters," Agnes Moorehead plays a con artist who becomes too greedy.

Adelaide Winters advertises herself as a medium who communicates with the dead, but she is really a con artist who preys upon the families of soldiers lost in the war. She and her assistant, Robert, have developed a successful business, but Adelaide soon discovers an opportunity for greater gain.

One of her new clients, Mr. Edward Porter, has been visiting Adelaide regularly to communicate with his recently deceased son. Mr. Porter's need for contact with his son quickly becomes an obsession, and he asks Adelaide to drop her other clients and work only for him. After that, he asks her to marry him. Adelaide agrees, but only because she wants his money.  After Adelaide's greed has gotten the better of her, she realizes her scam has become deadly.

"The Evil of Adelaide Winters" was written by movie and television writer Arthur Ross, who later earned an Academy Award nomination for the screenplay Brubaker (1980). (He also wrote the 1973 television B-horror movie classic Satan's School for Girls.) Elliott Lewis produced/directed. Agnes Moorehead starred. Also appearing were Herb Butterfield and Joseph Kearns. This episode aired on September 10, 1951.

. Download Suspense_1951.09.10_EvilOfAdelaideWinters.mp3

"The Evil of Adelaide Winters" was also presented on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour with Kim Hunter in the lead role. Arthur Ross wrote the teleplay. This episode aired on February 7, 1964.

(Image from Morguefile)

Escape - Gringo/The Coward

Escape's "Gringo" is the story of an American captain in Mexico, who hires out his boat to retrieve a fortune from a crashed plane on a deserted island. Escape's "The Coward" is the story of an American pilot in Mexico, who hires a boat to retrieve a fortune from a crashed plane on a deserted island.

The only difference is that "Gringo" is the better of the two. Both episodes were written by E. Jack Neuman, who wrote a number of radio plays for Escape.

"Gringo" begins on an island off the coast of Mexico where an American named Jim Canovan has just arrived on his schooner. Canovan soon meets Ramon Chavez, another recent arrival, who wants to make a deal. Chavez wants to use Canovan's schooner to sail to a remote island and retrieve a fortune in payroll money from the inside of a wrecked plane. Canovan agrees, but when Chavez brings the beautiful Maria along for the trip, their deal doesn't work out the way they had agreed.

"Gringo" directed by Norman MacDonnell. William Conrad starred. Also appearing were Edgar Barrier, Lillian Buyeff, and Parley Baer. This episode aired on October 12, 1952.

.  Download Escape.1952.10.12_Gringo.mp3

Frank Dorian was a pilot for an oil company in Mexico, but a plane crash put him in the hospital for 18 months. On board with him were four passengers and $80,000, but the wrecked plane was never recovered. As the episode opens, Frank visits the office of the oil company in order to rent one of their power boats. The company refuses, but a secretary named Maria agrees to help him. She thinks that he wants a boat to retrieve the money from the deserted island where the plane went down. So, she strikes a deal with him.

"The Coward" was produced/directed by David Friedkin and Morton Fine. Featured in the cast were Barney Phillips, Virginia Gregg, Lou Merrill, and Herb Butterfield. This episode aired on August 14, 1954.

.  Download Escape_1954.08.14_The Coward.mp3

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Suspense - Blood is Thicker

Suspense's "Blood is Thicker" tells the story of a man, his rich girlfriend, and her suspicious cousin -- and how they all went on a yacht race together.

Mike Farley intends to marry the beautiful and wealthy Vanessa Evans. For the last two months they have spent their weekends on her yacht, and now she has asked him to be a part of her crew for the Honolulu Race.

Mike agrees, because he doesn't think anyone will notice that his sailing skills aren't what he claims. Unfortunately for Mike, it isn't long before someone does notice. Vanessa's cousin, Hugh Guthrie, knows that Mike isn't the gentleman sailor that he pretends to be.

As William N. Robson will explain in the intro to the episode, the setting for this story is the Transpacific Yacht Race. Started in 1906, this renowned yacht race is still run annually from Los Angeles to Honolulu. The story was written by Sam Pierce, who was an official news correspondent for the Transpac.

"Blood is Thicker" was produced and directed by William N. Robson . Radio, movie, and television actor Everett Sloane starred. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, Lawrence Dobkin, Sam Pierce, and Bill Quinn. This episode aired on July 5, 1959.

.  Download suspense_1959_07_05_blood_is_thicker.MP3

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Suspense - For Love or Murder

In "For Love or Murder," Mickey Rooney stars as a young pianist who helps his older girlfriend kill her husband.

As the episode opens,Tommy Lee is on his way to commit a murder. His girlfriend, Ann, wants to be rid of her husband, and she has staged a burglary during which her husband will be killed.

Tommy agreed with her plan, and he agreed to be the "burglar." Now, Tommy is on his way up to their apartment. He wants to do this for Ann because he is in love, but is her love worth it?

"For Love or Murder" was written by John Shaw, produced by William Spier, and directed by Norman MacDonnell . Mickey Rooney, in one of his three appearance on Suspense, played Tommy. Also appearing were Lurene Tuttle, Barney Phillips, and Joseph Kearns. This episode aired on December 8, 1949.

.  Download Suspense_1949.12.08_For Love or Murder.mp3

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A Weekend Off

Hi Folks,

The imaginary staff is annoyed because they have never had a vacation....ever.

I snapped this picture of them at last week's imaginary staff meeting and frankly, you can see for yourself that they seem a little crabby and unfocused.

Well, this week, I came down with a bad cold and our proofreader went out of town -- so I just went ahead and gave everyone the weekend off.

We will all be back next week!

See ya then,

Christine

Suspense in the Workplace

This Labor Day, spend your holiday in the business district of Suspense, where the office can be a dangerous place indeed!

Here are three Suspense stories of employees and the ways in which they dealt with the problems at their jobs.  Don't try them at yours!

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Wish that your boss would get hit by a bus? You aren't alone, but are you desperate enough to take matters into your own hands? If your are, think again. Evil bosses have a funny way of never giving in to what you want.

In "Experiment 6R," an assistant manager at a large hotel tries to poison his boss, but the results aren't what he hoped for.

"Experiment 6R" was written by Donald Stubbs and Harold Kahm, produced by William Spier, and directed by Norman MacDonnell. John Lund starred. This episode aired on September 22, 1949.

. Download suspense_1949.09.22_Experiment 6R.mp3

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Think your bookkeeper may be skimming a little off the top? Better check up on that, before it is too late--for you!

"In Win, Place, or Die," Frank Lovejoy plays a bookkeeper who embezzles money to cover his gambling debts.

"Win, Place, or Die" was written by Joel Murcott and produced/directed by William N. Robson.  Frank Lovejoy starred. Also appearing were Joan Banks, Ellen Morgan, Joe DiSantis, Bill Quinn, and Jack Kruschen. This episode aired on April 13, 1958.

. Download Suspense_1958.04.13_WinPlaceorDie.mp3

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In "A Good and Faithful Servant," Jack Benny stars as a man who devises his own retirement plan by faking a robbery and hiding the loot in his desk. It just goes to show that even the most "perfect" employees, may not be what they seem.

"A Good and Faithful Servant" was written by Richard M. Powell and produced/directed by Elliott Lewis. Also appearing were Hy Averback, Charles Calvert, Joseph Kearns, Gerald Mohr, Doris Singleton, and Norma Varden. This episode aired on June 2, 1952.

. Download suspense_1952.06.02_A Good And Faithful Servant.mp3

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