Escape and Suspense!

Suspense - No Hiding Place (1958)

In "No Hiding Place," Jim Ameche stars as a husband terrorized by his wife's first husband. (This title was used for two different episodes, in 1958 and 1961.)

As the episode opens, Eddie and Sue Marshall are at dinner, happily celebrating his promotion and their second week of marriage.

Suddenly, Sue becomes terribly upset and drops her coffee. A man, over at the bar, could it be...Carl?

When Sue goes to the powder room, Eddie finds out that it is Carl, Sue's first husband. Moreover, Carl is a hostile man who blames Eddie for breaking up his marriage. Carl also makes it clear that he is going to kill him.

Eddie doesn't take the threat seriously, but Sue is worried because Carl has made these threats before. He terrorizes every man who tries to get involved with her. When Eddie goes asking for help from the law, he finds there isn't any.

Will Carl succeed in scaring Eddie away...or will he succeed in killing him?

"No Hiding Place" was written by Maurice Lee Green and William Walker. William N. Robson produced and directed. Jim Ameche starred. Also appearing were Shirley Mitchell, Barney Phillips, Wendell Holmes, Jack Kruschen, and Lawrence Dobkin. This episode aired on September 21, 1958.

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(Image of Jim Ameche)

Suspense - The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright

In "The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright," Phil Silvers stars as an elevator operator who gets to the top in an unusual way.

As the episode opens, Eddie explains that he is moving up in the world and that he won't be working as an elevator operator much longer.

Why is that? Well, it all started when he went down to the Elite Barber Shop to get a manicure from Milly. Normally, he went in for three or four manicures a week in an attempt to impress her, but this time was different. This time, he went too far and made the mistake of telling her that he held a higher position that he actually did. Later, when Milly found out that he was a phony, she gave him the brush-off.

When Eddie went back to work, he soon found himself embroiled in another drama. Two men brought a rolled-up carpet onto his elevator...a carpet that had feet sticking out at the bottom...

So, how does it all work out for Eddie?

"The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright" was written by Roy Grandy and Robert L. Richards. William Spier produced and directed. Phil Silvers starred. Cathy Lewis played Milly. Also appearing were Jerry Hausner, Frank Lovejoy, Wally Maher, and Joseph Kearns. This episode aired on April 3, 1947.

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(Image of Phil Silvers)

Student videos are fun...

If you have been visiting Escape and Suspense for a while, you know that I do enjoy student remakes of "Sorry, Wrong Number" and "Three Skeleton Key" that can be found on YouTube.

Below you will find a creative retelling of "Three Skeleton Key'" from director Emmanual Mata. The only information given is that it was made for a sixth period advanced English class.

In this visual interpretation of Toudouze's classic tale, there are numerous, inexplicable references to Pizza Hut, the horde of rats is portrayed by an adorable white dog, and the two actresses who play  lighthouse-keepers kind of steal the show. 

 

Suspense - Reprieve

In "Reprieve," John Garfield stars as a career criminal who is lured into a life of honest work.

As the episode opens, Steve Hannibal defines the word "reprieve". Why does it apply to him? He is in prison for murder and awaiting his execution. How did he get there? It wasn't his life of crime, it was the year he spent trying to live a straight life...

His problems started after successfully pulling off a payroll job in Chicago. Steve and his two accomplices, Murphy and Joe, took the money and decided to escape by riding the rails. While hiding in a boxcar, a fight broke out and Murphy shot Joe.

When the train stopped, Steve was arrested for the murder of Joe and hauled off to the police station. He wasn't too worried because he knew that he could get the charges lowered, Murphy had gotten away, and that his money would be waiting for him when he was released.

Then, help arrived in the form of a lady reporter who believed that he was innocent. She succeeded in getting him out of jail and into a new life.

But, Murphy was still out there, and eventually the crusading lady reporter ran afoul of him...

"Reprieve" was written, produced and directed by William Spier . John Garfield starred. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis, Wally Maher, Joseph Kearns, and John McIntire. This episode aired on May 10, 1945.

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(Image of John Garfield)

 

 

Suspense - One Way Street

In "One Way Street" Roddy McDowall plays a young man who struggles against his uncle's bad influence.

As the episode opens, Georgie Williams is returning to his old neighborhood after serving time. He is going to his Uncle Burt's place, but only because he has nowhere else to go. His own parents were killed in the war, and his crooked Uncle Burt is his only family. 

But, when he arrives, Georgie gets a surprise--a new aunt. His uncle has recently married, and he even seems happy to see Georgie, too.

Although he likes his new Aunt Edna, Georgie knows that his uncle has an angle. He wouldn't marry for love--only for her money.

As it turns out, his new aunt has a heart condition, and his uncle keeps her medicine in the kitchen cupboard..right next to the rat poison.

Will Georgie cash in with his uncle's latest plan, or will he break away from what he knows is wrong?

"One Way Street" was written by Robert L. Richards and Stan Schlessinger. William Spier produced and directed.  Roddy McDowell starred. Also appearing were Raymond Lawrence, Jeannette Nolan, and Wally Maher. This episode aired on January 23, 1947.

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(Image of Roddy McDowell)

Suspense - Time on My Hands

In "Time on My Hands" a married couple travel backwards in time to try to prevent World War II by killing Adolph Hitler.

This radio play was originally written by Walter Black for series The Mysterious Traveler. It was performed on August 20, 1944, but no recordings of that broadcast are known to exist.

As the episode opens, Justin and Emily are finishing their dinner. When Justin turns on the radio, the news is grim. Europe is on the eve of war.

Justin and Emily can't comprehend how Adolph Hitler could have ever risen to such power. Why hadn't someone stopped him sooner? Back when in 1908, when they were on their honeymoon, they had encountered a young Hitler in a beer garden in Austria. Back then, he was just a revolutionary crank trying to sell his artwork to American tourists, but even they could tell he was trouble.

The next day, Justin's friend Orrin appears with big news of his latest invention. Justin is unimpressed, but Orrin swears that he has broken through the fourth dimension and invented a time machine! 

When Orrin finally convinces Justin that time travel is possible with his machine. Justin then decides to change history by going back in time to assasinate Adolph Hitler before he ever has a chance to ascend to power.

But, if given the chance to go back in time, would Justin handle the situation any differently? The kind of person you are dictates how you handle situations, even if you do get a second chance...

"Time on My Hands" was written by Walter Black and produced/directed by Paul Roberts. Vera Allen, Santos Ortega, Marian Russell, Bill Lipton, Ted Osborne, and Bob Dryden. This episode aired on September 25, 1960.

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(Image of Santos Ortega)

 

Suspense - Will You Make a Bet With Death?

In "Will You Make a Bet with Death" a young man bets his life against the $25,000 his uncle promises him if he can escape being murdered.

The episode opens on a summer day on Coney Island where Betty Andrews, having already been on all the other rides, buys a ticket for the haunted mill ride. She doesn't believe it will deliver the thrill the barker promises, but as it turns out, she is wrong.

After she gets into the boat, she is suddenly joined by someone else! His name is Bob Pendrall, and he informs her that he is being followed by a man who wants to kill him. Well, Betty doesn't like that--but she doesn't want to let him go, either.

So, Bob and Betty sneak out of the boat and into one of the darkened displays inside of the haunted mill. There, he explains how he made a bet with his uncle that could cost him his life or earn him twenty five thousand dollars. With only five hours left to go, he will soon know how the bet turns out...

"Will You Make a Bet with Death" was written by John Dickson Carr, produced by William Spier, and directed Marx Loeb. Michael Fitzmaurice played Bob Pendrall, Leslie Woods played Betty, and Nicholas Joy played John Destri. Also appearing were Ted de Corsia and Charles Slattery.

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(Image of Michael Fitzmaurice)

Suspense - The Name of the Beast

In "The Name of the Beast", Vincent Price stars as a painter who tries to turn a crime into a work of art.

As the episode opens, a radio announcer describes the record-breaking art exhibition causing a sensation! The notorious painting at the center of it all is by James Dorrance, but the story behind the painting is what has everyone talking.The trouble began when Dorrance hired a model named Elmer Krebs...

After their preliminary portrait sitting, the artist's model did not return. When he went in search of him, Dorrance found Krebs hiding in a waterfront motel. He was alone, forlorn and covered in blood--but Dorrance didn't care. He had to finish his painting! He was willing to overlook the murder Krebs had just committed. He was even willing to help him get away with it.

But, that was only the beginning of the trouble Dorrance got himself into...

"The Name of the Beast" was written by Robert Tallman and produced/directed by William Spier. Vincent Price starred. Also appearing were Jerry Hausner, Cathy Lewis, Elliott Lewis, and Wally Maher. This episode aired on April 11, 1946.

.  Download Suspense_1946-04-11_The_Name_of_the_Beast_

(Image of Vincent Price)

Escape and Suspense! End of Summer update

Hello!

OK, it may have seemed as if we fell off a cliff sometime during the middle of summer...but no! Here we are again!

Where have we been? Let me explain. When I started this website back in January of 2007, I was guided only by the idea that each and every episode of Escape and Suspense was unique...and that I would reseach and review all of these episodes one by one...

That simple plan worked fine for about five years, but then we started running into problems. 

Remember, here at Escape and Suspense most of the staff is imaginary...and they don't really do their jobs, either.

So, production slowed to a halt in June in order to catch-up on some of my projects, improvements, updates, etc. The biggest problem, however, had nothing to do with the website.

Escape and Suspense has a virtual library collection on LibraryThing.com that everyone can visit, but the physical collection here at our headquarters turned into a mountainous collection of books, vintage periodicals, ephemora, vintage advertisements, and dvds piled up in various boxes and bookshelves.

There are over seven-hundred episodes posted on Escape and Suspense, and as you know, a good number of those episodes were based on books or short stories. I've always tried to get a copy of the original work when researching an episode, and for the most part, that has been possible. However, there are a still a few books and periodicals that are too expensive to purchase, and there are still short stories that I haven't been able to get a copy of...yet. 

But what I do have, now constitutes six boxes of material that I have had to organize and store away. Do these titles look familiar?

And oh, the fond memories!

Here is Something for Nothing, which was the basis for the Escape episode of the same name. I remember reading this back in the early days of Escape and Suspense. Still love that sassy cover art!  

Here is my battered copy of the Martin Grams, Jr. book Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills. I've been using this particular copy since 2007, and hardly any of the pages are still stuck to the spine. That is a nuisance when it inevitably drops on the floor, but I'm sentimental. Although I purchased a second copy of the book, I still use this one because I have notes scribbled on practically every page. 

 

Anyhow, after bobbing along for five years, I only had a vague idea of how many episodes were left post. But now, I have that all worked out a spreadsheet, and I believe there are about 274 episodes remaining. So, there is still a ways to go. 

Clean-up work and improvements to the website will be continuing throughout the rest of the year, but for now, let's get back to posting regular updates.

Thanks for your patience and support!

Hugs,

Christine