Escape and Suspense!

Suspense - After the Movies

In "After the Movies," Ray Milland stars as a juror who finds an envelope full of bribe money.

Al Benig is a juror on an important trial. He has been residing, along with the rest of the jury, at a hotel, but suddenly they have been given a few days off. Al and his wife, Ann, decide to go the movie theatre across from the hotel and then go back to their home.

After the movies, they stop in for ice cream at the drug store. There, on the floor, they find an envelope containing $10,000 and a cryptic note.  Where could it have come from! Ann and Al don't understand, but they feel responsible. So, they take the money home with them and tell the druggist to forward any inquiries.

Back home, Ann deciphers the meaning of the note. It has to do with the trial! Al calls the police, but before they arrive, some very unpleasant gangsters arrive to collect their money...

"After the Movies" was written for Suspense by Jack Finney, who is best known for the 1955 science fiction novel The Body Snatchers (which led to The Invasion of the Body Snatchers movies). "After the Movies" was adapted for radio by David Ellis and Robert L. Richards. Elliott Lewis produced and directed. Ray Milland starred. Also appearing were Cathy Lewis and William Conrad. This episode aired on December 7, 1950.

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Suspense presented this story again on September 6, 1959, starring Kevin McCarthy, one of the stars of the 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Paul Roberts produced/directed.

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Suspense - Blind Date

Suspense's "Blind Date," pairs Charles Laughton and June Havoc in a cautionary tale about dating a stranger.

As the episode opens, Gloria LaFey, an acrobatic dancer in a vaudeville act, is preparing to leave the theatre for the evening. She is expecting the arrival of her blind date, but the call-boy tries to convince her to go out with him instead. She then dismisses the overly fresh call-boy and invites her date into her dressing room.

Gloria's date, Vincent Hawthorne, enters in a flourish of poetry and chablis. Gloria explains to Vincent that she doesn't normally go out on blind dates, but as a vaudevillian, it is hard to meet people. Vincent understands. The world is full of lonely people! He leads a lonely life, too. Vincent then takes out a big knife to open the bottle of chablis, and Gloria gets her first clue that there may be something wrong with her gentleman caller.

"Blind Date" was written by E. Jack Neuman. William Spier produced and Norman MacDonnell directed.  Charles Laughton starred along with June Havoc, who really was a well-known vaudevillian in her childhood. This episode aired on September 29, 1949.

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Suspense presented this story a second time on November 18, 1954. Shirley Mitchell and Victor Perrin starred. Norman MacDonnell produced/directed.

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Suspense - The Flame

In "The Flame," Cornell Wilde plays a pyromaniac who tries to help a friend. This is one of Suspense's "taken from life" stories.

As the episode opens, a building is burning and Andy is watching. He is also sketching a picture of the fire in his notebook. 

When he returns home, his sister, Mary Lee, is waiting for him. She asks Andy if he would be willing to help in their friend's store. Andy doesn't have many friends and he does have a lot of free time...so he agrees. Their friend's wife is in the hospital and her condition is serious.

Later, when Andy really thinks the situation through, he realizes that it would be even more helpful if he set a fire. That way, his friend could collect the insurance money.

Will Andy's plan work? Is he clever enough to get away with it?

"The Flame" was written by Richard Pedicini and produced/directed by Elliott Lewis. Cornell Wilde starred. Also appearing Cathy Lewis, Sidney Miller, Joseph Kearns, Harry Bartell, Charles Calvert, and Bert Holland. This episode aired on October 15, 1951.

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Suspense presented this story a second time on May 29, 1956. Antony Barrett starred and Antony Ellis produced and directed.

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Suspense - Smiley

In "Smiley," Donald O'Connor stars as a man who has a grudge against all women after being falsely convicted of a crime.

Harold Smythe was a happy guy that everyone called "Smiley." He had a job as a dishwasher and never caused any trouble. Sure, people thought it was strange that he was obsessed with his pretty hands, but they only teased him about it.

As Smiley was walking home one night, his life changed forever. A woman accused him of following and accosting her. Smiley told the court he was innocent, but they didn't believe him.

Now, after two years in prison, Smiley returns to his old job as a dishwasher. His hands have been roughened by hard labor, and he has a grudge against all women. Smiley decides that the only way he can have justice is to commit the crime for which he has already served time.

Will Smiley carry out his creepy plan?

"Smiley" was written by Charles Glenn and produced/directed by William Spier. Donald O'Connor starred as Smiley. Sidney Miller, who also wrote and performed with O'Connor in his stage shows, played Curly.  Lurene Tuttle played Cookie. This episode aired on August 14, 1947.

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Suspense - The Big Shot

In "The Big Shot," a baby-faced engineer takes a job with an illegal mining operation in Mexico.

As the episode opens, Charlie Morton arrives by bus in a remote Mexican village. Morton is happily greeted by Quinn, the boss of the mining operation that hired him. 

Quinn soon discovers that his new engineer is qualified for the job but touchy about his youthful appearance. Very touchy.

Quinn already has his crew mining a rich vein of gold quartz up in the mountains, and Morton's job is to set up a stamping mill. Their objective is to quickly mine the gold and then quietly smuggle it of Mexico. The trick is, that they have to do this without the locals, the bandits, or the government discovering their operation. 

"The Big Shot" was based on a story by Brett Halliday and adapted for radio by Lawrence Goldman. Burt Lancaster, in the first of his two appearances on Suspense, starred as Charlie Morton. Also appearing were Gerald Mohr and Cathy Lewis. This episode aired on September 9, 1948.

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Suspense - Death at Live Oak

In "Death at Live Oak," a man believes that he can solve his problems by switching identities with another man.

As the episode opens, David Sutherland meets a woman in an elevator who mistakes him for her husband. Later, he meets the woman again and she is struck by his resemblance to her husband. The two have dinner and instant love follows. He is everything that her husband is not, except that he is close to bankruptcy.

The two come up with a plan to dispose of her husband and have Sutherland take his place. That way, his debtors will think he is dead, and she won't have to go through the scandal of a divorce.  Sutherland will take her husband up in his plane and parachute out before it crashes. Then, he will assume the identity of her husband, and they will live happily ever after. 

Now, how could a plan like that go wrong?

"Death at Live Oak" was written by Robert E. Lee and E. Jack Neuman. William Spier produced and directed. Robert Mitchum, in the first of his two appearances on Suspense, starred as Mr. Sutherland. Also appearing were Mary Jane Croft, Jerry Hausner, William Johnstone, and Wally Maher. This episode aired on May 15, 1947.

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