"Deadline at Dawn", the last of the 19 episodes of Suspense made in 1948 for an hour-long format, was based on the 1944 novel by William Irish (aka Cornell Woolrich). There is also a 1946 film noir of the same name, but the radio version and the movie differ. 
Francis M. Nevins, in his 1988 book Cornell Woolrich: First You Dream, Then You Die, described Suspense's adaptation of Woolrich's story this way: "Deadline at Dawn, as adapted by Irving Ravetch, stayed reasonably close to Woolrich's 1944 novel and avoided all resemblences to the eccentric 1946 movie version. ...It was a workmanlike episode, emphasizing romance rather than the noir coloration of the novel, and doesn't rank with the series finest Woolrich adaptations."
"Deadline at Dawn" was one of four Woolrich stories that were expanded into hour-long episodes in 1948. It may or may not be one of Suspense's finest, but once the story gets going it is worth the time.
This episode, Suspense's last one-hour show, aired on May 15, 1948. It stars Helen Walker as Bricky and John Beal as Quinn. Also appearing are Lillian Buyeff, William Johnstone, Buddy Gray, Edith Tackner, and Rye Billsbury.
Hello, if you're still out there. I can only find three hour-long Suspense stories by Woolrich (this one, Nightmare and The Black Curtain). Do you know what the fourth one was?
Posted by: curri | March 12, 2022 at 06:08 AM