Suspense - The Long Night

In "The Long Night," Frank Lovejoy stars as an air traffic controller who must help a small, troubled plane find an airport before it is too late.

As the episode opens, Ken begins the night shift at the Rockford Field air traffic tower. At first, the traffic is routine, but then, a voice comes over the radio from a lost plane.

The pilot tells Ken that he was on his way from Indianapolis to Minneapolis, but now he is off course and low on fuel.

The lost plane is flying above a solid layer of clouds, and the pilot is too poorly trained to handle the situation. 

Ken has 45 minutes to determine the plane's position, direct it to Rockford Field and get it on the ground. He reaches for the first of many cigarrettes and goes to work...

"The Long Night" was based on a short story by Lowell D. Blanton, which first appeared in The Atlantic Monthly in October 1956, and won the O. Henry Award in 1957. Sam Pierce adapted the story for Suspense. William N. Robson produced and directed. Frank Lovejoy starred. Also appearing were Stacy Harris, Byron Kane, Kort Falkenberg, and Jack Kruschen.

. Download Suspense_1956-11-18_The Long Night

Suspense presented this story again on July 13, 1958. Frank Lovejoy again starred. Also appearing were Eddie Firestone, Peter Leeds, Sam Pierce, and Barney Phillips.

. Download Suspense_1958-07-13_The Long Night

Comments

[Jack]

I'm a big fan of Frank Lovejoy, and the 1956 version is pretty gripping (I haven't listened to the '58 yet). Does anybody else really like William Robson's intros to the episodes he produced? The tone is set much sooner than in the Roma Wines/Auto-Lite days. I love how the announcer intones "And nooow..." at the start.

[Christine]

I didn't know The Long Night was also a book. It's a curious episode of Suspense where the story isn't formally resolved.

[Steve]

I didn't like the ending! He says that the crisis is over, but the story ends before we really know what happens. It appears that the pilot just crashed and that's the ending. Can someone give me a different interpretation?