Escape and Suspense!

Suspense - After Dinner Story

"After-Dinner Story" was one of many works by Cornell Woolrich adapted for radio. Suspense presented twenty-two of his stories on their program, but his works were also performed on Molle Mystery Theater and other radio shows. Suspense's "After Dinner Story" was based on the 1938 short story of the same name which Woolrich wrote under his pseudonym, William Irish.

Suspense's version altered the structure of the story a little, but otherwise retold the tale as it was intended. What was left out was the Depression-era setting, and so it lost some of its depth and meaning. The original short story is very tense and the description of the elevator crash is more frightening than on radio. Read Woolrich's story if you get the chance.

"After-Dinner Story" was adapted for radio by Robert L. Richards. Otto Kruger appeared as Mr. Hardecker. Also featured were Hans Conried, William Johnstone, and Lou Merrill. This story aired once on October 26, 1943. Although it never aired again on the Suspense radio program, the television show Suspense aired this story on April 12, 1949. Otto Kruger starred in the same role he had played in the radio version.

. Download Suspense.1943.10.26_After_Dinner_Story.mp3

(Image of elevator shaft from Wikimedia Commons)

Suspense - My Own Murderer

Richard Samson is a London attorney who receives a visit at his home from an old friend, Alan Rennick. The circumstances prompting this visit are unpleasant. Rennick has just murdered his butler, Baines. The butler had stolen letters and then tried to blackmail him, so Rennick bashed him in the head with a poker. Now he wants his friend and attorney to hide him, or he will kill him too. Samson agrees, but nearly levels his old chum by explaining that while in hiding he will have to do his own laundry, cooking, and serving. Clearly, Rennick hadn't considered all of the ramifications of murdering his butler.

Rennick stays in hiding at Samson's flat until his escape can be carried out. He asks his friend Margaret Farley to help and soon a plan is in motion. Their idea is to fake his death so he can assume another identity. Anita Kilner, the lady-friend who had written the letters stolen by the butler, is also called in to help. All four of them set out on a frosty night to stage the "accidental drowning" in the river. Unfortunately for Rennick, the plan doesn't play out as expected.

"My Own Murderer" starred Herbert Marshall as Richard Samson and Norman Lloyd as Alan Rennick. The radio-play was written by Richard Hull. This episode aired on May 24, 1945.

.  Download Suspense.1945.05.24.My_Own_Murderer.mp3

(Image of the Old Bailey in London from Wikipedia.com)

Suspense - Dark Journey

In Suspense's "Dark Journey" we learn that if we really want something to happen, we can will it to happen. At least that is what the main character, Ann Brody, believes. She concentrates on what she wants her boyfriend to do and then, using her power of will, she makes him do it.

The story begins as Ann and her friend Alice arrive in New York City to meet Ann's boyfriend, Clyde Dexter. Ann is clingy and "terribly in love," a situation that signals trouble. (Beware of this on radio--and in your own life.) Ann's boyfriend can't meet them at the train station, or have lunch with them that day, or see her the next day. We can't really blame him based on what we know about Ann so far.

Alice tries to make Ann realize that she has been jilted but Ann refuses to accept that. Ann feels that it is Clyde's mother who is keeping them apart and she uses her "power of will" to get her boyfriend back. When his mother is suddenly murdered, Ann does gets her man back. Alice however, finds the whole situation creepy. She stays away until she has to take a "dark journey" back to see her friend 15 years later.

"Dark Journey" was a radio-play written for two actresses by Lucille Fletcher. The script leaves you guessing at the truth right up to the end. Most women have had a friend who became a little too weird over a boyfriend and this story plays on those fears and bad memories. Ann is a pathetic mess and her friend is stuck in the middle.

This episode starred Nancy Kelly as Ann. Years later, she won a Tony Award (1955) and a nomination for an Academy Award for her role in the play and movie, The Bad Seed. Suspense regular Cathy Lewis starred as Alice. "Dark Journey" was produced, edited and directed by William Spiers. It aired once on April, 25, 1946.

.  Download suspense.04.25.1946.Dark Journey.mp3

(Photo by Morguefile.com)

Suspense - Rave Notice

"Rave Notice" was written for Suspense by James Poe, a scriptwriter who not only wrote intriguing original stories but also successfully adapted other author's works for radio and film. He wrote the radio-plays for a number of notable episodes of Escape including their most famous episode, "Three Skeleton Key," an adaptation from the short story by George Toudouze. Among the episodes he wrote for Suspense, "Never Follow a Banjo Act" and "Rave Notice" stand out as two of the best radio-plays Suspense ever presented. In 1956 he won an Academy Award for his work on the script for Around the World in 80 Days and he was nominated three other times for his work on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Lillies of the Field, and They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

"Rave Notice" is the story of a struggling Broadway actor named Sam who commits murder after his director replaces him in a play. In order to avoid getting the electric chair, he uses the Stanislavsky Method to act as if he were insane. The glitch is that the doctors who come to examine him turn out to be the better actors.

This story was presented three times on Suspense and all three presentations are excellent. Variations in the tone of the story come from the three different actors who played the lead. The first broadcast was on October 12, 1950, and Milton Berle starred in the role of Sam. Berle's maniacal laughter is particularly good and he could be considered the best match to this role.

. Download Suspense_10.12.1950.Rave_Notice.mp3

The second time it was presented was on October 21, 1954, and Hans Conried starred as Sam.

. Download Suspense_10.21.1954 Rave Notice.mp3   

The third time was on June 1, 1958, and Vincent Price starred as Sam.

. Download Susp.1958.06.01_Rave_Notice.mp3

(Images of "Old Sparky" and Vincent Price from Wikimedia Commons)

Suspense - Stand In

"Stand-In" is a radio noir about a movie queen and the people in her life who hate her. The story begins with Maggie, or Madame as she is known, returning from an extended vacation in Florida. She arrives home in Hollywood with paparrazi, yippy little dogs and a new husband in tow.

Madame's stand-in and assistant is Dianne Burke. She doesn't have the right face for movies, but she claims she's "got everything else." Dianne sees right away that Madame's new husband, Dennis O'Brien, will be trouble. Dianne and Dennis avoid each other for a while, but on the night of the Academy Awards they find themselves alone in the big empty mansion. From there they drift towards trouble.

Dianne is straightforward and unremorseful as events play out. In the end, she is accepting of her fate. June Havoc played Dianne and her smoldering voice suits the dialogue of this dark drama.

"Stand-In" was written for Suspense by Robert L. Richards and Pamela Wilcox. Cathy Lewis played Madame. Also appearing were Hans Conried, Elliott Lewis, and Wally Maher. This episode was produced, edited and directed by William Spier and aired on June 12, 1947.

.  Download Suspense.1947.06.12_ StandIn.mp3

(Photo of June Havoc's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6618 Hollywood Blvd.)

Suspense - Noose of Coincidence

Beware of people who introduce themselves as a "prophet of the future." They cause nothing but trouble.

Suspense's "Noose of Coincidence" is about a man who doubts that the future can be predicted, yet becomes involved in a series of events just as they were foretold to him.  Set in the late 1940's, this episode stars Ronald Colman as Christopher Swann, a London bookseller forewarned that he will marry a redheaded woman and that he will be hanged on November 9th.

He does marry a redheaded woman named Margaret but she turns out to be an intolerable shrew. Not long afterwards, he meets another redheaded woman, Ann. Their mutual love of books brings them together and they soon fall in love. Swann realizes too late that he married the wrong redhead, but before he can do anything about it, the rest of the prophesy plays itself out.

"Noose of Coincidence" was a short story written for Suspense by American writer William Fifield and then adapted by Herb Meadow. William Fifield worked as a radio announcer and scriptwriter for CBS and NBC as a young man, and while most radio writers went on to television and movies, Fifield took a more Bohemian path. He moved to Europe in 1950 where he recorded and wrote books about his conversations with men such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and other artists. His later works include fiction as well.

Also appearing in this episode were Hans Conried and Raymond Lawrence. The names of the female actresses aren't given. This broadcast aired on April 7, 1949.

.  Download Suspense_1949.04.07_Noose_Of_Coincidence.mp3

(Images from Classicsavers.com and Morguefile.com )

Suspense - The Blue Hour

Claire Trevor, the Academy Award winning actress and "Queen of Film Noir," made one of her five appearances on Suspense in the drama "The Blue Hour." Here she plays Lois LaPaul, a Chicago dancer who becomes a media darling when her wealthy paramour is murdered. Instantly in demand, she accepts an offer to perform at an "extremely chic" nightclub called the The Blue Hour in New York City. At the airport she meets Alec Mahoney, a reporter with whom she shares some saucy banter.

When she arrives at the sparkling blue nightclub she soon discovers that the owner, Anthony LaCada, has no real interest in her dancing talents. His icy interest is in her murdered boyfriend, Jason White.

Not knowing what to do, she turns to Mahoney for help. Together they discover the blue diamond worth half a million dollars that Jason White was hiding.

"The Blue Hour Diamond" at the center of this story was probably based on the Hope Diamond, pictured to the right. This episode was written by Marty Schwartz and includes a number of moments of entertaining dialogue.

"The Blue Hour" was produced edited and directed by William Spier. The music, more prominent and detailed than usual in this episode, was composed by Lucien Moraweck and conducted by Lud Gluskin. At the time Claire Trevor appeared on this episode she was promoting the movie The Velvet Touch. Also featured were Hans Conried, Wally Maher and Sydney Miller.  This broadcast aired on September 25, 1947.

.  Download Suspense_1947.09.25_The_Blue_Hour.mp3

(Photo of the Hope Diamond from Morguefile.com)

Suspense - Momentum

Suspense's "Momentum" was adapted from a Depression era short story by Cornell Woolrich published under the titles "Momentum" and also "Murder Always Gathers Momentum." According to Frances M.Nevins in his book Cornell Woolrich, First You Dream, Then You Die: "When it comes to putting us in the skin of a frightened little guy in a miserable little apartment with a hungry wife and children and no money and no job and fear of tomorrow eating him like a cancer, Woolrich has no peers. There is more of the anguish of the thirties in stories like "Goodbye, New York" (1937) and "Dusk to Dawn"(1937) and "Borrowed Crime" (1937) and "Murder Always Gathers Momentum" (1940) than in volumes of social history."*

Woolrich's short story opens with the main character, Richard Paine, arriving at the house of his former employer, Mr. Burroughs. Paine is desperate and has come hoping to collect back wages. Years earlier he had deferred half of his salary to help get his employer through hard times, but instead, Burroughs filed a suspicious bankruptcy cancelling his company's debts.  Paine's attempts to retrieve what is due to him set this fugitive-on-the-run story in motion.

Suspense's version skipped the Depression era setting and packaged the story differently, presumably for their contemporary audience. In this version Richard Paine's resentment towards his former employer is over a wrench that he claims to have invented. Paine, as he is portrayed here by Victor Mature, is hard to like and it doesn't appear that anyone does like him except his wife, though he doesn't treat her well.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents aired "Momentum" in 1956 with Skip Homeier and Joanne Woodward. The teleplay kept the sadness and the frenzy of Woolrich's original story but was made clean and bloodless for television. As Paine rushes across town, dying of a gunshot wound, he does not have a speck of blood on his suit or hands.

Suspense's radioplay was written by E. Jack Neuman. This episode aired once on October 27, 1949 and starred Victor Mature and Lurene Tuttle.

. Download Suspense.1949.10.27.Momentum.mp3

The short story "Momentum" can be found in The Cornell Woolrich Omnibus.

(Image from Morguefile.com)

*Frances M Nevins, Cornell Woolrich: First You Dream,Then You Die (New York: The Mysterious Press. 1988) pg. 127 

Suspense - Commuter's Ticket

Suspense's "Commuter's Ticket" depicts a murder plot derailed by unforeseen circumstances. Mr. Bert Gavin, a teletype repair man, works for a news agency in downtown San Francisco. Everyday he rides the same commuter train into the city from the ficitional town of Laurel Creek, which is located somewhere "down the peninsula" and "out in the sticks," an area that would probably be in today's Silicon Valley. The commuter trains at the center of this story belong to Caltrain, which still carries commuters between San Francisco and San Jose.

Mr. Gavin's murder plot hinges on his prediction that his fellow commuters will ignore him when he makes a quick trip home to murder his wife. Normally they would, but as he tries to run from his crime, he becomes the center of attention no matter where he goes.

This story proves that fate catches up no matter how fast you run and might even play some nasty tricks on you along the way.

"Commuter's Ticket" was written for Suspense by Roy Grandy and Robert Tallman. It starred J. Carrol Naish, Jim Backus, Howard Duff, Jerry Hausner and Wally Maher. Note that two of the voices from the Mr. Magoo cartoons appear in this episode, Backus (Magoo) and Hausner (Waldo).

This episode aired once on August 1, 1946.

. Download Suspense.1946.08.01.Commuter_Ticket.mp3

(Image of Caltrain Baby Bullet from Wikimedia Commons)

Rev. 6/21/07

Suspense - Banquo's Chair

"Banquo's Chair" takes place when "sophisticated" crime solving meant inviting a murder suspect to your mansion for a chummy dinner party and then scaring that person into a full confession with a witty prank.

Sir William Brent of Scotland Yard has one unresolved murder case on his illustrious record and he arranges such a dinner to elicit a confession from his prime suspect. The mansion where they will be dining was the scene of the crime and one of the guests invited to this dinner party will be the ghost of the victim.

The title "Banquo's Chair" refers to the character of Banquo from Shakespeare's Macbeth. He is murdered by Macbeth and then comes back to haunt him during a feast. Banquo's ghost takes Macbeth's place at the table, but Macbeth is the only one who can see the apparition.

"Banquo's Chair" was based on the short story and play (1930) by Rupert Croft-Cooke, who also wrote mystery novels under the pseudonym of Leo Bruce. It became the basis for the movie The Fatal Witness (1945) and an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1959.

"Banquo's Chair" was adapted for Suspense by Sigmund Muller and presented three times. Hans Conreid appeared in all three versions but otherwise the cast was changed for each. It first aired on June 1, 1943 with John Loder and Ian Wolfe. It was presented again on August 3, 1944 with Donald Crisp, John Loder, Ian Wolfe and Jane Morgan.

Here is the 1950 version starring James Mason and Hans Conreid. (There are a few minutes of hissing and static in the middle of this recording.)

Download suspense.1950.03.09_Banquo's_Chair.mp3

"Sleep No More" performed "Banquo's Chair" in a fifteen minute reading by Nelson Olmsted on February 6, 1957. It is different from Suspense's version in that it gives more story details.

Download sleepnm.1957.02.06_Banquo's_Chair_The_Coward.mp3

(Image of "Macbeth Seeing the Ghost of Banquo" by Theodore Chasseriau (1819-1856) from Wikipedia )

Suspense - Hellfire

"Hellfire", as a title, makes one hope that this episode will be a Suspense cautionary tale with such a "big lesson" that somehow eternal damnation is involved. So, it may come as a letdown to learn that this is actually a story about a fire. It's about a very big fire. A HELLFIRE!

Ross Murray wrote this Suspense episode about an oil well disaster in Texas. A quote attributed to him in the book Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills explains his inspiration: "I read a story of Red Adair or his predecessor, who went to Saudi Arabia to put out an oil well fire, and I thought how interesting it would be if some little old wild cat in Texas had his single oil well catch fire, and couldn't get a hold of the professional, and what would he do to put it out himself."* Firefighters Red Adair and Boots & Coots were also the inspiration for the 1968 movie Hellfighters starring John Wayne.

"Hellfire" was broadcast on September 28, 1953 and starred John Hodiak as Wally, Jerry Hausner, Joseph Kearns, Clayton Post, and Charlotte Lawrence. Herb Butterfield, Junius Matthews, Dick Ryan also appear.

As for the fires of Hell, firefighter extraordinaire Red Adair joked about his own fate in 1991 by saying: "I've done made a deal with the devil. He said he's going to give me an air-conditioned place when I go down there, if I go there, so I won't put all the fires out."

Download Suspense.09.28.1953.Hellfire.mp3

* Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills by Martin Grams Jr., pg.112

(Image from Morguefile.com)

Suspense - Always Room at the Top

Suspense's "Always Room at the Top" was only broadcast once, which is a shame. This bizarre episode should have been given at least a second chance.

There is a lot to like in a story that begins with a job applicant named Helen being kicked out of an interview, then continues with the interviewer, Ms.Thornton, later falling out of her office window and landing on the pavement in front of Helen. Not wasting the opportunity, Helen then barges her way back into the office and talks the boss into hiring her for Ms. Thornton's job!

After that, the story just gets better. In fact, so much happens so quickly in this episode that it borders on being surreal, or perhaps just silly. When it comes to stories about catty and ruthless female executives, this one takes the cake and runs away with the spoon!

"Always Room at the Top" stars Anne Baxter in the role of Helen Brandt. A few years later, in 1951 she appeared in the film classic about an ambitious female, All About Eve. At the time she appeared in this episode of Suspense in 1947, she was promoting the movie The Razor's Edge for which she would receive an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Also appearing in this episode are Wally Maher and Jack Webb. Cathy Lewis played Marie Harris. The name of the actress playing JeanThornton is not given.

The radio-play was written by Eleanor Beeson.

"Always Room at the Top" aired on February 20, 1947.

Download Suspense_1947-02-20_Always_Room_at_the_Top_

(Image from I Confess from Wikimedia Commons)

Suspense - Cabin B-13

The urban legend of the "The Vanishing Lady" provides the basis for the story of "Cabin B-13." The episode begins with two newlyweds, Ann and Richard Brewster, as they board an oceanliner for their honeymoon. They have $10,000 in cash and plan to travel through Europe for three months. The bride has recently recovered from "brain fever", an archaic term for meningitis, and she is still weak and vulnerable.

Her husband Ricky takes their money to deposit in the purser's safe but then disappears. She tries to enlist help to find her lost husband, but no one believes that he really exists. She claims that they were booked into a cabin numbered B-13 but there is no such cabin. Her only help is from the ship's doctor.

We are told that the story is set in "happier, peace-time days", but we don't know exactly when. The name of the ship is the S.S. Maurevania which is based on Cunard's Mauretania or Mauretania II.

Suspense first presented this story on March 13, 1943 with Ralph Bellamy. Here is the second broadcast which aired on Nov. 9, 1943. It starred Margo, an early pioneer of the one-named performers, and Philip Dorn. William Johnstone played Ricky Brewster and Dennis Hoey played Capt. Wainwright. The radio-play was written by John Dickson Carr.

Download Suspense.1943.11.09.Cabin_B-13.mp3

(Image from Morguefile.com)

(Rev. 11/27/07)

Suspense - Neil Cream, Doctor of Poison

The true story of Dr. Neil Cream is so ghastly that it is surprising that Suspense tried to dramatize it. Bringing the Victorian horror story of the "Doctor of Poison" to the airwaves required that it be pared down considerably for a general audience. Their version does not mention the nightmarish botched abortions he performed nor the prostitutes he poisoned.

Suspense retained only the basic components that made the story unique and left the rest out. Their version is that of a man who had no remorse about poisoning women, but who is ultimately done in by his own manipulativeness and arrogance. The strength of this episode lies in the performances of the actors and the well written narrative.

Suspense also chose not to mention that Neil Cream is considered by some to have been Jack-the-Ripper. The problem with that theory is that Dr. Cream was serving time for murder in Joliet Prison in Illinois when the Ripper crimes occurred. After his release from Joliet in 1891, Dr. Cream left America for England and quickly took up his old ways. He was finally caught and sentenced to execution in 1892. Just before he was hanged, Dr. Cream is said to have admitted, "I am Jack..." One theory as to how this could be possible proposes that he had a double who committed the Ripper murders.

This story aired once on September 17, 1951, and starred Oscar winner Charles Laughton in one of his ten appearances on Suspense. Charles Davis, Jeannette Nolan, Joseph Kearns, Betty Hartford, Georgia Ellis, Alma Lawton and Herbert Butterfield also appear. The radioplay was written for Suspense by Antony Ellis. "Neil Cream, Doctor of Poison" was produced and directed by Elliott Lewis.

.  Download NeilCreamDoctorofPoison.9.17.1951mp3.mp3

Suspense presented the same radioplay again in 1955 under the title, "A Story of Poison."  This time Joseph Kearns played Dr. Cream and the show was produced and directed by Antony Ellis. This episode aired on September 13, 1955.

.  Download Suspense_1955.09.13_AStoryOfPoison.mp3

(Revised 9/20/07)

Suspense - The Treasure Chest of Don Jose

If the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is just a bit too long for you, and you would prefer a pirate adventure in the half hour range, then try "The Treasure Chest of Don Jose." 

This is a story about a pirate curse, a kidnapping, and a buried treasure of gold that plays out in 1950's era Cape Cod. The treasure was left there many years earlier by Don Jose, the King of the Pirates, but the problem is that he and his descendants have all been cursed. So, retrieving the buried chest turns out to be tricky for Don Jose's great-grandson.

 

Suspense presented this story three times, the first with J. Carroll Naish in the lead role on February 4, 1952, and the last with Raymond Burr on October 12, 1958. Here is the second of the three presentations. It aired on June 6, 1956, and stars Broadway, television, and movie actor Edgar Barrier. The role of the police chief was played by Joseph Kearns. Christopher Anthony wrote the radioplay.

Download suspense.6.26.1956.Treasure_Chest_ Don Jose.mp3

(Photos from morguefile.com)

Suspense - Sleep is for Children

"Sleep is for Children" can best be described as "Suspense meets The Couple Next Door." Here we have Walter & Ellen Gordon, the perfectly normal couple next door, and in their suburban neighborhood there is a murderer on the loose. 

The Gordons have a daughter named Stephanie and that is where the entertainment comes in. You probably know a little girl like her or have one in your family. She is a brat, but that is what creates the tension and the suspense. We know that whatever her parents tell her to do, she won't do.  Along with Stephanie comes her roller skates, which are perpetually in the way and a hazard to everyone throughout the episode. In the end, Stephanie gets her come-uppance as a result of her own brattiness. It's wonderful.

This episode also has an eggman, which is something like the milkman. The eggman has a lot of resentment towards the encroaching suburban community that has brought families like the Gordons into the area.

"Sleep is for Children" stars Elspeth Eric as Ellen Gordon, Ralph Bell as Walter Gordon, Bill Adams as Mr. Beckler and Betty Garde as Rosa. Ruth Tobin and Sara Fossel also appear. It is one of two episodes written by Ralph Bell and Eugene Francis. This broadcast aired on March 6, 1960 and includes the commercials, but they are quite snappy.

Download Suspense.1960.03.06_Sleep_Is_For_Children.mp3

Most of the action in "Sleep is for Children" takes place on the phone. Here is an episode of the The Couple Next Door that also centers around a phone call and a little girl who won't cooperate. In this case, however, the little girl is the funniest part of the episode because she is so true to life. This episode aired January 1, 1958. Peggy Lynch and Alan Bunce star.

Download CoupleNextDoor.1958.01.01_Phone_Call_To_Mexico_City.mp3

(Photo from Morguefile.com)

Suspense -Three O'Clock

"Three O'Clock" is a Suspense episode adapted from a 1938 short story by Cornell Woolrich. A man named Paul believes that his wife, Francie, is cheating on him. He takes revenge by planting a bomb in the basement of their house, but when he returns upstairs, he finds two burglars. Unaware of the bomb, they tie up Paul and leave him in the basement. He is then trapped, alone and helpless, with the ticking bomb that he had set for his wife.

In the short story, Paul is gagged and can't make any sound. On radio this isn't obvious because we are hearing what he is thinking. There aren't any special sound effects for his thoughts. Suspense's adaptation is close to Woolrich's original work, but the ending is slightly changed. The radioplay was written by Walter Brown Newman, who later went to have three of his screenplays nominated for Academy Awards.

"Three O'Clock" was also done for television in 1949 for an episode of Actor's Studio. It aired on Suspense only once, on March 10, 1949 and starred Van Heflin as Paul.

Download Suspense.1949.03.10.ThreeOClock.mp3

The radio program Sleep No More performed "Three O'Clock" on December 12, 1956. It is different in that it is a dramatic reading of the story performed by Nelson Olmsted.

Download SleepNM.1956.12.12_Three_OClock.mp3

(Photo from Morguefile.com)

Rev. 5/22/07

Suspense - The Body Snatchers

Suspense's "The Body Snatchers" is a light-hearted drama, but the true history on which it is based is dark and gruesome. The story is set in the early 19th century when the legal supply of human bodies for medical research in Britain was limited only to criminals given the death penalty. This supply was insufficient for the number of medical students who needed cadavers for dissection and the difference was made up by "body-snatching", the illegal disinterment and sale of the dead. Those who dug up bodies after burial and sold them off for a profit were known as "Resurrectionists" or "Resurrection Men."

As a result, families who lost a loved one had to attend to keeping that loved one buried. In response, there sprang up an industry to deal with graveyard crime. Specialty items like lead coffins, locks, vaults, grills, and mortsafes helped to deter robbers. It also led to fancier cemeteries for the middle class like Highgate Cemetery in London (pictured), which was one of the "Magnificent Seven."

When dead bodies weren't available some resurrectionists committed murder for profit. The West Port Murders by William Burke and William Hare in 1827-1828 in Scotland, as well as the crimes of John Bishop and Thomas Williams (the London Burkers), created a public outcry for change. In 1831 Bishop and Williams were sentenced, executed, and then dissected for study.

The Anatomy Act of 1832 altered the laws and increased the number of bodies available, thereby diminishing the need for body-snatching. The new Act stated that destitute people, with no relatives, who died while in the workhouses could be given over to medical schools. As a result however, the greatly feared public workhouses became even more terrifying in that, if you died there, you could end up being dissected in an anatomy clinic.

Today, the illegal sales of corpses and body parts continues to be a lucrative industry in America.

"The Body Snatchers" was for written for Suspense by John Dickson Carr and aired on November 24, 1942.

Download Suspense_1942-11-24_The_Body_Snatchers.mp3

(Photo of Highgate Cemetery from Morguefile.com)

Suspense - The Thing in the Window

"The Thing in the Window" is the story of a man convinced that he sees a dead body in an apartment across the street.  Try as he might, he can't get anyone to believe him. Obsessed with finding the phantom body, he becomes a terrific annoyance to his neighbors.

The radioplay, written for Suspense by Lucille Fletcher, was performed in 1946 and 1949. The first presentation starred Joseph Cotten, and the second Robert Montgomery. There are some minor differences in the scripts and the endings, but both versions are entertaining.

When "The Thing in the Window" aired in 1946, it was Joseph Cotten's 7th guest appearance on the series. The "perennial Suspense favorite" would make a total of 17 appearances.  At the time, he was promoting his upcoming film Duel in the Sun. 

Actor, director, and SAG president Robert Montgomery made a number of appearances as well. In 1944 and 1948, he starred in later adaptations of Suspense's premier episode, "The Lodger". Montgomery was also the host of Suspense for a period in 1948 when the show was temporarily expanded to a one-hour format. When he appeared in "The Thing in the Window," he was promoting the movie June Bride. As it turned out, it was his last appearance on the series. It is worth noting however, that his daughter, actress Elizabeth Montgomery, would later star with Suspense's favorite actress, Agnes Moorehead, on the television show Bewitched.

"The Thing in the Window" starring Joseph Cotten aired on December 19, 1946.

Download Suspense.1946.12.19_Thing_In_The_Window.mp3

The version starring Robert Montgomery aired on January 27, 1949.

Download Suspense.1949.1.27_The_Thing_in_the_Window.mp3

(Photo from Morguefile.com)

Suspense - 2462

While Escape's attempts at presenting heroic stories about poets fell flat, (see El Guitarrero and Evening Primrose), Suspense produced 2462, a superb episode about an American poet who rebels against the system. In this story, a man is put in prison in Arizona for wasting time and writing "doggerel" at his government job. His world, the Earth as it is 400 years into the future, is grossly overpopulated. "Nonproductive" workers like this poet are superfluous because they are not contributing to the survival of mankind with mathematical and scientific skills. He has spent his time at his job expressing himself creatively and now he has to face a trial by a computerized judicial system. Here we also learn that workers of the future are given "tranquil gum" and "happy gum." So, the future doesn't sound all bad.

"2462" is a thought provoking episode that makes a statement about the value of artistic expression. It was written by George Bamber and starred Lawson Zerbe as the poet and Robert Dryden as the old prison guard.

This episode aired on January 21, 1962.

Download Suspense.1962.01.21_2462.mp3

(Photo from Morguefile.com)

Suspense - The Copper Tea Strainer

Betty Grable, famous for her "million dollar legs", is the star of Suspense's radio noir "The Copper Tea Strainer." Her legs aren't visible on radio, of course, but we hear her running around in high heels. Grable is convincing and sympathetic in this bleak but gripping, drama about a woman exhausted by having to care for her whiny, invalid mother. Raymond Burr co-stars as the detective who comes to question her and William Conrad plays the boyfriend. "The Copper Tea Strainer" was written by John T. Copeland for Suspense.

At the time she made this appearance, her only one on Suspense, Betty Grable was promoting the film The Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend, a more light-hearted project than "The Copper Tea Strainer."

This episode aired on April 21, 1949.

Download Suspense.1949.04.21_Copper_Tea_Strainer_The.mp3

 

Suspense - To Find Help

Suspense's "To Find Help"  is so plausible that it is genuinely scary. 

The casting of this episode is what makes it intriguing. The role of a menacing young man who has "something wrong with his mind" was originally performed by Frank Sinatra, and later by Gene Kelly. Appearing in "To Find Help" is an unexpected choice for a musical star, but that is the hook. Both actors gave the performance their own flair but played it differently. The same year that this episode first aired, Sinatra starred with Kelly in the movie Anchors Away.

This is a World War II era cautionary tale about an older woman who hires a young man to do some handywork around her house. She doesn't know the man well, but help is hard to find because of the war. She doesn't see any reason to worry because he seems so meek. The female role, Mrs. Gillis, was first played by Suspense's favorite actress, Agnes Moorehead. Ethel Barrymore played the role opposite Kelly in 1949. This episode was written for Suspense by Mel Dinelli.

The episode starring Frank Sinatra and Agnes Moorehead aired on January 18, 1945.

Download Suspense.1945-01-18_To_Find_Help.mp3

The episode starring Gene Kelly, Ethel Barrymore and William Conrad aired on January 6, 1949.

Download Suspense.01.06.1949.To_Find_Help.mp3     

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Added note:

"To Find Help" play was adapted from Mel Dinelli's stage play "The Man." This story was also adapted into the film Beware, My Lovely (1952) starring Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan.

(Revision 1/27/11)

Suspense - Deep, Deep is My Love

Suspense producer and announcer William N. Robson introduces the episode "Deep, Deep is My Love" by stating that it is a story about skin divers, "intruding upon a world for which nature never intended them." Here we learn about the dangers of narcosis, or as Jacques Cousteau called it, the "rapture of the deep."  The story takes place at Point Dume, a beach located near Santa Monica, California.

Lloyd Bridges was the star of the television show Sea Hunt (1958-1961) when he appeared on this episode of Suspense. He plays Don, a diver who wants to investigate an unusual experience that occurred during his previous week's dive. Don and his clingy wife Joyce are at odds because she does not want him to go on the dive without her. He wants to be alone but Joyce wants them to do everything together. She relents and he escapes to a tranquil underwater realm where there is a golden girl who really understands him.

The radio play was written by novelist and screenwriter Hank Searls, who later wrote the best selling books Overboard, Jaws II, and Sounding. This episode also stars Marie Lynne, Tracy Roberts, and Bill Quinn. It was broadcast 48 years ago on April 26, 1959.

Download Suspense-59-04-26DeepDeepIsMyLove.mp3

Suspense - Library Book

In honor of National Library Week, here is the Suspense episode "Library Book." This episode stars Myrna Loy as Prudence, a public librarian who stops at nothing to discover who vandalized the library's copy of Gone With the Wind. She is the stereotypical librarian - until she takes off her glasses. Then, for reasons she can't understand, men call her "toots." Of course, the audience understands because Prudence is really Myrna Loy, the sexy star of The Thin Man movies. In her heyday in the 1930's, she was voted "The Queen of Hollywood" by fans.

"Library Book" was based on the 1939 short story "The Book That Squealed" by Cornell Woolrich and was adapted for Suspense by William Spier. The dialogue is witty and the story is entertaining for anyone who has worked in a library. Conrad Binyon, Cathy Lewis and Wally Maher also appear. 

This episode was broadcast on September 20, 1945.

Download Suspense.1945.09.20_Library_Book.mp3

Suspense - (Forecast) The Lodger

How did the radio show Suspense begin?

It first appeared on a CBS program called Forecast, which presented the pilot episodes of new shows. Forecast aired Suspense: "The Lodger" on July 22, 1940. The radio-play was based on the novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, as well as many other tales of mysterious lodgers who may have been Jack-the-Ripper.

The premier episode was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who had previously filmed The Lodger in 1927. Edmund Gwenn and Herbert Marshall were working with Hitchcock on the movie Foreign Correspondent when they appeared on this program. "The Lodger" is a unique Suspense episode because it was performed in front of a studio audience.

Although the response was good, it would be another two years until Suspense became a regular series on CBS. Once it was established in 1942, the show went on to run for twenty years! For more information about the first episode of Suspense and the show's association with Alfred Hitchcock, read "Murder and Suspense: Hitchcock's Established Reputation" by Martin Grams.

Herbert Marshall stars as Mr. Sleuth and Edmund Gwenn stars as Mr. Bunting. This episode also features Noreen Gammill, Joseph Kearns and Lurene Tuttle. Alfred Hitchcock makes an appearance at the end of the show.

Download Forecast-The_Lodger-Suspense_audition_40-07-22_CBS_.mp3

To watch a video clip of Hitchock's The Lodger see: Suspense - The Lodger (First Episode)

(Rev. 02/18/08)

Suspense - Ghost Hunt

Listen to this episode with the lights off.

In this story about a stunt that goes wrong, radio personality Smiley Smith and paranormal investigator, Dr. Reed tour a haunted house in Malibu, California. Their experiences are recorded for playback on Smith's show. The house, known as "The Death Trap," has a bad reputation because four of its residents have committed suicide.

"Ghost Hunt" was adapted for Suspense by Walter Newman from an original story by the renowned ghost story writer Herbert Russell Wakefield. Ralph Edwards, who starred as Smiley Smith, was the creator of Truth or Consequences,This is Your Life, Name That Tune and The People''s Court. According to the website of Ralph Edwards Productions, "At least one Ralph Edwards’ show has been on radio or television every year for the past 65 - a feat unmatched in Hollywood." Joseph Kearns starred as Dr. Reed and Paul Frees, the voice of the "Ghost Host" at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, was the Suspense announcer.

Suspense aired this episode on June 23, 1949.

Download Suspense.6.23.1949.GhostHunt.mp3

Image from Haunted America Tours.

Suspense-Somebody Help Me

Last week's episode, "Drive-In," warned of the dangers of getting into a car with a stranger. This week's episode, "Somebody Help Me," warns of the dangers of getting "picked-up."  Based on a true story, this cautionary tale is still a good one. Which true story this is based on, they don't say.

"Somebody Help Me" was written for Suspense by Morton Fine and David Friedkin, who later collaborated on many television projects. Movie actor Cornel Wilde (pictured) starred as Eddy Franklin, and Suspense regular Cathy Lewis starred as Eileen.

Eddy is an unctious, chatterbox with a temper who uses his Southern gentleman's charm to pick up Eileen. The audience knows that Eileen is in trouble as soon as she gets into his car but she doesn't. This is a simple crime drama that makes its point easily. Keep in mind while listening to Wilde's performance that he was born in Hungary and spoke five languages: Hungarian, French, German, English, Italian, and Russian.

This episode was broadcast on March 29, 1954.

Download suspense1954.03.29 Somebody Help Me.mp3

Suspense-Drive In

If you need a reminder as to why it is you should never accept a ride from a stranger -- then "Drive-In" is for you! This episode belongs to a sub-genre of Suspense stories that are also cautionary tales. These dramas are still convincing because their warnings are still valid.

Judy Garland stars in this episode but do not expect to hear singing. Here she demonstrates that she was just as compelling as an actress on radio as she was in movies. In 1946, the year this show aired, she also appeared in the films: The Harvey Girls, Ziegfield Follies, and Till the Clouds Roll By.

"Drive-In" was written for Suspense by Mel Dinelli and Muriel Ray Bolton.  It was broadcast three times but Garland only appeared in the lead role once. Raymond Lewis played the driver. This version was heard on November 21, 1946.

Download 461121_drive_in_w_judy_garland.mp3

Suspense - The Hitchhiker

The Suspense episode "The Hitchhiker" is well known because the radio play was transformed into a television episode, and it has since lived on in reruns. In this story, a supernatural hitchhiker follows the main character on a trip across the country.

Orson Welles, for whom the role was written, first performed "The Hitchhiker" on the CBS network's Mercury Theater on the Air in 1941, and then again on Suspense in 1942. The radio play was written by Lucille Fletcher, who also wrote Suspense's most famous episode, "Sorry, Wrong Number." (This episode also features her husband, legendary film-composer Bernard Herrmann, who composed and conducted the music.) In 1960, "The Hitch-Hiker" became an episode of the CBS television show, The Twilight Zone but with Inger Stevens in the lead role.

The radio version has chilling sound effects. Well, chilling or hokey. It depends on your point of view. Listen for the sound effects of the phone call made by Welles. The suspense builds as his call goes from operator to operator across the country, but it also shows how many people had to be involved just to make a phone call back then!

This episode was broadcast on September 2, 1942.

Download Suspense.1942.09.02_Hitchhiker.mp3 

The original presentation of "The Hitchhiker" performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater aired on November 17, 1941, but no recording of that broadcast is known to exist at this time. However, a 1946 version performed by Orson Welles for The Mercury Summer Theater is available below. 

. Download MercuryTheater_1946-06-2--The Hitch-hiker

(Visit The Digital Deli Too for more information about the The Mercury Theater on the Air and its various name changes and program logs.) 

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Many old radio shows have stories that include hitchhikers. Often, they play on the urban legends of "The Vanishing Hitchhiker" or "The Two Hitchhikers".

Here is an episode from the radio series The Clock (1946-1948) that is also called "The Hitchhiker". It is a spin on the urban legend where one of two hitchhikers is dangerous but appearances turn out to be deceiving.

This episode was broadcast on February 9, 1947.

Download Clock.1947.02.09_The_Hitchhiker.mp3

For more information about urban legends about hitchhikers consult The Encyclopedia of Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand.

For more information about the Twilight Zone episode "The Hitch-Hiker" consult The Twilight Zone Companion by Marc Scott Zicree.

(Photo by Robb Kiser)

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Revised  06/20/12

Suspense-Flesh Peddler

The ventriloquist/comedy act of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy was a huge success during the "Golden Age of Radio" but ventriloquists and their dummies also made excellent fodder for radio thrillers and horror shows. The ventriloquists portrayed in these shows were often down on their luck, tortured souls working in seedy places -- a stark contrast to the perennially sunny Bergen & McCarthy Show.

(Bergen & McCarthy are pictured here from their appearance in the movie Stage Door Canteen in 1943. Bergen is the one in the turban.)

The Suspense episode "Flesh Peddler" follows a typical "haunted" ventriloquist plot but it remains interesting because of the casting.

This is an old radio show with two performers who are familiar to any Gen-Xer. It stars Deforest Kelly, whom we all know as Dr. McCoy on Star Trek, but it also has Daws Butler, who was the voice of Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Elroy Jetson and numerous other cartoon characters. Anyone who watched cartoons in the 1970's will recognize his voice.

Deforest Kelly plays a booking agent who takes an interest in a ventriloquist act he finds at a carnival. Daws Butler provides the voice of Arthur, the slow-witted knife-thrower. It is unfortunate that they did not choose Butler to play the ventriloquist, given his enormous talent for providing character voices, but this was before he became famous for his work in cartoons.

This show was broadcast on August 4, 1957.

Download Suspense.1957.08.04_Fleshpeddler.mp3

Suspense-You Were Wonderful

In honor of Black History month, here is the Suspense episode "You Were Wonderful" with Lena Horne.

True to the title, Lena's singing is wonderful despite the bad sound quality of this recording. She sings "Embraceable You", a little bit of "One Dozen Roses" and "America" (My Country 'Tis of Thee). This is a very patriotic WWII era episode that touches on the racial issues of the time. The story is set in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to her biography on the Kennedy Center's website, Lena Horne often performed for the troops in Europe during WWII but on the condition that the audience would be desegregated. She was also the most popular pin-up girl of African-American soldiers!

"You Were Wonderful" aired on November 9, 1944. According to Martin Grams in Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills, she was the first professional singer to appear on Suspense.

Download Suspense.1944.11.09_You_Were_Wonderful.mp3

Image of Lena Horne from (www.classicsavers.com)

Suspense-Never Follow a Banjo Act

As I watched the Grammy Awards show this past weekend my mind drifted to the Suspense episode "Never Follow a Banjo Act."

The star of this episode is Ethel Merman, and even if you aren't a big Ethel fan, you will probably enjoy this. She plays Rosie Jones, a singing star of "mature talents," who is asked to work with a heart-throb boy singer named Terry Dane. She accepts but quickly finds out that the deal she made isn't all it is cracked up to be.

This episode is surprisingly creepy and dark, and it makes memorable statements about greed, the pop music industry, and "tousled hair". Why hasn't this episode ever been turned into a movie?

Suspense broadcast this episode twice. The first presentation starred Ethel Merman on February 4, 1954, and the second starred Margaret Whiting on March 2, 1958.  Ethel's is the better version. "Never Follow a Banjo Act" was written for Suspense by James Poe.

Download 540201_never_follow_a_banjo_act.mp3

Suspense-The Pasteboard Box

Don't let the dull title fool you.  "The Pasteboard Box" is one of the best!

This is a story about an evil twin and if you have ever watched Days of Our Lives you know that having an evil twin can be a really bad thing.

"The Pasteboard Box" is a cold-blooded tale with some good twists and no remorse.  It stars movie actor Joseph Cotten in the roles of both twins, Walter and Jack. Cotten's wicked voice is superb in this episode and fortunately, he made many other appearances on Suspense as well.

Set in New York City, "The Pasteboard Box" is a swift and clever story about identical twin brothers and a box that won't go away! 

This episode was broadcast on January 17, 1946.

Download susp.1946.01.17_The_Pasteboard_Box.mp3

Suspense - On a Country Road

"On a Country Road" is regarded as one of the classic tales of Suspense because it embodies all of the things at which the radio program excelled.

So now, ignore the traffic, the rain, the nearly empty gas tank, as well as those news bulletins about the escaped crazy woman on the loose, and come take a drive down a lonely side road with Cary Grant.

"On a Country Road" was first broadcast on November 16, 1950 and starred Cary Grant, Cathy Lewis, and Jeannette Nolan. It was repeated on January 4, 1954, December 9, 1954, and May 10, 1959, with a different cast each time. The radioplay was written for Suspense by Walter Bazzar. The television show Suspense presented this story once on March 13, 1951 with John Forsythe in the lead role.

Download Susp.1950.11.16_On_a_Country_Road.mp3

(Image of Cary Grant in North by Northwest from Wikimedia Commons)

Rev. 7/10/07