Suspense, Volume 5

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Suspense
Volume 5

When the dramatic anthology series Suspense premiered over CBS Radio on June 17, 1942, it did so as both a summer series and as a sustaining program. The network had no idea how well the series would perform - its only previous showcase was as an hour-long audition on the 1940 series Forecast - so running out and getting a sponsor didn’t seem to be important at that particular stage. Besides, in the show’s salad days, the guest stars that did appear were of considerably low wattage.

After an initial debut in 1940, On June 17, 1942, Suspense restarted as a weekly anthology series on CBS in June, 1942. A few weeks after the debut, William Spier, considered an up-and-comer by CBS, became the show’s producer. Recognizing the opportunity that Suspense presented, Spier proceeded to mold the show into the radio classic that we know today.

For scripts, Spier relied primarily on John Dickson Carr, who either adapted existing stories or wrote originals for the series. Carr had, for many years, been making a comfortable living as the author of mystery and detective novels, most published in paperback form and featuring such detectives as Dr. Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale. Carr had long established himself as the master of the “locked door mystery” - complex, puzzling, and plot-driven stories in which a detective solves seemingly impossible crimes. Such baffling tales became a staple of Suspense - but William Spier wanted still more from his creative team. Rather than present fantastic or bizarre stories, Spier wanted them kept close to home - and here is where the basic visions of Hitchcock and Spier converged: in their individual fields of entertainment, both insisted upon stories where an average man or woman, apparently minding their own business, ends up caught in an ever more tangled web of disaster, fear, and confusion. Conclusions would be left until the very last minute, allowing listeners the chance to not only visualize the story but, in fact, see themselves in the same situation. How would they react? What would they do? And could such a thing, in fact, actually happen to them? It’s no wonder that William Spier soon earned the title of “the Hitchcock of the Airwaves” - and that Suspense soon became a major success for CBS.

Suspense is a true radio classic. And, in this Radio Archives collection, you’ll have the chance to hear twelve broadcasts from 1942 and 1943, Tremendous storytelling coupled with finely crafted action and production value is what awaits you on Suspense, Volume 5 from Radio Archives.

The Burning Court

Wednesday, June 17, 1942 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Devil in the Summer House

Tuesday, November 3, 1942 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Bride Vanishes

Tuesday, December 1, 1942 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

Till Death Do Us Part

Tuesday, December 15, 1942 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

Nothing Up My Sleeve

Tuesday, January 5, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Devil's Saint

Tuesday, January 19, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

Last Night

Tuesday, June 15, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

Uncle Henry's Rose Bush

Tuesday, June 29, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The White Rose Murders

Tuesday, July 6, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Fountain Plays

Tuesday, August 10, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Singing Walls

Thursday, September 2, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Cross-Eyed Bear

Thursday, September 16, 1943 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining