1961-09-17 The Green Idol

Parker Fennelly and Abby Lewis star as an older couple from Maine on a vacation tour of Saudi Arabia. They are enjoying the sights and sounds of their exotic excursion which included a series of events recounted in this broadcast. They had an encounter with a fortune teller, found a sacred object, and received an ominous prediction of death. The story is by Jack Johnstone under the name “Jack Bundy,” which, along with “Jonathan Bundy,” were used for his Suspense scripts. “Bundy” was the maiden name of his wife.

Seeking a souvenir of their Arabian trip, they visit a curio shop in the holy city of Mecca. The wife sees a small green idol that is very unique; she wants to bring home. The husband, who believes that he is an expert bazaar price negotiator, attempts to purchase it. The shop owner keeps refusing the escalating offers and desperately tries to stop them. He warns them of a terrible curse related to the idol, “the fingers of death.” The husband belligerently buys the idol anyway, dismissing all talk of curses as emanating from ignorant beliefs in magic and superstition. The warnings they receive provide an ominous sense of foreboding that permeates the rest of the story’s events. The couple learns their lesson, too late.

Some geographic and cultural context can help in the appreciation of the story. An important site, Kaaba, is generally accurate as described. According to Britannica, it is “near the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and considered by Muslims everywhere to be the most sacred spot on Earth.”

A curio shop in Mecca run by a Hindu, as noted in the story, was unlikely at this time, just from a demographic perspective. According to Wikipedia, there are over 700,000 Hindus in Saudi Arabia, but Mecca is considered a Muslim-only city. Hindus in Saudi Arabia are mainly from India and Nepal, and are on generally on work permits. Their population in Saudi Arabia has been growing significantly in recent decades, but at the time of this story, it was probably very small, and was definitely below 1%.

A green “Ramkar” idol in the story is considered a symbol of hope, purity, and devotion for Hindus, and might be jade or emerald. The particular green color is sometimes referred to as "Rama Green," similar to sea green or light teal. Lord Rama is considered the seventh avatar (incarnation) of the god Vishnu in Hindu mythology.

There are some cultural references and word pronunciation that were of their time and might be considered offensive or ignorant to modern ears.

The program was recorded on Tuesday, September 5, 1961. The session began at 11:00am and concluded at 2:30pm.

The Green Idol was originally planned for broadcast on September 10, but was rescheduled for September 17. CBS Sports was following the home run totals of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle as “Battle of the Batters,” a half hour program that was broadcast in place of Suspense on September 10. The network broadcast a similar program on August 13, which also pre-empted Suspense. Both players were chasing the record of Babe Ruth to hit 60 home runs in the 1927 season. There was a difference in this particular year. The American League added two teams for the 1961 season, and extended the number of games from 154 to 162 to accommodate the extra teams. Ford Frick, American League Commissioner ruled that for someone to break Ruth’s true record, those eight additional games would not count toward the record; a player had to do it no later than the 154^th game. At the end of the season, Mantle was hospitalized with a hip infection, but that problem was only developing at the time of this broadcast. Mantle’s other leg injuries slowed his home run pace down. Maris could not break the record by that game, but hit his 61^st home run in game 162. Mantle finished with 54 home runs.

This was Parker Fennelly’s only appearance on Suspense. He was 70 at the time, a professional performer for more than 50 years. It began in 1915, but he became best known on radio as “Titus Moody,” a regular character in “Allen’s Alley” of the Fred Allen Show. You can see him in one of his later “roles,” as a spokesperson for Pepperidge Farms bread products at this YouTube clip https://youtu.be/vH3pR94gMo8?si=AvKhQyjVVeRRjH-f He passed away at in 1988 at age 96.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP610917

THE CAST

Parker Fennelly (Herbert), Luis Van Rooten (Al Hamid), Guy Repp (Fakir), Abby Lewis (Ethel), Mercer McLeod (Dr. Etherington), Ronald Liss (Elevator Boy)

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1961-09-03 The Juvenile Rebellion

Jimsey Somers stars as a junior high student in a social commentary science fiction story about a plot to overthrow the governments of the world through a non-violent revolution. The script is by radio veteran Robert Cenedella. The revolution, however, will be led by children. Well, they’re not really children. They are mutants disguised as children, and are in an international organization of mutants hiding behind the mask of adolescence. The conspiracy is stumbled upon by an English teacher at the local junior high school. He learns of the imminence of the revolution and details of their plot. He tries to warn others, but encounter complete frustration when he tries to tell other grown-ups of his discovery. He begs the mutant leader for more time, and he’s told there’s been enough time… and the revolution starts next week.

Juvenile delinquency was a very big topic at this time in the US, with regular newspaper coverage and Congressional hearings. The title of this episode may have been confusing to listeners when they realized it was a sci-fi story, and a story theme that was common in television dramas such as Dragnet or in movies that were still in memory, such as Blackboard Jungle and Rebel Without a Cause.

Juvenile Rebellion is somewhat stilted and childish sci-fi to modern ears. Suspense had a similar story before, Ray Bradbury’s Zero Hour. There is an innocence and enthusiasm to the kids in that story which makes it more nerve-rattling than this one. Zero Hour seems hold up better over time. There is an anger and arrogance to Juvenile Rebellion. There’s no hook to the story, since they're not kids, they're aliens pretending to be kids, and that’s quite a jump for listeners. There are no aliens, so it is easy to dismiss, unlike the Bradbury premise. Juvenile Rebellion does have “preachy stuff” that makes the closing diatribe of the legendary “worst movie of all time” Plan 9 from Outer Space so hokey. (The movie is on YouTube and this link is cued to start at that scene https://youtu.be/qsb74pW7goU?si=JfJ9zvhm_iyIWiDz&t=3906) It doesn't work all that well, and really it doesn't fit Suspense. Bradbury's Zero Hour is more subtle, while this one tries to be a sledgehammer. The other moralistic Suspense sci-fi stories such as The Voice of Company A, The Outer Limit and Report from a Dead Planet, were somewhat flawed but entertaining and thoughtful. They explored the trends and dilemmas of the times in which they were written, each in a different way.

But there is a curious backstory to this episode that may be more interesting that the production. Research into the career of Robert Cenedella was always confounded by an artist of the same name. They’re related. Robert Cenedella, Sr. was the radio writer. Robert Cenedella, Jr. was his stepson. It was Senior who raised Junior after he was 12. Senior refused a loyalty oath in the 1950s blacklist period because he insisted it was unpatriotic to demand to sign one, a decision which he paid for with erratic employment and income for many years. His stepson remembered growing up in those years and they made quite an impression. They were formative in his art career. Junior became an activist through his art, giving its content a political polarization that often made his work more fascinating whether people agreed with him or not. The breadth of his work was actually wider, however. His work is far ranging, from comical, to cynical, to fanciful, to political, and more. He worked for some notable brands when he was employed by advertising agencies. He sometimes created paintings that were personal and biographical. One was of an imagined boxing match between his biological father and his stepfather. A 1977 painting, Give to Cenedella, was about Senior's plight in the lean years (it can be seen at https://robertcenedella.com/collections/all-artwork/products/give-to-cenedella). This painting shows Senior on a platform in a crowded street scene, standing on a platform, in his undies, asking for money. By the time Juvenile Rebellion is aired, Junior is 21 years old and in art studies. This Suspense broadcast was in 1961, and Senior was still reeling from blacklist years. The news is filled at this time with the Cold War, social tensions, and worries of nuclear annihilation. Senior and Junior likely had lots of kitchen table discussions of what was going on in the world, nation, and the local politics of New York City, where Junior lived with him. The city gave him access to art schools and museums and an immersion in media, as well as the social interactions of opinions and lifestyles that made the city so different from others. The trends and countertrends and cultures and countercultures all coalesced in his art and its many different directions. Those discussions between Senior and Junior are likely reflected in the dialogue of this episode.

The origins of Juvenile Rebellion are interesting when you realize this personal backstory of it. Juvenile Rebellion must have been held in better regard in its time than it is now, more than 60 years later. It was selected to be the first offering of the second week of Theatre 5 on ABC Radio on 1964-08-10. Producer Ed Byron and director Warren Somerville wanted to start that series with their strongest scripts, and this was one of them. The title for that broadcast was changed to Rebellion Next Week.

Junior is still around (as of 2025), now 84, living in Maine, and still working, and letting you know what's on his mind via his paintings. There was a movie made about him and his times. It was released in 2016, and was a winner of many awards at film festivals.

If you’re wondering about teenage mutants and a possible relation to the comic book creation of the X-Men led by Professor X, developed by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, there is none. That series did not start until its first issue was published in September 1963.

Writer Robert Cenedella lived in Milford, Massachusetts before moving to New York City. Tewksbury, and its junior high school mentioned in the story, are not that far away from Milford since I-495 was created.

This program was recorded on Thursday, August 31, 1961. The session began at 11:00am and concluded at 2:30pm.

Jimsey Somers was child and teenage actor on Broadway and early television, appearing in experimental broadcasts in the late 1940s. She was 24 at the time of this broadcast. She appeared on many radio broadcasts in the 1950s. Her IMDb listings end in 1968, indicating she may have left the business.

A 2017 interview of Junior where he talks about his father can be found at the Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/cunytv_BUNY12018 

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP610903

THE CAST

Jimsey Somers (Mary Newhall), Court Benson (Ethan Miller), Joseph Boland (Chief Hobbs), Ronald Liss (Frank), Pat Hosley (Helen)

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1961-08-27 Sold to Satan

Kermit Murdock stars as fashion business owner “Frank Wineglass” in a Jules Archer story with an interesting backdrop for the scenes, that evil intent takes hold of the main character. The plotline is driven by blackmail, and a homicide is planned to be its cure. Frank’s evil side narrates the story that shows how his business partner, Harry, has had a dalliance with one of their company’s very attractive advertising models. She demands $200 a week blackmail for the next 10 years to keep quiet and not tell Harry’s wife. Then Frank learns that his son, Douglas, is planning to marry the blackmailing model. It’s not just money between the model and Harry anymore, but now if Harry (or even Frank) warn Douglas about what she’s doing, she will send incriminating photos to Harry’s wife. She has the blackmail noose wrapped tightly around the necks of both Harry and Frank. Harry believes he can buy her off rather than resort to murder. Harry has no money to spare, but Frank will lend it to him. She demands a substantial sum based on the value of the business. She feels entitled because her modeling is one of the reasons why their product line has done well. Harry declines, and Frank’s suggestion of a more permanent solution suddenly seems like a good idea. Alibis are arranged, Frank makes a payoff that is mostly fake money, she objects, and Frank kills her. Frank’s plan is to frame Harry for the murder. He figures that having Harry and the model out of the way so she could not marry Frank’s son is a big advantage to him and the future of the business. Frank’s alibi planning did not go as planned. Harry’s alibi falters, and so does the son’s. What will “Evil Frank” and Frank do now?

The story is adapted by Joseph Cochran. The “Evil Frank” narration gimmick takes a little getting used to, but it is a novel approach to the story that works… if you’re ready for it. Some listeners may have found it confusing at first. There’s a lot of pieces to the story, making careful listening important to catch all the details. It’s worth doing.

Ian Martin is hilarious as the irascible old man Colonel Dover who is an easy target for Frank and Harry’s practical jokes and constant interruptions.

The story first appeared in Dime Mystery Magazine October 1948. The first radio production was on the series Radio City Playhouse broadcast of 1949-07-04. It was re-titled as Murder Is The Easiest Way and adapted by Harry W. Junkin. Archer was not really happy with that adaptation because Junkin changed it to a straightforward mystery story without the “Evil Frank” device. This Suspense broadcast was a new adaptation, and is presumed to be more to Archer’s liking because Joseph Cochran followed the structure of the original short story. Details about the development of original story can be found in Archer’s 1950 book I Sell What I Write which can be accessed at https://archive.org/details/isellwhatiwrite00arch/page/68/mode/2up

The program was recorded on Tuesday, August 22, 1961 in a session that started at 11:00pm and concluded at 2:30pm.

The title may be misleading as in current language it may imply a story involving the occult. The phrase “sold to Satan” and variants of it were more common in conversation at the time of broadcast, and especially decades and decades before when religious observance was more pervasive than today. The phrase means that a person would do anything it takes, even selling their soul, to get what they want, regardless of downside consequences, whether they be temporal or spiritual.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP610827

THE CAST

Kermit Murdock (Frank Wineglass / Satan), Robert Dryden (Harry Feeney), Ian Martin (Colonel Dover), Richard Holland (Douglas Wineglass), Dick Hamilton (Police Officer), Elizabeth Lawrence (Diane Rodell)

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1961-08-20 Murder Is a Matter of Opinion

Phil Meeder stars in a creative and engaging Jules Archer story adapted by Ronald Dawson. Two law students, brothers, are bored with the process of creating a mock trial, a fictional legal case that allows students to learn the processes of preparing and presenting information at a real trial. They, and their deep friendship was well known on campus, and they decide to stage the a fictional but convincing crime that would deepen the interest in the exercise for themselves and other students. Their topic was whether or not a truly innocent person can be accused of a crime, prosecuted, and found guilty. At the time of this story, the risk of execution of a person found guilty was higher than in modern times. Just a brief review of newspapers of that time show that it was often a matter of months before punishment was enforced. Today, it is common for prisoners to be on “death row” for many years for those remaining states that still have capital punishment laws, while others changed laws to allow life imprisonment in its stead. For that reason, this story would had a greater urgency in its topic for listeners. The two stage multiple arguments with each other in crowded scenarios where they would be certain to have many witnesses. When one brother would disappear, it would be clear that there was foul play, until they revealed their ruse. Everything was going along well with their secret plan, until one of the brothers dies, unexpectedly, and the other is arrested. Those witnesses, and the scuttlebutt about their deteriorating relationship, makes it clear that the surviving brother did it.

Spoiler alert: You know the scheme would have a hiccup because it’s Suspense, so there’s no surprise there. A key to the conclusion is a brother’s coughing. It does seem annoying, but once you remember the show was recorded, and if it was an inadvertent cough, you know it would be edited out. It’s part of the story, and that becomes obvious because of its frequency. Despite these issues, it’s still a good story.

The program was recorded on Tuesday, August 1, 1961, starting at 10:30am and concluding at 2:30pm.

The broadcast was poorly promoted by CBS publicity. They promoted Old Boyfriend which was delayed and would not be broadcast until many weeks later. No newspaper had an announcement for this script’s broadcast.

The original Archer story was very popular. It appeared in the Summer 1948 edition of Mystery Book Magazine but the radio rights had already been sold to Molle Mystery Theater for its 1948-02-20 broadcast. It is not known who adapted it for the series; no recording is available. It was used the following year for Radio City Playhouse for its 1949-05-23 broadcast, adapted by Harry W. Junkin. The Canadian series, Curtain Time, not to be confused with the US series of the same name, aired its own version on 1949-10-05 (no recording is available). It was even used on television’s Cameo Theater on September 27, 1950 and starred Freddy Bartholomew. 

In Archer’s 1950 book about writing for a living, I Sell What I Write, he provides an interesting perspective for new writers as he discusses this very story:

Which brings me to an important footnote on making money out of pulp mystery writing. The pulps will hand back radio rights to you upon request. In the case of Murder Is a Matter of Opinion, the radio rights paid off almost eight times as much as I received for the original story in Mystery Book.

It may have been more lucrative than that. I Sell What I Write was likely already published before the television production of Cameo Theater was aired. That broadcast was not mentioned in the book. Archer’s comments about this story can be accessed at https://archive.org/details/isellwhatiwrite00arch/page/52/mode/2up

Phil Meeder stars in the episode. He was working on some soaps at CBS in the late 1950s, but those were cancelled in November 1960. This is an interesting profile of him many years later, published almost 20 years ago https://www.insideannapolis.com/archive/2006/issue2/pmeeder.html

“Judge Jackson” is played by Bernard Lenrow. He’s fondly remembered by classic radio enthusiasts for playing Captain Logan in the Casey, Crime Photographer series.

Ivor Francis, who plays “Mr. Cheney,” was a Broadway actor and radio veteran. He was the father of Genie Francis who came to television prominence in General Hospital in their famous storyline about “Luke and Laura” in the late 1970s. She is married to Jonathan Frakes, “Commander Riker” in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP610820

THE CAST

Phil Meeder (Frank Jackson), Bill Lipton (Bryan Jackson), Ronny Liss (Tom Penson), Maurice Tarplin (Prosecutor), Lawson Zerbe (Dean / Warden), Bob Dryden (Captain / Bixton), Bernard Lenrow (Judge Jackson), Ivor Francis (Mr. Cheney)

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1961-08-06 Bells

Rosemary Rice and Bill Lipton star in a Jack Johnstone script (written under the pseudonym “Jack Bundy”) about a young couple who are thrilled to find a new place to live. That is, until they try to spend their first night there. They portray Henry and Lucy Fielding, and their “dream house” is in the country, far away from the noisy city. Lucy thinks they had help from her guardian angel that led in the home search success, including its affordable price. Harry doesn’t believe any of that, and agrees to the deal mostly because he is so frustrated with their apartment. There is a concern, however: the real estate agent was a bit elusive when discussing the history of the house and its past owners. Henry and Lucy are so enthused with the idea of this new home for them, that they still decide to proceed. In their first night in the house, there is a very severe storm. The phone starts ringing with call after call. The calls are unnerving. Henry checks with the phone operator, and she says they have no record of calls being put through. He becomes so upset that he rips the phone from the wall. Lucy gets nervous and has a strange and ominous premonition. She persuades the skeptical Henry that the premonition is real and they should leave the house and stay at a nearby hotel. They can return to the house in the morning and start fresh. As they settle into the hotel room, they are shocked when they hear a radio news report. The house was struck by lightning that demolished part of the home. They realize that by leaving the house they had escaped certain death.

The program was recorded on Tuesday, July 25, 1961. The session began at 10:30am and concluded at 2:30pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP610806

THE CAST

Rosemary Rice (Lucy), Bill Lipton (Henry), Lawson Zerbe (Strickler), Toni Darnay (Operators 1 & 2), Larry Robinson (Bellboy / Radio)

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1961-07-30 You Can Die Laughing

Evie Juster and Larry Haines star in a Robert Arthur script about two people having an affair and desiring to get the woman’s husband out of the way. The man is annoying, always laughing at his own terrible jokes in the loudest manner. She has had her fill of him. He is strangely enamored with an audience participation show and submits a gag to them. The show is in the Truth or Consequences! or People are Funny style, and they have accepted his stunt idea. He has revealed the stunt to no one other than the show producers. She plots a supposedly fool-proof method to murder him with the assistance of one of his trusted employees. The husband owns an old house that looks like it’s haunted; no one goes there because it is rather spooky-looking, so it is likely their crime will not be discovered for a very long time. They bury the deceased husband in the basement of that house, hiding the evidence. Of course, when they hear the audience participation show, the husband’s stunt involves that very house… and the participants have to rush there… to find “buried treasure,” a cash prize for whatever participant finds it first. Will the nefarious couple get there in time before the contestants to prevent the discovery of their deed?

It is a good and entertaining story, despite being predictable in many ways, but still a fun listen. Evie Juster was a very versatile actor. When the radio era ended, she found steady employment in commercials as a mimic of newborn babies crying, young children, as well as adult voices. She also appeared in 225 CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes, ranked fifth among the most appearances. Ian Martin is also in the cast, and he made 255 appearances in the series. Larry Haines appeared in 85.

Because the episode has a title that is nearly identical to an Inner Sanctum episode and an episode of The Mysterious Traveler, it was always assumed that this was a re-used script. Neither of those episodes are available; this is a new script. The Inner Sanctum episode of 1946-05-07 plotline was about a hit and run driver. The Mysterious Traveler of 1944-05-07, repeated in the syndicated series The Sealed Book (episode #11), has a plotline that involves cave exploration. The Sealed Book production is available.

The script is based on a Robert Arthur short story. You Can Die Laughing appeared in the February 1958 edition of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and was also included in some compilations of the magazine’s that were published in book form in later years.

The episode was recorded on Thursday, July 20, 1961. The session began at 10:30am and concluded at 2:30pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP610730

THE CAST

Larry Haines (Jack Holden), Evelyn Juster (Betty Willoughby), Gertrude Warner (Jean Rexford), Lee Vines (Jolly George Gordon / Man), Ian Martin (Herbert Willoughby), William Mason (Bill Rexford)

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1961-07-23 Stranger with My Face

Bernie Grant stars in an Allan Sloane story about a man with amnesia. He has no memory of the past four years, and he believes he has a different name and his face seems so unfamiliar. He is confused by his realization that he is in Chicago with no memory of how he got there. He goes into a local bar and is addressed as Charles Morris, a regular patron of theirs. The bartender gives him his usual drink, and it is one he has never liked. He remembers himself as Ed Walters, not Charles Morris. He is understandably frantic, and returns to New York to look for his wife. He starts to remember the day he left, telling his landlord that he would be away for a while, regretting his marriage to an unfaithful woman with drinking problems, and going to the train station, but the rest is fuzzy. He soon recalls meeting a stranger in an alley in Chicago. The man who robs him of his wallet and other belongings, and being knocked out. A man finds him the next morning and helps him. The story turns away from how he got to Chicago, and back to his return to New York. He arrives back to the city and life he left four years ago. He returns to the apartment building, and it is occupied by a different tenant, but she has what might be the forwarding address of his wife. He visits the address and finds it is a different person, who suggests he goes to the police. She heard gossip that the Walters had some kind of difficulties. He goes to the Missing Persons Bureau for help, claiming he’s Charles Morris and looking for Mrs. Walters to help clear up a legal issue with property in Chicago. The officer checks the files and can’t find such a record… but they find a missing persons report for Edward J. Walters… and we learn what really happened.

The forwarding address given to Walters is 655 East 53^rd Street in Manhattan. There is no such address; if there was, it would be in the East River. That side of Manhattan is where Sutton Place is, the general location where the fictional Mrs. Stevenson of Sorry, Wrong Number lived. It is one of the most expensive areas of Manhattan. The area is also the location of the detective’s office in 1944-06-29 The Walls Came Tumbling Down.

The program was recorded on Tuesday, July 18, 1961. The session ran from 10:30am to 2:30pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP610723

THE CAST

Bernard Grant (Chuck Morris / Ed Walters), Lawson Zerbe (Barkeep / Stranger), Jack Grimes (Newsboy), Bob Dryden (Elevator Man / Sergeant), Sam Raskyn (Sam), Danny Ocko (Thug), Elaine Rost (Woman), Gertrude Warner (2nd Woman)

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