Steve Hodel, Los Angeles detective and son of the serial killer George Hodel is convinced that this episode of Suspense inspired his father to kill Mrs. Ora Murray a few weeks after broadcast. It became known as the “White Gardenia Murder” because that is the flower that George Hodel left behind on the body.
The original Cornell Woolrich story was The Death Rose and appeared in the March 1943 issue of Baffling Detective Mysteries. It was adapted for Suspense by Robert Tallman.
Maureen O'Hara is a “society girl” with a homicide detective boyfriend. He might lose his job if he doesn’t solve the “white rose” case, so she decides to help out and set a trap for the killer. Anything for young love, I guess, including putting yourself in mortal danger.
This was O’Hara’s only Suspense appearance, but she appeared on movie-related shows such as Lux Radio Theater. She was 23 at the time of this appearance, and had appeared in the 1941 How Green Was My Valley and in 1947 would be in one of her more familiar roles Miracle on 34th Street. Her career was long, with a few gaps here and there, and her last film appearance was in 2000. Fred MacKaye was 38. MacKaye was a regular on Lux Radio Theater, as an actor, commercial spokesperson, and in 1944 became a director for the series. MacKaye appeared on Suspense a few times, including some appearances in the 1950s.
As to the story of the serial killer, detective Steve Hodel is a true crime writer, and when he heard White Rose Murder as an old time radio fan, he realized there was a tie to the “White Gardenia Murder.” What makes Steve Hodel so interesting is that his father was serial killer George Hodel. More people have heard about 1947 “The Black Dahlia Murder” and might confuse it with the movie The Blue Dahlia released in 1946. As Steve Hodel did his research on that 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, and other murders, he came to believe that his father also killed Mrs. Oda Murray a few weeks after the broadcast. The connection to Suspense was never made until decades later when Steve Hodel was listening to a tape of The White Rose Murders and connecting it with the patterns of the crime. In his blog, he writes:
During my free time, one of my favorite pastimes is listening to OTR (Old Time Radio) programs. A few days ago, I was reviewing an on-line index of the old CBS Suspense Theatre dramatizations, and one of the titles caught my eye. It was called, THE WHITE ROSE MURDERS. The show was broadcast from CBS’s then relatively new COLUMBIA SQUARE PLAYHOUSE STUDIO located at Sunset and Gower. (Just 1.5 miles and a five minute drive from George Hodel’s Franklin House.) The radio dramatization starred the beautiful 22-year-old actress, Maureen O’Hara and was broadcast from Hollywood on- JULY 6, 1943, just twenty days before the commission of the “White Gardenia Murder” of Ora Murray.
The link to the blogpost is https://stevehodel.com/2015/10/maureen-ohara-heroine-of-1943-white-rose-murders-cbs-radio-broacast-dies-at-age-95-radio-drama-inspired-dr-george-hodel-to-commit-real-life-murder/
Rather than recount the grisly circumstances and the idea that a parent was a killer, these are links that are worth visiting for more background on Steve Hodel’s work and how this Suspense episode may have played a role in the decision and method of a serial killer.
There is more detail at this online document starting at about page 5 www.stevehodel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/111.pdf
https://stevehodel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Ora-Murray-Summary-BDA-Ch.-23.pdf
General background on George Hodel can be found at
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP430706
THE CAST
MAUREEN O’HARA (Virginia Trowbridge), Fred MacKaye (Terry Riley), unknown (Sally), Mary Jane Croft? (Joan / Mabel the waitress), Garland Moss (Man at Flower Show), unknown (Thief), unknown (Edwards, the White Rose killer), unknown (Police Officer / Sergeant Riley), Jim Bannon (Man in Black / Elevator operator)
There was a lot going on in the background of Suspense production.
William Spier had a heart attack after this episode. He would have heart issues the rest of his life. He missed the next weeks as he was prescribed bed rest, mainly. Eighty years ago there was a lot of guessing about what was going on with the heart because they did not have the kinds of sophisticated diagnostic devices we have today. Incredible imaging technologies came about with the computer era, augmented by new surgical techniques and medical devices, and various pharmaceuticals. The answer at that time was usually a reduction in stressful situations and rest. Spier would miss three weeks on the show. Robert Louis Shayon, who would later become a pioneer in broadcast documentary productions, was flown in from New York to replace Spier for the broadcasts and cover for director Ted Bliss while he was on vacation. When Bliss returned, Shayon still assisted Spier until he could resume his normal schedule.
Another background event is the result of violence. Joe Kearns is not in the production in his usual “Man in Black” role. He had a broken jaw and could not perform on the program for many weeks. There is much scuttlebutt about that how the jaw was broken. One story is that he was in a bar fight over his not serving in the war effort (Kearns was in his mid-30s, and they were drafting men of that age). Another story is that he was hit by a drunk because he was gay. The stories are very unclear and the argument, which likely was enhanced through the attacker’s imbibement, could have included both topics. Adding confusion to the stories is that it has been claimed that Kearns could not appear on the air as he was recovering. But he did appear in Lights Out and A Date with Judy in August, but not on Suspense.
Actor Jim Bannon substituted for Kearns for the weeks he was away. Some prior logs credited Ted Osborne or Berry Kroeger, but there are now data that show it was Bannon. He was an accomplished announcer for Chase and Sanborn Hour, Cavalcade of America, Great Gildersleeve and others. He was also an actor on I Love a Mystery and developed a career as a western actor that included Red Ryder movies.
This is what Bannon recounts in his self-published autobiography, The Son that Rose in the West, in a letter he sent to his parents on September 1943:
For about six weeks I did the announcing on one of the thriller shows which you probably don't catch, it is called Suspense but that was strictly a short-term fill-in job. Joe Kearns, who usually does it, was sitting in the Derby bar one night, minding his own business, when a GI next to him came on with what has almost become a standard question to civilians, “How come you're not in uniform?” The fact that Kearns couldn't whip a pint of cream in a Waring Blender didn't matter. Joe swears he didn't make any sort of a smart answer but the guy clobbered him anyway and broke his jaw. While his face was wired together I did his show.
There is some question as to exactly when Kearns returned. He may have played the bit part of a waiter in The Cross-Eyed Bear 1943-09-16 but he was back as the “Man in Black” and whatever other parts he was assigned, beginning with Most Dangerous Game of 1943-09-23 and productions going forward.
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