1957-11-03 Firing Run

This is the first of seven scripts for the series by “Michael Frost.” It’s a pseudonym for writer Hank Searls who already had two scripts presented on the series. Ruth Hussey plays the wife of an Air Force gun tester whose target is an automatically piloted drone aircraft in which, unknown to him, his young son is riding. In the opening monologue, Robson suggests that the story is a real tear-jerker, and might “require accessory equipment in addition to your radio set, especially if you're a parent. We suggest that you provide yourself with a glass of water to slake the dryness in your mouth and melt the lump in your throat, and also a handkerchief and some other suitable material to cope with your tears. It is a story or unpremeditated murder, the unwilling and unplanned killing of a little boy by his father.”

The way it is set up you’re expecting something quite different than a story about a military test pilot flying a plane carrying missiles. Somehow, the drone plane that is the test target has his son and a friend on board. It is a “friendly fire” story, always tragic, that is too logistically impossible a story today and was an implausible one then. We’re supposed to believe that two small children went on a military base and climbed into a drone plane for that day. They got through security and the maintenance personnel who prepped the drone for its flight were no where around and did no last minute final safety checks.

It all started at the breakfast table, when the pilot’s small boys badgered him to view the missile test. A neighbor’s young girl joins them in some outside play, and they decide to go to the base. A boy and a girl get into the drone before it takes off, so of course, the younger boy, prone to exaggeration, is the one who eventually has to explain where they are. While that’s going on, the father is testing the plane, and the plot complication is that communications between him and the tower are garbled. Since he’s an experienced test and fighter pilot, and knows the flight plan and his task well, he commences with the test. That’s what builds the tension of the story. His track record of effectiveness means he is unknowingly a true threat to his innocent children.

There is so very much to the plot details that have to be set aside that they block the tension and fear of the story. Robson prepped the listeners better than the maintenance personnel prepped the drone. Today’s video security alone would make it a near impossibility for two children to get into the drone. They’d be stopped in their tracks elsewhere. That makes the story too unbelievable. It is hard to push those impracticalities away, but if you can, the tension and fear is done well. But it does not add up to a good Suspense production.

The episode was recorded on Thursday, October 23, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. At that time, recording began followed by editing. The session ended at 7:00pm.

There are two surviving recordings, both from the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS#655 and AFRS#957). The recordings can be differentiated by the announcements after the Robson monologue:

• AFRS#655: UNICEF;

• AFRS#957: Military medal: The Distinguished Service Cross (read by Vin Scully, voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers).

Of the two recordings, AFRS#957 has the better sound, despite some disc skips before the Robson monologue.

For decades, this episode circulated as an AFRS aircheck that was heavily edited and had sub-par sound. It is good that it is finally available in much better sound and is complete. No network recording is known to exist.

The original title of the story was “Firing Gun.” Or, that could be CBS publicity sending out incorrect publicity information. Press release drafts with sloppy handwriting can create such situations; they did happen. Newspaper clips have “Gun,” but there are no notations on the script that indicate a change. If there was one, it happened well before the final scripts were printed and after the press releases were mailed out.

This was Ruth Hussey’s sole appearance on the series. She had a long movie and television career. Her breakout role was early in that career, when she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story. An overview of her career can be found at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Hussey

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP571103

THE CAST

Ruth Hussey (Sue Stacey), Richard Beals (Hap Stacey / Petey Stacey), Dawn Bender (Cathy Masters), Eddie Firestone (Mark Stacey), Sam Pierce (Ground Control / Lieutenant Don Cameron), Ken Christy (Sergeant Crenshaw / Corporal), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-10-27 The Country of the Blind

Raymond Burr stars in this 1904 HG Wells short story that was presented three prior times on Escape. The story was adapted by John Dunkel. Burr plays a mountaineer who is lost in the rocky peaks of Ecuador. He finds a valley of blind people, cut off from the world for generations, with a society and culture that has found ways to thrive. He has difficulty communicating concepts with them. They consider him “as an idiot” with some strange ideas. He soon falls in love with a young woman, Medina, and proposes marriage. She accepts, but her father refuses. They consider his eyes as an impediment to his health and well-being, and believe that by removing them, he will be “cured.” He decides to leave before that can be done, heartbroken to leave her. The story has a surprising revelation at its conclusion.

This episode was recorded on Friday, October 11, 1957. Rehearsal began at 12:00pm and concluded at 4:30pm. Recording began at that time and finished at 5:00pm.

There are two surviving recordings, both from the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS#654 and AFRS#956). The recordings can be differentiated by the announcements after the Robson monologue:

• AFRS#654: Functions of the US State Department

• AFRS#956: Military medals

Of the two recordings, AFRS#654 has the better sound. They are actually very close in quality.

For decades, this episode circulated as an AFRS aircheck that was heavily edited and had sub-par sound. It is good that it is finally available in much better sound and is complete. No network recording is known to exist.

Classic radio enthusiast, researcher, and modern day performer Patte Rosebank notes that Wells' name for the mountain, “Parascotopetl,” means “mountain over the darkness.” Para is Latin for “over,” Skotos  is Latin for “darkness” (the ophthalmic term the “Scotoma” comes from this Greek word and refers to “blind spot”), and Petl is Aztec for “mountain.”

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP571027

THE CAST

Raymond Burr (Juan Nunez), Peggy Webber (Medina-Sarote), Ben Wright (Cartwright), Ed Jerome (Pedro / Dr. Yacob), Edgar Barrier (Correa), Jay Novello (Elder), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-10-20 Sorry, Wrong Number

This broadcast was the last time Moorehead presented this famous Lucille Fletcher story on Suspense. In 1960, after the series moved to New York, the drama portion of this 1957 program would be replayed with new introduction and close (“wrappers”) that matched what the series was using at that time.

These are links to the prior recordings about this episode; the first one is the most important one in terms of historical information and behind the scenes details about this fascinating script:

• 1943-05-25 (this has the most detailed background about the script and debunks many myths about the broadcast)
  https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/02/1943-05-25-sorry-wrong-number.html
  https://archive.org/details/TSP430525

• 1943-08-21
  https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/03/1943-08-21-sorry-wrong-number.html
  https://archive.org/details/TSP430821

• 1944-02-24
  https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/03/1944-02-24-sorry-wrong-number.html
  https://archive.org/details/TSP440224

• 1945-09-06
  https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/06/1945-09-06-sorry-wrong-number.html
  https://archive.org/details/TSP450906

• 1948-11-18 (the final live broadcast)
  https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/12/1948-11-18-sorry-wrong-number.html
  https://archive.org/details/TSP481118

• 1952-09-15 (the missing episode, and the first pre-recorded episode, with an interesting history)
  https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/08/1952-09-15-sorry-wrong-number-still.html

It was claimed in Suspense history that Agnes Moorehead always used the same script she started with in May 1943. That may have been the case for the performances prior to this one. At this time in the Robson era, Suspense had a shorter time slot than it did in the past. The script for this broadcast has numerous edits removing lines of dialogue. There was also another difference. When Sorry, Wrong Number was recognized as a classic, the drama segment was usually broadcast without commercial interruption. This time, the show format had changed to have breaks for mid-show commercials. The drama was now split into three acts.

There are three recordings of this 1957 broadcast: a network one and two Armed Forces Radio Service recordings (AFRS#653 and AFRS#955). All three recordings are fine for listening. The network recording is the best of the three. The next best is AFRS#955.

The two AFRS recordings can be differentiated by the announcements after the Robson opening monologue:

• AFRS#653: Insights about the importance of the US Constitution;

• AFRS#955: The importance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); the second announcement about the military medal for distinguished service is read by Los Angeles Dodgers legendary broadcaster Vin Scully at approximately 14:45.

This program was pre-recorded on Saturday, October 5, 1957. Rehearsal began at 9:00am and with recording and in-studio edits concluded at 10:00pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP571020

THE CAST

Agnes Moorehead (Mrs. Stevenson), Jeanette Nolan (Chief Operator / Information), Virginia Gregg (Operator), Ellen Morgan (Henchley Hospital woman), Joe de Santis (George), Byron Kane (Boss voice / Western Union), Norm Alden (Sergeant Martin), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-10-13 The Well-Dressed Corpse

Margaret Whiting stars in the second broadcast of an E. Jack Neuman and John Michael Hayes collaboration. She plays a highly successful, but moody, narcissistic, business executive. She falls in love with a successful businessman but when it becomes clear their relationship will not go in the direction she intends, she wants revenge on him and his fiancée. She carries out her violent plan, and in the end, she suffers the worst humiliation of all.

The first broadcast starred Eve Arden. Details and background about that production can be found at

• https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/05/1951-01-18-well-dressed-corpse.html

• https://archive.org/details/TSP510118 and is also where recordings can be downloaded and streamed.

The episode was recorded on Tuesday, October 1, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:30pm and ended at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time and concluded with editing at 7:30pm.

There are two surviving recordings, both from the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS#652 and AFRS#954). The better recording is AFRS#954. No network recording is known to survive.

The AFRS recordings can be differentiated by the announcements after the Robson opening monologue:

• AFRS#652: Forms of government: monarchies, oligarchies, republics;

• AFRS#954: Social Security benefits after military service.

For decades, there were no complete recordings of this episode. There were only edited AFRS recordings in sub-par sound.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP571013

THE CAST

Margaret Whiting (Ruth Franklin), Howard McNear (Percy Hamilton / Neighbor), John Dehner (Roy Mason), Jack Moyles (Eddie), Jack Kruschen (Police Captain), Shirley Mitchell (Petey Wright / Elsie the woman in the alley), Lou Merrill (Lieutenant Rourke / Tony the bartender), Larry Dobkin (Police Officer at end), Lou Krugman (Eddie’s pal Joe), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-10-06 Misfire

Suspense had some excellent writers who started on the series as sound effects artists before they took to their typewriters and handed in scripts. With this episode, effects practitioners Gus Bayz and Ross Murray who made that jump were now joined by fellow effects artist Tom Hanley. He wrote this script and also produced the effects (along with Bill James) for this compelling episode. Unlike his predecessors of Bayz and Murray, however, Hanley won a Writer's Guild Award in 1958 for this effort.

Comedic performer Jack Carson, cast against type for this serious story, narrates the events around an atom bomb failure to detonate during a test. He does well in this serious role, and he has serious actors around him, especially John Dehner. The story is about the two men volunteer to investigate it. There is great risk that they could expose themselves to a sudden, horrifying death as they seek the cause. The scientists realize someone has to manually disconnect the bomb. They know it might explode in their faces before they even reach it. Whether brave or crazy to do so, they begin the frightening 500-foot climb to the top of the tower and the warhead, uncertain of the outcome.

Atomic testing was in the news and was an important campaign topic in the second Dwight Eisenhower-Adlai Stevenson presidential campaign. Newspapers were filled with articles and letters to editors that reflected the philosophical and political tugs of war about the near- and long-term effects of such testing in geopolitical affairs and the practical local environmental effects on population and other forms of life. The risk of a testing accident, like this story’s plotline, would gain some extra listening attention.

Two recordings of this episode have survived, and both are Armed Forces Radio Service releases (AFRS#651 and AFRS#953). They can be differentiated by the announcement after Robson’s opening monologue:

• AFRS#651: the mission of the US Treasury Department;

• AFRS#953: the importance of folklore in culture, with a story of fictional character Mike Fink.

Both recordings are excellent, with AFRS#953 having slightly better sound. It’s essentially a coin flip. No network recording has surfaced. This episode is yet another where, for many decades, the only circulating copies were poor sounding and heavily edited AFRS airchecks. In comparison, these recordings are exceptional. Many Suspense enthusiasts will be hearing this story in excellent sound for the very first time in the 50 years since its original broadcast.

The program was recorded on September 26, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and ended at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time and with editing concluded at 7:00pm.

There was always additional post-production work on these programs in the Robson tape era. The cast and other performers were not needed for that to be accomplished and prepped for broadcast.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP571006

THE CAST

Jack Carson (Narrator), John Dehner (Dr. Leigh Thurston), Barney Phillips (John Grant), Sam Pierce (Count-down Voice / I.N.S. reporter), Eddie Firestone (Frank Butler), Norm Alden (Winship), George Walsh (Suspense Narrator)

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1957-09-29 Vamp 'til Dead

Vanessa Brown stars in the second broadcast of a script by E. Jack Neuman and John Michael Hayes from an original story by “Catherine Lee,” a/k/a Cathy Lewis. Brown stars as a woman out to solve her sister's murder. She imitates her in a psychological ploy to trap her murderer. As listeners, we don’t really understand what she’s doing until we’re well into the story, which means that we get trapped by the events, too!

The original broadcast was with Ginger Rogers. Details about that 1951 production are at these resources:

• https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/05/1951-01-11-vamp-til-dead.html

• https://archive.org/details/TSP510111 and is where the recordings can be downloaded and streamed.

This 1957 production was recorded on Tuesday, September 24, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time, and editing was completed by 7:00pm.

There are two surviving recordings of this episode, and both are from the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS#650 and AFRS#952). AFRS#650 is the better sounding recording. There is no surviving network recording. The AFRS recordings can be differentiated by the announcement after the Robson monologue at the beginning of the program:

• AFRS#650: The US Constitution;

• AFRS#952: Social Security benefits after military service.

For decades, the only circulating recordings of this program were heavily edited AFRS airchecks in very bad sound. It could not be determined which of the two AFRS versions was the basis of those airchecks. Because they were recorded in the 1960s, it is likely that the aircheck was AFRS#952, but that cannot be determined for certain.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570929

THE CAST

Vanessa Brown (Amy), Jeanette Nolan (Jenny), Ben Wright (Gentry), Norm Alden (Al), George Walsh (Narrator)

###

New book to be released on May 13 "Thrillers, Chillers, and Killers: Radio and Film Noir" by Prof Frank Krutnik

Just received an advance copy of Professor Frank Krutnik's new book to be released on May 13, Thrillers, Chillers, and Killers: Radio and Film Noir https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/thrillers-chillers-and-killers/9781978836389/ I've known his academic work for many years. I've learned a lot from him. The book is authoritative, readable, and highly recommended. It is from Rutgers University Press. 

(HINT: Mothers Day and Fathers Day are coming up, a perfect gift for any holiday for the classic radio enthusiast in your home or family or loosely associated OTR social media group. If you want it, start dropping hints in casual conversation now. Amazon is taking pre-orders with their usual price guarantee).

There is a lot of background about Suspense and The Whistler in the work. Enjoy!

1957-09-22 Shadow on the Wall

Robert Juhren’s second series script stars Jackie Kelk, who plays “Henry,” a deranged man with an unstable sibling rivalry. Kelk was best known on radio as “Homer” on the Aldrich Family and as cub reporter “Jimmy Olsen” on Superman. He’s not as likable in this production, because that character’s rivalry leads to him murdering his brother.

Henry’s argument with Roger was about the rehabilitation of the house they grew up in, or to replace it with a more contemporary home on the same property. Henry is distraught at the idea of dismantling the old house, and his anger leads him to kill Roger. His luck is too good to be true in escaping detection, a least for a while. He uses Roger’s plane ticket to check in for a flight his brother was supposed to take. He then and gives his ticket to a passenger who was denied one because the plane was full. He’s told to just say his brother’s name if asked. Word comes later that the plane crashed, and there were no survivors. He hides his brother’s body in the chimney foundation and walls of the new house that were just poured and partially built that day. As they continue to build the chimney, the shadow it casts in the old house keeps appearing on a wall and intensifies every day. It reminds him of his brother in a ghostly way, but he does not really connect that the chimney is casting its shadow. Separately, the housekeeper notes the strange shadow, and mentions it to the builder. He decides to go ahead, without informing Henry, to disassemble the new chimney and plans to build it in a different spot in the plan. Poor Henry!

The story is like a combination of Inner Sanctum and The Whistler. The crime sounds like an incident in the board game Clue: Henry, with the candlestick, in the library (belated spoiler alert).

This is another story where DNA identification techniques had not been developed yet, and the scripter would need to come up with something else. They’d also need to adjust for modern air travel check-in and identification methods, and all of of the security recordings that airports have. Writers are creative, they’d come up with something.

This episode was recorded on Thursday, September 5, 1957. Rehearsal began at 1:00pm and concluded at 4:00pm. Recording began at that time, followed by editing, which ended at 7:00pm.

There are two surviving Armed Forces Radio Service recordings (AFRS#649 and AFRS#951). There are no network recordings available. The AFRS recordings can be differentiated by their announcements after the Robson monologue.

• AFRS#649: Treasury Department and the US Coast Guard

• AFRS#951: Folklore story about Mike Fink and a doctor’s advice

Both recordings have some deficiencies, but AFRS#951 is the better sounding recording, and is preferred for listening. The other recording is a little dull-sounding.

Jackie Kelk’s career began as a child in the 1930s when he appeared in theatrical productions. He had a successful career as a supporting player on stage, radio, film, and television. He retired from acting, perhaps, due to a paucity of parts he wanted, in 1959. He passed away in 2002. Details about his career are highlighted at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Kelk

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570922

THE CAST

Jackie Kelk (Henry Harper), Jeanette Nolan (Mrs. Hilmas [Loomis] / Airport P. A.), John Hoyt (Roger Harper), Frank McDonald (Airport Customer / Detective Sgt. Allan), Charles Lung (Man / Airline Clerk), George Walsh (Narrator)

NOTE: The name of Jeanette Nolan’s character was originally scripted as “Mrs. Loomis.” It was changed prior to broadcast to “Mrs. Hilmas.” Kelk slips at about 7:00 and says “Loomis” in error.

###

1957-09-15 Night On Red Mountain

Richard Crenna stars in the second broadcast of this William N. Robson script that is about a man who decides to leave his old life and start new. His old life still claws him back. The story is actually about Robson’s experience with the CBS Blacklist that banned him from the network for about four years. It was originally broadcast on 1955-03-08 as Nobody Ever Quits. This is the first time that Robson is producing this script that is essentially about himself.

The name was changed before broadcast, but was done in time for CBS publicity to release the new title to newspapers.

The details about that first broadcast and Robson’s ordeal are an important part of Suspense and CBS Radio history. That information can be found at:

• https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/12/1955-03-08-nobody-ever-quits.html

• https://archive.org/details/TSP550308 is where recordings of that first broadcast can be downloaded or streamed.

There are two surviving Armed Forces Radio Service recordings of this episode. They can be differentiated by the announcements after Robson’s opening monologue:

• AFRS #648: warnings about counterfeiting, and an explanation of the Secret Service

• AFRS (number unknown likely in the 940s): description of Communist government operations

The recordings are actually fairly close in sound quality. The AFRS recording without the AFRS number is slightly better sounding and preferred recording. No network recording is known to have survived.

The program was recorded on Thursday, September 12, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and finished at 5:00pm. Recording commenced at that time and was completed with editing at 7:00pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570915

THE CAST

Richard Crenna (Walt, alias Joey Parino), Ann Diamond (Sally / 2^nd Operator), Norma Jean Nilsson (First Operator), Joe De Santis (Big Pete Parelli / Dad), Peter Leeds (Bat), Barney Phillips (Sergeant Toohey), Sam Pierce (Highway Patrol radio announcer), George Walsh (Narrator)

The original casting was for De Santis to double as “Bat” and “Dad,” and for Nilsson to double as “Sally” and “1^st Operator.” Diamond was originally cast as “2^nd Operator” and then assigned to double as “Sally.”

###

1957-09-08 Old Army Buddy

Victor Jory stars in a William N. Robson script that was first broadcast on Romance 1956-01-21. Jory plays a super-egotistical foreign correspondent, supposedly the idol of middle-aged ladies. He is shocked when his wife wants to divorce him. How can it be that his own wife does not revere him when he is adored by everyone else? She wants divorce because he is in love with someone else… himself!

He shares her divorce request with a fellow reporter, his old Army buddy. It’s clear that he has no clue about how his actions have destroyed their marriage. He believes she is disturbed and has arranged for her to see a psychiatrist. She fesses up that she’s interested in another man, and he demands that she have that man visit them at 6:00pm the next evening. The meeting occurs, and he’s not the kind of man he expected to steal his wife… he’s a loud Southern man, and not a tall, handsome man of high social stature that her husband might have expected. It seems that even that is an insult that her heart could be drawn to a man like this! The story takes a surprising turn when it is revealed whom she is really interested in.

For many years, the only available recording of this episode was a poor-sounding heavily edited aircheck with a clipped closing. Now, a complete Armed Forces Radio Service recording (AFRS#647) is available. It is in much better sound than the prior recordings were, but does have a narrow range compared to recordings of other episodes.

The program was recorded on Thursday, September 5, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time, and with studio editing, finished at 7:00pm.

William N. Robson authored the script from an idea of William Kenneally. He was a news reporter in Los Angeles and was working at KNX, where the CBS Radio studios were. Kenneally had an idea and Robson developed it into this story. This Romance script, now used on Suspense, is their first known collaboration. Kenneally also worked with Robson on the CBS Radio Workshop broadcast of 1956-12-09. That episode, I Was the Duke, with the subtitle of “A Portrait of a Juvenile Delinquent” had Kenneally as its narrator. Kenneally worked for many radio and television stations in his career, mostly in the Los Angeles area. He had many different assignments over the years as a reporter, commentator and as a news director. He passed away at age 56 in September 1976.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570908

THE CAST

Victor Jory (Fred Haskell), Ellen Morgan (Ann), Paul Frees (Slye / Harry, alias Jeb Tolliver), Larry Thor (Jerry Davis, the narrator), George Walsh (Suspense Narrator)

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1957-09-01 Man from Tomorrow

Frank and Joan Lovejoy star in the second production of an Irving Reis script. It was first presented on Escape on 1953-08-23. William N. Robson worked with Irving Reis in the early days of radio in New York. He was one of radio’s production pioneers, and was also an author, director, and producer. He moved to Hollywood and became a successful studio executive. He passed away at age 47, after a battle with cancer, in July 1953. Robson and Reis were close friends. As he mentions in the monologue, this was the last script that Reis wrote. He never got to hear it broadcast.

Lovejoy plays an ex-fighter pilot, and is selected to be the subject of an experimental training program. His mental and physical fitness were considered superior to the others who applied. The program is enhance his superior five senses to the point of acquiring a sixth sense. He agrees to the three year training and experimentation program. They will pay him $20,000 ($225,000 in US$2025). After that, he will receive the same amount annually. This can be quite lucrative. The training will lead him to become a “man from tomorrow,” having knowledge beyond knowledge. The program, however, will include months of sensory deprivation in a dark room and absence of other stimuli, except for the training sessions. The training works… and he eventually becomes disillusioned by the applications they are hoping for. He makes a decision to leave and has to decide what’s next for him and his new knowledge.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, August 28, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time. followed by editing, and finished at 7:00pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570901

THE CAST

Frank Lovejoy (Dix Kenman), Joan Banks (Dr. Jessica Frost), John Hoyt (Professor Baird), Peter Leeds (Randy), Norm Alden (Mr. Logan / P. A. Voice), John James, Tom Hanley (Ad Libs), George Walsh (Narrator)

###

1957-08-25 Leiningen Versus the Ants

What is the real title of this famous radio play? It’s sometimes known as “the one about the ants,” but that’s easy to spell, and it’s not the title. Based on the original short story that appeared in the December 1938 Esquire magazine, it is “Leiningen” and not “Leinengen,” and “Versus” and not “Vs.” That didn’t stop the CBS script department, its directors or producers, and its publicity departments from treating the title as haphazard. This Suspense script misspells the title as “Leinengen” and “Vs.” and even spells author Carl Stephenson’s last name as “Stevenson.” In radio, it’s almost all pronounced the same no matter how you spell it… at least most times. The author’s spelling should prevail: he created the character, and he knows how to spell his own name. What the script has does not matter.

The Esquire issue is at The Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/Esquire-Magazine-1938-12/page/n53/mode/1up

The story was first dramatized on radio on Peter Lorre’s Mystery in the Air series on 1947-07-10, but that is not known to have survived (at least to current knowledge). The story became one of the most celebrated productions of Escape, broadcast live on four different dates. It was presented within days of each other in January 1948 when there was a Wednesday live performance and then a repeat live performance on Saturdays (affiliates could choose whichever they wanted, or do both). It was then presented in May 1948 and the final time in August 1949. With Escape off the air in 1954, and Robson’s love of re-presenting what he considers great scripts on Suspense, (even if they don’t exactly fit the Suspense mold), this was a chance to delight veteran listeners and awe new ones eight years after the last Escape production of it.

The basic story: At an Amazon jungle plantation, a swarming army of killer ants is about to arrive. It must be stopped. The owner is rather eccentric, and his actions seem out of the ordinary. But these are not ordinary ants. It is a massive column of deadly army ants, crawling over and consuming whatever is in their way. How will he stop them and save the plantation and the people and workers who live there? The story is good, the sound effects are superb.

The production was recorded on Wednesday, August 27, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time, and with studio editing was completed by 7:00pm.

This production is from Hollywood and is the first time on Suspense. It is presented a second time in 1959, after the series moves to New York.

There are three surviving recordings, a network broadcast, and two releases from the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS#s 645 and 945). AFRS#645 has excellent sound and is preferred for listening. It can be differentiated from the other AFRS recording by its first announcement. AFRS#645 has citizenship as the subject of ts opening announcement. The announcement in AFRS#945 is by Marvin Miller and is about folklore. The network and AFRS#945 have narrow range.

The story became a 1954 Paramount release as The Naked Jungle. It starred Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker. It can be viewed at https://archive.org/details/the-naked-jungle-1954-charlton-heston-eleanor-parker-abraham-sofaer William Conrad is in the movie as a commissioner in the local government. The movie has a 6.7/10 at IMDb. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 88% from critics (the “Tomatometer”) and 60% from regular viewers (the “Popcornmeter”). There is an underlying love story to the movie and the pace can seem very slow, especially in comparison to the pace of the radio adaptations.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570825

THE CAST

William Conrad (Leiningen), Ben Wright (Commissioner), Lou Merrill (Blas the foreman / Worker voice), Donald Buka (Picaru), Don Diamond (Tonayo), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-08-18 Peanut Brittle

Skip Homeier makes his first of two Suspense appearances and stars in Jules Maitland’s story about how little a life can be valued in prison. This is the second script by the ex-San Quentin inmate; he draws on those experiences of prison life and inmate interactions to create a compelling story of that harsh life. He plays a young lawbreaker, Eddie, who is about to begin a one-to-ten year sentence. His youth and inexperience is easy prey for his cellmate, Tommy. He has a scheme to win what passes for money inside the prison walls at Eddie’s expense. Tommy gets him into a game of dominoes where Eddie loses big, and the “money” he owes is peanut brittle. The prisoners barter and gamble with goods, like cigarettes, candy bars, and brittle seems to be very popular among them. Even if convicts don’t like it, they take it in payment because they can easily trade it for something else. Eddie soon realizes that since he lost at the game, and has nothing to pay his gambling debt. His life is in danger and he gets an ultimatum to pay up. Tommy, who got him into this mess, is no help, and actually sets him up for violent payback.

This episode was recorded on August 6, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time, and with editing, was completed by 7:00pm.

The recording of this episode is a major upgrade replacement of the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) recording that has been in circulation for decades. The sound quality makes a big difference in grasping the dialogue and effects that recreate the prison experience that Maitland knew first hand.

Skip Homeier was a child actor in the 1930s, and actually had more radio experience before he was ten years old than many guest stars who appeared on the series. When he was 11 on soap operas like Portia Faces Life and Against the Storm. He was active in stage and film productions as “Skippy Homeier.” When he turned 18, he started to use the name “Skip.” He was 27 at time of this Suspense broadcast. He retired from acting when he was 50, and even at that age worked professionally in parts of six decades. Nostalgia fans know him for roles in Star Trek, Outer Limits, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Though not a big Hollywood headliner, he was always working in films and television, often playing villains. Wikipedia has a detailed overview of his long career. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Homeier

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570818

THE CAST

Skip Homeier (Eddie Kipp), John Dehner (Sky Grogan), Peter Leeds (Tommy Marino), Lou Krugman (Guard / Sky’s messenger), Lou Merrill (Chaplain / Captain / Sid), Barney Phillips (Convict at Chaplain’s office / Sergeant), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-08-11 Pigeon in the Cage

Lloyd Bridges stars in the second production of this script by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. He plays a paperhanger who is trapped in a quaint elevator in a posh and expensive home. He has heard two murderers plan and commit their act, and they realize someone overheard them. They thought the house was empty and realize he was in the elevator. They wait for him to come out so they can make sure he will never testify as to what he saw and heard them do. This is not one of the series better or memorable episodes. The script by Morton Fine and David Friedkin can make the listener claustrophobic, like they’re caught in the elevator, too.

The initial use of the script was 1953-05-25 and starred singer Dick Haymes. Details about that broadcast are at

• https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/09/1953-05-25-pigeon-in-cage.html

• https://archive.org/details/TSP530525 and is where recordings can be streamed or downloaded.

This performance of Bridges is likely better than the original one with Haymes. The lower quality sound of this Bridges recording makes it difficult to be certain. The recording is a network aircheck that has been edited down. It has narrow range and background noise. It is hoped that one day an Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) disc might be found that could provide upgraded sound.

This program was recorded on Wednesday, July 24, 1957. No other details are available at this time.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570811

THE CAST

Lloyd Bridges (Gerald Brewer), Ellen Morgan (Janice), Joe de Santis (Harry), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-08-04 The Flesh Peddler

DeForest Kelley makes his only Suspense appearance as a talent agent, also referred to with the disparaging term, “flesh peddler.” He’s visiting a carnival with his wife. She cajoles him into sitting through a ventriloquist act. He’s not optimistic, but he does it anyway and is impressed with the remarkable skill of the ventriloquist but not the barely-comedic routine. He tries to meet with him, but he is discouraged from doing so by one of the carnival employees. He finally meets with him, but is turned away.

Daws Butler plays a dim-witted knife thrower, and it is amusing to hear him in the role. He mistakenly thinks that the talent agent is for him. He makes the point, however, that carnival folks stick together, and don’t like meddlers. He persists and learns that the ventriloquist “lost his mind” many years ago. He is tortured by the idea that he murdered a woman many years ago. The agent persists and is turned away again. The ventriloquist surprises him with a phone call after midnight, and asks for a visit to his trailer. He has changed his mind… and tells the story. He says that he saw the woman, and stalked her when he realized he had fallen in love with her. She spurned him, however. He was so distraught with her rejection that he shot her. It’s then that the story takes a very, very strange and unbelievable turn and we learn why his ventriloquist act was so much better than others.

This episode was the first script by Robert Juhren, who worked in the CBS transcription department. His other Suspense scripts were Shadow on the Wall and The Amateur. Years later, he contributed 30 scripts to CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

CBS spelled DeForest Kelley's first and last names incorrectly in the show publicity as “DeForrest Kelly.”

Kelley’s first movie was the 1947 Fear in the Night. The underlying story was by Cornell Woolrich (but published as William Irish). That same story was used on Suspense with the title “Nightmare” on 1948-03-13. The film can be viewed at https://archive.org/details/Fear_in_the_Night

This episode was recorded on Friday, July 12, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time and was completed with editing by 7:00pm.

There are two surviving recordings, and both are in very pleasing sound. The network recording may be preferred because it was the way it was first heard by listeners. The Armed Forces Radio Service recording (AFRS#947) has equivalent sound quality.

DeForest Kelley is introduced in William N. Robson’s monologue as “a bright new luminary in the Hollywood firmament.” (The comment reminds one of the old saw that it takes many years to become an overnight success). Kelley was relatively busy in Hollywood, especially in television. His bigger break before this Suspense appearance was as Morgan Earp in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It did not make him a star, however. The supporting television roles continued. He got the big break. He achieved celebrity status for his role as “Dr. McCoy” on the original Star Trek. His career and life are profiled at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeForest_Kelley

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570804

THE CAST

DeForest Kelley (Peter Harris), D. J. Thompson (Bernice), Gretchen Kanne (Gloria), Daws Butler (Barker / Arthur), Howard McNear (Alexander Wilson), Dick Beals (Oliver the Dummy), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-07-28 Murder on Mike

Raymond Burr stars in the second broadcast of a script that has an amazing history. It involves multiple titles, the Blacklist, and the restoration of an unaired production by collectors. The first airing of this script was with Richard Widmark on 1951-12-03 with the title Murderous Revision. The title “Murder on Mike” was not what was announced at the conclusion of the prior week’s episode. That was “The Twist is Murder,” which was one of the multiple titles that the script had.

The plotline is that a scripter of a radio murder mystery program is angry about the constant criticism from his producer. He decides to gets revenge by giving his taunter a realistic example of what murder is like. The story is by S. Lee Pogostin and was adapted for the series by David Ellis. Burr is superb in the role of the writer.

The story of Murderous Revision and how it got to the air, and Auto-Lite’s rejected performance of Howard Duff as star, the constantly changing title and other fascinating items are at these resources:

• https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/06/1951-12-03-murderous-revision.html

• https://archive.org/details/TSP511203 is where recordings, including the rejected Duff appearance, and the episode recording assembled by 1970s collectors from CBS production tapes, are available for download and streaming. The history of the episode is also available as a PDF for off-line reading or download.

This production was recorded on Saturday, July 13, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and finished at 5:00pm. The recording session began at that time, and editing was completed by 7:00pm.

Two months after this broadcast, the premiere episode of Perry Mason would air on CBS television. It would make Burr a big star, and would become one of televisions most memorable and successful series. Burr was likely unavailable during the week because of the film schedule for the Mason series, hence the Saturday recording session.

There are two surviving recordings, and the Armed Forces Radio Service one (AFRS#944) is the better of the two. The network recording is close to the quality of the AFRS one, and is easily listenable.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570728

THE CAST

Raymond Burr (Chris), Alan Reed (Ken), Byron Kane (George / Hank), Norma Jean Nilsson (Doris), Ann Diamond (Lois / Harriet), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-07-21 America's Boyfriend

Mercedes McCambridge stars in a Sidney Renthal story about how the wife of a former child and teenage movie star attempts to find the murderer of his agent. The husband is 33 years old, and hasn’t found a worthwhile part or anything steady in about three years. He’s the best suspect for the killing.

The evening before, the agent brought the husband home after thwarting his attack. The agent had told him he was finished, and he didn’t take kindly to it. The agent told the wife that her husband played too many teenage roles, and now as an adult, he has no opportunities unless, as the agent says, “grows up.” He suggests that they leave Hollywood and head back east for different opportunities. The next morning, the husband was gone. She goes to a favorite bar of his to talk to the bartender and she learns that he was at the bar at 2:00am in the morning with a woman.

At the beginning of the story, their two-year-old son was repeating “go see pretty lady.” The wife does not know why he keeps on saying it. Is the husband cheating on her with “the pretty lady”? He had been acting as what they call “house husband” in today’s terms, going to the nearby park and being with local mothers and their little children. The police are stuck on the husband as the killer, and are looking for him. The wife, on the other hand, thinks the “pretty lady” may be key to her husband’s innocence, if not, key to understanding the crime. She starts driving around, looking for the “pretty lady.” The little son sees the lady leaving a small apartment building, and starts saying “pretty lady… pretty lady!” The wife learns that she is a model at a dress shop. But when confronted… she insists she’s not the “pretty lady.” Things take a bad turn from there, but it leads to a surprising connection that reveals the killer. There’s a happy and unexpected “epilogue” to the story.

It is not the best of Suspense stories, but it is entertaining, and is always good to hear the highly regarded Mercedes McCambridge on the show. It was more than 14 years since her last appearance.

This episode was recorded on Monday, July 8, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time and editing ended at 7:00pm.

There are two surviving recordings of the episode, and the Armed Forces Radio Service recording (AFRS#943) is the better one. The network recording is of low quality sound.

At the time of the broadcast, singer Pat Boone was being promoted as “America’s Boyfriend.”

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570721

THE CAST

Mercedes McCambridge (Jean Keith), Norma Jean Nilsson (Lumpy), Joan Banks (Alice), Dick Crenna (Dickie Keith), Jack Kruschen (Charlie / Lt. Carlson), Byron Kane (Maurice Bern), Alan Reed (Harry Landon), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-07-14 Flood on the Goodwins

Herbert Marshall returns to Suspense for his first appearance in more than two years. This David Devine story about a small fishing boat being hijacked by a Nazi to return to mainland Europe was adapted by James Poe. The script was used on Escape broadcasts of 1949-11-01 and 1954-07-24.

A British WW2 war veteran, who lost his arm in the fighting, is taken hostage by a Nazi saboteur. The man’s uncle and wife are on the fishing boat the Nazi wants to use to cross the English Channel. It turns out that the spy was responsible for the sabotage explosion of a British tanker. The amputee veteran is underestimated by the spy, as he and his wife turn the tables on him. The belligerent Nazi suddenly turns to financial negotiation to get out of this unexpected situation. It seems to be going his way… until it’s not.

The name of the story cannot be understood without a little geographic context. “The Goodwins” are the Goodwin Sands of the English Channel and the Strait of Dover are some of the most treacherous waters for ships to navigate. The underwater sands are always shifting, and are said to be responsible for more that 2,000 shipwrecks over the centuries. Modern technology allows this area to be a constantly busy shipping corridor. More information can be found at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwin_Sands

There are two surviving recordings, and both are flawed. The Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) recording is better than the network one.

The production was recorded on Wednesday, July 19, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and ended at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time, and editing finished at 7:00pm.

Of all of the productions of this story, the Escape broadcast of 1949-11-01 is the best sounding one.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570714

THE CAST

Herbert Marshall (Dundas), Hans Conried (Nazi stranger), Ellen Morgan (Mary), Raymond Lawrence (Uncle Mac), Richard Peel (Cutter / Sailor), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-07-07 Alibi

Everett Sloane stars in a Lawrence Goldman story as a man named Mark who hires a contract killer to assassinate his business partner. He needs the deed to be carried out before his embezzlement is discovered. He gets cold feet when he realizes the alibi they settled on would not work because the restaurant where he was supposed to be was closed. Without that alibi, he starts pondering what his fate might be if the plot fails and his role in a contract murder is discovered. Now it’s a race against the clock… can he stop the contract in time since the alibi is gone? At a bar across the street from the closed restaurant, he gets into a fight. That incident can replace his failed alibi, especially if he is in jail if he was in the “drunk tank” while the murder is in process. There’s a strange turn, however, when the police decide to let him take a cab home. He insists on going to jail! That desire to go to jail instead of home raises suspicions, and he starts to panic. It’s cold feet about the contract, yet again, but there are still plot turns ahead.

The program was recorded on Friday, June 28, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time, with final production editing completed by 7:00pm.

It may be hard to believe, but this is the first documented appearance of Everett Sloane on Suspense. His radio work dates back to the legendary March of Time series where so many of radio’s careers at the microphone, in the production studio, and development of production methods began. He was one of the key performers in the Mercury Theater on radio, stage, film (including Citizen Kane), and also a pioneer performer in 1950s live television, and also popular television through the 1960s until his passing away in 1965. For decades, he was one of the acting profession’s most versatile and successful performers.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570707

THE CAST

Everett Sloane (Mark), Peter Leeds (Henchman clerk), Ted de Corsia (Barney), Eddie Marr (Harry the drunk), Sandra Gould (Dolly), Jack Moyles (Lee / Police Officer), Jack Kruschen (Bartender), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-06-30 The Yellow Wallpaper

Agnes Moorehead returns in the second broadcast of this landmark Charlotte Perkins Gilman story, adapted by Silvia Richards. The script was originally used on 1948-07-29. Moorehead plays a wife overwhelmed with the stresses of life. Her husband brings her to the country for a rest cure, but she distrusts him. During her stay, she becomes fascinated and obsessed by the wallpaper in her second floor bedroom. She talks herself into believing that a woman is trapped behind it. This belief and her action lead the story to a strange conclusion. Moorehead delivers another fine performance.

The Gilman work was a shocking and controversial story when it was published in 1892. It is actually about the social position of women in society, but most of those undertones were sent to the background in this adaptation. Those who were familiar with the story prior to the broadcast were likely able to pick up on that. Some listeners may have been disappointed in its becoming not much more than a “horror” story.

Background about the first broadcast, and Gilman’s motivation for writing it, can be found at:

• https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/12/1948-07-29-yellow-wallpaper.html

• https://archive.org/details/TSP480729 is also where recordings can be streamed or downloaded.

For best enjoyment of the story, the 1948 production is preferred because it has much better sound quality than this 1957 recording.

This program was recorded on Thursday, June 20, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and concluded at 5:00pm. Recording began at that time and editing work was completed by 7:00pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570630

THE CAST

Agnes Moorehead (Pet, or “She”), Anne Hunter (Jennie), Joe de Santis (John), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-06-23 A Load of Dynamite

Bartlett Robinson stars as Dave, just out of San Quentin, in a Richard Wiel story. He is a jealous ex-con brother who decides to rob his younger sibling (Hal) of his happy life. Hal is a drives explosives to construction sites, a job that always worries his wife, Terry, greatly. It’s often to the point of nagging that he get a safer job. Dave is looking for work, and Hal says there is an opening at the company for other drivers. The opportunity to work may come when Hal finally takes a vacation. Dave has eyes for Hal’s wife, and becomes obsessed with her when Hal is at work. His advances to Terry are rejected, and he believes that the only way he can be with her is if Hal is out of the way. Dave decides to take steps to make that happen. The night before, Dave is out for an evening and arrives back at the house, drunk. The next morning, Terry and Hal realize that Dave has taken Terry’s car, and Hal’s hunting rifle. Hal had casually mentioned where his next delivery destination would be. Dave sets himself up to shoot at the truck.

There is an important dialogue error in the story at approximately 24:50. Dave narrates “It was Dave’s truck feeling its way down the tricky slope in compound low.” The dialogue should have been “It was Hal’s truck feeling its way down the tricky slope in compound low.”

This program was recorded on Thursday, June 13, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and finished at 5:00pm. Recording and editing started at 5:00pm and concluded at 7:00pm.

This Armed Forces Radio Service recording (AFRS#939) is in excellent sound. Until this time, the only copies were very low quality edited AFRS recordings. No network recording has been found.

Early in the program (about 4:37), Hal mentions that he doesn’t have the money of “Charlie Van Doren.” At that time, Charles Van Doren was basking in his winnings of the television game show Twenty-One. He had a winning streak on the game show that earned him $129,000, a massive payout at that time (the equivalent of nearly $1.5 million in US$2025). Two years after this broadcast, in November 1959, the shine would be off Van Doren’s performance, as he admitted before a Congressional committee that he was given the answers in advance of the show. The 1994 critically acclaimed film, Quiz Show, recounted the events that tainted television quiz show programs for decades, and especially the contestants and production executives involved in the incident.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570623

THE CAST

Bartlett Robinson (Dave King), Ellen Morgan (Terry), Paul DuBov (Hal King), Barney Phillips (Police Officer), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-06-16 Trial by Jury

This script was originally used on 1947-03-27 and starred Nancy Kelly. There is no known surviving recording of that broadcast at this time. The Robert L. Richards script is used once more, however. Nancy Kelly is again in the starring role, ten years later, for this second broadcast. She is a criminal defense attorney at the top of her field, and she helps her client avoid a murder conviction. After the acquittal, he tells her that he was actually guilty. He may be smarter than she is: he tells her that they will marry. Is this a ruse? He explains that he has a signed confession that she hid that information during the trial. He says he gave the sheriff a sealed envelope with that document, and he’s relying on double jeopardy to protect him from future prosecution. He’s essentially blackmailing her into marrying the him, and funding his new schemes. After all, she’s making $75,000 a year (more than $1 million in US$2025). It’s at that point that she decides he has to die, but she marries him. She was waiting for a chance to get back at him. It’s at a high stakes poker game where things aren’t working out for her new husband in which she is playing, too. He loses big ($100,000 in US$2025), but she covers his losses. The next day, the gambler running the game is found dead; she did it with her husband’s gun. She had swapped her gun that she carried for protection with her husband’s when she stepped away from the poker table for a moment the night before. She did it to frame him for the murder and end the marriage. What happens next?

The plotline does seem implausible; someone would figure out what was going on a lot sooner than it plays out here.

The 1957 recording is a drama-only aircheck and is in poor sound. Its origin is not known but is likely from an Armed Forces Network radio station from a 1960s replay of the program. The recording that lacks its proper opening and closing segments. Robson’s opening monologue, however, is available from the original script:

Ever since Shakespeare wrote Portia's lines --- “The quality of mercy is not strained---” et cetera, mankind has been fascinated by lady lawyers. And why not? A forensic female is only putting her nascent capabilities to practical purposes --- but a lady criminal lawyer! A distaff mouthpiece! Such a one must indeed be twice blesst, or in failure, thrice-cursed. So a one you will shortly meet as Miss Nancy Kelly stars in “Trial by Jury” which begins exactly one minute from now.

International entertainer and impressionist, and expert on classic radio history, Keith Scott has added his talent to The Suspense Project. For the Suspense episodes that are missing the introductory monologue by William N. Robson, Keith is supplying readings of those openings from the original scripts in the “voice of William N. Robson.” He has been approved by Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney Company, and Universal Studios, for authorized voicings of many of their most famous cartoon characters. Mr. Scott resides in Australia.

The program was recorded on Thursday, June 6, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and ended at 5:00pm, followed by recording. The session ended at 5:30pm and editing concluded at 7:00pm.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570616

THE CAST

Nancy Kelly (Hilda), Kenny Delmar (Tommy), Parley Baer (Judge), Shirley Mitchell (Foreman of Jury), Larry Dobkin (1st News / Sheriff / Frank), Byron Kane (Sandy / 2nd News), Jerry Hausner (Harry / 3rd News / Foreman), George Walsh (Narrator)

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1957-06-09 The Green and Gold String

Vincent Price stars in a Philip MacDonald story about a charlatan mystic, billed as “Doctor Alcazar.” The character first appeared in the October 1948 issue of The Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. It is the very story that Silvia Richards adapted for this episode. Alcazar is by nature a swindler, and encounters people in need to make his scheme work. Along the way, the reader, and in this case, the listener, learn some of the tricks of the trade of fake fortune-tellers such as he is. There are times, however, that the eventual conclusion of the interaction between him and his client is that he solves a crime or a problem for them by using his cunning methods. It is a very creative approach to the typical crime story, and it works in this production.

In this case, he uses his slyly-gained information about a murdered woman to prove the guilt of the murderer. Price seems to take great delight in the role, which makes the story even better.

The program was recorded on Sunday, June 9, 1957. Rehearsal began at 1:00pm and concluded at 4:30pm. Recording began at that time and concluded at 6:00pm, likely to allow for editing time.

The story can be found in the anthology Favorite Sleuths, which can be borrowed for viewing at The Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/favoritesleuthse00erns/page/14/mode/2up The book was edited by John Ernst.

This was the only story by MacDonald to be adapted for Suspense. He had a very long and successful writing career. He served in WW1 and began writing mystery novels in the 1920s. He moved to Hollywood in the early 1930s and in addition to novels and short stories started writing screenplays. He won two Edgar Awards for short stories, and wrote scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Perry Mason.

There are two surviving recordings, and the network recording is the better of the two. (from a tape that was given to Vincent Price after the broadcast). The Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) recording has narrow range and background noise; it was also edited to remove announcements and missing the Robson monologue).

The story was used on the television series Danger on 1950-10-17. A kinescope is not known to have survived.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570609

THE CAST

Vincent Price (Dr. Alcazar), Jeanette Nolan (Gloria), Irene Tedrow (Lily Morton), Lou Krugman (Avvie), Byron Kane (Edward the butler), Ben Wright (Clinton DeVriess), George Walsh (Narrator)

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