Agnes Moorehead returns to Suspense after a nearly five-year absence. The last time was the September 1952 performance of Sorry, Wrong Number which, as of this report, remains a missing episode. This is the second broadcast of this William Spier script, claimed to be written expressly for her. She plays a woman in a psychiatric facility for amnesia. They encourage her to follow one of her passions, painting, to recover her memories. It turns out she is a murderer!
The original 1952 broadcast information page has details about the performance and the recordings
https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/08/1952-11-17-death-and-miss-turner.html
https://archive.org/details/TSP521117 which is where recordings can be downloaded or streamed
The sound quality of the surviving recording of the 1957 broadcast is very deficient. It has narrow range, background noise, station drift, and perhaps crosstalk. Listening to the 1952 production is recommended to best enjoy the script and the performance.
The 1957 recording is a drama-only aircheck. 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:
We are truly honored to welcome back to our studio, one of America's finest actresses, and the first lady of suspense, Miss Agnes Moorehead. During the past 15 years, Miss Moorehead has lent her great talent to a score or more stories of suspense. She does so once again in the play specially written for her by William Spier. Listen then. Listen to Agnes Moorehead in “Death and Miss Turner” which begins in exactly one minute.
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, May 16, 1957. Rehearsal began at 12:30pm and ended at 6:00pm, followed by recording. The session ended at 6:30pm.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/tsp570519a
THE CAST
Agnes Moorehead (Rachel Turner), Irene Tedrow (Miss Briggs), Raymond Lawrence (Mr. Putney), Richard Peel (The Man), John Hoyt (Grice), George Walsh (Narrator)
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