Suspense

Suspense was a long-running radio drama series broadcast on the CBS Radio Network from 1942 to 1962. It was one of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio, known for its suspenseful stories and thrilling plots. The series was subtitled “radio’s outstanding theater of thrills” and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era.

Approximately 945 episodes were broadcast during its long run, and more than 900 still exist.

Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors, and director/producers. In its early years, the program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy, but by the late 1950s, such material was regularly featured, with tales of time travel, death rays, and mad scientists alternating with more run-of-the-mill crime dramas.

The Stars

The series was known for its impressive roster of guest stars, which included many of the biggest names in Hollywood at the time, such as Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, Ronald Colman, Marlene Dietrich, and Cary Grant.

In the early years, the program was hosted by “The Man in Black” (played by Joseph Kearns or Ted Osborne).

Many episodes were written or adapted by the prominent mystery author John Dickson Carr.

One of the series’ earliest successes and its single most popular episode is Lucille Fletcher’s “Sorry, Wrong Number,” about a bedridden woman (Agnes Moorehead) who panics after overhearing a murder plot on a crossed telephone connection but is unable to persuade anyone to investigate.

First broadcast on May 25, 1943, it was restaged seven times (last on February 14, 1960) – each time with Moorehead.

Key Dates

• June 17, 1942: Suspense premieres on CBS Radio.
• September 30, 1962: The final episode of Suspense, titled “Devilstone” and starring Christopher Carey and Neal Fitzgerald, is broadcast.
• 1946-1947: A tie-in Suspense magazine is published, edited by Leslie Charteris.

Other Information

Suspense received a Special Citation of Honor Peabody Award for 1946. The program’s heyday was in the early 1950s, when radio actor, producer, and director Elliott Lewis took over as the main creative force. Under Lewis, the writing became more sophisticated, and the casting, which had always been a strong point of the series, expanded to include many of radio’s famous drama and comedy stars, often playing against type.

With the rise of television and the departures of Lewis and the sponsor Autolite, subsequent producers struggled to maintain the series due to shrinking budgets, the availability of fewer name actors, and declining listenership. To save money, the program frequently used scripts first broadcast by another noteworthy CBS anthology, Escape.

Suspense is considered one of the classic radio drama series of the Golden Age and has been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Its influence can be seen in later suspense and thriller programs, as well as in film and television adaptations of its stories.