Suspense Upgrades

The Variety of 1949-04-13 has a note that Arch Oboler wrote a script for Suspense. Never happened.

The war is over and the world still struggles with its aftermath. US troops, civilians working for the forces, and sometimes their families, are deployed around the world. AFRS is a link to the news and entertainment and culture of home. This Variety item of the 1948-08-04 edition highlights Suspense as one of their favorite shows.

Still no takers to evaluate that SW# to determine if the AFRS was derived from the EC or WC version?

The AFRS 440224 broadcast sounds like the existing WC broadcast to me.

Rats! Was hoping it was EC.

Now that makes me wonder if the EC recording even survived.

Just confirmed!

I will have a Suspense presentation at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention on that Saturday morning -- right now it's scheduled for 10am but it might become 9:30 depending on how the rest of the day shapes up. It's Thursday September 14 to Saturday September 16.

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The description of the event is...
Dr. Joe Webb presents a new perspective about radio's popular mystery anthology, SUSPENSE.  Broadcast for 20 years the series was beset with problems and comes with many behind-the-scenes stories. Joe will discuss what made Suspense so successful, the business decisions that shaped the various directions the series went (from fictional literature to musical offerings to true-crime to science-fiction), and the distinctly different eras of the program under the production of many figureheads. He will review how the series has survived beyond the 1942-1962 years and what fans of old-time radio can continue to expect over the coming years.

Sounds like a great presentation. Will you be recording it?

There is a possibility it will be streamed. I will probably record audio of it. Have to work all that out with Mr Grams since this is my first time at this event.

Last time I spoke at a convention was after dinner in 2011 at the last FOTR convention [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I'm really looking forward to this one, though. And... there are rumors that Mr Grams Suspense book (which he wrote in high school!) will be coming back into print. Details as they become available...

Does anyone have a set of AFRS Playhouse 25? There is a Suspense that was re-used as part of that series -- it's the 1958 "A Statement of Fact" -- please let me know if you have that.  Thanks!!

The Grace Gibson e-store is having a May sale that includes "Tension," the series that used many US scripts. The entire series is on 2 CDs in MP3. It's AUS$50 usually, on sale for AUS$40, which is about US$30 plus shipping. There are two missing Suspense which are done very well, and a missing Molle, also done well. Shipping was very fast when I got my set a few months ago.
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The Grace Gibson story itself is fascinating about a young woman who leaves Texas to become an international radio and entertainment executive. It's chronicled in the very enjoyable "Yes, Miss Gibson: The Life and Times of an Australian Radio Legend" available at Amazon ($6 for Kindle version).

The Suspense play "The Argyle Album" was made into a movie... who knew?!

I found that out because I ran into this item



It became "The Argyle Secrets" which was probably considered a more interesting title for moviegoers.
The IMDB entry is at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
(Fans hoping for a movie about socks were probably disappointed it was a spy movie)

It can be seen on YouTube
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What other original Suspense scripts became movies? (Novel adaptations like "Donovan's Brain" don't count). "Sorry, Wrong Number" is the obvious one. Others?

greybelt wrote:What other original Suspense scripts became movies? (Novel adaptations like "Donovan's Brain" don't count). "Sorry, Wrong Number" is the obvious one. Others?

John Dickson Carr's "Cabin B-13" was filmed as 1953's Dangerous Crossing.

YES! How could I forget that one?!! Thanks very much!

We're now up to three movies from Suspense scripts:
1) Sorry Wrong Number
2) Argyle Album ("Argyle Secrets")
AND NOW
3) Cabin B-13 ("Dangerous Crossing") -- details are at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

#3 was up on YouTube but was blocked for copyright issues but it seems someone has put it up again [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Another one is Robert L. Richards' "One Way Ride to Nowhere," which was filmed as 1946's The Last Crooked Mile, a Republic B-movie.

There's #4!
Here's the IMDB page [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
This leads to the Turner Classic Movies page [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I can't find any copies -- but I guess this is a big movie for fans getting clips of people smoking -- of which there are compilations of that.

It's not scheduled to air on TCM -- but if anyone comes across a copy of the movie, please let me know.

Darn!!! I was hoping Greybelt would pull a rabbit out of his lucky hat and find a copy of "The Last Crooked Mile". I already had "Dangerous Crossing" on dvd, because I am a yuge Michael Rennie fan.

I am also waiting for September and "The Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention" with the hope the Gods are smiling on me and that Greybelt will be posting a copy of his presentation. Please, Please!!!

I just checked Ebay and my dvd collection (yes I have too compendium packs) and I couldn't find a copy of the "The Last Crooked Mile". Need to donate some more to the library for their quarterly book & DVD sales.

Found a source for "The Last Crooked Mile"
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Thank you very much. I purchased a copy and looking forward to seeing it. If anyone else is interested in viewing, just need some pointers on copying from the dvd.

Thanks again.

According to this June 4, 2017 Providence Journal article, John Shaw of Cranston, Rhode Island is a still-living, 100-year-old author who wrote for Suspense back in the 1940s:

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THANKS very much -- wish I knew he was there before I left RI 5 years ago!

From RadioGoldindex, these are the shows he penned that are noted there, 3 scripts, 4 performances:

24076. Suspense. November 2, 1943. CBS net. "Statement Of Employee Henry Wilson". Sustaining. An office murder starts to prey of the mind of the killer. The story was subsequently produced on Suspense on September 26, 1946 (see cat. #45918). Gene Lockhart, Hans Conried, William Johnstone, John McIntire, John Shaw (writer), William Spier (producer, director), Joseph Kearns ("The Man In Black"), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 1/2 hour. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.

45918. Suspense. September 26, 1946. CBS net. "Statement Of Employee Henry Wilson". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A perfect murder of a man's co-worker? The voices say, "No." The story was previously produced on Suspense on November 2, 1943 (see cat. #24076). Gene Lockhart, William Spier (producer, director, editor), Ken Niles (commercial spokesman), Cathy Lewis (?), Joseph Kearns (announcer), John Shaw (writer), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:27. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.

24138. Suspense. July 24, 1947. CBS net. "Murder By An Expert". Sponsored by: Roma Wines, Cresta Blanca Wines. A dancer plans a "perfect crime" with the help of her lover, who happens to be the murderer of her husband and the framer of his brother. Hans Conried, Jack Webb, John Shaw (writer), Lynn Bari, Truman Bradley (commercial spokesman), Wally Maher, William Spier (producer, director, editor), Jerry Hausner, Sidney Miller, William Johnstone (announcer), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 30:03. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.

24183. Suspense. December 8, 1949. CBS net. "For Love Or Murder". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A fine performance by Mickey as a piano player in a bar who kills for love. Mickey Rooney, Lurene Tuttle, Joseph Kearns, Barney Phillips, Paul Frees (announcer), John Shaw (writer), William Spier (producer), Norman Macdonnell (director), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), Ken Christy (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 1/2 hour. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.

Two items related to Mr Shaw...

Auto-Lite dealer ad that previews the month's shows from
1949-12-01 BEATRICE NB DAILY SUN


Show listing from 1949-12-04 DECATUR IL DAILY REVIEW

BIG NEWS !!

I'm doing the Suspense presentation about missing episodes at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention on Saturday, September 16 @ 11am Eastern. It will be streamed over Facebook video if all goes well (I will also audio record it and post that file here after the event).

That's not the big news!

A missing episode has been located! ...
and will be streamed for all to hear the next day -- details will be announced at the presentation... and as soon as I have the streaming details and the address I will post them here.

Stay tuned!

You rock, greybelt!  Thanks for being our lifeline for more and better Suspense episodes!