Suspense Upgrades

This is an upgrade of a file posted in the last few months. The original broadcast, Misfortune in Pearls starring Frank Lovejoy, is still missing.

Suspense_1956-01-17_EndOfTheString_wStacyHarris (same script as MisfortuneInPearls) UPGRADE-4.mp3
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This file has not been updated in four years. It stars the original voice of Dr. Benton Quest, father of Jonny Quest!
Suspense_1956-01-31_ArcticRescue_wJohnStevenson UPGRADE-3.mp3
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No new newspaper clippings for these recordings.

Thanks greybelt
Best regards
Art

This episode has not been updated for nearly 10 years.
Suspense_1956-02-14_ListenYoungLovers_wCLawrence&SEdwards UPGRADE-2.mp3
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The first time this script was used was for 1954-05-31 with Robert Wagner and Mona Freeman. Details about the presentation and the original story from which it was adapted are at this post [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

These newspaper clippings are new...

Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

This episode has not been upgraded in nearly ten years. This is a repeat performance of Jack Ketch from 1952, recently upgraded at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] There is historical background about Mr. Ketch there.

Suspense_1956-03-13_TheGroomOfTheLadder_wHansConreid UPGRADE-2.mp3
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Thanks greybelt
Best regards

Art

This episode has not been upgraded for 9+ years...

Suspense_1956-04-03_GameHunt_wRaymondLawrence UPGRADE-2.mp3
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These clippings are new...

Thanks greybelt
Best regards
Art

Today's recording of The Flame is a VLQ intact version that is an upgrade of the previous copy. It has not been upgraded in almost 10 years. There are other copies, but no truly clean copy of this 1956 production, or the 1951 broadcast, exist in full-range sound. And... no newspaper clippings can be found for the 1956 episode.

Suspense_1956-05-29_The_Flame_wTonyBarrett VLQ NO DISC SKIPS UPGRADE.mp3
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There are two other copies, posted previously.
This is a nice copy but it has a skip at about 1:30. It's otherwise enjoyable.
Suspense_1956-05-29_The_Flame_wTonyBarrett UPGRADE (superb sound but disc skips at 1m30sec).mp3
Degoo only [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This is a copy that takes the bad section of a previous VLQ copy and patches into the skip segment. It's a pretty good job. I think it was done here at Cobalt (a couple of server crashes ago) by otrhead.
Suspense_1956-05-29_The_Flame (COMPOSITE PROGRAM that corrects skip).mp3
Degoo only [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The script was first produced on 1951-10-15 with Cornell Wilde. Even that episode has a problem. One version has Larry Thor's (slightly clipped) tease at the open, and another is without it (edited out by some long-ago collector). Whatever the case, this episode could use replacement, too.
Clipped tease - Degoo only [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
No tease - Degoo only [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
I got a closer-to-source copy of the program last night and am trying to give some life back to the audio. The narrow range problem was right from the beginning of the program's disc transfer, it seems. If the audio processing works, I'll post the recording. But it seems like there will still be audio defects in the process. No AFRS recording exists.

In 1953, the Suspense TV series produced a similar themed story as "Mr. Matches," and it has survived! It is was probably somewhat inspired by the Richard-George Pedicini radio script. In the radio script the main character is a pyromaniac, and in the television story he is a paid arsonist. The TV credit says "written for television by Alvin Sapinsley" which is somewhat unclear since most of his 15 Suspense credits say "written by." I'm glad I watched it again to know for certain it's not exactly the same story.
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Thanks greybelt

Best regards
Art

Today's recording was last updated 2+ years ago.

The blinding of union reporter and anti-corruption activist Victor Reisel with sulfuric acid inspired this episode. The overview of the historical background was originally posted at
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This episode is not in the best sound, so it's an upgrade that's still not very satisfying. It often is found with a patched close. That has been removed. This program used to circulate many years ago in absolutely horrible sound. I hope we can find a better recording of it one day.

Suspense_1956-07-18_ManWhoThrewAcid_wTBarret&WConrad NETWORK UPGRADE LQ.mp3
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This AFRS recording is somewhat better. We still don't have a clean recording. Finding an AFRS disc may be our best hope but it hasn't happened yet.
Suspense_1956-07-18_ManWhoThrewAcid_wTBarret&WConrad AFRS#873 UPGRADE-2.mp3
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This broadcast was often delayed because the perpetrators were still at large. The TV version of The Big Story went ahead with their true-to-life version, but Suspense kept waiting. It eventually got on the air in this disguised manner with the crime being changed from a context of union corruption to the dark side of a numbers racket.

This newspaper clipping is new...


The earlier post has links to Reisel's biography Wikipedia page and clips of him as a TV commentator years after his unfortunate event. It's a fascinating story.

These links are new:
Short clip of Longines Chronoscope with Reisel introduced as a panelist for this "Meet the Press"-like program months before the attack (on briefly) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
An amateur documentary about the Reisel incident is on YouTube (10 min) with details about the Mafia background [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
The incident was dramatized in the 1959 TV series Deadline as their first episode of the season (26 min) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This episode has not been updated for more than 10 years. The file usually in circulation has a patched end, which has been removed.

The script is one of two written for Suspense by Elmer Parsons. The other is the missing Massacre at the Little Big Horn, about the night leading up to that historical event.

Parsons was an inmate at San Quentin at the same time the notorious Edgar Scott Flohr was. They would collaborate on some scripts. Parsons did have troubles after his release, but eventually had much more writing and publishing success than Flohr. News clippings about Parsons criminal and writing career are below.

Suspense_1956-09-25_ACaseOfIdentity_wPBaer&MABarrett (no cl) UPGRADE-3.mp3
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Elmer Merle Parsons was born in 1926 (some sources mistakenly have 1899 -- that was a different Elmer Parsons). He was in trouble early, but found a skill in writing while in prison.
IMDb page (has wrong birth date) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Parsons wrote some novels under the name "Philip Race" [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Review of one of his books and some background [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
He wrote some western novels under the name "E.M. Parsons" [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

These clippings offer a glimpse into his story.

This episode has not been upgraded for 8+ years.

Suspense_1957-03-17_TheOuterLimit_wFrankLovejoy UPGRADE-2.mp3
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Don't Forget! Don Ramlow, Karl Schadow, and I presented an overview of Lovejoy's career at Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention. Go to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and have access to the video and audio of the presentation and links to numerous shows and videos of his performances. There is also a link to download the slide deck as a PDF.

To go to the video directly, go to... [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] or click in the center of the YouTube image below...

Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

This episode was last updated 2014. The surviving network version is a home aircheck from WGDI of Scranton, PA. Thankfully someone recorded it and it has been the only broadcast copy of the episode we have had for decades.

Suspense_1957-04-14_ThouShaltNotCommit_wVictorJory UPGRADE-2 WGDI-ScrantonPA.mp3
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An AFRS recording is available, with some defects...
Suspense_1957-04-14_ThouShaltNotCommit_wVictorJory AFRS (SocSecPSA; occ tape squeal).mp3
Degoo only [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

These news clippings are new...

Thanks greybelt
Best regards
Art

Two episodes today...

This episode has not been upgraded for real for about 13 years. Some processed versions of the "same old file" have been posted in the past. The recordings of this show usually have patched opens and closes. Only the drama portion has survived.

Since there's no openings or closings, we can't hear Robson's tease... but we can read it. When I was at the Thousand Oaks Library in 2019, I copied it. Here it is...

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 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.

Suspense_1957-06-16_Trial_by_Jury_wNancyKelly NO OP-CL UPGRADE-2 STILL LQ.mp3
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These clips are new...



This episode has been difficult to find in good sound. The AFRS recordings that have been upgrades have been mainly "less bad." Still, one day, we may be lucky and find a clean AFRS disc of it.

Suspense_1957-06-23_ALoadOfDynamite_wBartlettRobinson AFRS UPGRADE.mp3
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These clips are new...

Thanks greybelt

Best regards
Art

Today's episode has not been upgraded for three years. This is still not the best sound, but it is better.

For some background on the story, see this previous post about the 1948 performance
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Suspense_1957-06-30_YellowWallpaper_wAgnesMoorehead UPGRADE-3.mp3
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This is a new clipping...

Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

This network version has not been upgraded in 6+ years

This was S. Lee Pogostin's only Suspense episode, originally performed in 1951 as Murderous Revision. He also wrote for Grand Central Station and presumably for other daytime shows. He became a successful TV writer but did not have much screenplay success.
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This version was announced the week before as “The Twist is Murder.” In 1951 it had other titles such as "The Twist is Death" and "The Twisted Murder" before they used Murderous Revision.

Burr was working on Perry Mason, set to debut in September, less than two months after this broadcast. His career would never be the same, but he would still perform on Suspense for a few more episodes.

Suspense_1957-07-28_Murder_On_Mike_wRaymondBurr NETWORK UPGRADE-3.mp3
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This AFRS version was received 10+ years ago.
Suspense_1957-07-28_Murder_On_Mike_wRaymondBurr AFRS#944 UPGRADE-3 FROM DISC.mp3
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Thanks greybelt
Best regards
Art

Today's episode stars the future "Dr. McCoy," whose biggest lines in Star Trek were in the pattern of "He's dead, Jim" and the frustrated blurting of "I'm a doctor, not a _____" with the blank being anything appropriate to the story. I've never been able to verify this, but this episode might be his only radio appearance. He was an enormously busy supporting role TV actor and his movie career was starting to move. He was mainly in Westerns. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

He played Morgan Earp in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but his name is not on any of the movie posters. You can see him in this still [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This is also the first script by Robert Juhren, who worked in the CBS transcription department. It would not be his last. His other Suspense scripts were Shadow on the Wall and The Amateur. He also contributed 30 scripts to CBS Radio Mystery Theater [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Suspense_1957-08-04_Fleshpeddler_wDeForestKelley (Network) UPGRADE-6.mp3
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This AFRS version was acquired more than 10 years ago
Suspense_1957-08-04_Fleshpeddler_wDeForestKelley AFRS#947 FROM DISC.mp3
Degoo only [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

These clips are new... and they all get the spelling of his name wrong, likely an error that started in the CBS publicity department.

Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

Today's episode is an upgrade of one posted about two years ago. It is a slight more complete broadcast recording and is an improvement in the lower noise. It remains a narrow-range recording that requires more listening concentration than the nice fuller-range recordings we so enjoy.

This is this Suspense era's technology paradox: as the program adopted tape recording, portions of the hiqh quality archives gradually disappeared to tape re-use. This meant a greater reliance of serendipitous recording by local stations and home listeners and AFRS recordings. Somehow, not a single episode of the tape archive era is missing... that's astounding!

The downside is that there are many recordings that are sub-par. This underscores the importance of finding the collections where these recordings first appeared so high resolution recordings can be made and those recordings are in a lossless format that can be processed by whatever new processing method may become available in the future. These older tape collections are more likely to have not suffered the problems of tape duplication, the buildup of tape background noise, hiss, and electrical noise as each copy was made. Is there a better copy of today's episode somewhere? We hope so. Is there an AFRS version? We hope so. Until then, here's today's program.

Suspense_1957-08-11_Pigeon_in_the_Cage_wLBridges (more complete) UPGRADE-3.mp3
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This is the only new newspaper clipping...


This script was originally perfomed on 1953-05-25 with Dick Haymes. That recording is in better sound. You can access it at
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