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On September 30, 1962 a major milestone in radio drama came to an end with the final episode of the long running series, SUSPENSE. Ironically, the episode was titled “Devil Stone” and was the last dramatic radio play from a series that had its roots in the golden age of radio.
What began in 1946 as a “new series frankly dedicated to your horrification and entertainment” took on a life of its own mostly due to the talents of some outstanding producers and adaptations and original stories from the cream of mystery writers of the time. The golden age of radio was truly the golden age of SUSPENSE as show after show broadcast outstanding plays which were “calculated to intrigue…stir [the] nerves.”
It was the series’ first producer, William Spier, who set the framework of rules that was to stay with the show for most of its run. Mr. Spier determined that the series should deal with life-and-death situations established near the beginning of each play and then through the use of Bernard Herrmann’s musical coloring and the writer’s characterizations slowly tighten the knot of SUSPENSE. Many of the early stories were written by the mystery writer, John Dickson Carr. Others were by such fine writers as Lucille Fletcher, whose SUSPENSE play, “Sorry, Wrong Number” was turned into a major motion picture; Robert Arthur, Robert L. Richards, Morton Fine and David Friedkin. The series also drew from the mystery writers of the day as well as the horror writers of literature; writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Cornell Woolrich, Dorthy L. Sayers and H.G. Wells.
Episode List
- The Lodger
- The Burning Court
- Wet Saturday
- The Cave of Ali Baba
- The Hitch-Hiker
- The Kettler Method
- A Passage to Benares
- One Hundred in the Dark
- The Lord of the Witch Doctors
- The Devil in the Summer House
- Will You Make a Bet with Death
- Menace in Wax
- The Body Snatchers
- The Bride Vanishes
- Till Death Do Us Part
- Two Sharp Knives
- Nothing up My Sleeve
- The Pit and the Pendulum
- The Devil’s Saint
- The Doctor Prescribed Death
- The Hangman Won’t Wait
- In Fear and Trembling
- Will You Walk into My Parlor
- The Customers Like Murder
- The Dead Sleep Lightly
- Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
- Fear Paints a Picture
- The Moment of Darkness
- The Diary of Sophronia Winters
- Death Flies Blind
- Mr Markham, Antique Dealer
- The ABC Murders
- Sorry, Wrong Number
- Banquo’s Chair
- Five Canaries in the Room
- Last Night
- The Man Without a Body
- Uncle Henry’s Rosebush
- The White Rose Murders
- Murder Goes for a Swim
- The Last Letter of Dr Bronson
- A Friend to Alexander
- The Fountain Plays
- Sorry, Wrong Number
- The King’s Birthday
- The Singing Walls
- Marry for Murder
- The Cross-Eyed Bear
- The Most Dangerous Game
- The Lost Special
- Philomel Cottage
- Lazarus Walks
- The After Dinner Story
- Statement of Employee Henry Wilson
- Cabin B-13
- Thieves Fall Out
- The Strange Death of Charles Umberstein
- The Black Curtain
- The Night Reveals
- Wet Saturday
- Back for Christmas
- Finishing School
- One-Way Ride to Nowhere
- Dime a Dance
- A World of Darkness
- The Locked Room
- The Sisters
- Suspicion
- Life Ends at Midnight
- Sorry, Wrong Number
- Portrait Without a Face
- The Defense Rests
- Narrative About Clarence
- Sneak Preview
- Cat and Mouse
- The Woman in Red
- The Marvelous Barastro
- The Palmer Method
- Death Went Along for the Ride
- The Dark Tower
- The Visitor
- Donovan’s Brain, Part One
- Donovan’s Brain, Part Two
- Fugue in C-Minor
- Case History on Edgar Lowndes
- A Friend to Alexander
- The Ten Grand
- The Walls Came Tumbling Down
- The Search for Henri LeFevre
- The Beast Must Die
- Of Maestro and Man
- The Black Shawl
- Banquo’s Chair
- The Man Who Knew How
- The Diary of Sophronia Winters
- Actor’s Blood
- Black Path of Fear
- Voyage Through Darkness
- You’ll Never See Me Again
- The Bluebeard of Bellac
- The Man Who Couldn’t Lose
- Dateline – Lisbon
- The Merry Widower
- Eve
- The Night Man
- The Singing Walls
- You Were Wonderful
- Dead of the Night
- The Fountain Plays
- The Black Curtain
- The Lodger
- The Brighton Strangler
- A Thing of Beauty
- I Had an Alibi
- Drive-In
- To Find Help
- Drury’s Bones
- The Most Dangerous Game
- Tale of Two Sisters
- Sell Me Your Life
- John Barbie and Son
- My Wife Geraldine
- Love’s Lovely Counterfeit
- Cricket
- Heart’s Desire
- The Taming of the Beast
- A Guy Gets Lonely
- Pearls Are a Nuisance
- Fear Paints a Picture
- Reprieve
- Two Birds with One Stone
- My Own Murderer
- August Heat
- Two Sharp Knives
- The Burning Court
- The Story of Ivy
- The Dealings of Mr Markham
- The Last Detail
- Footfalls
- Bank Holiday
- A Man in the House
- Murder for Myra
- Short Order
- This Will Kill You
- Nobody Loves Me
- Sorry, Wrong Number
- The Furnished Floor
- Library Book
- The Earth Is Made of Glass
- Death on Highway 99
- Beyond Good and Evil
- Summer Storm
- A Shroud for Sarah
- The Dunwich Horror
- The Bet
- Murder off Key
- Nineteen Deacon Street
- A Week Ago Wednesday
- I Won’t Take a Minute
- The Argyle Album
- Double Entry
- Pink Camellias
- The Angel of Death
- The Pasteboard Box
- My Dear Niece
- The Long Shot
- Too Little to Live On
- The Lucky Lady 17838 29m54s EC
- Consequence
- The Black Path of Fear
- No More Alice
- The Lonely Road
- Out of Control
- Post Mortem
- The Name of the Beast
- The Night Reveals
- Dark Journey
- Crime Without Passion
- The Clock and the Rope
- The Plan
- Spoils for Victor
- The Leading Citizen of Pratt County
- The High Wall
- Too Many Smiths
- Your Devoted Wife
- Return Trip
- An Evening’s Diversion
- Feast of the Furies
- Photo Finish
- Can’t We Be Friends
- Commuter’s Ticket
- Dead Ernest
- The Last Letter of Dr Bronson
- The Great Horrell
- Blue Eyes
- You’ll Never See Me Again
- Hunting Trip
- Till the Day I Die
- Statement of Employee Henry Wilson
- Three Times Murder
- A Plane Case of Murder
- The Man Who Thought He Was Edward G Robinson
- Dame Fortune
- Lazarus Walks
- Easy Money
- The One Who Got Away
- Drive-In
- The Strange Death of Gordon Fitzroy
- The House in Cypress Canyon
- They Call Me Patrice
- The Thing in the Window
- Philomel Cottage
- Tree of Life
- The Will to Power
- Overture in Two Keys
- One Way Street
- Three Blind Mice
- End of the Road
- The Thirteenth Sound
- Always Room at the Top
- Three Faces At Midnight
- Elwood
- You Take Ballistics
- The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright
- Community Property
- Green-Eyed Monster
- Win, Place and Murder
- Lady in Distress
- Dead Ernest
- Death at Live Oak
- Knight Comes Riding
- A Thing of Beauty
- Make Mad the Guilty
- Stand-In
- Dead of Night
- Phobia
- Money Talks
- Murder by the Book
- Murder by an Expert
- Mortmain
- Quiet Desperation
- Smiley
- Murder Aboard the Alphabet
- Double Ugly
- The Argyle Album
- The Twist
- The Visitor
- The Blue Hour
- The Story of Markham’s Death
- The Man Who Liked Dickens
- Self Defense
- The X-Ray Camera
- Subway
- Dream Song
- Riabouchinska
- One Hundred in the Dark
- The Pit and the Pendulum
- The Clock and the Rope
- The Man Who Couldn’t Lose
- Too Little to Live On
- The Black Curtain
- The Kandy Tooth
- Love’s Lovely Counterfeit
- The Black Angel
- Donovan’s Brain
- The Lodger
- Beyond Reason
- The House by the River
- In a Lonely Place
- Nightmare
- Wet Saturday and August Heat
- Night Must Fall
- Suspicion
- Crossfire
- The Search
- The Blind Spot
- Life Ends at Midnight
- Deadline at Dawn
- Summer Night
- Deep into Darkness
- The Yellow Wall-paper
- An Honest Man
- Beware the Quiet Man
- Crisis
- Song of the Heart
- The Morrison Affair
- The Big Shot
- Hitch-Hike Poker
- Celebration
- The Man Who Wanted To Be Edward G Robinson
- Night Cry
- A Little Piece of Rope
- Give Me Liberty
- Death Sentence
- Muddy Track
- Sorry, Wrong Number
- The Screaming Woman
- The Hands of Mr Ottermole
- The Sisters
- No Escape
- Holiday Story
- Break-Up
- To Find Help
- The Too Perfect Alibi
- If the Dead Could Talk
- The Thing in the Window
- Backseat Driver
- De Mortuis
- Catch Me If You Can
- Where There’s a Will
- The Lovebirds
- Three O’Clock
- Murder Through the Looking Glass
- Dead Ernest
- You Can’t Die Twice
- The Noose of Coincidence
- Murder in Black and White
- The Copper Tea Strainer
- The Lie
- Death Has a Shadow
- The Light Switch
- Consequence
- The Night Reveals
- The Ten Years
- Lunch Kit
- The Trap
- Ghost Hunt
- The Day I Died
- Nightmare
- Chicken Feed
- Last Confession
- Experiment 6-R
- Blind Date
- The Defense Rests
- Account Payable
- Good Night Mrs Russell
- Momentum
- The Search for Isabell
- The Murder of Aunt Delia
- The Red-Headed Woman
- The Long Wait
- Mission Completed
- For Love or Murder
- The Flame Blue Glove
- Double Entry
- The Bullet
- I Never Met the Dead Man
- Four Hours to Kill
- The Escape of Lacey Abbott
- Mr Diogenes
- Consideration
- The Butcher’s Wife
- Murder Strikes Three Times
- Slow Burn
- Lady Killer
- Banquo’s Chair
- Motive for Murder
- One and One’s a Lonesome
- Blood Sacrifice
- Salvage
- Six Feet Under
- Pearls Are a Nuisance
- The Chain
- Statement of Mary Blake
- The Man in the Room
- Angel Face
- Very Much Like a Nightmare
- A Case of Nerves
- The Case of Henri Vibard
- The One Millionth Joe
- Love, Honor, or Murder
- True Report
- Over the Bounding Main
- The Crowd
- Fly by Night
- The Rose Garden
- Rave Notice
- The Wages of Sin
- Too Hot to Live
- The Victoria Cross
- Blood on the Trumpet
- On a Country Road
- Going, Going, Gone
- The Lady in the Red Hat
- After the Movies
- A Killing in Abilene
- Christmas for Carole
- A Ring for Marya
- Alibi Me
- Vamp Till Dead
- The Well-Dressed Corpse
- Aria from Murder
- Fragile-Contents Death
- The Windy City Six
- The Death Parade
- Backseat Driver
- The Gift of Jumbo Brannigan
- A Vision of Death
- Strange for a Killer
- Three Lethal Words
- Death Pitch
- Murder in G Flat
- Early to Death
- The Rescue
- The Thirteenth Sound
- When the Bough Breaks
- Death on My Hands
- Another Man’s Poison
- Over Drawn
- Tell You Why I Shouldn’t Die
- The Truth About Jerry Baxter
- The Greatest Thief in the World
- The Case for Dr Singer
- Report on the Jolly Death Riders
- Steel River Prison Break
- The Evil of Adelaide Winters
- Neal Cream, Doctor of Poison
- The McKay College Basketball Scandal
- The Case Study of a Murderer
- Betrayal in Vienna
- The Flame
- The Log of the Marne
- The Hunting of Bob Lee
- A Murderous Revision
- Blackjack to Kill
- The Case History of a Gambler
- Rogue Male
- The Case Against Loo Doc
- The Fall River Tragedy
- The Perfectionist
- Carnival
- The Treasure Chest of Don Jose
- Odd Man Out
- The Track of the Cat
- A Killing in Las Vegas
- The Thirty-Nine Steps
- A Watery Grave
- The Wreck of the Old 97
- A Murder of Necessity
- The Lady Pamela
- Remember Me
- Mate Bram
- The Diary of Captain Scott
- The Shooting of Billy the Kid
- Frankie and Johnny
- The Missing Person
- The Flight of the Bumblebee
- The Death of Me
- A Good and Faithful Servant
- Concerto for Killer and Eye Witnesses
- Jack Ketch
- Vidocq’s Final Case
- The Diary of Dr Pritchard
- How Long Is the Night
- The Death of Barbara Allen
- Allen in Wonderland
- Frankenstein
- The Frightened City
- Death and Miss Turner
- Man Alive
- The Big Heist
- Joker Wild
- The Man with Two Faces
- Arctic Rescue
- Melody in Dreams
- The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Part One
- The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Part Two
- Gold on the Adomar
- The Spencer Brothers
- Plan X
- The Man Who Cried Wolf
- The Love and Death of Joaquin Murieta
- St James Infirmary Blues
- The Storm
- The Dead Alive
- The Mountain
- The Signalman
- Tom Dooley
- Around the World
- The Great Train Robbery
- Public Defender
- The Man Within
- Othello, Part 1
- Othello, Part 2
- Vial of Death
- Pigeon in the Cage
- A Vision of Death
- The Mystery of the Marie Celeste
- A Message to Garcia
- The Empty Chair
- Hellfire
- Action
- The Shot
- My True Love’s Hair
- Dutch Schultz
- Ordeal in Donner Pass
- Needle in the Haystack
- The Moonstone – Part One
- The Moonstone – Part Two
- The Wreck of the Maid of Athens
- Trent’s Last Case
- The Mystery of Marie Roget
- ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
- The Queen’s Ring
- On a Country Road
- The One Man Crime Wave
- The Face Is Familiar
- Want Ad
- Never Follow a Banjo Act
- Death at Skirkerud Pond
- The Outer Limit
- Murder by Jury
- The Barking Death
- Circumstantial Terror
- The Girl in Car 32
- The Guilty Always Run
- Somebody Help Me
- Grand Theft
- Parole to Panic
- The Card Game
- The Bertillion Method
- The Giant of Thermopylae
- The Last Days of John Dillinger
- The Revenge of Captain Bligh
- Weekend Special-Death
- Listen Young Lovers
- A Terribly Strange Bed
- The Earth Is Made of Glass
- Sequel to Murder
- Too Hot to Live
- The Tip
- Run Sheep Run
- Telling
- Destruction
- Goodnight Mrs Russell
- Never Steal a Butcher’s Wife
- A Little Matter of Memory
- Chicken Feed
- Lost
- Rave Notice
- The Shelter
- The Last Letter of Dr Bronson
- The Sure Thing
- Blind Date
- Shooting Star
- The Shot
- On a Country Road
- Pretty Girl
- Premonition
- Odd Man Out
- Final Payment
- Study of a Murderer
- The Operation
- A Killing in Abilene
- Diagnosis of Death
- The Man with the Steel Teeth
- Waiting
- The Screaming Woman
- Nobody Ever Quits
- The Game
- The Cellar
- Give Me Liberty
- Zero Hour
- The Lunch Kit
- Speed Trap
- Sight Unseen
- Remember Me
- Going, Going, Gone
- Lili and the Colonel
- I Saw Myself Running
- Beirut by Sunrise
- Frankenstein
- The Whole Town’s Sleeping
- Over the Bounding Main
- The Holdout
- The Cave-In
- Kaleidoscope
- Backseat Driver
- The Greatest Thief in the World
- Black Death
- Love, Honor or Murder
- A Study in Wax
- The Lady in the Red Hat
- Strange for a Killer
- A Story of Poison
- The Stool Pigeon
- The Frightened City
- Good-bye, Miss Lizzie Borden
- Heaven’s to Betsy
- Life Ends at Midnight
- To None a Deadly Drug
- The Mountain
- Report on the X-915
- Once a Murderer
- Classified Secret
- This Will Kill You
- When the Bough Breaks
- A Present for Benny
- The Cave
- The Mystery of the Marie Celeste
- Two Platinum Capsules
- End of the String
- The Cellar Door
- Arctic Rescue
- Variations on a Theme
- Listen Young Lovers
- Hollywood Hostages
- The Diary of Captain Scott
- Quiet Night
- The Groom of the Ladder
- Gallardo
- The Murderess
- Game Hunt
- The Lonely Heart
- The Seventh Letter
- The Waxwork
- The Phones Die First
- The Death Parade
- Fragile-Contents Death
- The Flame
- The Twelfth Rose
- A Matter of Timing
- A Sleeping Draught
- The Treasure Chest of Don Jose
- The Music Lovers
- Want Ad
- The Man Who Threw Acid
- The Tramp
- Double Identity
- A Friend to Alexander
- Hold-Up
- The Security Agent
- A Case of Identity
- Waiting
- The Digger
- The Prophecy of Bertha Abbott
- The Doll
- Red Cloud Mesa
- The Signalman
- Three Skeleton Key
- The Long Night
- The Man Who Stole the Bible
- The Rim of Terror
- An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
- Eyewitness
- Back for Christmas
- A Shipment of Mute Fate
- Russian New Year
- Second Class Passenger
- Freedom This Way
- Frankie and Johnny
- Door of Gold
- Murder and Aunt Delia
- Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Minutes of Hate
- Present Tense
- The Paralta Map
- The Outer Limit
- Shooting Star
- A Good Neighbor
- Vanishing Lady
- Thou Shalt Not Commit
- Chicken Feed
- Escape to Death
- Celebration
- Tarawa Was Tough
- Death and Miss Turner
- The Big Day
- Crossing Paris
- The Green-and-Gold String
- Trial by Jury
- A Load of Dynamite
- The Yellow Wall-paper
- Alibi
- Flood on the Goodwins
- America’s Boyfriend
- Murder on Mike
- Flesh Peddler
- Pigeon in the Cage
- Peanut Brittle
- Leiningen versus the Ants
- Man from Tomorrow
- Old Army Buddy
- Shadow on the Wall
- Vamp Till Dead
- Misfire
- The Well-Dressed Corpse
- Sorry, Wrong Number
- The Country of the Blind
- Firing Run
- The Pit and the Pendulum
- The City That Was
- The Star of Thessaly
- Jet Stream
- Speed Trap
- An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
- Dog Star
- Never Steal a Butcher’s Wife
- A Week Ago Wednesday
- The Island
- The Crowded Void
- Nineteen Deacon Street
- The Silver Frame
- The Long Shot
- One Chef Well Done
- Five Buck Tip
- Never Follow a Banjo Act
- The Chain
- Game Hunt
- Affair at Loveland Pass
- The Sisters
- Just One Happy Little Family
- Win, Place or Die
- Alibi Me
- Winner Lose All
- Sundown
- Subway Stop
- Zero Hour
- Like Man, Somebody Dig Me
- Rave Notice
- The Invisible Ape
- Strange for a Killer
- The Last Kilometer
- Rain Tonight
- Rub Down and Out
- The Long Night
- It’s All in Your Mind
- The Steel River Prison Break
- The Voice of Company A
- The Diary of Sophronia Winters
- The Bridge
- Remember Me
- The Whole Town’s Sleeping
- The Wait
- Command
- No Hiding Place
- Affair At Aden
- The Man Who Won The War
- The Treasure Chest of Don Jose
- Three Skeleton Key
- Headshrinker
- The Dealings of Mr Markham
- Two for the Road
- My Dear Niece
- A Statement Of Fact
- Misfire
- Tom Dooley
- For Old Times Sake
- Out for Christmas
- The Thirty Second of December
- Don’t Call Me Mother
- Night on Red Mountain
- Ride Down Cajon
- Four of a Kind
- Return to Dust
- Death Notice
- The Signalman
- Star over Hong Kong
- The Waxwork
- Mad Man of Manhattan
- Death in Box 234
- Script by Mark Brady
- John Barbey and Son
- Too Hot to Live
- See How He Runs
- Deep, Deep Is My Love
- The Amateur
- On a Country Road
- Friend of Daddy’s
- Spoils for Victor
- The Man Who Would Be King
- The Pit and the Pendulum
- Drive-In
- Ivy Is a Lovely Name For A Girl
- Analytical Hour
- Blood Is Thicker
- Eyewitness
- An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
- Night Man
- Red Cloud Mesa
- Everything Will Be Different
- Like Man, Somebody Dig Me
- Headshrinker
- A Matter of Execution
- After the Movies
- Death and the Escort
- The Beetle and Mr Bottle
- Room 203
- Infanticide
- The Crisis of Dirk Diamond
- The Easy Victim
- Re-Entry
- The Last Trip
- The Companion
- The Thimble
- Leiningen versus the Ants
- Dynamite Run
- The Country of the Blind
- A Korean Christmas Carol
- Moonlight Sail
- Zero Hour
- The Long Night
- The Time, The Place and the Death
- Turnabout
- End of the Road
- The Mystery of Marie Roget
- Sorry, Wrong Number
- Crank Letter
- Lt Langer’s Last Collection
- Sleep Is for Children
- The Revolution
- Talk About Caruso
- Coffin for Mr Cash
- A Shipment of Mute Fate
- Two Horse Parlay
- Tonight at 5 -55
- One More Shot
- Bitter Grapes
- The Legend of Robbie
- Deadman’s Story
- Out the Window
- Perfect Plan
- Two Came Back
- Elemental
- Sixty Grand Missing
- Daisy Chain
- Bon Voyage
- Report from a Dead Planet
- Memorial Bridge
- Cold Canvas
- End Game
- The Big Dive
- Night Ferry to Paris
- Truck Stop
- The Girl in the Powder Blue Jag
- A Rest for Emily
- Rakovsky’s Rubles
- A Statement of Fact
- Time on My Hands
- Ivy Is a Lovely Name for a Girl
- Witness for Death
- Inferno
- Night Man
- The City That Was
- The Green Lorelei
- The Man Who Murders People
- Night on Red Mountain
- Home Is Where You Find It
- Call Me at Half Past
- Night of the Storm
- Epitaph
- The Man Who Knew How to Hate
- Stranger with My Face
- You Can Die Laughing
- Bells
- Murder Is a Matter of Opinion
- Sold to Satan
- The Juvenile Rebellion
- The Green Idol
- The Man in the Fog
- No Hiding Place
- Dreams
- Seeds of Disaster
- Witness to Murder
- Death of an Old Flame
- Till Death Do Us Part
- The Imposters
- The Black Door
- Man Trap
- The Luck of the Tiger Eye
- And So to Sleep My Love
- Yuletide Miracle
- The Old Man
- Breakthrough
- Feathers
- Twenty-Four Sixty-Two
- Please Believe Me
- Friday
- The Man Who Went Back to Save Lincoln
- The Old Boyfriend
- Date Night
- Doom Machine
- Heads You Lose
- Perchance to Dream
- Memory of a Murder
- You Died Last Night
- Let There Be Light
- Brother John
- The Curse of Kamoshek
- Blackbeard’s Ace
- The Second Door
- Hide and Seek
- Dagger of The Mind
- That Real Crazy Infinity
- Stand-In for Murder
- Formula for Death
- The Lunatic Hour
- With Murder in Mind
- Black Death
- The Sin Eater
- Snow on 66
- The Next Murder
- Weekend at Gleebes
- Run Faster
- The Silver Shoe
- Pages from a Diary
- The Lost Ship
- The Death of Alexander Jordan
- A Strange Day in May
- Golden Years
- At the Point of a Needle
- Devilstone