Suspense (American TV series)

Suspense is an American television anthology series that ran on CBS Television from 1949 to 1954. It was adapted from the radio program of the same name which ran from 1942 to 1962.[1]

Suspense
GenreAnthology drama
Directed byRobert Mulligan (1952-54)
Byron Paul (1953)
John Peyser (1950)
Robert Stevens (1949-52)
Presented byRex Marshall
ComposersHenry (Hank) Sylvern
Bernard Herrmann
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes260
Production
Executive producerWilliam Dozier (1953)
ProducersRobert Stevens (1949-52)
John Peyser (1950)
Martin Manulis (1952-54)
David Heilweil (1954)
Running time25 min. (1949 pilot episode)
30 min. (March 1, 1949-Aug. 17, 1954)
Release
Original networkCBS
Original release6 January 1949 (1949-01-06) –
17 August 1954 (1954-08-17)

Series overview

The show was broadcast live from New York City to stations on CBS's eastern and midwestern networks. Kinescope recordings were made for transmission via KTTV in Hollywood. It was sponsored by the Auto-Lite corporation,[2] and each episode was introduced by host Rex Marshall, who promoted Auto-Lite spark plugs, car batteries, headlights, and other car parts.

Romney Brent in the episode "A Cask of Amontillado" (1949)

Some of the early scripts were adapted from Suspense radio scripts, while others were original for television. Like the radio program, many scripts were adaptations of literary classics by well-known authors. Classic authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, and Charles Dickens all had stories adapted for the series, while contemporary authors such as Roald Dahl and Gore Vidal also contributed. Many notable actors appeared on the program, including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Cloris Leachman, Brian Keith, Franchot Tone, Robert Emhardt, Leslie Nielsen, Felicia Montealgre Bernstein and Lloyd Bridges.

The ninety existing episodes are available today on three DVD box sets. Tubi is also streaming episodes of the show.[3]

In 1949, Marvel Comics began publishing Suspense comics licensed from CBS; a box on the cover of the first eleven issues (out of 29 total issues) read "Based on gripping CBS radio - television series".[4]

Critical response

A review in The New York Times of the program's premiere episode, "Revenge", commended the "great technical skill" of mixing filmed segments with live studio shots, a technique that the review labeled a "novel aspect".[5] Beyond that, however, reviewer Jay Gould found little to like about the episode, which he wrote was "a badly contrived piece of trivia", described elsewhere in the review as having "a drab story and an inexcusably poor supporting cast".[5] Even so, he wrote that with improvements "the mystery show should be a serviceable staple on video."[5]

The trade publication Variety commented in a review of the same episode that "Suspense made an inauspicious debut" on television, comparing the episode to a B film.[6] The reviewer blamed a "weakly motivated" adaptation for causing the direction and acting to suffer.[6] Robert Stevens, who produced and directed, was cited for failing to add excitement to an already weak script.[6]

Episodes

Season 1 (1948-1949)
No. in
series		 No. in
season		 Title Writer Guest Stars Original air date Notes
1 1 "Goodbye New York" Cornell Woolrich Meg Mundy January 6, 1949
Departing New York by train, Mary Gardner (Meg Mundy), worries that a mysterious man (Gage Clarke) is following her while she waits for her husband, Ray. In a flashback, Mary returns to her apartment, and runs into the superintendent (Philip Coolidge), who demands the back rent. She manages to stall for time, but smells gas as she enters the apartment. Mary discovers Ray collapsed on the floor, but revives him. Ray cannot find work and has been blacklisted by his former employer. Wondering where Mary has gotten money for groceries, she reveals that she has pawned her wedding ring. Ashamed, Ray hurriedly leaves the apartment. Mary follows him but stops when she sees a suspicious-looking man eyeing her. Ray returns later that evening with $500. The next morning, the couple read about the murder of Ray's boss in the newspaper, and Mary, realizing what has happened, decides that they must leave the city. At Grand Central Station they board the train separately to avoid suspicion. Flashing forward to the present, Ray catches up with Mary on the train. The mysterious man is then revealed to be sitting in front of them, and as the tickets are being collected, he flashes a badge to the conductor.[7]
2 2 "Revenge" Cornell Woolrich Eddie Albert
Margo		 March 1, 1949 based on the 1943 novel The Black Path of Fear[8]
3 3 "Suspicion" Sylvia Berger & Dorothy L. Sayers Ernest Truex
Sylvia Field
Ruth McDevitt		 March 15, 1949 previously adapted for Suspense radio show on 12 August 1942, 10 February 1944, & 3 April 1948.
A couple has separate health issues. One of them is arsenic.
4 4 "Cabin B-13" John Dickson Carr Charles Korvin
Eleanor Lynn		 March 29, 1949 previously adapted for Suspense radio on 13 March 1943 & 9 November 1943. In 1948 it inspired its own short-lived radio program.
5 5 "The Man Upstairs" Cornell Woolrich Mildred Natwick
Anthony Ross		 April 5, 1949
6 6 "After Dinner Story" Cornell Woolrich Otto Kruger April 12, 1949 previously adapted for Suspense radio on 26 October 1943.
7 7 "The Creeper" Frank Gabrielson & Joseph Ruscoll Nina Foch
Anthony Ross		 April 19, 1949
8 8 "A Night at an Inn" Lord Dunsany & Halsted Welles Boris Karloff
Anthony Ross
Jack Manning
Barry Macollum
Joan Stanley		 April 26, 1949
A pilot flies unknown shipments to a mystery spot in the Arctic.
9 9 "Dead Ernest" Reginald Denham, Seeleg Lester, & Mary Orr Margaret Phillips
Tod Andrews
Will Hare
Patricia Jenkins		 May 3, 1949 previously performed on Suspense radio on 8 August 1946, 8 May 1947, & 24 March 1949.
Ernest Bowers suffers an attack of catalepsy while crossing the street, lapsing into a coma that resembles death. Believing he was killed by a passing car, his body is sent to the city morgue. His coat, with a note in the pocket describing his medical condition, is taken by the owner of a secondhand clothing store and quickly sold. The couple who purchase the jacket finds the note and begins a race to save Ernest from a premature embalming.
10 10 "Post Mortem" Cornell Woolrich & Frank Gabrielson Sidney Blackmer
Peggy Conklin
Richard Coogan
Julian Noa		 May 10, 1949 previously performed on Suspense radio program on 4 April 1946.
Following the sudden death of her husband, Josie marries Doc Archer, the man named beneficiary of her husband's life insurance policy. Investigator Westcott is suspicious after learning the doctor has a history of collecting such payouts. Westcott informs Josie that she is in danger of becoming her husband's next heavily insured "accident." She doesn't believe him—until she's almost killed when Doc "accidentally" knocks a sunlamp into the tub while she's bathing.
11 11 "The Monkey's Paw" Frank Gabrielson & W.W. Jacobs Boris Karloff
Mildred Natwick		 May 17, 1949
12 12 "Murder Through the Looking Glass" Reginald Denham, Mary Orr, & Craig Rice William Prince
Peter von Zerneck		 May 24, 1949 performed for Suspense radio program 17 March 1949.
13 13 "The Doors on the Thirteenth Floor" Edward Mabley & Marie Rodell Louisa Horton Hill
Anthony Ross
Russell Collins
Nell Harrison
Douglass Watson		 May 31, 1949
Elderly Agatha Leighton returns from a trip to find her apartment on the thirteenth floor has been robbed. As she attempts to call the police, someone grabs her. Sally, who lives down the hall, attempts to visit the old lady as she'd promised, but finds she's been locked in her apartment and the phone is dead. Through the door's peephole, she sees the building's desk clerk leaving Agatha's apartment. Sally realizes something bad has happened to the old lady.
14 14 "The Yellow Scarf" Thomas Burke & Halsted Welles Boris Karloff
Felicia Montealegre
Russell Collins
Douglass Watson		 June 7, 1949
15 15 "Help Wanted" Reginald Denham, Stanley Ellin, & Mary Orr Otto Kruger
D.A. Clarke-Smith
Peggy French
George Mathews
Ruth McDevitt		 June 14, 1949 later adapted as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents on 1 April 1956.
16 16 "Stolen Empire" James Sheehan & Halsted Welles Audrey Christie
Ken Lynch		 June 21, 1949
17 17 "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole" Thomas Burke & Frank Gabrielson Ralph Bell June 28, 1949

Season 2 (1949-1950)
  • 6 Sep. 1949 - "Lunch Box"
  • 13 Sep. 1949 - "Collector's Item"
  • 20 Sep. 1949 - "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
  • 27 Sep. 1949 - "The Comic Strip Murder"
  • 4 Oct. 1949 - "Dr. Violet"
  • 11 Oct. 1949 - "A Cask of Amontillado" starring Bela Lugosi
  • 18 Oct. 1949 - "The Serpent Ring"
  • 25 Oct. 1949 - "The Murderer"
  • 1 Nov. 1949 - "Black Passage" based on the story "Olalla" by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • 8 Nov. 1949 - "Suspicion"
  • 15 Nov. 1949 - "The Thin Edge of Violence"
  • 22 Nov. 1949 - "The Third One"
  • 29 Nov. 1949 - "Man in the House"
  • 6 Dec. 1949 - "The Scar"
  • 13 Dec. 1949 - "The Gray Helmet"
  • 20 Dec. 1949 - "The Seeker and the Sought"
  • 27 Dec. 1949 - "The Case of Lady Sannox"
  • 3 Jan. 1950 - "Morning Boat to Africa"
  • 10 Jan. 1950 - "The Bomber Command"
  • 17 Jan. 1950 - "Summer Storm"
  • 24 Jan. 1950 - "The Horizontal Man"
  • 31 Jan. 1950 - "The Distant Island"
  • 7 Feb. 1950 - "Escape This Night"
  • 14 Feb. 1950 - "The Suicide Club" based on the stories by Robert Louis Stevenson[9]
  • 21 Feb. 1950 - "Roman Holiday"
  • 28 Feb. 1950 - "The Man Who Talked in His Sleep"
  • 7 Mar. 1950 - "The Ledge"
  • 14 Mar. 1950 - "The Parcel"
  • 21 Mar. 1950 - "My Old Man's Badge"
  • 28 Mar. 1950 - "The Second Class Passenger"
  • 4 Apr. 1950 - "1000 To One"
  • 11 Apr. 1950 - "Steely, Steely Eyes"
  • 18 Apr. 1950 - "Murder at the Mardi Gras"
  • 25 Apr. 1950 - "The Gentleman from America"
  • 2 May 1950 - "Death of a Dummy"
  • 9 May 1950 - "Red Wine"
  • 16 May 1950 - "One and One's a Lonesome"
  • 23 May 1950 - "Photo Finish"
  • 30 May 1950 - "Listen, Listen" Mildred Natwick[10]
  • 6 Jun. 1950 - "Black Bronze" Franchot Tone[11]
  • 13 Jun. 1950 - "I'm No Hero"
  • 27 Jun. 1950 - "Wisteria Cottage" Conrad Janis, Marjorie Gateson[12]

Season 3 (1950-1951)
  • 29 August 1950 - "Poison"
  • 5 September 1950 - "A Pocketful of Murder"
  • 12 September 1950 - "Edge of Panic"
  • 19 September 1950 - "Dark Shadows"
  • 26 September 1950 - "Six to One"
  • 3 October 1950 - "The Monkey's Paw"
  • 10 October 1950 - "Criminals Mark" Catherine McLeod[13]
  • 17 October 1950 - "The Man Who Would Be King" Francis L. Sullivan[14]
  • 24 October 1950 - "Breakdown"
  • 31 October 1950 - "Halloween Hold-Up"
  • 7 November 1950 - "Nightmare"
  • 14 November 1950 - "The Brush Off" Leslie Nielsen, Mary Sinclair[15]
  • 21 November 1950 - "The Death Cards"
  • 28 November 1950 - "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole"
  • 5 December 1950 - "The Guy from Nowhere"
  • 12 December 1950 - "The Mallet"
  • 19 December 1950 - "Dancing Dan's Christmas"
  • 26 December 1950 - "The Tip"
  • 2 January 1951 - "Death in a River"
  • 9 January 1951 - "Tough Cop"
  • 16 January 1951 - "The Fool's Heart"
  • 23 January 1951 - "Dead Fall"
  • 30 January 1951 - "The Rose Garden"
  • 6 February 1951 - "Night Break"
  • 13 February 1951 - "Double Entry"
  • 20 February 1951 - "The Victims"
  • 27 February 1951 - "Margin for Safety"
  • 6 March 1951 - "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
  • 13 March 1951 - "On a Country Road"
  • 20 March 1951 - "Telephone Call"
  • 27 March 1951 - "The Three of Silence"
  • 3 April 1951 - "Go Home Dead Man"
  • 10 April 1951 - "The Foggy Night Visitor"
  • 17 April 1951 - "The Juiceman" - Cloris Leachman, Robert Webber, Robert Emhardt[16]
  • 24 April 1951 - "Murderers' Meeting"
  • 1 May 1951 - "No Friend Like an Old Friend"
  • 8 May 1951 - "Murder in the Ring"
  • 15 May 1951 - "Too Hot to Live"
  • 22 May 1951 - "Escape This Night"
  • 29 May 1951 - "Vamp Till Dead"
  • 5 June 1951 - "The Call"
  • 12 June 1951 - "De Mortuis"
  • 19 June 1951 - "A Killing in Abilene"
  • 26 June 1951 - "The Greatest Crime"
  • 3 July 1951 - "Blood on the Trumpet"
  • 10 July 1951 - "Tent on the Beach"
  • 17 July 1951 - "Wisteria Cottage"
  • 24 July 1951 - "The Incident at Story Point"
  • 31 July 1951 - "A Vision of Death"
  • 7 August 1951 - "Killers of the City"
  • 14 August 1951 - "Death Sabre"
  • 21 August 1951 - "This Is Your Confession: Part 1"
  • 28 August 1951 - "This Is Your Confession: Part 2"
  • 4 September 1951 - "This Way Out"
  • 11 September 1951 - "Strange for a Killer"

Season 4 (1951-1952)
  • 18 Sep. 1951 - "Merryman's Murder"
  • 25 Sep. 1951 - "Doctor Anonymous"
  • 2 Oct. 1951 - "Santa Fe Flight"
  • 9 Oct. 1951 - "High Street"[17]
  • 16 Oct. 1951 - "The Fifth Dummy"
  • 23 Oct. 1951 - "The Train from Czechoslovakia"
  • 30 Oct. 1951 - "Court Day"
  • 6 Nov. 1951 - "Moonfleet: Part 1"
  • 13 Nov. 1951 - "Moonfleet: Part 2"
  • 20 Nov. 1951 - "Frisco Payoff"
  • 27 Nov. 1951 - "Mikki"
  • 4 Dec. 1951 - "The Far-Off House"
  • 11 Dec. 1951 - "Mediation in Mexico"
  • 18 Dec. 1951 - "Pier 17"
  • 25 Dec. 1951 - "The Lonely Place"
  • 1 Jan. 1952 - "Routine Patrol"
  • 8 Jan. 1952 - "Flare Week"
  • 15 Jan. 1952 - "The Spider"
  • 22 Jan. 1952 - "The Red Signal"
  • 29 Jan. 1952 - "Death Drum"
  • 5 Feb. 1952 - "Betrayal in Vienna"
  • 12 Feb. 1952 - "North of Shanghai"
  • 19 Feb. 1952 - "Summer Night"
  • 26 Feb. 1952 - "Night Drive"
  • 4 Mar. 1952 - "Day of Infamy"
  • 11 Mar. 1952 - "Four Days to Kill"
  • 18 Mar. 1952 - "The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Part 1"
  • 25 Mar. 1952 - "The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Part 2"
  • 8 Apr. 1952 - "Black Panther"
  • 15 Apr. 1952 - "Night of Evil"
  • 22 Apr. 1952 - "Alibi Me"
  • 29 Apr. 1952 - "The Purloined Letter"
  • 6 May 1952 - "The Mandarin Murders"
  • 13 May 1952 - "The Corsage"
  • 20 May 1952 - "Hunted Down"
  • 27 May 1952 - "The Debt"
  • 3 Jun. 1952 - "Murder of Necessity"
  • 10 Jun. 1952 - "House of Masks"
  • 17 Jun. 1952 - "Phantom of the Riveria"
  • 24 Jun. 1952 - "Night of Reckoning"
  • 1 Jul. 1952 - "Fifty Beautiful Girls"
  • 15 Jul. 1952 - "For the Love of Randi"
  • 29 Jul. 1952 - "The Crooked Frame"
  • 5 Aug. 1952 - "Death Cargo"
  • 12 Aug. 1952 - "Remember Me?"
  • 19 Aug. 1952 - "Her Last Adventure"
  • 26 Aug. 1952 - "Woman in Love"
  • 2 Sep. 1952 - "The Old Lady of Bayeux"
  • 9 Sep. 1952 - "Call from a Killer"
  • 16 Sep. 1952 - "The Return of Dr. Bourdette"
  • 23 Sep. 1952 - "Set-Up for Death"
  • 30 Sep. 1952 - "The Beach of Falesa"
  • 7 Oct. 1952 - "The Man in the Mirror"

Season 5 (1952-1953)
  • 14 October 1952 - "The Blue Panther" Phyllis Brooks, Michael Strong, Erik Rhodes, Gene Anton Jr., Bruce Gordon, Michael Garrett, Tom Avera, Gina Petrushka[18]
  • 21 October 1952 - "The Man Who Had Seven Hours" Robert Sterling, Gaby Rodgers, Walter Kohler, Ludie Claire, Susan Caubet, Marcel Hillaire, MacLean Savage[19]
  • 28 October 1952 - "All Hallow's Eve" - Franchot Tone, Francis Compton, Romney Brent, Patricia Byrd, Penny Hays, Douglas Jay, Bobby Catanio[20]
  • 11 November 1952 - "The Moving Target" Jamie Smith, Irja Jensen, Joseph Anthony, Wolfe Barzell, Rudy Bond, Kalle Ruusumen, Jan DeRuth, Nina Hansen[21]
  • 18 November 1952 - "Monsieur Vidocq"
  • 25 November 1952 - "The Whispering Killer"
  • 2 December 1952 - "A Time of Innocence"
  • 9 December 1952 - "The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow"
  • 16 December 1952 - "The Tortured Hand"
  • 23 December 1952 - "The Deadly Lamb"
  • 30 December 1952 - "The Invisible Killer"
  • 6 January 1953 - "Little Camorra"
  • 13 January 1953 - "Mr. Matches" Warren Stevens, Henry Jones, Eleanor Wilson[22]
  • 20 January 1953 - "Vacancy for Death"
  • 27 January 1953 - "Career"
  • 3 February 1953 - "Mutiny Below"
  • 10 February 1953 - "A Study in Stone"
  • 17 February 1953 - "The Quarry"
  • 24 February 1953 - "They Haven't Killed Me Yet"
  • 3 March 1953 - "The Kiss-Off"
  • 10 March 1953 - "The Legend of Lizzie"
  • 17 March 1953 - "The Black Prophet"
  • 24 March 1953 - "Portrait of Constance"
  • 31 March 1953 - "Death in the Cave"
  • 14 April 1953 - "Kiss Me Again, Stranger"
  • 21 April 1953 - "The Duel"
  • 28 April 1953 - "F.O.B. Vienna"
  • 5 May 1953 - "The Suitor"
  • 12 May 1953 - "The Death of an Editor"
  • 19 May 1953 - "Come Into My Parlor"
  • 26 May 1953 - "The Adventure of the Black Baronet"
  • 2 June 1953 - "The Queen's Ring"
  • 9 June 1953 - "The Man Who Cried Wolf"
  • 16 June 1953 - "See No Evil"
  • 23 June 1953 - "The Signal Man"
  • 30 June 1953 - "The Fury of Señorita Gomez"
  • 7 July 1953 - "The Mascot"
  • 14 July 1953 - "The Dutch Schultz Story"
  • 21 July 1953 - "Pigeons in the Cave"
  • 28 July 1953 - "The Dance"
  • 4 August 1953 - "Vial of Death"
  • 11 August 1953 - "Point Blank"
  • 18 August 1953 - "Nightmare at Ground Zero" by Rod Serling with O.Z. Whitehead, Louise Larabee, Pat Hingle[23]
  • 25 August 1953 - "Death in the Passing"
  • 1 September 1953 - "Paradise Junction"
  • 8 September 1953 - "Reign of Terror"
  • 15 September 1953 - "The Darkest Night"
  • 22 September 1953 - "The Riddle of Mayerling"

References
  1. Brooks, Tim (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 1341. ISBN 9780345497734.
  2. "CBS 'Suspense' Sale For TV Cues House-combing For Additional Packages". Variety. February 2, 1949. pp. 27, 32. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  3. "Suspense".
  4. "GCD :: Series :: Suspense". Grand Comics Database. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  5. "First Nights on TV: The Opening of 'Suspense' -- The Lambs 'Gambol' -- Paul and Grace Hartman". The New York Times. March 6, 1949. p. X 11. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  6. "Suspense". Variety. March 9, 1949. p. 33. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  7. "Suspense - Goodbye New York - TheTVDB.com". thetvdb.com. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  8. Glover, Allen (2019). TV Noir: Dark Drama on the Small Screen. New York: Abrams. p. 143. ISBN 9781590201671.
  9. "Tuesday, February 14". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. February 12, 1950. p. 5. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  10. "Television Highlights of the Week". The Boston Globe. May 28, 1590. p. 30-A. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Television Highlights of the Week". The Boston Globe. June 4, 1950. p. 6 - A. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Television Highlights of the Week". The Boston Globe. June 25, 1950. p. 4 A. Retrieved May 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Air Attractions". The Boston Globe. October 10, 1950. p. 19. Retrieved April 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Television Highlights". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. October 17, 1950. p. 17. Retrieved April 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Air Attractions". The Boston Globe. November 14, 1950. p. 19. Retrieved April 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Video Highlights". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 17, 1951. p. 13. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "TV Drama". TV Digest. October 6, 1951. p. 6. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  18. "Suspense". Ross Reports. October 12, 1952. p. 10. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  19. "Suspense". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. October 19, 1952. p. 10. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  20. "Suspense". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. October 26, 1952. p. 8. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  21. "Suspense". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. November 9, 1952. p. 10. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  22. "Television Highlights". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. January 13, 1953. p. 12. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. An Evening in the Zone: Three Teleplays by Twilight Zone Creator Rod Serling dvd, S'More Entertainment, catalog no. SMO-7172 (2009).
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