Hitchcock vs. Radio Part 6: Suspicion

Suspicion

• Lux Radio Theater (May 4, 1942): starring Joan Fontaine (reprised her film role), Brian Aherne and Nigel Bruce (reprised his film role).
• Screen Guild Theater (January 4, 1943): starring Joan Fontaine (reprised her film role), Nigel Bruce (reprised his film role) and Basil Rathbone (substituted for Brian Aherne).
• Lux Radio Theater (September 18, 1944): starring William Powell and Olivia de Haviland.
• Theater of Romance (July 17, 1945): starring Judith Evelyn and Anthony Quinn.
• Screen Guild Theater (January 21, 1946): starring Cary Grant (reprised his film role), Loretta Young and Nigel Bruce (reprised his film role).
• Academy Award (October 30, 1946): starring Cary Grant (reprised his film role) and Ann Todd.

Hitchcock's film adaptation of the novel Before the Fact is kind of interesting in how it gaslights the protagonist; in the novel, the husband is planning his wife's death, but in the film her suspicions are incorrect. It's not an extremely satisfying film, but then again, as the novel's protagonist has little agency or ability to control her fate that it's a bit more satisfying to have her and her husband sort things out at the end.

The various radio adaptations are strictly from the film, not the novel. The adaptation on Theater of Romance comes closest to the novel as the protagonist is about to accept her fate, but then it swerves into Hitchcock's film as the husband tries to kill himself and she stops him, then reconciles.

It's also interesting to note that the two Screen Guild Theater versions both featured Nigel Bruce in his film role and also have virtually identical outros read by Nigel Bruce where they joke about the next week's show. Recycling scripts is one thing, it's something else to hear the banter performed anew!