Comedy Stars on Suspense, Day 15: Jackie Kelk!

Today's Suspense episode is "Shadow on the Wall" (September 22, 1957) starring Jackie Kelk! This was the first of 3 episodes of Suspense featuring Kelk. Although Kelk had a wide and unusual career (starting as a child actor) he's best-remembered for potraying Homer Brown, best buddy of Henry Aldrich on the Aldrich Family; Kelk played Homer on radio and TV from 1940-1951.

In this episode, Henry (Kelk) murders his brother but is thereafter haunted by a shadow - which is to say, he's haunted by his guilty conscience. It's a bit like Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" and Kelk is up to the material.

Tomorrow: Donald O'Connor!

Comedy Stars on Suspense, Day 4: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz!

Today's Suspense episode is "Early to Death" (April 12, 1951) featuring the husband/wife duo of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. This was the second time they had appeared together on Suspense (Lucille also had a number of terrific Suspense episodes without Desi). Their television series I Love Lucy debuted just a few months after this broadcast!

This time out, Evie (Lucille Ball) steals a fortune with her confederate but then Rico (Desi Arnaz) shows up demanding he get a cut of their profits.

Lucille Ball was always great on Suspense; I don't think Desi Arnaz comes off as well in his role (he's a bit too happy-go-lucky) but this is still a fine episode.

Tomorrow: Sheldon Leonard!

31 Days of Suspense: "The Hitch-Hiker"

Happy Halloween!

Today I'm very pleased to wind down "31 Days of Suspense" by presenting my personal favourite episode of the series: Lucille Fletcher's masterful program "The Hitchhiker" with star Orson Welles which you may download from archive.org here!

This episode is so lauded that it's easy to forget it came extremely early in the series' history - only the 10th episode aired! Of course, with a fine writer like Fletcher, an able producer such as William Spier and radio's own boy genius Orson Welles commanding the episode, how could it fail?

I love the ambiguity of this episode's climax. It explains so much, yet tells so little - as a great ghost story should. This episode began Fletcher & Welles' associations with Suspense (and was only Spier's second episode), something both they and the show profited immensely from.

I suppose I'm mandated to mention this script was also adapted to television as an episode of the Twilight Zone, but much as I enjoy Serling's program, I have to say I'm a purist - I prefer the radio play.

This brings 31 Days of Suspense to a close; thank you for indulging me! If you're a fellow Suspense fanatic, I'd like to see your own lists of favourites! And if you weren't a Suspense fan before... perhaps you are now?

31 Days of Suspense: "August Heat"

Today: my second-favourite episode of Suspense!

Coming from May 31, 1945 we have "August Heat," adapting a short story from W.F. Harvey with star Ronald Colman headlining a very small cast. Colman plays a painter whose most recent picture seems to predict the future, but he can't quite interpret its meaning. Perhaps the local headstone carver could help? You may download it from archive.org here.\

Part of what I find so striking about this episode is how "visual" it is. Radio drama has often been called the "Theatre of the Mind" and this episode makes a compelling case for that title. Here, the creative forces seem in complete control of the audio experience, carving faces, images and heatwaves as ably as a stone-cutter with his chisel.

Knowing that W.F. Harvey had also authored "The Beast With Five Fingers" I was excited to delve into his short stories, but ultimately I found his prose uneven - he didn't actually write many truly supernatural stories. Still, the print version of "August Heat" is quite good too.

Tomorrow: "After that I knew I had to do something. I didn't know who this man was or what he wanted of me, I only knew that from now on I mustn't let myself alone on the road for one minute."

31 Days of Suspense: "The House in Cypress Canyon"

My third-favourite episode of Suspense has become a Halloween tradition for many and widely considered to be among the best radio horror shows ever produced. Who am I to object?

Robert Taylor is again our star in the December 5, 1946 broadcast "The House in Cypress Canyon." In an amusing crossover between William Spier's two radio shows, Sam Spade himself cameos in the bookends of this otherwise-grim tale. A couple move into a newly-built home and everything seems perfect... except for that howling which seems to come from within the house at night... or the pool of blood which collects under the building's sole locked door. You may download it from archive.org here.

As I've noted before, when Suspense delved into the supernatural they didn't like to kid around. Sure, there are contemporary programs which supernatural tales (such as Dark Fantasy) but the first-rate talent which produced this show's stories, actors, musicians and sound effects men grant Suspense's supernatural stories a ring of believability amidst the unbelievable. By way of comparison, Dark Fantasy's "W is for Werewolf" is a decent pulp tale; "The House in Cypress Canyon" is up to the standards of M.R. James or Algernon Blackwood.

Hmm... if "The House in Cypress Canyon" is my third-favourite episode, what could possibly rank higher? Come back soon...

Tomorrow: "He spoke of the improbable with an intense seriousness that would have been laughable six hours before. But I did not laugh."

31 Days of Suspense: "The Whole Town's Sleeping"

For my fourth-favourite episode of Suspense I'm very pleased to revisit my personal favourite author: Ray Bradbury!

Bradbury was a bit of an odd duck; the contrast between his stories which expressed his deep love of nature, small towns and children and those stories which explored the horrors of nature, small towns and children leave an interesting edge to his work. One can discuss the concept of "Bradburyesque" stories, but the first time you hear one of his tales you might not foresee quite where the story is going to end up.

Suspense adapted Bradbury's story "The Whole Town's Sleeping" on two occasions, but I prefer the second from August 31, 1958, appearing during William N. Robson's tenure as producer-director. The so-called "First Lady of Suspense" Agnes Moorehead (so named largely on the strength of her performance in "Sorry, Wrong Number") stars as a spinster who goes for a nice long walk one evening... through a dark ravine... while a killer is on the loose. Check it out by downloading the episode from archive.org here.

In the world of bleak endings, this story wears a heavy crown. In fact, I've noticed online that some people are truly offended by this story mainly because of what their imagination tells them, rather than the text itself. If you'd prefer Bradbury to hold your hand and tell you everything turns out okay, then go read the altered version of this story in his book Dandelion Wine. If you'd rather let him scare your wig off, then stick with the original.

Tomorrow: "No, Ellen, you-you didn't even wake up..."

31 Days of Suspense: "Fugue in C Minor"

We're now into my top 5 favourite episodes of Suspense and it's high time to revisit one of the series' top scribes, Lucille Fletcher!

Before the mustache, he was... a man. I bring you Vincent Price in the June 1, 1944 broadcast of "Fugue in C Minor," a script by Suspense's top playwright Lucille Fletcher. Here, Price actually plays second-fiddle to Ida Lupino. Price plays a widower and pipe organ enthusiast who romances Lupino. Lupino likes him quite a bit, but his children are a couple of creeps off the ol' block, believing their deceased mother to be communicating with them. It ain't just another Bluebeard story, lemme tell ya! Listen and download from archive.org here.

It's those children who make this more than your typical Bluebeardy outing. Those of us who know Price as a horror film star will be suspicious from the start - but this before he'd been typecast. It's those kids you've gotta keep an eye on!

Tomorrow: "And now he's at the first step coming up to your room, and now he's at the second step, and now he's at the third, fourth and fifth step..."

31 Days of Suspense: "The Ten Years"

For my 6th-favourite episode of Suspense we have a creepy look at sibling relationships!

Joan Crawford stars in "The Ten Years," first heard on June 2, 1949. In the story, Crawford's sister (played by Lurene Tuttle) is a waifish, clingy creature who feels spurned when her sister is married. After ten years of no contact, Crawford is reunited with her in the worst way possible - her son has gone missing in her sister's home. Features murder, child endangerment and madness. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you may download it from archive.org here.

It's easy to confuse this episode with another Suspense production, "The Sisters." The show's producers seemed to consider the latter a prestige outing, one which deserved first-class female stars. However, when you boil it down, "The Sisters" is simply a tale of one sister trying to murder another with an ironic comeuppance at the climax. "The Ten Years" is about sisterly love - and how easily it becomes hatred. The climax of this episode is one of Suspense's most grim; it's not that some things are not fixed and some people are not saved but that nothing can be fixed and no one can be saved. Happy listening!

"The Ten Years" was a reuse of an earlier script from February 8, 1945. Then, the episode was titled "A Tale of Two Sisters" and starred Claire Trevor with Nancy Kelly. It's very good, but not Crawford/Tuttle good. Still, check it out at archive.org here if you're inclined.

Tomorrow: "Have you ever tried to match your voice, Miss Peabody, against the thunderous voice of Bach? It's most effective."

31 Days of Suspense: "Too Hot to Live"

Today: my 7th-favourite episode of Suspense!

Richard Widmark is again the featured player for this episode: October 26, 1950's "Too Hot to Live." Widmark plays a wandering ex-G.I. who strolls into a quiet town on a hot, sweaty day. Before too long he's implicated in a murder - and considering how delirious the heat is making him, the accusations might be true! You may download the episode from archive.org here.

This is a tough story which really packs a punch, due mainly to Widmark's frantic performance. It's certainly the only old-time radio play I've heard which includes narration about throwing up! Because we in the audience cannot feel the heat - nor, through film, see the effects of the heat - Widmark and the others have to sell the sticky, sweltering environment with words - and I think they do so admirably. There's a murder-mystery angle to this episode, but the play is focused primarily on atmosphere and tension, which makes this an unforgettable production.

Tomorrow: "Always and forever. I promise."

31 Days of Suspense: "The Visitor"

We've reached my 8th-favourite episode of Suspense!

Eddie Bracken returns in this May 11, 1944 episode of Suspense entitled "The Visitor." Bracken portrays a young man who is recruited to pose as a couple's long-lost son. Of course, as the son was presumably murdered, he's making himself a new target for the killer! You may download the episode from archive.org here.

This episode has a fantastic surprise ending which really holds together. It sets up the audience to believe the story is headed in one direction - then pulls off a great twist in the episode's concluding scene. There's another version of this story which stars Donald O'Connor, but I quite prefer Bracken's performance. He made only three appearances on Suspense - more's the pity.

Tomorrow: "Something - something starts down in my chest... spreads up to my throat... spills out of my mouth..."

31 Days of Suspense: "The Track of the Cat"

Today I'm featuring my 9th-favourite episode of Suspense!

Walter Van Tilburg Clark's novel The Track of the Cat proved to be a gripping episode of Suspense when the series adapted it on February 18, 1952. Richard Widmark stars as the boldest of three brothers who toil together on the family ranch. However, when he sets out into the snow to hunt a mountain lion, his courage is gradually sapped away. You may download the episode from archive.org here.

"The Track of the Cat" was also adapted into a 1954 feature film starring Robert Mitchum (from whence the above image originates), but it is by no means suspenseful or thrilling. Rather than getting inside the mind of a brave man who crumbles, the film assumed audiences would be more interested in the petty family squabbles back at the ranch. And you wonder why classic Hollywood was brought down by television! Good as Mitchum was, his "leading" role is actually kind of minor - nowhere near the exposure Widmark received in the vastly more entertaining Suspense episode.

Tomorrow: "But before I got into bed I-I locked the door - just in case."

31 Days of Suspense: "Kaleidoscope"

With 10 days of October remaining, I'm now counting down my top ten favourite episodes of Suspense! Let's visit #10!

Ray Bradbury was still a young author when he began writing for Suspense; the series not only adapted several of his popular stories for radio, but some of his stories appeared on Suspense before turning up in print (ie "Riabouchinska" & "The Screaming Woman")! Although Bradbury was adept at penning mysteries and thrillers, he's best remembered as a science fiction author. My tenth-favourite episode of Suspense is the July 12, 1955 adaptation of Bradbury's "Kaleidoscope," the story of a smashed-up rocket and its crew who are now drifting in space with almost no hope for survival. William Conrad is the show's featured player. You may download the episode from archive.org here.

Although Bradbury had a pretty good relationship with the producers of Suspense (especially with William Spier), "Kaleidoscope" was first heard on the radio on September 15, 1951 as an episode of Dimension X. If you like, you can hear their adaptation from archive.org here.

Tomorrow: "You're not hunting that cat anymore. That cat's hunting you."

31 Days of Suspense: "The Death of Me"

It's easy to forget about the many working parts which come together and make a radio program work, especially the light, subtle touches. The musicians of Suspense - usually led by conductor Lud Gluskin - certainly earned their kudos over many seasons. Veering from whimsical sounds to heighten comedic moments to the quiet atmospheric music which cues audiences to pay more attention to every sound, up to the intense, fast-paced music to compliment stories where the characters are in imminent peril. Suspense had some of the best music in the industry.

Today's featured episode is "The Death of Me," a personal favourite of mine which first aired May 26, 1952. It concerns George Murphy as a man trying to overcome his PTSD by becoming a lumberjack. Unfortunately, this lumber camp includes someone determined to carve up a little homicide! You may download the episode from archive.org here.

Tomorrow: "I wanted to make something of my life. To be liked, to do good for people, make them happy. Now it's all gone."

31 Days of Suspense: "Hitch-Hike Poker"

I've written before on the subject of how danger would be found along the highways of Suspense; today's feature hits upon hitchhiking and an unusual way to pass one's time.

"Hitch-Hike Poker" originally aired September 16, 1948 with Gregory Peck as the leading man. Peck plays a war veteran out hitchhiking; a motorist who picks him up introduces him to a way to play games of poker by using the license plates of passing cars. It's innocent enough until the motorist tries to murder his passenger! You may download the episode from archive.org here.

What makes "Hitch-Hike Poker" stick in my memory is the titular game itself; I come from a family which would spend a lot of time on the highways and my siblings and I would have to either concoct our own amusements or stare vacantly out of the windows. We did play games with license plates, although being the upright kids we were, we never thought to turn it into a game of poker. Lucky thing too, or it would have been an easy step for me to start gambling matchsticks. What then, bottlecaps?

Suspense repeated this script on January 25, 1959 as "Four of a Kind" with Elliott Reid in Peck's role. Although this other version truncates the story a little, it's also very good - in fact, I like some of Reid's line readings much more than Peck's. You can try it out from archive.org here.

Tomorrow: "There was something about him, like I was watching myself. Then I realized there was something - someone in the darkness behind him!"

31 Days of Suspense: "On a Country Road"

Today I'm returning to an episode of Suspense featuring Cary Grant as the star. Grant appeared a few times on Suspense - only only in the previously-featured "The Black Curtain," but also in "The Black Path of Fear" and today's entry, the November 16, 1950 program "On a Country Road," which you can download from archive.org here.

Grant is remembered as being the most suave of all classic Hollywood actors and an interesting range of his performances are still renowned today - everything from His Girl Friday to Charade. Grant never busted out his comedic talents for Suspense, but these dramatic roles do bring back memories his appearance in Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion & Notorious. Here, Grant played the latest of Suspense's unlucky motorists as he drives himself and his wife down a deserted road, then runs out of gas. However, this isn't the start of a make-out session - not with a crazed mental patient on the loose!

Like many popular episodes, "On a Country Road" would be repeated, ultimately rebroadcasted on December 4, 1954 & May 10, 1959.

Tomorrow: "King? I had to laugh. Beldon was the king, I was just the joker."

31 Days of Suspense: "Short Order"

I enjoy old-time radio horror shows such as Inner Sanctum Mysteries and the Mysterious Traveler, but I think I've always sensed they were not made of the same caliber as Suspense. For one thing, those programs were too eager to pile on atmosphere and deliver "shocking" developments every 5 minutes. By comparison, Suspense would occasionally take a slow-burn approach to tension and demonstrated how to get it done without relying on flying bullets or falling corpses.

Such a program is "Short Order" from August 16, 1945. It features Joseph Kearns as the owner of a diner who must contend with a disfigured customer whose presence is depressing his business. This is all that's required for the bulk of the program - the tension between the owner and the customer as the former tries to save his business from ruin. Then, just as the twist ending seems to have been revealed... it explodes into a terrifying climax. You may download it from archive.org here.

Joseph Kearns' voice was frequently heard on Suspense in supporting roles, narrative roles or to shill products for the sponsors. In my opinion, he gave his finest performance in this outing. In all, he was a talented radio performer in both drama & comedy.

Tomorrow: "Such a desolate place to run out of gas..."

31 Days of Suspense: "To Find Help"

The "home invasion" plot which has become so popular with today's audiences is nothing new - you can find plenty of thrillers rooted in the same fears expressed in those films.

On January 6, 1949, Suspense played the episode "To Find Help," with Ethel Barrymore as an old woman who hires the seemingly-nice young Gene Kelly to do some chores for her. Unfortunately, Kelly ain't quite right in the head. You may download the episode from archive.org here.

When the episode was first performed on Suspense on January 18, 1945, Agnes Moorehead played the woman with Frank Sinatra as the young man. I think Sinatra's performance was stronger than Kelly, but I much prefer Barrymore's to Moorehead's. Still, it's worth hearing both versions so you can find the original at archive.org here.

Another aspect of Suspense which changes between the two performances is their commercial sponsorship; the first version occurred during the days of Roma Wines, while the second debuted in the days of Auto-Lite. I have to say, I much prefer the rich, warm, velvety Roma Wines commercials - they never clash against the tone of Suspense, while all too-often Harlow Wilcox's noisy Auto-Lite ads dissipate the tension of the surrounding program. Still, Auto-Lite commercials remain much more palatable than Lucky Strikes'.

Tomorrow: "Nothing like ketchup, I always say."

31 Days of Suspense: "Drive-In"

Suspense excelled at placing its central characters into tense, desperate situations which either demanded great ingenuity on the protagonist's part for them to escape, or led to the protagonist's downfall. Sometimes the protagonists had committed crimes, then had to protect themselves from the law, other criminals or both. Other times the protagonists were upstanding people who maneuvered themselves into harsh situations; perhaps they worked too late at the office ("Very Much Like a Nightmare"), turned down a road they shouldn't have ("On a Country Road") or merely walked into a dark subway tunnel ("Subway Stop"). Today's protagonist accepts a ride from a stranger; terror ensues.

This version of "Drive-In" premiered November 21, 1946 on Suspense with Judy Garland in the lead role. Garland portrays a waitress at a drive-in who has to work a little too late and misses her bus home; a friendly customer offers her a lift and from there she's placed into a dilemma which can only be solved by her own cunning. You may download the episode from archive.org here.

The original broadcast of "Drive-In" was heard on January 11, 1945 with Nancy Kelly in the lead role. No offense to Ms. Kelly, but I prefer Garland's performance - especially with Garland acting opposite Elliott Lewis as the maniac. Still, if you wish to compare the two versions you can find the original broadcast at archive.org here.

Tomorrow: "If you must know, I'll tell you: they said there was something wrong with my mind."

31 Days of Suspense: "Chickenfeed"

In the world of Suspense there's nothing more dangerous than the open highway. If you're out hitchhiking, then you can't trust whoever picks you up; if you're a motorist, you're in jeopardy from sinister hitchhikers or escaped mental patients. Your car might strand you in a precarious position - you might get run off the road. And sometimes you might pull into a town where anything which could go wrong, does go wrong.

"Chickenfeed" aired September 8, 1949 with star Ray Milland. Milland plays a motorist who drives into a small town after an argument with his wife. For want of a nickel, he soon finds himself in trouble with the law, then incarcerated with a couple of jerks, then placed in mortal danger! You may download the episode from archive.org here!

I think this episode teaches one a valuable lesson about money; guard your nickels, boys! It might save you from prison - and it might save your life!

Tomorrow: "I wasn't used to doing this kind of thing. The other girls sometimes let a customer drive them home, but I never did."

31 Days of Suspense: "John Barbie and Son"

I enjoy mystery-thriller stories which have a great surprise ending - but at the same time (as I've droned on about before), I like stories which play fair with the audience.

On February 22, 1945, Thomas Mitchell starred in the Suspense episode "John Barbie and Son." Mitchell portrays a devoted father, determined to protect his son, a child whose developmental needs have forced them to go on the run from the authorities. You may download the episode from archive.org here.

The clues to the central mystery of "John Barbie and Son" are laid out for anyone with the attention span to notice them; the sharp WHAM! ending of this episode will not surprise you if you've been pitting your wits against the creators - but it's not required of you to match wits with the creators! As I've complained before, Suspense's first auteur John Dickson Carr seemed so obsessed with upsetting his listeners' expectations that his episodes are almost unbearable - they're certainly not entertaining. Suspense is entertainment. Settle back and enjoy it.

Tomorrow: "The face I said I wouldn't want to run into - close."