Gus Green (O'Shea) is a taxi driver who happens to pick up a comedy writer one day. This chance encounter leads to a him being hired to write gags for the radio. When the writer wants to call it quits and gets married, Gus comes up with a "twist" of an idea-- murder the fiancee and they won't break up the act!
O'Shea's character has a very light, breezy sitcom-like demeanor, which makes the dramatic turn all the more effective; O'Shea's very good in this episode.
Tomorrow: Milton Berle!
Walt (Crenna) is a former gangster trying to get away from the mob-- but when they discover his new identity they threaten he either rejoin the old gang or become their enemy.
The story (by William N. Robson) was originally presented on Suspense as "Nobody Ever Quits" (March 8, 1955). Crenna reprised his role again on Suspense on a January 11, 1959 broadcast. Crenna's good in this role and you could see it as an early indicator that he'd end up doing okay for himself when his comedy career came to an end.
Tomorrow: Michael O'Shea!
Rosie Jones is a vaudeville performer whose new singing partner is a bit mentally unbalanced.
This is a pretty good showcase for Ethel Merman as a singer but I find it underwhelming as an episode of Suspense; the insane killer feels tacked-on, rather than driving the narrative.
Tomorrow: Richard Crenna!
This was a very late entry in the 20-year run of Suspense; it had previously been performed on May 25, 1958 but without Dennis Day. Day portrays a man called "the Tennis Shoe," a beatnik who goes hitchhiking then finds himself suspected of murder.
This is kind of like "Death on My Hands" (Day 2) in speedrun mode, complete with a lynch mob. In the prior show, Phil Harris was a jazz musician hated by small townsfolk; this time, Dennis Day is a beatnik.
Dennis' beatnik voice is actually kind of fun, it conceals the youthful voice he's better known for. However, I don't think this is the best version of the script-- the original version comes off stronger, especially at the dramatic moment when the Tennis Shoe exclaims, "won't someone dig me?" Day doesn't sell that line.
Tomorrow: Ethel Merman!
The story was written by the team of Morton Fine and David Friedkin, two of Lewis' favourite radio scribes (they wrote for Lewis on Broadway Is My Beat, Crime Classics, the Line-Up, On Stage and Pursuit). Lewis' then-wife Cathy Lewis has the top female role in this episode.
Harry (Elliott) is a comedian who's tired of making people laugh; he wants to make them sad by committing murder (this is not me giving away a twist - that's the opening scene!).
I kind of hate this episode because it feels so mean-spirited. Later in life Lewis said he didn't care for his work as a comedian and I wonder if this episode (written by two of his favourite writers) was an attempt at lashing out. I find it a very miserable, sour program-- but it's worth hearing once, so you should definitely check it out:
Tomorrow: Dennis Day!
Joseph Eichner (Wynn) is a reporter who sees a great scheme to make easy money by marrying a wealthy woman with a heart condition, then waiting for her to die. When nature doesn't seem to cooperate, Eichner decides to push matters forward.
This is a pretty good Suspense episode that unfortunately telegraphs the twist ending a bit too obviously. It's also a twist ending that hinges on an impossibly circumstancial set of events. But I think Wynn carries this story so well that I overlook its shortcomings.
Tomorrow: Elliott Lewis!
Harold Fenton (Benny) is a meek, long-time sales clerk who claims to have been locked in the store vault while $50,000 was stolen. Actually, Fenton stole the money himself and has a near-perfect plan to keep it-- but one of his co-workers suspects the truth.
Benny's other Suspense appearances all have some element of comedy; I chose to feature this one because it offered Benny an entirely dramatic turn; he was actually good at drama when he was given a chance, but he had such a well-known comic persona that he seldom received opportunities to demonstrate.
Tomorrow: Keenan Wynn!
