Conceived as a potential radio vehicle for Alfred Hitchcock to direct, Suspense was a radio group of epic proportion. It aired on CBS from 1942 to 1962, and is considered by many to become the best mystery/drama group of the fantastic age. Often referred to as “Radio’s Excellent Theater of Thrills” it centered on suspenseful, thrillers starring the biggest titles in Hollywood. Early in the run, the episodes were hosted by the ‘Guy in Black’ who, from an omniscient perch, narrated tales of individuals about Suspense, Vol. 3 tossed into harmful or bizarre situations with plots that, at the end, usually experienced an unseen twist or two. Hollywood’s finest actors jumped at the opportunity to appear on Suspense, including: Cary Give, Jimmy Stewart, Alan Ladd, Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis and Orson Welles. Scripts were by John Dickson Carr, Lucille Fletcher, James Poe, Ray Bradbury and many others. Running more than twenty years, Suspense shown almost 1,000 radio broadcasts. It made the transition to television in 1949, but it was on radio that Suspense enjoyed its glory days.

“Suspense was a dramatic anthology series and among the absolute best OTR applications, with many episodes still fresh and exciting to hear today. It was produced by CBS and went from 1942 to 1962. It drew upon the abilities of many of the leading Hollywood celebrities of the day, such as for example Orson Welles, Cary Offer, Peter Lorre, and Agnes Moorehead. As the name suggests, Suspense focused mainly on thrillers, but it also offered technology fiction, dream, and horror stories. Indeed, one of the great talents from the series was its selection of subject material: seven days, the listener will be presented with a chilling ghost story, the next, a hard-boiled detective tale. Episodes were modified from the works of many of the greats of their particular genres, with tales by as different a range of authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Raymond Chandler, John Buchan, and H. P. Lovecraft.”-Old Period Radio Review