''Suspense'' is an American

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

that ran on

CBS Television CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

from 1949 to 1954. It was adapted from the radio program of the same name which ran from 1942 to 1962.

Series overview

The show was broadcast live from New York City to stations on CBS's eastern and midwestern networks.

Kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940s ...

recordings were made for transmission via

KTTV KTTV (channel 11) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast of the United States, West Coast flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network. It is owned a ...

in Hollywood. It was sponsored by the Auto-Lite corporation, and each episode was introduced by host

Rex Marshall Rex Marshall, (born Marshall Bingeman Shantz, Jr. January 10, 1919–March 9, 1983) was an American actor, television announcer, and a radio personality for 46 years. His career began in Boston, Massachusetts as a reporter for a radio stati ...

, who promoted Auto-Lite spark plugs, car batteries, headlights, and other car parts. 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 Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...

, and

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

all had stories adapted for the series, while contemporary authors such as

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

and

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...

also contributed. Many notable actors appeared on the program, including

Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She received many accolades including 22 Primetime Emmy nominations and won eight, tying Julia Louis-Dreyfus ...

Brian Keith Robert Alba Keith (November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997), known professionally as Brian Keith, was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family ...

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

Robert Emhardt Robert Christian Emhardt (July 24, 1914 – December 26, 1994) was an American character actor who worked on stage, in film, and on television. Emhardt was frequently cast as a villain, often a crooked businessman or corrupt politician. Earl ...

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. He made his a ...

, Felicia Montealgre Bernstein and

Lloyd Bridges Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. He was the father of four children, includi ...

. The ninety existing episodes are available today on three DVD box sets.

Tubi Tubi (stylized as tubi) is an American over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, Tubi, Credible L ...

is also streaming episodes of the show. In 1949,

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

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".

Critical response

A review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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". 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". Even so, he wrote that with improvements "the mystery show should be a serviceable staple on video." The trade publication ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' commented in a review of the same episode that "''Suspense'' made an inauspicious debut" on television, comparing the episode to a

B film A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

. The reviewer blamed a "weakly motivated" adaptation for causing the direction and acting to suffer. Robert Stevens, who produced and directed, was cited for failing to add excitement to an already weak script.

Episodes

Season 1 (1948-1949)

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

*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 Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

*8 Nov. 1949 - "Suspicion" *15 Nov. 1949 - "The Thin Edge of Violence" starring

George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He was best known for portraying Superman, Clark Kent/Superman in the television series ''Adventures of Superman (TV series), Adventures of ...

*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" starring

*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 *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" starring

*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 Mildred Natwick (June 19, 1905 – October 25, 1994) was an American actress. She won a Primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for an Academy Award and two Tony Awards. Early life Natwick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Mildre ...

*6 Jun. 1950 - "Black Bronze"

*13 Jun. 1950 - "I'm No Hero" *27 Jun. 1950 - "Wisteria Cottage"

Conrad Janis Conrad Janis (February 11, 1928 – March 1, 2022) was an American jazz trombonist and actor who starred in film and television during the Golden Age Era in the 1950s and 1960s, and continued acting right up until 2012. He played the role of Mi ...

Marjorie Gateson Marjorie Augusta Gateson (January 17, 1891 – April 17, 1977) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Gateson was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Augusta and Daniel Gateson. Her maternal grandfather and brother were clergymen; Some s ...

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 Catherine McLeod (July 2, 1921 – May 11, 1997) was an American actress who made over 60 television and movie appearances between 1944 and 1976. She memorably portrayed the one woman whom James Garner's character Bret Maverick wanted to mar ...

*17 October 1950 - "The Man Who Would Be King" Francis L. Sullivan *24 October 1950 - "Breakdown" *31 October 1950 - "Halloween Hold-Up" *7 November 1950 - "Nightmare" *14 November 1950 - "The Brush Off"

Mary Sinclair Mary Sinclair (born Ella Delores Cook; November 15, 1922 – November 5, 2000) was an American television, film and stage actress and “a familiar face to television viewers in the 1950s” as a performer in numerous plays produced and broadca ...

*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" starring

*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" -

Robert Webber Robert Laman Webber (October 14, 1924 – May 19, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in dozens of films and television series, including as Juror No. 12 in the 1957 film '' 12 Angry Men''. Early life Webber was the son of Robert Webber, ...

*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" *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 *21 October 1952 - "The Man Who Had Seven Hours" Robert Sterling, Gaby Rodgers, Walter Kohler, Ludie Claire, Susan Caubet, Marcel Hillaire, MacLean Savage *28 October 1952 - "All Hallow's Eve" - Franchot Tone, Francis Compton, Romney Brent, Patricia Byrd, Penny Hays, Douglas Jay, Bobby Catanio *11 November 1952 - "The Moving Target" Jason Smith, Irja Jensen,

Joseph Anthony Joseph Anthony (born Joseph Deuster; May 24, 1912 – January 20, 1993) was an American playwright, actor, and director. He made his film acting debut in the 1934 film ''Hat, Coat, and Glove'' and his theatrical acting debut in a 1935 productio ...

, Wolfe Barzell,

Rudy Bond Rudolph Bond (October 10, 1912 – March 29, 1982) was an American actor who was active from 1947 until his death. His work spanned Broadway, films and television. Early life Bond was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second youngest of f ...

, Kalle Ruusumen, Jan DeRuth, Nina Hansen *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 Warren Albert Stevens (November 2, 1919 – March 27, 2012) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Early life and career Stevens was born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania and graduated from Clarks Summit High School.

, Henry Jones, Eleanor Wilson *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 Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

with O.Z. Whitehead, Louise Larabee,

Pat Hingle Martin Patterson Hingle (July 19, 1924 – January 3, 2009) was an American character actor who appeared in stage productions and in hundreds of television shows and feature films. His first film was ''On the Waterfront'' in 1954. He often play ...

*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"

Season 6 (1953-1954)

*29 September 1953 - "The Sister" *6 October 1953 - "Death at Skirkerud Pond" *13 October 1953 - "The Accounting" *20 October 1953 - "The Valley of the Kings" *27 October 1953 - "The Others" *3 November 1953 - "The Interruption" *10 November 1953 - "Needle in a Haystack" *17 November 1953 - "The Newcomer" *24 November 1953 - "My Short Walk to Freedom" *1 December 1953 - "Laugh It Off" *8 December 1953 - "The Dance" *15 December 1953 - "Cagliostro and the Chess Player" *22 December 1953 - "The Gift of Fear" *29 December 1953 - "Mr. Nobody" *5 January 1954 - "Diamonds in the Sky" *12 January 1954 - "The Scrap Iron Curtain" *19 January 1954 - "The Haunted" *26 January 1954 - "An Affair with a Ghost" *2 February 1954 - "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk" *9 February 1954 - "The Moonstone" *16 February 1954 - "The Execution" *23 February 1954 - "Death on the Screen" *2 March 1954 - "I Do Solemnly Swear" *9 March 1954 - "Before the Act" *16 March 1954 - "The Fourth Degree" *23 March 1954 - "The Tenth Reunion" *30 March 1954 - "Torment" *6 April 1954 - "Open Transom" *13 April 1954 - "Operation: Barracuda" *20 April 1954 - "The Return Journey" *27 April 1954 - "The Terror Begins" *4 May 1954 - "Smoke" *11 May 1954 - "Operation Nightmare" *18 May 1954 - "Breakout" *25 May 1954 - "Fingerprints" *1 June 1954 - "Race Against Murder" *8 June 1954 - "North Side" *15 June 1954 - "The Pistol Shot" *22 June 1954 - "String" *29 June 1954 - "The Hunted" *6 July 1954 - "The Girl in Car Thirty-two" *13 July 1954 - "Conversation at an Inn" *20 July 1954 - "Once a Killer" *27 July 1954 - "Main Feature: Death" *3 August 1954 - "The Last Stand" *10 August 1954 - "The Iron Cop" *17 August 1954 - "Barn Burning"

References

External links

*
''Suspense'' TV: An Introduction to the Show''Suspense'' episode "Woman in Love" (August 26, 1952) at Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suspense (Us Tv Series) CBS original programming 1949 American television series debuts 1954 American television series endings 1940s American anthology television series 1950s American anthology television series Black-and-white American television shows American thriller television series Television series based on radio series Television shows filmed in New York City