There's a lot of information here -- a good opportunity for information overload! The progress made in recent years of finding Suspense recordings has been incredible. Suspense was always traded among collectors as if all recordings were basically the same and with the assumption that there was only one recording of each broadcast. It turns out that Suspense is likely the most recorded series of the golden and silver ages of radio, with many different types of recordings. Armed Forces Radio ensured that the series lasted in rebroadcasts even longer than its 20 broadcast years. There is still much to be found. For a series that ran for more than 900 broadcasts, it is amazingly intact, where only 13 12 singular broadcasts are missing. Every other broadcast exists in at least the form of a network recording, a professional aircheck, a home recorded aircheck, a professional recording made by a service hired by a performer or by an ad agency, a copy from the network feed to a radio station, home recordings of network broadcasts, Armed Forces Radio recordings, and home recordings of Armed Forces Radio broadcasts, and recorded rehearsals. There are perhaps more that we have not considered!
This is a set of lists of missing Suspense recordings. All program numbers are based on the log at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11XflGB-S18jQ8JPr4EV1C9aZsRM_3Dw4xlLpGqgpBiU/edit?usp=sharing
There many lists, of course, but the most important ones to find are listed first...
These are single performances that were not repeated; scripts are available for all "truly missing" broadcasts; missing NY 1942 Summer broadcasts are likely never to be found and may not have been recorded; these 13 12 broadcasts are, of course, the ones that are the most important to find. Scripts for each of these performances are available. There is an effort to recreate the missing episodes -- find out more (click here) for links to the recordings and other news.
1942-07-01 - Episode 3 - The Life of Nellie James
1942-07-08 - Episode 4 - Rope
1942-07-15 - Episode 5 - Witness on the Westbound Limited
1943-02-09 - Episode 27 - The Hangman Won't Wait (first half exists)
1943-02-23 - Episode 29 - Will You Walk into My Parlor? (first half exists)
1943-03-09 - Episode 31 - The Phantom Archer
1946-02-28 - Episode 181- The Keenest Edge
1948-07-08 - Episode 296 - The Last Chance
1950-06-15 - Episode 388 - Deadline
1951-11-12 - Episode 446 - The Mission of the Betta
1951-11-19 - Episode 447 - The Embezzler
1956-01-03 - Episode 630 - The Eavesdropper RECENTLY FOUND!
1956-08-01 - Episode 660 - Massacre at Little Big Horn
These 20 18 were produced multiple times on the series under these titles or a different one and have lesser importance to find, but would be thrilling nonetheless.
1942-07-22 - Episode 6 - Finishing School (this is sometimes listed as 1942-08-05)
1942-07-29 - Episode 7 - Philomel Cottage (second half exists)
1942-08-12 - Episode 8 - Suspicion
1943-01-26 - Episode 25 - Death Went Along for the Ride (second half exists)
1943-03-02 - Episode 30 - The Night Reveals
1943-03-16 - Episode 32 - Cabin B -13
1947-03-20 - Episode 236 - The Waxworks
1947-03-27 - Episode 237 - Trial by Jury
1947-07-17 - Episode 253 - Beyond Good and Evil
1947-12-19 - Episode 275 - Wet Saturday (click here to read about an AFRS version that is known to exist but still eludes us... and may be lost)
1948-01-31 - Episode 281 - Bet with Death
1950-09-07 - Episode 392 - The Tip
1951-05-24 - Episode 429 - Fresh Air, Sunshine and Murder (performed on 1958-07-05 as Rub Down and Out)
1951-11-05 - Episode 445 - The Trials of Thomas Shaw (performed on 1955-11-15 as Once a Murderer)
1951-11-26 - Episode 448 - A Misfortune in Pearls (AFRS disc sold on eBay $710 in 2014; performed as End of the String on 1956-01-07)
1951-12-24 - Episode 452 - Twas The Night Before Christmas
1952-09-15 - Episode 477 - Sorry, Wrong Number
1955-01-06 - Episode 578 - Murder Aboard the Alphabet RECENTLY FOUND!
1955-08-23 - Episode 611 - The Beetle and Mr Bottle RECENTLY FOUND!
1956-04-24 - Episode 646 - A Case Of Nerves
This list is to help those who sometimes stumble into Suspense in AFRS discs that they find. These are not the broadcast numbers in the log, but the numbers that would be on the AFRS label. For the last 15 years, all of the finds of missing episodes have been AFRS versions.
1946-02-28 AFRS#144 Keenest Edge
1948-07-08 AFRS#240 Last Chance
1950-06-15 AFRS#330 Deadline
1951-05-24 AFRS#370 Fresh Air, Sunshine, and Murder
1951-11-05 AFRS#386 Trials of Thomas Shaw
1951-11-12 AFRS#387 Mission of the Betta
1951-11-19 AFRS#388 The Embezzler
1951-11-26 AFRS#389 Misfortune in Pearls (sold on eBay - have label image which verifies the number)
1951-12-24 AFRS#393 Twas the Night Before Christmas
1955-01-06 AFRS#514 Murder Aboard the Alphabet
1948-04-24 - Episode 292 - The Search (from 60 min series; first 15 min missing)
1951-03-15 - Episode 419 - Strange, for a Killer (unedited drama portion only); an aircheck from of the WJR-Detroit broadcast has recently been located, but the network studio recording is still missing
CBS could not clear one night in its nationwide schedule when Roma Wines started its sponsorship, so there were two separate live broadcasts on different days. Thursday was the East performance, Monday was the West. At least one of the performances exists for all broadcasts of this period; these are low priority and most collectors are not interested in this kind of detail; this is in table format on pp 89-90 of the 2020 edition of the Suspense Collector's Companion book; log's program number is followed by broadcast day; dates are actual broadcast dates; many collections only use the Thursday dates, which is what kept so many of these recordings from detection for decades.
1943-12-06 - Episode 67 - Monday - The Black Curtain
1943-12-13 - Episode 68 - Monday - The Night Reveals
1943-12-20 - Episode 69 - Monday - Wet Saturday
1943-12-27 - Episode 70 - Monday - Back for Christmas
1944-01-03 - Episode 71 - Monday - Finishing School
1944-01-10 - Episode 72 - Monday - One Way Ride to Nowhere
1944-01-17 - Episode 73 - Monday - Dime a Dance
1944-01-24 - Episode 74 - Monday - A World of Darkness
1944-02-14 - Episode 77 - Monday - Suspicion
1944-02-17 - Episode 78 - Thursday - Life Ends at Midnight
1944-02-24 - Episode 79 - Thursday - Sorry, Wrong Number
1944-03-16 - Episode 82 - Thursday - Narrative About Clarence
1944-03-27 - Episode 83 - Monday - Sneak Preview
1944-04-03 - Episode 84 - Monday - Cat and Mouse
1944-04-10 - Episode 85 - Monday - The Woman in Red
1944-05-01 - Episode 88 - Monday - Death Went Along for the Ride
1944-05-08 - Episode 89 - Monday - The Dark Tower
1944-06-08 - Episode 94 - Thursday - Case History on Edgar Lowndes
1944-06-26 - Episode 96 - Monday - The Ten Grand
1944-07-03 - Episode 97 - Monday - The Walls Came Tumbling Down
1944-07-20 - Episode 100 - Thursday - Of Maestro and Man
1944-07-31 - Episode 101 - Monday - The Black Shawl
1944-08-07 - Episode 102 - Monday - Banquo's Chair
1944-08-21 - Episode 104 - Monday - The Diary of Sophronia Winters
1944-09-03 - Episode 106 - Monday - Black Path of Fear
1944-09-10 - Episode 107 - Monday - Voyage Through Darkness
The status of the east-west recordings for the balance of the Roma Wines period (September 14, 1944 to November 20, 1947) is too detailed to list here. The details are listed in this public spreadsheet workbook at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MjUe-QhxYYY4I9mvDI_ujFh3uMEtcEEzJdWSIK4GNSQ/edit?usp=sharing
I am used to going through programs and know where to listen in the recordings quickly. This is another area where most collectors don't have deep interest except for the Suspense-obsessed among us. One of the identifiers is the amount of time between the final announcement and the network identification ("This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System" or something similar). Suspense had east-west broadcasts only during the Roma run except for two weekends in August 1943 when it was still a sustaining program. More information is in the spreadsheet.
This is a list of studio-recorded episodes. In some cases, we have airchecks or AFRS/AFRTS recordings or others. For the periods where there were east and west recordings, this means that neither of those have appeared. Including the episodes where we have an aircheck, there are 67 broadcasts for which there is no network recording. Many of the missing are late in the series when production shifted to recording tape. Unfortunately, many of those tapes were re-used and recorded over after broadcasts, which makes the AFRS/AFRTS often the best available copies in terms of sound quality. If there is some confusion about exactly what has been found and what is missing, be sure to check the online log.
1943-06-15 - Episode 45 - Last Night (we have 2 different airchecks)
1943-09-30 - Episode 59 - The Lost Special (we have an AFRS version)
1943-10-07 - Episode 60 - Philomel Cottage (we have a network aircheck)
1943-10-19 - Episode 61 - Lazarus Walks (we have an AFRS version)
1944-06-15 - Episode 95 - Thursday - A Friend to Alexander (we have a network aircheck)
1945-01-18 - Episode 125 - To Find Help (we have an AFRS version)
1945-11-01 - Episode 164 - The Dunwich Horror (we have an AFRS version)
1946-01-10 - Episode 174 - This Was A Hero (we have an AFRS version)
1946-01-24 - Episode 176 - My Dear Niece (we have a network aircheck)
1946-01-31 - Episode 177 - The Long Shot (we have an AFRS version)
1946-02-07 - Episode 178 - Too Little to Live On (we have an AFRS version)
1946-03-07 - Episode 182 - The Black Path of Fear (we have an AFRS version)
1946-05-09 - Episode 191 - The Clock and the Rope (we have an AFRS version)
1946-05-23 - Episode 193 - Spoils for Victor (we have an AFRS version)
1951-02-22 - Episode 416 - Back Seat Driver (we have an AFRS version)
1951-04-19 - Episode 424 - The Rescue (we have an AFRS version and a partial aircheck)
1952-04-28 - Episode 470 - The Shooting of Billy the Kid (we have a network aircheck as a wire recording and an AFRS version)
1954-11-25 - Episode 572- Shooting Star (we have an AFRS version)
1955-01-06 - Episode 578 - Murder Aboard the Alphabet (we have an AFRS version)
1955-03-22 - Episode 589 - The Cellar (we have an AFRS version)
1955-08-23 - Episode 611 - The Beetle and Mr Bottle (we have an AFRS version)
1956-01-03 - Episode 630 - The Eavesdropper (we have an AFRS version)
1956-03-27 - Episode 642 - The Murderess (we have an AFRS version)
1956-04-10 - Episode 644 - The Lonely Heart (we have an AFRS version)
1956-06-26 - Episode 655 - The Treasure Chest of Don Jose (we have an AFRS version)
1956-11-11 - Episode 672 - Three Skeleton Key (we have an AFRS version)
1957-02-03 - Episode 683 - Frankie and Johnny (we have an AFRS version)
1957-02-17 - Episode 685 - Murder and Aunt Delia (we have an AFRS version)
1957-02-24 - Episode 686 - 227 Minutes of Hate (we have what seems like an AFRS version)
1957-03-31 - Episode 691 - A Good Neighbor (we have an AFRS version)
1957-04-07 - Episode 692 - Vanishing Lady (we have an AFRS version)
1957-04-14 - Episode 693 - Thou Shalt Not Commit (we have an AFRS version and an aircheck)
1957-04-28 - Episode 695 - Escape to Death (we have an AFRS version and an aircheck)
1957-05-12 - Episode 697 - Tarawa Was Tough (we have an AFRS version)
1957-05-26 - Episode 699- The Big Day (we have an AFRS version)
1957-06-23 - Episode 703 - A Load of Dynamite (we have an AFRS version)
1957-07-07 - Episode 705 - Alibi (we have an AFRS version)
1957-08-18 - Episode 711 - Peanut Brittle (we have an AFRS version)
1957-09-01 - Episode 713 - Man from Tomorrow (we have an AFRS version)
1957-09-15 - Episode 715 - Night On Red Mountain (we have an AFRS version)
1957-09-22 - Episode 716 - Shadow on the Wall (we have an AFRS version)
1957-09-29 - Episode 717 - Vamp 'Til Dead (we have an AFRS version)
1957-10-06 - Episode 718 - Misfire (we have an AFRS version)
1957-10-13 - Episode 719 - The Well-Dressed Corpse (we have an AFRS version)
1957-11-03 - Episode 722 - Firing Run (we have an AFRS version)
1957-11-17 - Episode 724 - The City That Was (we have an AFRS version)
1957-11-24 - Episode 725 - The Star of Thessaly (we have an AFRS version)
1957-12-08- Episode 727 - Speed Trap (we have an AFRS version)
1957-12-22 - Episode 729 - Dog Star (we have an AFRS version)
1958-01-05 - Episode 731 - A Week Ago Wednesday (we have an AFRS version)
1958-01-26 - Episode 734 - Nineteen Deacon Street (we have an AFRS version)
1958-02-09 - Episode 736 - The Long Shot (we have an AFRS version)
1958-02-16 - Episode 737 - One Chef Well Done (we have an AFRS version)
1958-02-23 - Episode 738 - Five Buck Tip (we have an AFRS version)
1958-03-02 - Episode 739 - Never Follow a Banjo Act (we have an AFRS version)
1958-04-06 - Episode 744 - Just One Happy Little Family (we have an AFRS version)
1958-04-13 - Episode 745 - Win, Place or Die (we have an AFRS version)
1958-04-20 - Episode 746 - Alibi Me (we have an AFRS version)
1958-04-27 - Episode 747 - Winner Lose All (we have an AFRS version)
1958-06-22 - Episode 755 - The Last Kilometer (we have an AFRS version)
1958-06-29 - Episode 756 - Rain Tonight (we have an AFRS version and a home aircheck)
1958-07-06 - Episode 757 - Rub Down and Out (we have an AFRS version)
1958-07-13 - Episode 758 - The Long Night (we have an AFRS version)
1958-07-20 - Episode 759 - It's All in Your Mind (we have an AFRS version)
1958-07-27 - Episode 760 - The Steel River Prison Break (we have an AFRS version)
1958-08-10 - Episode 762 - The Diary of Sophronia Winters (we have an AFRS version)
1958-08-17 - Episode 763 - The Bridge (we have an AFRS version)
1958-08-24 - Episode 764 - Remember Me (we have an AFRS version)
1958-08-31 - Episode 765 - The Whole Town's Sleeping (we have an AFRS version)
1958-11-30 - Episode 778 - A Statement Of Fact (we have an AFRS version)
1959-05-17 - Episode 801 - Friend of Daddy's (we have an AFRS version)
1960-09-25 - Episode 871 - Time on My Hands (we have an AFRS version)
These are episodes that have missing AFRS/AFRTS versions that are known to exist but have not been acquired yet. There are always AFRS and AFRTS recordings not listed here that occasionally surface and we are pleased to get them, especially if they replace a poor-sounding recording. This list is of known recordings found in catalogs and show lists that have not acquired yet. The list was prepared using RadioGoldindex (RGI) and Jerry Haendiges' transcription label site http://www.jerrysoldtimeradio.com/tdl-001/ (JH) and other sources.
1943-01-19 The Devils Saint w/ PeterLorre (AFRS Radio Theater, JH)
1943-02-16 In Fear and Trembling w/ MaryAstor (AFRS Radio Theater, JH, and noted in the AFRS book by McKenzie)
1943-10-07 Philomel Cottage (AFRS#25)
1944-02-03 The Sisters w/ I Lupino & A Moorehead (RGI)
1944-10-12 The Merry Widower (JH)
1945-04-19 Pearls are a Nuisance w/ William Bendix (RGI)
1945-05-03 Fear Paints a Picture w/ Lana Turner (RGI)
1945-06-14 The Burning Court w/Clifton Webb (disc collector on Facebook posted label image Dec 2021)
1945-12-27 Pink Camellias (AFRS#135)
1946-01-03 The Angel of Death w/ Pauk Heinreid (eBay)
1946-11-21 Drive In w/ Judy Garland (AFRS Mystery Theater, RGI)
1947-01-16 Overture in Two Keys w/ Joan Bennett (RGI)
1947-06-12 Stand-In (AFRTS Radio Theater, JH)
1947-10-23 X-Ray Camera (AFRTS Radio Theater, JH)
1948-09-09 Big Shot (AFRTS Radio Theater, JH)
1948-09-16 Hitchhike Poker (AFRTS Radio Theater, JH)
1949-03-31 You Can't Die Twice (AFRS#278)
1949-04-07 Noose of Coincidence (AFRS#279)
1949-04-14 Murder in Black and White (AFRS#280)
1949-09-22 Experiment 6R w/ John Lund (RGI)
1949-12-22 Double Entry
1950-01-12 Four Hours to Kill w/ Robert Taylor (RGI)
1951-11-26 Misfortune in Pearls w/ Frank Lovejoy (eBay)
1953-11-23 The Moonstone - Part Two (AFRS#464)
1954-01-11 One Man Crime Wave w//Dana Andrews (RGI)
1954-04-05 Grand Theft (AFRS#482)
1954-06-22 Sequel to Murder
1954-10-21 Rave Notice w/ Hans Conreid (RGI)
1954-12-23 Premonition (AFRS#512)
1955-02-10 Diagnosis of Death (AFRS#519)
1955-02-17 The Man with the Steel Teeth (AFRS#520)
1955-02-22 Waiting w/ V Janis, H Cleve, and C Lawrence (RGI)
1955-03-01 The Screaming Woman w/ Sherry Jackson (RGI)
1955-03-15 The Game w/ Sam Edwards and Gil Stratton Jr (RGI)
1955-03-29 Give Me Liberty w/ Tony Barrett (RGI)
1955-04-05 Zero Hour w/ Esa Ashdowne (RGI) (an AFRTS Adventure Theater exists)
1955-04-12 Lunch Kit w/ Harry Bartell (RGI)
1955-04-19 Speed Trap w/ Eddie Firestone (RGI)
1955-05-03 Remember Me w/ T Barrett and C Lawrence (RGI)
1955-05-31 Beyrouth By Sunrise w/ Mary Jane Croft (RGI)
1955-11-22 Classified Secret w/ Parley Baer (RGI)
1956-05-22 Fragile Contents Death w/ Vic Perrin (RGI)
1956-06-05 The Twelfth Rose w/ Paula Winslowe (JH)
1956-06-19 A Sleeping Draught w/ Ben Wright & A Sofaer (JH)
1956-07-03 The Music Lovers w/ Ben Wright (JH)
1956-07-11 Want Ad (AFRS#872)
1956-08-08 Double Identity (AFRS#875)
1957-06-02 Crossing Paris w/ Hans Conried (JH)
1957-12-29 Never Steal a Butcher's Wife
1959-02-22 Star Over Hong Kong w/ Marie Wilson (RGI)
1959-03-01 The Wax Work w/ Herbert Marshall (RGI)
1959-03-08 Madman Of Manhattan w/ M McCormick (RGI)
1959-03-15 Death In Box 234 w/ Frank Lovejoy (RGI)
1959-03-22 Script By Mark Brady w/ Marie Windsor (RGI)
1959-05-31 The Man Who Would Be King w/ Dan O'Herlihy (RGI)
1959-07-26 Night Man w/ Marsha Hunt (RGI)
1959-08-09 Everything Will Be Different w/ Cathy Lewis (JH) (RGI)
1960-10-16 Inferno (AFRS#806)
1962-01-21 2462 w/ Lawson Zerbe (JH)
1962-08-19 Pages from a Diary (sold on eBay)
1962-09-02 Death Of Alexander Jordan w/ C Lembke & P McGrath (RGI, JH)
1962-09-09 Strange Day In May w/ William Mason (JH)
1962-09-23 The Golden Years
1962-09-30 Devilstone w/ Chris Carey& Neal Fitzgerald (JH)
# # #
This pCloud link has AFRS recordings from disc that are just part 1 or part 2 alone. The missing parts are being sought to complete the programs.
https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=kZW9NX5ZY2NMpG1BqnJDNTxSPDa0EB9faliy
These are the recordings in the pCloud folder
AFRS 536 Frankenstein Part 2 (237531)
AFRS 561 This Will Kill You Part 2 (UR 243876)
AFRS 526 Give Me Liberty Part l (235335)
AFRS 528 Lunch Kit Part 2 (236814)
AFRS 519 Diagnosis Of Death Part 1 (233214)
AFRS 521 Waiting Part 2 (233782)
AFRS 520 The Man With The steel Teeth Part 2 (233475)
AFRS 512 Premonition Part 2 (231846)
AFRS 569 variations on A Theme Part 1 (UR 45426)
AFRS 482 Grand Theft Part 2 (part 1 crossed out) (215834)
This online spreadsheet tracks all of the known AFRS/AFRTS episode numbers. Click here to see it. Because the AFRS did not always apply numbering patterns that coincided with the chronological broadcast dates, this resource can he helpful in identifying discs when the recordings may not be available. AFRS issued Suspense multiple times over the decades, and there can be multiple program numbers assigned.
For further information or to advise about the finding of a recording, please send an email to suspenseOTR@gmail.com
Joe Webb,
Wake Forest, NC