Suspense is an American television anthology series that ran on CBS Television from 1949 to 1954. It was adapted from the radio program of the same name which ran from 1942 to 1962. Like many early television programs, the show was broadcast live from New York City. It was sponsored by the Auto-Lite corporation, and each episode was introduced by host Rex Marshall, 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, Agatha Christie, and Charles Dickens all had stories adapted for the series, while contemporary authors such as Roald Dahl and Gore Vidal also contributed. Many notable actors appeared on the program, including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Franchot Tone, Robert Emhardt, Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, and many more.
The program was a live television series, but most episodes were recorded on kinescope. However, only about 90 of the 260 episodes survive today.
- 1. Paradise Junction1953-09-01
- 2. Reign of Terror1953-09-08
- 3. The Darkest Night1953-09-15
- 4. The Riddle of Mayerling1953-09-22
- 5. The Sister1953-09-29
- 6. Death at Skirerud Pond1953-10-06
- 7. The Accounting1953-10-13
- 8. The Valley of the Kings1953-10-20
- 9. The Others1953-10-27
- 10. The Interruption1953-11-03
- 11. Needle in a Haystack1953-11-10
- 12. The Newcomer1953-11-17
- 13. My Short Walk to Freedom1953-11-24
- 14. Laugh It Off1953-12-01
- 15. The Dance1953-12-08
- 16. Cagliostro and the Chess Player1953-12-15
- 17. The Gift of Fear1953-12-22
- 18. Mr. Nobody1953-12-29
- 19. Diamonds in the Sky1954-01-05
- 20. The Scrap Iron Curtain1954-01-12
- 21. The Haunted1954-01-19
- 22. An Affair With a Ghost1954-01-26
- 23. The Man Who Wouldn't Talk1954-02-02
- 24. The Moonstone1954-02-09
- 25. The Execution1954-02-16
- 26. Death on the Screen1954-02-23
- 27. I Do Solemnly Swear1954-03-02
- 28. Before the Act1954-03-09
- 29. The Fourth Degree1954-03-16
- 30. The Tenth Reunion1954-03-23
- 31. Torment1954-03-30
- 32. Open Transom1954-04-06
- 33. Operation: Barracuda1954-04-13
- 34. The Return Journey1954-04-20
- 35. The Terror Begins1954-04-27
- 37. Operation: Nightmare1954-05-11
- 38. Breakout1954-05-18
- 39. Fingerprints1954-05-25
- 40. Race Against Murder1954-06-01
- 41. North Side1954-06-08
- 42. The Pistol Shot1954-06-15
- 43. String1954-06-22
- 44. The Hunted1954-06-29
- 45. The Girl in Car Thirty-Two1954-07-06
- 46. Conversation at an Inn1954-07-13
- 47. Once a Killer1954-07-20
- 48. Main Feature: Death1954-07-27
- 49. The Last Stand1954-08-03
- 50. The Iron Cop1954-08-10
- 51. Barn Burning1954-08-17