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. The Old Lady of Bayeux1952-09-02
- 2. Call From a Killer1952-09-09
- 3. The Return of Dr. Bourdette1952-09-16
- 4. Set-Up For Death1952-09-23
- 5. The Beach of Falesa1952-09-30
- 6. The Man in the Mirror1952-10-07
- 7. Blue Panther1952-10-14
- 8. The Man Who Had Seven Hours1952-10-21
- 9. All Hallow's Eve1952-10-28
- 10. The Moving Target1952-11-11
- 11. Monsieur Vidocq1952-11-18
- 12. The Whispering Killer1952-11-25
- 13. A Time of Innocence1952-12-02
- 14. The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow1952-12-09
- 15. The Tortured Hand1952-12-16
- 16. The Deadly Lamb1952-12-23
- 17. The Invisible Killer1952-12-30
- 18. Little Camorra1953-01-06
- 19. Mr. Matches1953-01-13
- 20. Vacancy for Death1953-01-20
- 21. Career1953-01-27
- 22. Mutiny Below1953-02-03
- 23. A Study in Stone1953-02-10
- 24. The Quarry1953-02-17
- 25. They Haven't Killed Me Yet1953-02-24
- 26. The Kiss Off1953-03-03
- 27. The Legend of Lizzie1953-03-10
- 28. The Black Prophet1953-03-17
- 29. Portrait of Constance1953-03-24
- 30. Death in the Cave1953-03-31
- 31. Kiss Me Again, Stranger1953-04-14
- 32. The Duel1953-04-21
- 33. F.O.B. Vienna1953-04-28
- 34. The Suitor1953-05-05
- 35. Death of an Editor1953-05-12
- 36. Come into My Parlor1953-05-19
- 37. The Adventure of the Black Baronet1953-05-26
- 38. The Queen's Ring1953-06-02
- 39. The Man Who Cried Wolf1953-06-09
- 40. See No Evil1953-06-16
- 41. The Signal Man1953-06-23
- 42. The Fury of Senorita Gomez1953-06-30
- 43. The Mascot1953-07-07
- 44. The Dutch Schultz Story1953-07-14
- 45. Pigeon in the Cage1953-07-21
- 46. The Dance1953-07-28
- 47. Vial of Death1953-08-04
- 48. Point Blank1953-08-11
- 49. Nightmare at Ground Zero1953-08-18
- 50. Death in Passing1953-08-25