Paul Frees	Joseph Kearns	Berry Kroeger
Ted Osborne		George Walsh

One of the premier drama programs of Radio - "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era. The show ran from 1942 until 30 September 1962. Approximately 945 episodes were broadcast during with more than 900 still existing. The UK radio show "Appointment With Fear" was a version of "Suspense", complete with the same music theme, and "The Man In Black". In 1949, "Suspense" a spin-off television show started with Rex Marshall as the show's announcer. The Show would run until 1954. "Suspense" went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors, and director/producers. Formula plot devices were followed for all but a handful of episodes with the protagonist usually an average person suddenly finding themself in a threatening or bizarre situation; with solutions "withheld until the last possible second"; with the wrong doers usually being punished in the end.

"Suspense" had numerous announcers during its twenty year run, ranging from the early Berry Kroeger to the veteran announcers, Paul Frees and George Walsh.

But it was Joseph Kearns who evolved into "The Man in Black" host in 1943. The character lasted for over 100 episodes until March of 1945. Kerns continued as host through until 1947, and returned again in 1950, but "The Man in Black" role devolved back into a nameless announcer. (Ted Osborne also played The Man In Black when he substituted for Kearns during two episodes in 1943.) An example of an opening narration: "This is your narrator, the man in black. Again about to introduce tonight's Columbia program... Suspense! and An example of a closing narration: "We invite you to another adventure of Suspense next Tuesday at the same hour. Until then, this is the Man In Black saying... good night..." Some of the episode scripts were used in the last 13 episodes of the radio series "The Clock".

The below is an episode from the series:

Suspense radio episode from The Professor on Vimeo.

LINKS

Radio Spirits "Joseph Kearns"

Wikipedia "Suspense"

Radio Horror Hosts "Suspense"

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