Suspense - Summer Storm (#162)
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 2023-06-27

Suspense - 10/18/45, episode 162
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

Henry Fonda plays a man with a police record who decides to skip out on paying his rent, but his landlord won’t let him. The landlord is having a meal of pigs knuckles, which plays into the story later. An argument about the rent becomes violent and Fonda’s character shoves him and believes he killed him. He realizes he can’t get away and has to hide in the house until he has an opportunity to flee. The facts of his past means that even though the death was accidental, it was more likely he’d be accused of murder.

The story is by Louis Este, who was also a writer for The Whistler. 

There are three surviving recordings, both east and west network broadcasts and the Armed Forces Radio Service recording (#125). The AFRS recording is drawn from the east broadcast. Times are approximate. East and west broadcasts are about the same, with the west slightly better to some ears. The AFRS recording is from a damaged disc, but the sound improved at about 5 minutes into the program.

East 3:27 “Better wait awhile, Eddie”

AFRS 2:53 “Better wait awhile, Eddie”

West 3:17 “Better... better wait awhile, Eddie.”

Summer Storm was produced and directed by Suspense creator Charles Vanda. William Spier is recovering from a heart attack.

Vanda left for military service during the Summer 1942 season of Suspense and helped create the Armed Forces Radio Service. 

The story was re-done on the Suspense television series with the addition of a son to Henry Fonda’s character. That took the edge off the monologue segments that are a major part of the radio production. https://archive.org/details/Suspense--Summer_Storm

This was Henry Fonda’s only Suspense appearance.

The cast: HENRY FONDA (Eddie), Verna Felton (Mrs. Waters), Lou Merrill (Mr. Waters / Dan the Policeman), Ken Christy (Mike the Counterman), Wally Maher (O’Farrell), Elliott Lewis (Graham), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice)  

For more information visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/06/1945-10-18-summer-storm.html