Suspense - Beyond Reason (#284)
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 14/11/2023

Suspense: 02/21/48, episode 284
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

This broadcast is the first “truly new” hour-long script for Suspense. The prior episodes in this period were half-hour scripts that were joined to make a full hour with little adjustment to the original storylines (The Kandy Tooth, originally presented on The Adventures of Sam Spade in two episodes, and Donovan’s Brain, originally presented in two parts on Suspense). The others were scripts that were expanded from their earlier use in the series. How strange: the 60-minute initiative was started in a big rush of activity and enthusiasm, but there were no suitable original scripts. 

The story stars Ruth Warrick and Robert Ryan. The script was by Devery Freeman. He had a long and very successful career as a writer, novelist, screenwriter, broadcast executive, and producer. He played a key role in the forming of the Writers Guild. In his WW2 service, he was a co-founder of the Navy unit of the Armed Forces Radio Service.

This is the first Suspense broadcast produced by Anton M. Leader. His tenure would continue through the first full season of the Auto-Lite sponsorship.

A pedestrian man dies when a car strikes him down, and he leaves his estate to his three daughters. There is a large area of undeveloped land that is left in the will. The man’s business partner wants to develop the land. Ruth Warrick’s character (Vangie, short for “Evangeline”) ends up being courted by him. For what reason? To get the property? She’s suspicious. They eventually learn that the partnership did not begin until just before the father was killed in the accident. He had never had a partner before. Nonetheless, Vangie marries the partner in Las Vegas. The young sister is irked at the situation… and she is found dead! This very strange man is disrupting the family and his motives are suspect for everything he does. A gas heater that is set up incorrectly almost kills Vangie. Something’s wrong but there’s still broadcast time to fill. Is Vangie to blame, with a psychological disorder that compels her to create accidents as a means to suicide? Or is that a convenient, concocted alibi for him to get away for murder?

There are some recordings of this broadcast that have a clipped opening. Keith advised that there was a chip in the edge of the first transcription. The recording here is complete, indicating that there was another attempt at a different time to record that section of the disc and it was successful.

The cast: ROBERT RYAN (Harry Newton), RUTH WARRICK (Vangie Carr), Joan Banks (Grace Carr), Berry Kroeger (Witness / Gurney), Harald Dyrenforth (Dr. Rupert), Bill Johnstone (Signature Voice / Leonard Walden), Franc Hale (Aunt Martha), Dick Ryan (Lawyer / Erin, the gardener), Peggy Webber (Suzie Carr), Gail Bonney (Bystander)

For more information visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/11/1948-02-21-beyond-reason.html