Suspense - My Own Murderer (#141)
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 06/06/2023

Suspense - 05/24/45, episode 141
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

Herbert Marshall stars as a lawyer too smart for his own good and helps a friend to fake a death. It seems his friend killed his blackmailing butler and needs to cover up the crime, disappear, and come back with a new identity. For the disappearance to work, they have to leave convincing evidence that he committed suicide. The whole thing goes awry as too many people know too much and making a faked death convincing requires getting close to doing the real thing. Perhaps too close. Or was that the plan all along?

The main character, played by Marshall, is “Richard Sampson.” The author of the original story is “Richard Hull.” That’s the pen name of British novelist Richard Henry Sampson who wrote the original story. The use of his real name as the central character was in the original 1940 novel and is continued here. The Hull novel was adapted for Suspense by Silvia Richards.

This story was originally planned for 1945-05-31 and is one of the rare times a broadcast was broadcast earlier than originally planned.

Three recordings have survived, two network recordings with east or west designation unknown, and the Armed Forces Radio Service (#104) recording. The recordings can be identified by their time to network ID and are noted as “(6s)” and “(10s).” The AFRS recording is drawn from the “(10s)” broadcast. Times are approximate for a dialogue difference that marks the two broadcasts:

6 seconds to ID 1:43 “...just about right for..for a bachelor who never entertains”

10 seconds to ID 1:42 “.. just about right for a bachelor who never entertains”

AFRS 0:56 “...just about right for a bachelor who never entertains”

The AFRS opening is very scratchy from disc damage. The best-sounding recording is the “(6s)” network recording.

The cast: HERBERT MARSHALL (Richard Sampson), NORMAN LLOYD (Alan Raynick), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice / Policeman / Chatsworth), unknown (Margaret Farley), unknown (Ellen), unknown (Anita Kilner), unknown (Jeremiah Bloggins)

For more information, visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/06/1945-05-24-my-own-murderer.html