Suspense - Three O'Clock (#330)
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 10/01/2024

Suspense: 03/10/49, episode 330
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

The broadcast of Three O’Clock with Van Heflin may be one of the finest performances and productions of radio’s golden age. It is a marvelous convergence of a great Cornell Woolrich story, a superb actor, excellent effects, a terrific supporting cast, superior use of music to heighten the mood and many changes of scenes, innovative direction that demarcates the present and a flashback so well, and much more.

The Woolrich story is adapted by Walter Brown Newman, a noted writer whose career would include three Oscar nominations for best screenplay spread over three different decades.

The story begins with husband Paul, played by Heflin, recounting the circumstances that lead to his decision to enact a plan to destroy his home to murder his cheating wife while escaping detection with an unshakable alibi. After setting up the timed explosion, his exit from the home is thwarted by burglars. They tie him to a chair in the basement and gag him, placing him right next to the device he set for his selfish revenge.

It is later revealed that the premise for that marital retaliation is flawed; she has not been cheating on him. She has been keeping her activities secret as she assisted her troubled brother. She was concerned that Paul might not like her getting involved with her convict sibling. Paul’s lack of trust for her leads to his misinterpreting her actions. Once he learns the truth, the fear, panic, and regret he has drives the Heflin performance. Paul’s remorse grows deeper in his helplessness. The emotional whirlwind brings him to sudden death as the clock alarm rings at the end of the story. Paul only has himself to blame for his dilemma. He suffers alone, pleading for help and forgiveness that no one can hear, and pondering the misfortune his actions will create. He will never know how lucky he was that his plan failed, and that he will become the sole victim of his plan.

That is the general background of the story… there are many more details and subtleties about Heflin’s performance.

There are two recordings of this broadcast. The better recording is of the network broadcast. The other recording is an Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) highly edited version that is in low quality. The Heflin performance can be fully enjoyed and understood only in the best possible sound, which makes the network recording the best choice.

Alfred Hitchcock had a TV series that was separate from the better-known Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It was a series on NBC that ran from 1957 to 1958. Suspicion had 42 productions, and like the legendary Playhouse 90, had half of its productions as filmed and the other half as live. Hitchcock produced this story himself as Four O’Clock. It starred EG Marshall and the ending was truer to the original story. Paul is driven to the point of insanity, and does not die, but is carried off in a straitjacket. The hour-long production can be viewed at https://archive.org/details/Suspicion_1_01_Four_O_clock 

The cast: VAN HEFLIN (Paul), Georgia Ellis (Francie / Bobby), Ted de Corsia (Duke / Cop), Walter Craig (Lou / Gas Man), Walter Burke (Earl / Gas Man 2), George Baxter (Dave / Doc), Ann Morrison (Bobby’s Mother), Paul Frees (Signature Voice)

COMMERCIAL: Bill Johnstone (Hap), Sylvia Simms (Operator), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer)

For more information visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2024/01/1949-03-10-three-oclock.html