Suspense - Library Book (#158)
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 23/06/2023

Suspense - 09/20/45, episode 158
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

This episode was based on the Cornell Woolrich short story The Book that Squealed which appeared in the August 1939 issue of Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine. It was adapted for Suspense by Silvia Richards.

Loy’s character realizes that individual words are cut out of the book. She checks what words they are and realizes that they comprise a ransom note when arranged in a particular order. She follows through the loan history of the book and investigates what happens.

There are two network recordings. One has a close that goes directly to network ID (“dirID”) and the other has an 8-second pause “(8s).” The “dirID” recording is the better of the two. The “8s” recording has some opening disc skips which is why it was not widely circulated. There are some copies that start mid-commercial with the disc skips edited out. The edge of the disc was obviously damaged with the usual opening unplayable.

There is a miscue in the “(8s)” version. At the beginning of the drama, Loy says she’ll answer the phone and says “public library” while the phone is still ringing. Audio segments like this help identify which network broadcast was used for the Armed Forces Radio Service recordings. No AFRS recording of this episode has been found, but this will be used to help identify its network source.

The cast: MYRNA LOY (Prudence Roberts), Cathy Lewis (Maggie Hughes), Wally Maher (Lieutenant Murphy), Conrad Binyon (Boy in library), Ken Christy (Eddie), Junius Matthews (Older library patron / Duke), Peggy Rea? (Miss Baumgarten), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice / Police Captain), Jeanette Nolan? (Mrs. Rudnick), unknown (Melanie Stevens), unknown (Landlady), unknown (Cab Driver)

For more information visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/06/1945-09-20-library-book.html