Suspense - Philomel Cottage (#224)
Channel: Old Time Radio Researchers
Date: 2023-09-05

Suspense: 12/26/46, episode 224
Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

Lilli Palmer stars in this repeated script of an Agatha Christie story adapted by Harold Medford. 

The story is about a newly married woman who believes her husband might have a plan to kill her. It was previously performed in October 1943 with Orson Welles. Details about that and the July 1942 performance are at https://archive.org/details/TSP431007 This time, however, the script received the benefit of the bigger budget and lusher production from the Roma Wines sponsorship.


This broadcast was the first and only appearance of Lilli Palmer on Suspense. Her film career began in the 1930s and lasted five decades. At the time of this broadcast, she was married to actor Rex Harrison, a marriage that would last about 15 years. They met when she was performing in films in Britain. They moved to Hollywood in 1945. She was not on radio often. Details about her career as a stage performer, writer, television personality and other roles are summarized at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilli_Palmer

The east and west coast network broadcasts have survived. The east broadcast has the tease for The FBI in Peace and War but what is more distinctive is a flub where Bill Johnstone mispronounces Alfred Hitchcock’s name! The cast does their best to contain their laughter. Announcer Ken Niles does until the very last moment of the closing announcement.

The west coast recording (this version) is the best… but it has a clipped opening. About 20 seconds or so is missing at the beginning. The rest of the recording is excellent. There is a complete west coast recording of lower quality. But it is fun to listen to the flub at the end of the east recording. To enjoy the story, listen to the west; to get a glimpse into Suspense history, listen to the end of the east recording. The flub is at about the 28:50 mark, where Johnstone mentions upcoming guests “Dan Duryea, Alexander… (awkward pause) Hitchcock!, and others.” You can tell Johnstone realizes his gaffe and is holding back a laugh. Before Niles announces the network ID, which he barely gets through before starting to laugh, you can hear muffled chuckling in the background.

The cast: LILLI PALMER (Alix Martin), Elliott Lewis (Gerald Martin), Raymond Lawrence (George), Bill Johnstone (Signature Voice / Voice on phone), Denis Green? (Dick), Wally Maher (Police constable)

For more information visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2023/09/1946-12-26-philomel-cottage.html