Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962. I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show. It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour. For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode. {My archive list of episodes}
"Noose of Coincidence"
Air date: April 7, 1949
Starring Ronald Colman
Starring Ronald Colman
>>Episodes here<<
A man by the name of Christopher Swan enters the bookshop owned by another man named Christopher Swan and shares with him a prophecy of the bookshop owner's future. He predicts that bookish bachelor Chris Swan will soon marry a redheaded girl named Margaret. Of course Chris is dismissive but soon he meets Margaret and wants to marry her. The psychic crosses his path yet again and makes a much more sinister prediction. That he will be hanged by the neck until he is dead on November 9th.
So many thoughts on this particular episode. First is that I love Ronald Colman - he has such a lovely voice, I could listen to him forever. Next is that I don't believe in psychics so immediately upon starting this episode there's fun in trying to figure out what the realistic explanation is for the psychic's predictions. And let's just say, I got it right. Then there is Margaret - I thought it was so hilarious how when Chris marries her, she seems to be so sweet, and then immediately after her acceptance of his proposal, we hear how their marriage has been going, and she's horribly shrewish and shockingly dismissive of Chris as being lazy because he likes to read books. (I was waiting for a prophecy of her death!) The last entertaining piece of this wonderful episode is the psychic and how annoyingly pompous and pretentious he is! It's important to his character, but I wonder that the bookshop owner even tolerates talking to him for a minute! This is a great episode!
So many thoughts on this particular episode. First is that I love Ronald Colman - he has such a lovely voice, I could listen to him forever. Next is that I don't believe in psychics so immediately upon starting this episode there's fun in trying to figure out what the realistic explanation is for the psychic's predictions. And let's just say, I got it right. Then there is Margaret - I thought it was so hilarious how when Chris marries her, she seems to be so sweet, and then immediately after her acceptance of his proposal, we hear how their marriage has been going, and she's horribly shrewish and shockingly dismissive of Chris as being lazy because he likes to read books. (I was waiting for a prophecy of her death!) The last entertaining piece of this wonderful episode is the psychic and how annoyingly pompous and pretentious he is! It's important to his character, but I wonder that the bookshop owner even tolerates talking to him for a minute! This is a great episode!
What an interesting post, I love it! These old shows get forgotten what a lovely reminder there was good radio so long ago too.
ReplyDeleteThank you! The historical nature of these shows is partly why I love listening to them. Also because they can be such good stories. Thanks for commenting!
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