Suspense Sundays (149) Bitter Grapes

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.

"Bitter Grapes"

Air date: May 1, 1960
Starring Rita Lloyd

>>Episodes here<<

Hypochondriac extraordinaire Mrs. Blake is sure she's going to die soon, and she's angry because she's also sure her husband is cheating on her.  So she makes a special dish for him with poison in it at their country home with a letter to him, and then makes a message on a record telling him that the food he just ate was poisoned and that he will die along with her.  Just after recording her message and putting it in the box to be mailed, she realizes she's not actually going to die soon and she is now desperate to get that recording back before it reaches her husband's private P.O. box.

An alternate title for this episode could be Overreaction, since Mrs. Blake seems to go off the deep end in everything she does.  In her hypochondria, in her attempt to first break the box that contained the records, to running about town trying to follow the mail truck.  It's a tragic and ironic end though, when she discovers that she was sent a record from her husband as well, and her husband explains why he's been so distant.  Well almost tragic though, since there is a happy ending.  I was actually very happy for that, it was nice change of pace because I was really expecting the worst.