Suspense - "Three Blind Mice" (01-30-47)

Three Blind Mice (Aired January 30, 1947)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Classics "Till Then" (1963)

Suspense was actually spawned from another series called Forecast. The 1940 horror show was entitled Suspense and it was based on the Marie Belloc Lowndes' short Jack-the-Ripper novella, The Lodger. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who had made a 1926 silent film based on the same story (Grams, 1997, 3). Its subtle ending generated a large volume of mail which convinced CBS executives that they had a strong market. Two years later, Suspense was aired. It became one of radio's longest lasting shows, surviving twenty years of consistent success. It had numerous announcers during those two decades, ranging from the early Berry Kroeger to the veteran announcers, Paul Frees and George Walsh. But it was Joseph Kearns who evolved into "The Man in Black" host in 1943. This mysterious all-knowing narrator was similar to The Whistler.. The character lasted for over 100 episodes until March of 1945. Kerns continued as host through 1947, and returned again in 1950, but "The Man in Black" role devolved back into a nameless announcer (Grams, 1997, 17).

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
January 30, 1947. CBS network. "Three Blind Mice". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A man frames his partner for murder when the third partner is found with a neat bullet hole in his body. Kenneth Pettis (writer), Robert L. Richards (writer), Van Heflin, Cathy Lewis, Joseph Kearns (announcer), Ken Niles (commercial spokesman), William Spier (producer, director), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.