BW - EP154—008: Stars on Suspense in 1944—Listen To Olivia De Havilland in "Voyage Through Darkness"

Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers Bill Spier recovered from his second heart attack in the fall, just in time for cooling weather, Friday night football games, and autumn dances. While Suspense aired all-year-round, it was perfect for brisk evenings. With Spier’s musical aptitude, a swelling orchestra had become a Suspense staple. Lud Gluskin and Lucien Morawek worked together to produce and conduct haunting, functional scores. Morawek told Radio Life that Spier was the most musically adept radio director he had ever worked with. On September 7th, 1944 Olivia De Havilland made her only appearance on Suspense in a play entitled “Voyage Through Darkness,” written by Joel Malone who was best known for his work on The Whistler. In this episode, De Havilland’s character is on a cruise home from England. Her deceased employer’s coffin is on board. She was directed to supervise his burial-at-sea. A stowaway is found. He’s believed to be “the Blackout Killer” of London. This would be the last episode of Suspense to air on different nights for the East and West coast. Beginning on September 14th all episodes of Suspense would air on the same night, making it easier for the Hollywood stars that were now lining up to work on the show. Roughly seven million people heard this broadcast.