Back in the 1970s I amassed quite a collection of what are now called "old radio shows" on cassette tape. Those old radio shows are now as much an antique as the cassettes they are recorded on!
The hobby started when our local library introduced me to a vast archive of cassettes patrons could check out. I fell in love with the radio of the 1940s and 1950s. From the comedy shows of Jack Benny and Fred Allen to the mystery dramas of "Suspense", the talent of that time frame (before television came on the scene) will never be surpassed.
Recently I rummaged through an old box and pulled out those old cassettes. My wife has now been indoctrinated into "Radio's outstanding theater of thrills......SUSPENSE!"
"Suspense" was a radio drama where the "tale was well calculated to keep you in suspense..." in other words you were on the edge of your seat wondering what was coming next.
Many stars of the day appeared on "Suspense" including my beloved Lucille Ball. Long before "I Love Lucy" she gets strangled in the episode entitled "A Piece of Rope", she thinks she has witnessed a murder committed by co-star Desi Arnaz in "The Red Headed Woman" or she is so evil she is killed in "A Shroud for Sarah."
"Suspense" was on the radio from 1942 until 1962. Quite a long run. You can easily find inexpensive access to "Suspense" shows by simply doing a search as they are readily available in mp3 format...or click on the Lucy episode titles listed above to listen via Youtube!
Sorry but today you won't find a bottle of Roma wine, "spelled are-oh-em-aye........" the then most popular wine in America and sponsor of "Suspense" for many years. Roma went the way of old time radio shows, but it is lots of fun to shut off the tv and let your mind create the picture.
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