Suspense

Suspense began as an audition program in 1940, with Alfred Hitchcock himself directing the pilot — an adaptation of his 1926 film 'The Lodger.' The regular weekly series launched June 17, 1942. Bernard Herrmann — who later scored Psycho for Hitchcock — composed the haunting 'Wailing Winds' theme. The show quickly became the premier showcase for Hollywood talent on radio. Writer Lucille Fletcher contributed two celebrated episodes: 'Sorry, Wrong Number' (May 25, 1943), which starred Agnes Moorehead and was remade seven times, and 'The Hitch-Hiker' (September 2, 1942). The show ran for over 940 episodes, surviving multiple sponsor changes and the rise of television. In 1946 it received a Peabody Award Special Citation. More than 900 of its episodes survive, making it one of the best-preserved programs of the era.