Search - Suspense: The Lost Episodes - Collection 1 on DVD

Finally on DVD! Grab it today!

Martin Grams, Jr. | United States | 05/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This horror anthology TV series was broadcast on "live" television, meaning it was never filmed. The episodes are preserved courtesy of a method known as "kinescope" so don't expect superb prints. No one has superb prints. But . . . the picture and sound quality is as good as it gets and thank goodness someone put them out. This is the first of three box sets containing the SUSPENESE TV series, and they have NEVER been available on VHS or DVD before. I do recommend you buy the book on SUSPENSE (also available on Amazon) as a companion piece and enjoy!"

Here is a listing of the items in this set.

DodgyUSA | Jamaica Plain, MA United States | 09/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't bought this item yet, but for those of you who want to know WHAT is in this collection, here is the listing, thanks to B&N.







I am a collector of KARLOFF and I have knowledge of only six shows he did under "Suspense".



(The Signal Man, The Black Prophet, The Lonely Place, The Yellow Scarf, The Monkey's Paw, and A Night at an Inn)





So this will be a treat to see NIGHT AT THE INN.







Menu



Disc #1 -- Suspense: The Lost Episodes Collection, Vol. 1



A Night at the Inn



Dead Ernest



Help Wanted



The Comic Strip Murder



Dr. Violet



The Murderer



Black Passage



The Man in the House



Disc #2 -- Suspense: The Lost Episodes Collection, Vol. 1



The Suicide Club



The Parcel



My Old Man's Badge



Photo Finish



Edge of Panic



The Brush - Off



Dead Fall



Double Entry



Disc #3 -- Suspense: The Lost Episodes Collection, Vol. 1



On a Country Road



Summer Storm



Wisteria Cottage



The Black Panther



Alibi Me



The Debt



The Crooked Frame



Remember Me?



Disc #4 -- Suspense: The Lost Episodes Collection, Vol. 1



Woman in Love



The Invisible Killer



Vacancy For Death



The Kiss - Off



Kiss Me Again Stranger



The Duel



"

Definitely Worth Preserving: Suspense

mackjay | Cambridge, MA | 09/17/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The stories in this series are surprisingly good. Unlike many early TV thrillers, these actually generate a good amount of suspense. So they are worth seeing for that reason. Another reason to watch them is the casts. It can be great fun spotting faces that will become well-known in later years: Lee Marvin, Eva Marie Saint, Barry Nelson, Anne Francis, Leslie Neilson and many others who were literally unknown in 1949-51. On the other hand, at least one episode features the legendary acting teacher Stella Adler. Some of the acting on these shows (all performed LIVE) is poor, and actors occasionally flub their lines (even when they only have one!). The productions are very low-budget too. But the writing, most of the acting, and the fascinating casts can add up to some pretty entertaining viewing. Some episodes contain the entire Auto-Lite commercial material (it goes on a long time, but you can fast-forward), and some episodes have it cut out. These programs exist only in kinescope (a filmed image of a TV monitor). They were probably not meant for posterity, but for showing on the West Coast, assuming they were produced in NYC. The quality of the kinescopes is variable, but some do look quite good, too bad the audio was not captured in better quality. Still, for those interested in early TV this is one of the best extant anthologies from those long-ago days."

Absolutely fascinating!

"Gimpy" Peach Johnson | 02/07/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've long counted myself a fan of old-time radio dramas, and the Suspense radio program (1942-1962) has always been my favorite. For most of its run, the program was broadcast from Hollywood and borrowed top Hollywood actors each week to star in gripping 30-minute (and for a time 60-minute) dramas. In addition to the generally excellent writing and production values, part of the appeal of the radio program has always been hearing stars as diverse as Ronald Reagan, Fibber McGee and Molly, Frank Sinatra, Stan Freberg, Sterling Holloway (voice of Winnie-The-Pooh), and so many other Hollywood notables step outside their usual roles to play characters facing (usually) life-or-death situations. For years, I had heard and read about the Suspense TV show which aired from 1949-1954. The radio shows from that time period almost always put in a plug for the TV version at the end of each episode. Until now, though, fewer than a half-dozen episodes were known to exist, and they were in circulation among collectors in fuzzy, multi-generation VHS copies. I had those and was fascinated by the ability to "watch" my favorite radio show and through the snowy, faded, images on my screen, catch a glimpse of real "live" TV from very early in the medium's history.



I was astounded to learn of this DVD set shortly before its release. Kinescopes of some 90 TV episodes of Suspense had been discovered and were to be released on DVD!? It was such a "dream come true" that at first, I thought it must be some kind of late April Fool's Day joke. But now that I've watched most of Volume 1 (with Volume 2 waiting on my shelf), I know that it's no joke! The episodes really are here, complete with original Auto-Lite commercials (and closing CBS logo) intact. The print quality, despite the flaws, is still far above the nearly unwatchable VHS episodes I had. As others have pointed out, these shows were preserved on kinescopes (basically, a motion picture film camera mounted in front of a television monitor) and the picture on most is mediocre (some are a little worse, others a bit better). Still, this is the best picture we're ever likely to get, and it's just amazing that these survived at all. The kinescopes were NOT used for West Coast time-delay (as another reviewer suggested) since the entire TV show was repeated live for the West Coast. The audio quality varies too. Some episodes, like "A Night At The Inn," are so muddy that the dialogue is at times nearly incomprehensible, but for most, the sound is o.k. You can always clearly understand the Auto-Lite spokesman, even if you can't understand the dialogue in the story!



Having watched a couple dozen episodes now, I have to admit that the TV shows are mildly disappointing compared to the radio version. Most episodes are adapted from radio scripts, but without the big name actors and top-notch music and sound effects heard on radio. On TV, the actors are usually decent (a few are painfully bad), music is supplied only by an organ, and the sets restrict the viewer's imagination. The series was broadcast live from a soundstage in New York City, and it's quite remarkable that they were able to construct the sets they did for each episode, but they just can't compete with the "sets" in my mind when listening to the radio show.



Despite the rather primitive special effects, weak acting, and uneven audio and video quality, I would still recommend this DVD set. The shows are still entertaining in their own right, but are even more entertaining when one considers their historical context. Fans of old-time radio and early television will probably be delighted with this set and its companion volumes (as I am), but those more accustomed to slickly-produced, action-packed modern-day suspense programs like "24" will probably be disappointed. Still, I'm thrilled to be able to own these Suspense episodes on DVD. I'm so glad Infinity has taken the time to properly transfer and make these historic programs available. Thank you!"