The Suspense Project: 1948-11-18 Sorry, Wrong Number - Info and Reading Options

The Internet Archive:

<p>This is the “fifth” production of <i>Sorry, Wrong Number</i><i> </i>on <i>Suspense. </i>Because of east and west broadcasts in the past and on this date, <i><u>this is the </u></i><i><u>eighth</u></i><i><u> time Moorehead performs the script </u></i><i><u>on </u></i><span style="font-style:normal;"><u>Suspense</u></span>. <b>This is the final time </b><i><b>SWN </b></i><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>was </b></span><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>performed as </b></span><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>a live broadcast.</b></span></p> <p><i>Sorry, Wrong Number</i><span style="font-style:normal;"> </span><span style="font-style:normal;">was expected to be an annual event for the series but it did not happen. The last time </span><i>SWN </i><span style="font-style:normal;">was broadcast on </span><i>Suspense </i><span style="font-style:normal;">was September 1945. Moorehead performed an abridged version (14 minutes long) on </span><i>Philco Radio Hall of Fame </i><span style="font-style:normal;">on 1946-03-24. It was likely two broadcasts, east and west. The </span><i>Philco </i><span style="font-style:normal;">appearance was the only time the script was performed before a live audience, something she did not like. Moorehead said that </span><span style="font-style:normal;">presenting</span><i> SWN</i><span style="font-style:normal;"> on </span><i>Philco</i><span style="font-style:normal;"> and</span><span style="font-style:normal;"> before live audiences... </span> </p> <ul> <li><p style="font-style:normal;">“are potential program wreckers”</p></li> <li><p style="font-style:normal;">“a terrifically nerve-wracking experience... I have to work myself up to such a hysterical pitch for the part that distractions of any kind could ruin the entire effect. People in a studio audience... are apt to get a little hysterical, to laugh at the wrong time, squeal at a sound effect or do something else to destroy the mood... it is unfair to the listeners... I am convinced that studio audiences would be better banned at all dramatic shows.”</p></li> </ul> <p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;">It’s not that Moorehead was against performing live with an audience, but she was against performing live for broadcast for such a dramatic offering. Through the 1950s, Moorehead would tour the US in a “one woman show” and included <i>SWN</i><span style="font-style:normal;"> as part of the </span><span style="font-style:normal;">stage </span><span style="font-style:normal;">performance.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;">Another indication of the <span style="font-style:normal;">popularity </span><span style="font-style:normal;">of </span><i>Sorry, Wrong Number</i><span style="font-style:normal;"> was its marketing in a different medium. </span>Moorehead performed <i>SWN </i><span style="font-style:normal;">in a recording studio </span><span style="font-style:normal;">on 1947-01-27</span><span style="font-style:normal;"> for a 1947 Decca records release. </span><span style="font-style:normal;">This became a very lucrative enterprise and created interest in releasing more recordings of radio dramas in the format. </span><span style="font-style:normal;">Such distribution</span><span style="font-style:normal;"> was attempted </span><span style="font-style:normal;">with other properties</span><span style="font-style:normal;">, but </span><i>SWN </i><span style="font-style:normal;">was the only production that </span><span style="font-style:normal;">had strong sales</span><span style="font-style:normal;">. It was first released as 78s and </span><span style="font-style:normal;">re-</span><span style="font-style:normal;">released on long-playing records (LPs) </span><span style="font-style:normal;">as those replaced 78s.</span><span style="font-style:normal;"> It sold well through the late 1940s and the 1950s. </span><span style="font-style:normal;">It can be heard at <a href="https://archive.org/details/78_sorry-wrong-number_agnes-moorehead-lucille-fletcher-william-spier_gbia8003283" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/78_sorry-wrong-number_agnes-moorehead-lucille-fletcher-william-spier_gbia8003283</a> One of the releases was in the late 1950s with other famous </span><span style="font-style:normal;">s</span><span style="font-style:normal;">tories read by actor James Mason. </span><span style="font-style:normal;">That releases contents can be heard at</span><span style="font-style:normal;"> <a href="https://archive.org/details/JamesMason_Suspense" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/JamesMason_Suspense</a> </span> </p><p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;"> Previous posts about <i>SWN </i>are:</p> <ul> <li><p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;">1943-05-25 <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/4/#" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/TSP430525</a> </p></li> <li><p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;">1943-08-21 <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/4/#" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/TSP430821</a> </p></li> <li><p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;">1944-02-24 <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/u/4/#" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/TSP440224</a> </p></li> <li><p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;"><a rel="nofollow"></a>1945-09-06 <a href="https://archive.org/details/TSP450906" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/TSP450906</a> </p></li> </ul> <p style="margin-bottom:0.11in;"><span style="font-style:normal;">T</span><span style="font-style:normal;">here are two recordings of this broadcast, the network recording and an Armed Forces Radio Service release (#259). </span><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>The network recording is better than the AFRS one</b></span><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">.</span></span></p><p>The cast:<br />AGNES MOOREHEAD (Mrs. Stevenson), Jeff Chandler (George’s Contact / Sergeant Martin), Eleanor Audley (Chief Operator), Ann Morrison (Henchley Hospital voice), Mary Jane Croft (Operator), Ken Harvey (George the killer / Western Union man), Paul Frees (Signature Voice)</p> <p>COMMERCIAL: Bill Johnstone (Hap), Sylvia Simms (Operator), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer)</p><br /><p></p>

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