The ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' is an American television

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

that was produced and broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. Sponsored by

Kraft Foods The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015. A merger with Heinz, arra ...

, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

's ''

Kraft Music Hall ''The Kraft Music Hall'' was a popular old-time radio variety program, featuring top show business entertainers, which aired first on NBC radio from 1933 to 1949. Radio ''The Kraft Program'' debuted June 26, 1933, as a musical-variety progra ...

'' specials once monthly. Como's production company, Roncom Films, also produced ''Kraft Suspense Theatre.'' (The company name, "Roncom Films" came from "RONnie COMo," Perry's son, who was in his early 20s when this series premiered). Writer, editor, critic, and radio playwright

Anthony Boucher William Anthony Parker White (August 21, 1911 – April 29, 1968), better known by his pen name Anthony Boucher (), was an American author, critic, and editor who wrote several classic mystery novels, short stories, science fiction, and radio d ...

served as consultant on the series. Later syndicated under the title ''Crisis'', it was one of the few suspense series then broadcast in color. While most of NBC's shows were in color then, all-color network line-ups did not become the norm until the 1966-67 season. It was also packaged with episodes of ''

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic ...

'' under the title ''Universal Star Time''. In Britain,

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

screened episodes of this series and ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' under the banner of ''Impact.''

Overview

Ben Cooper Ben Cooper (September 30, 1933 – February 24, 2020) was an American actor of film and television, who won a Golden Boot Award in 2005 for his work in westerns. Stage Cooper appeared on Broadway in '' Life With Father'' (1939). He debuted in ...

Richard Crenna Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American film, television and radio actor. Crenna starred in such motion pictures as ''The Sand Pebbles'', ''Wait Until Dark'', ''Un Flic'', ''Body Heat'', the first three ' ...

John Forsythe John Forsythe (January 29, 1918 – April 1, 2010) was an American stage, film/television actor, producer, narrator, drama teacher and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades. He also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety s ...

, Ron Foster,

Vivi Janiss Vivi may refer to: People * Vivi Bach (1939–2013), Danish actress and singer * Vivi Fernandez (born 1977), Brazilian model * Vivi Flindt (born 1943), Danish ballerina * Vivi Friedman (1967–2012), Finnish film director * Vivi Gioi (1917–1975 ...

, Brad Johnson, Jack Kelly,

Robert Loggia Salvatore "Robert" Loggia ( , ; January 3, 1930 – December 4, 2015) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Jagged Edge'' (1985) and won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for ...

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...

Martin Milner Martin Sam Milner (December 28, 1931 – September 6, 2015) was an American actor and radio host. He is best known for his performances on two television series: '' Route 66'', which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, and ''Adam-12'', which a ...

, Ellen McRae (who later changed her name to "

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complicated women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Em ...

" and appeared as twin sisters in "The Deep End" with

Clu Gulager William Martin Gulager (; November 16, 1928 – August 5, 2022), better known as Clu Gulager, was an American television and film actor and director born in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He first became known for his work in television, appearing in ...

and

Aldo Ray Aldo Ray (born Aldo Da Re; September 25, 1926 – March 27, 1991) was an American actor of film and television. He began his career as a contract player for Columbia Studios before achieving stardom through his roles in '' The Marrying Kind ...

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

Larry Pennell Lawrence Kenneth "Larry" Pennell (February 21, 1928 – August 28, 2013) was an American television and film actor, often remembered for his role as "Dash Riprock" in the television series ''The Beverly Hillbillies''. His career spanned ha ...

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Aca ...

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings (1961 film), King of Kin ...

Tippi Hedren Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren (born January 19, 1930) is an American actress, animal rights activist, and former fashion model. A successful fashion model who appeared on the front covers of ''Life'' and '' Glamour'' magazines, among others, Hed ...

Telly Savalas Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt. Theo Kojak on th ...

, and

Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for ...

were among the actors and actresses cast on ''Kraft Suspense Theatre.'' Directors included prominent names in television and later features, examples being

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

, Richard L. Bare,

Roy Huggins Roy Huggins (July 18, 1914 – April 3, 2002) was an American novelist and an influential writer/creator and producer of character-driven television series, including ''Maverick'', '' The Fugitive'', ''Hunter'', and ''The Rockford Files''. He ...

Buzz Kulik Seymour "Buzz" Kulik (July 23, 1922 – January 13, 1999) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He directed 72 films and television shows, including the landmark CBS television network anthology series ''Playhouse 90'' a ...

David Lowell Rich David Lowell Rich (August 31, 1920 – October 21, 2001) was an American film director and producer. He directed nearly 100 films and TV episodes between 1950 and 1987. He was born in New York City. He began directing on a regular basis in 1 ...

Sydney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film ''Out ...

Elliot Silverstein Elliot Silverstein (born August 3, 1927) is an American film and television director. He directed the Academy Award-winning western comedy '' Cat Ballou'' (1965), and other films including '' The Happening'' (1967), '' A Man Called Horse'' (1970) ...

Jack Smight John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American theatre and film director. His film credits include ''Harper'' (1966), '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968), ''Airport 1975'' (1974), '' Midway'' (1976), and ''Fast Break'' ...

Ralph Senensky Ralph Senensky (born May 1, 1923) is an American television director and screenwriter. He studied at the Pasadena Playhouse and worked as a stage director before directing for television. He directed multiple episodes for dozens of television sh ...

, and

Paul Wendkos Abraham Paul Wendkos (September 20, 1925 – November 12, 2009) was an American television and film director. Early life and education Wendkos was born in Philadelphia to parents Simon Wendkos and Judith Wendkos. Wendkos served in World War II ...

. Some episodes doubled as

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

s for potential series. The episode "Rapture At Two-Forty", in particular, was the pilot for the series '' Run for Your Life,'' which premiered on NBC in the fall of 1965 and ran till 1968. The 1968 theatrical film ''

Sergeant Ryker ''Sergeant Ryker'' is a 1963 drama–war film directed by Buzz Kulik and starring Lee Marvin and Bradford Dillman that was initially run on television but released theatrically five years later in 1968. The film was originally broadcast on televi ...

'', starring

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alth ...

, was a two-part

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

film that was first broadcast on ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' under the title "The Case Against Paul Ryker". It also served as a pilot for the 1966 series ''

Court Martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

'', which

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

would broadcast. Other episodes that were later expanded into theatrical films (initially for European release) included "Once Upon a Savage Night", released as ''

Nightmare in Chicago ''Nightmare in Chicago'' is a 1964 suspense thriller crime television film produced and directed by Robert Altman, based on the novel ''Death on the Turnpike'' by William P. McGivern. It was originally filmed as an episode of the NBC series ''Kra ...

'', and "In Darkness, Waiting", which was released as ''

Strategy of Terror ''Strategy of Terror'' is a 1969 American mystery film directed by Jack Smight, re-edited from a two-part 1965 ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' episode, "In Darkness, Waiting". Premise A reporter (Barbara Rush) uncovers a plan to assassinate four United ...

''.

Episodes

Pilot: 1963

* ''Shadow of a Man'' (1963-06-19)

Season 1: 1963–64

# ''The Case Against Paul Ryker: Part 1'' (1963-10-10) (starring

; first half of pilot for ''

'') # ''The Case Against Paul Ryker: Part 2'' (1963-10-17) (starring

; second half of pilot for ''

'') # ''The End of the World, Baby'' (1963-10-24) (starring

Nina Foch Nina Foch ( ; born Nina Consuelo Maud Fock; April 20, 1924 – December 5, 2008) was a Dutch-born American actress who later became an instructor. Her career spanned six decades, consisting of over 50 feature films and over 100 television appea ...

and

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

) # ''A Hero for Our Times'' (1963-10-31) # ''Are There Any More Out There Like You?'' (1963-11-07) (starring

Katharine Ross Katharine Juliet Ross (born January 29, 1940) is an American film, stage, and television actress. Her accolades include one Academy Award nomination, one BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. A native of Los Angeles, Ross spent most of her ...

) # ''One Step Down'' (1963-11-14) # ''The Machine That Played God'' (1963-12-05) # ''The Long, Lost Life of Edward Smalley'' (1963-12-12) # ''The Hunt'' (1963-12-19) # ''The Name of the Game'' (1963-12-26) # ''The Deep End'' (1964-01-02) (starring

Tina Louise Tina Louise ( Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island''. With the death of Dawn Wells in 2020, Louise became the las ...

) # ''A Truce to Terror'' (1964-01-09) # ''Who Is Jennifer?'' (1964-01-16) (starring

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

and

Brenda Scott Brenda Scott (born March 15, 1943) is an American film and television actress. Her stage name comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald character. Early life On March 15, 1943, Scott was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Career Scott appeared in films suc ...

) # ''Leviathan Five'' (1964-01-30) # ''My Enemy, This Town'' (1964-02-06) # ''The Action of the Tiger'' (1964-02-20) # ''Doesn't Anyone Know Who I Am?'' (1964-02-27) # ''The Threatening Eye'' (1964-03-12) (starring

Jack Klugman Jack Klugman (April 27, 1922 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. He began his career in 1950 and started television and film work with roles in '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957) and '' Cry Terror!'' (1958). ...

) # ''A Cause of Anger'' (1964-03-19) # ''Knight's Gambit'' (1964-03-26) # ''Once Upon a Savage Night'' (1964-04-02) # ''Portrait of an Unknown Man'' (1964-04-16) # ''Their Own Executioners'' (1964-04-23) # ''The Sweet Taste of Vengeance'' (1964-04-30) # ''Charlie, He Couldn't Kill a Fly'' (1964-05-07) # ''The Watchman'' (1964-05-14) # ''The Robrioz Ring'' (1964-05-28) (starring

and

Julie Harris Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...

) # ''A Cruel and Unusual Night'' (1964-06-04) (starring

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

)

Season 2: 1964–65

John T. Williams's theme music was revised for this season. # ''The World I Want'' (1964-10-01) # ''Operation Greif'' (1964-10-08) (starring Robert Goulet and

Claude Akins Claude Aubrey Akins (May 25, 1926 – January 27, 1994) was an American character actor with a long career on stage, screen, and television. He was best known as Sheriff Lobo on the 1979–1981 television series ''B.J. and the Bear'', and l ...

) # ''A Lion Amongst Men'' (1964-10-22) # ''That He Should Weep for Her'' (1964-11-05) # ''The Kamchatka Incident'' (1964-11-12) # ''The Jack Is High'' (1964-11-19) # ''Graffiti'' (1964-11-26) # ''One Tiger to a Hill'' (1964-12-03) # ''Threepersons'' (1964-12-10) # ''The Gun'' (1964-12-24) # ''The Wine-Dark Sea'' (1964-12-31) # ''In Darkness, Waiting: Part 1'' (1965-01-14) # ''In Darkness, Waiting: Part 2'' (1965-01-21) # ''That Time in Havana'' (1965-02-11) # ''Four into Zero'' (1965-02-18) # ''Streetcar, Do You Read Me?'' (1965-02-25) # ''The Last Clear Chance'' (1965-03-11) # ''Won't It Ever Be Morning?'' (1965-03-18) (starring

Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American retired actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned seven decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations w ...

and

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and dire ...

) # ''Nobody Will Ever Know'' (1965-03-25) # ''The Green Felt Jungle'' (1965-04-01) # ''Rapture at Two-Forty'' (1965-04-15) (starring

Ben Gazzara Biagio Anthony Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nominatio ...

and

Michael Rennie Michael Rennie (born Eric Alexander Rennie; 25 August 1909 – 10 June 1971) was a British film, television and stage actor, who had leading roles in a number of Hollywood films, including his portrayal of the space visitor Klaatu in the s ...

; pilot for '' Run for Your Life'') # ''Jungle of Fear'' (1965-04-22) # ''Kill No More'' (1965-04-29) # ''The Long Ravine'' (1965-05-06) # ''The Easter Breach'' (1965-05-13) # ''The Safe House'' (1965-05-20) # ''Twixt the Cup and the Lip'' (1965-06-03) (starring

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary ''Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

and

Larry Blyden Ivan Lawrence Blieden (June 23, 1925 – June 6, 1975), known as Larry Blyden, was an American actor, stage producer and director, and game show host. He made his Broadway stage debut in 1948 and went on to appear in numerous productions on ...

) # ''The Trains of Silence'' (1965-06-10) # ''Kill Me on July 20'' (1965-06-17) # ''The Rise and Fall of Eddie Carew'' (1965-06-24) # ''Connery's Hands'' (1965-07-01) *pilot for unsold series

Syndication

Reruns of the series have been shown under the name ''Suspense Theatre'', although many prints of episodes have had the syndicated rerun title ''Crisis''. In the 1990s,

Sci-Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...

aired the series under the ''Suspense Theatre'' and ''Crisis'' titles as part of its late-night primetime programming lineup.

Retro TV Retro TV (stylized as retrotv), formerly known as Retro Television Network, is an American broadcast television network owned by Get After It Media. The network mainly airs classic television sitcoms and drama series from the 1950s through t ...

and

Antenna TV Antenna TV is an American digital television network owned by Nexstar Media Group. The network's programming consists of classic television series, primarily sitcoms, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Antenna TV's programming and advertising operati ...

, the small broadcast networks, ran the series in the early 2010s.

External links

* * {{epguides, SuspenseTheater
''Kraft Suspense Theatre at CVTA with episode list''

Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963 American television series debuts 1965 American television series endings 1960s American anthology television series 1960s American crime television series NBC original programming Television series by Universal Television Thriller television series English-language television shows Kraft Foods