Seeds of Disaster: Suspense (October 15, 1961)

Suspense, old-time radio on Stupid Potato

“Seeds of Disaster” is an episode of Suspense, the old-time radio show, first broadcast October 15, 1961. Listen free on Stupid Potato: no sign-up, no app.

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What happens

Les Mills and his wife Pam are returning home from a vacation in Puerto Rico when Les realizes that a native seed bracelet Pam bought may be poisonous. After a pet cat dies after chewing on a similar seed, Les becomes frantic that his young daughter Penny, who has a habit of putting things in her mouth, may have received one. Les frantically tries to reach Pam by telephone while enlisting the help of local police, Lieutenant Garcia and Sergeant Lopez, to track her down. The desperate search for clues about his wife's whereabouts begins to take shape as the men pursue every possible lead.

Puerto Rico, a hotel room and nearby streets, and later the mainland United States

Characters: Les Mills, Pam Mills, Penny Mills, Lieutenant Garcia, Sergeant Lopez

Listen for: Les's frantic telephone calls to his home and his mother-in-law's apartment, and the clue found in the check stubs leading to the children's camp

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.