Suspense: 04/26/59, episode 797 Brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers, courtesy of The Suspense Project

Lloyd Bridges stars in a Hank Searls story about a diver addicted to the effects of nitrogen narcosis. He so enjoys the narcotic effects of his deep dives and its hallucinations (though he believes they are real). He develops a compulsion to dive alone for the exhilaration and false joy of the experience. His wife suspects something is wrong when he refuses to have her accompany him on a dive. She’s right, but would never suspect he was in search of a mermaid… and that mermaid talks to him. The selfish desire to see her and hear her voice puts him and others in great danger. The story follows the pattern of many addiction stories where a character denies what they are doing, hides it from others, and finds it impossible refrain from self-harming behavior.

Bridges was in his second season of the popular television series Sea Hunt. In a sense, this story was casting against type. His character in the series, Mike Nelson, was a skilled and level-headed diver, hired to carry out dangerous missions, and a long track record of success. In this Suspense episode, however, his character is quite the opposite. He might be skilled at diving, but he lacks judgment about safety and awareness of risks to others.

This is a curious and unique Suspense episode, not one that would be picked to introduce the series or radio drama to a new listener because it is so different. It is well done, with a surprise ending that you only realize at the end that it shouldn’t have been a surprise at all.

The program was recorded on Wednesday, April 8, 1959. Rehearsal began at 2:30 pm with recording starting at 4:30 pm. Including in-studio edits, the session ended at 6:00 pm. Production edits continued to 8:00 pm.

There are two primary recordings of this episode that have survived. The Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) recording is the better one and is complete. This recording is likely new to most collectors. There have been many edited recordings that have survived, many of the likely drawn from AFRS disc transfers, airchecks from Armed Forces Radio broadcasts, and network broadcasts. A network recording exists that has had its commercials edited out, very poorly, and the sound of the first ad spot for Longines-Whittnauer watches can be heard, even for a split second. (Those ads were by KCBS announcer Frank Knight, a well-known voice for radio, voice-overs, and advertising; he was also a pioneer collector in the hobby of collecting radio programs). The recording includes the station ID of WBEN of Buffalo, New York, at the end.

The other ad spot was for Pepsi. There were two additional spots that were allocated before broadcast.

The cast: LLOYD BRIDGES (Don), Tracy Roberts (Girl), Mari Lynn (Joyce), Bill Quinn (George), George Walsh (Narrator)

For more information visit https://suspenseproject.blogspot.com/2025/07/1959-04-26-deep-deep-is-my-love.html