Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Mr Diogenes

Originally Aired: January 26, 1950
Suspense #369, "Mr Diogenes," stars Ozzy and Harriet Nelson in a mysterious tale that begins with an innocent penny fortune card. When Ozzy steps on a scale at a tobacco shop, he receives an ominous prediction: "Today will be the most memorable day of your life." The prophecy seems to come true almost immediately when he encounters the eccentric Hector Diogenes, a wealthy man who has been dropping his wallet repeatedly to test people's honesty. Ozzy becomes the first person to return it unhesitatingly, making him Diogenes's chosen "honest man."
Diogenes insists that Ozzy cancel his anniversary plans with Harriet and spend the evening studying a leather-bound book containing the wisdom of Diogenes the Cynic. In exchange, he promises Ozzy access to his five million dollar fortune. Meanwhile, strange coincidences multiply—everyone in Ozzy and Harriet's apartment building receives free tickets to South Pacific except them. As the day unfolds, it becomes clear that something sinister may be at work, and Ozzy's "memorable day" could be far more dangerous than he realizes.

The Escape of Lacey Abbott

Originally Aired: January 19, 1950
Suspense #368, "The Escape of Lacey Abbott," stars William Powell as Lacey Abbott, a man who has spent two years confined in the psychopathic ward at Bellevue Hospital. When his lawyer Nicholas Westland visits, Lacey seizes his opportunity for freedom in the most violent way possible: he strangles Westland, switches clothes with him, and forges the lawyer's signature to walk out of the institution. Free at last, Lacey purchases a .45 automatic from a pawnshop and makes his way to a lavish Park Avenue apartment with a single-minded purpose.
His destination is the home of Martin Avery, a man from Lacey's past who appears to be living comfortably with his wife and son. As Lacey forces his way into Avery's study and draws the gun, he reveals that authorities believe he killed his own wife Kate, but Lacey insists it was Martin who committed the murder. Now, with his picture splashed across newspaper front pages and police searching the city, Lacey settles in for what he promises will be a long night of reckoning. He's waited two years for this confrontation, and whether Martin Avery sees another dawn depends entirely on what happens in the hours ahead.

Four Hours to Kill

Originally Aired: January 12, 1950
Suspense #367, "Four Hours to Kill," stars Robert Taylor as Theodore, a down-on-his-luck newspaper man who visits his successful lawyer brother Walter at an exclusive New York bachelor's club. Theodore needs five thousand dollars to invest in a small Florida newspaper with a war buddy, representing his last chance at the kind of journalism career he's always dreamed of. When Walter responds with mockery and contempt instead of help, years of sibling rivalry explode into violence. Theodore strikes his brother, and Walter falls, hitting his head on the corner of the hearth. Within moments, Theodore realizes his brother is dead.
Panic sets in as Theodore attempts to cover his tracks and escape undetected, but complications immediately arise. A telephone receiver lies off the hook, and a mysterious woman on the other end has heard everything. When Theodore foolishly tries to impersonate his dead brother, she sees through the deception. Now Theodore must find this unknown caller before she can expose him, turning what began as a terrible accident into a desperate race against time with his life hanging in the balance.

I Never Met the Dead Man

Originally Aired: January 5, 1950
Suspense #366, "I Never Met the Dead Man," stars Danny Kaye as Joe Wickoff, an ordinary truck driver whose life turns into a nightmare on New Year's Day. While walking home from work along an empty side street, Joe suddenly finds himself in the middle of a murder scene when bullets fly and a man is shot dead in a nearby car. Officer Callan immediately suspects Joe, who becomes the only witness to what appears to be a professional hit. At police headquarters, Joe faces hours of intense questioning, and though he's eventually released, his troubles are just beginning. Joe harbors a dangerous secret that he's kept even from his wife Bella: he served time in prison years ago for robbery. When he lied to police about having a criminal record, he thought he could escape suspicion, but Detective Callan senses Joe is hiding something and won't let go.
The situation escalates dramatically when the victim is identified as Willoughby Roberts, a newspaper reporter investigating illegal gambling operations. With a $10,000 reward posted and every cop in town hunting for the killer, Joe's past threatens to surface. As Callan continues to circle closer and pressure mounts from all sides, Joe must navigate an increasingly desperate situation where his concealed criminal history could make him the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit.

The Bullet

Originally Aired: December 29, 1949
In Suspense #365, "The Bullet," Ruth Martin finds herself trapped in a psychological nightmare with her husband Harry. When Harry returns from a three-year prison sentence for a business mistake, he discovers that Ruth has transformed herself and their dress manufacturing business into something far more successful than he left behind. Unable to accept that his wife has become the real force behind their company, Harry's wounded pride turns into something darker and more dangerous. He begins following Ruth, tapping her phone, and discovering her relationship with George, a man who gave her companionship during Harry's absence.
The situation spirals into terror as Harry devises a twisted game of Russian roulette, holding Ruth at gunpoint and forcing her to face the clicking of the trigger again and again. As Ruth relives the steps that brought them to this horrifying moment, she realizes neither of them wanted this outcome, but Harry's inability to accept her independence and success has pushed them both to the breaking point. Now, with a gun pointed at her, Ruth must survive Harry's deadly game while he determines the terms of their future.

Double Entry

Originally Aired: December 22, 1949
Suspense #364, "Double Entry," stars Eddie Cantor as Eddie, a bookkeeper who discovers his longtime friend and colleague Sam Crockett is in serious trouble. Sam, the company's head bookkeeper, confesses he's been embezzling money for nine years—a staggering hundred thousand dollars—not for personal gain, but to be an "unknown benefactor." He's sent kids to summer camp, supported aging cat charities, and contributed to various worthy causes. Now the auditors are closing in, and Sam knows his charitable crime spree is about to be exposed. With his ulcers raging and jail looming, Sam faces ruin just as Christmas arrives.
As Sam is summoned to meet with their boss Mr. Bartholomew and the auditors, Eddie grapples with how to help his desperate friend. The situation seems hopeless until a case of mistaken identity brings an unexpected visitor to Eddie's desk—a bookie's runner looking for a different Eddie in the building. This chance encounter may offer Eddie a dangerous opportunity to help Sam, but it means risking everything and crossing lines he's never crossed before.

The Flame Blue Glove

Originally Aired: December 15, 1949
Suspense #363, "The Flame Blue Glove," stars Lana Turner as Shadow, a former detective who left the business when she married Jimmy Conway. Her former boss Dutch refuses to let an old case rest, convinced that Jimmy murdered his wealthy first wife Eloise, whose death was ruled a suicide after she consumed dissolved sleeping tablets on New Year's Eve. Dutch believes one of Jimmy's three lady friends, Kathy Dane, Millicent Taylor, or Judy Fleetwood, may have been involved, and he has evidence: a distinctive flame blue glove found at the scene. Shadow had once tailed Jimmy for Eloise and knows about his romantic entanglements, but she refused to testify at the inquest.
Now Dutch pressures Shadow to help him investigate, using her knowledge of the case and her desire to prove Jimmy's innocence as leverage. Despite her misgivings and Jimmy's assurances that he never loved anyone before her, Shadow agrees to work with Dutch for one week. As she begins to reexamine the evidence and the women in Jimmy's past, she must confront the terrifying possibility that her husband might be guilty after all.

For Love or Murder

Originally Aired: December 8, 1949
In Suspense #362, "For Love or Murder," pianist Tommy Lee commits the unthinkable at the urging of his lover Anne. Following a meticulously rehearsed plan, Tommy climbs the back stairs of an apartment building with a gun in hand, ready to kill Anne's husband. The drums beat in his head as he confronts the helpless victim, a fat little man who looks at him like a scared fish. After pulling the trigger, Tommy must complete the rest of the plan: strike Anne to make it look like a robbery gone wrong, steal jewelry and the victim's wallet, and escape undetected. But in his rattled state, Tommy makes a crucial mistake—he forgets to dispose of the evidence.
Racing back to the club where he works, Tommy tries to maintain his composure as just another pianist soothing sophisticated New Yorkers. When he finally attempts to dump the wallet and jewelry into a sewer, he has a close encounter with Dan, a friendly police officer who notices Tommy's jumpy behavior. As sirens wail in the distance from Fifty-Fifth Street and Tommy returns to his piano, the carefully planned murder begins to unravel around him.

Mission Completed

Originally Aired: December 1, 1949
Suspense #361, "Mission Completed," stars James Stewart as Tom, a paralyzed World War II veteran who has spent four years in a VA hospital, able to communicate only by blinking his eyes once for yes and twice for no. Tom's world revolves around a square on the ceiling that reminds him of Sagamo prison camp in Tokyo, where a brutal guard named Suki tortured and killed his fellow prisoners. When nurse Miss Rhodes wheels Tom past a flower shop, he spots Suki through the window, recognizable by the distinctive scar Tom gave him during their time at the camp. The shock triggers something extraordinary in Tom's paralyzed body, and he realizes his condition may not be as permanent as everyone believes.
Determined to exact justice on the man who destroyed so many lives, Tom begins secretly practicing movement at night, regaining strength in muscles he hasn't used in four years. His careful plan to bring Suki within reach faces a devastating obstacle when Dr. Benson and Miss Rhodes announce he's being transferred to another hospital three thousand miles away the very next day. With only hours remaining and Saturday bringing young Jackie to wheel him around the grounds, Tom must execute a desperate plan to complete the mission that began in that Japanese prison camp.

The Long Wait

Originally Aired: November 24, 1949
Suspense #360, "The Long Wait," stars Burt Lancaster as Dan Vettel, a man fresh out of prison with murder on his mind. Dan's brother Richie died in jail two years earlier, and Dan blames Lois Williams, the woman who informed on Richie to protect her lover, Tim Grady. When Dan arrives in New York to exact his revenge, Lieutenant Len Bush warns him not to go through with it, but Dan is determined. He retrieves a hidden gun and waits in his hotel room, ready to kill.
When Lois arrives, she stuns Dan by begging him to shoot her. She's lost everything—friends, career, and even Tim, who wants nothing to do with a squealer. Her desperate desire for death makes Dan hesitate. Instead of pulling the trigger, he makes an unexpected proposal: they'll become business partners. Using his money and her talent as a dress designer, they'll start a new business together. As Lois throws herself into the work and slowly regains hope, Dan watches and waits, but the long wait is far from over.