Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

The Brighton Strangler: Curtain Call for a Killer

Originally Aired: December 21, 1944
In Suspense #122, “The Brighton Strangler,” John Loder stars as Reginald Parker, a famed stage actor celebrated for his chilling role as a strangler—until a bomb-blast-induced head injury blurs the line between actor and character. Wandering into the fog-bound streets of wartime England, Parker slips into the role of his murderous alter ego, targeting those he believes betrayed him years before. Drawn into his world is April Manby (June Duprez), who must stop the real-life killer before the play’s final, fatal act. A noir thriller of identity, obsession, and tragic fate, adapted from the RKO film.
Cast:
John Loder, June Duprez, Ian Wolfe, Jill Esmond, Gilbert Emery
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, noir, identity, BrightonStrangler, JohnLoder, JuneDuprez, oldtimeradio, mystery, psychological, RKO, amnesia, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

The Lodger: Terror Stalks Whitechapel

Originally Aired: December 14, 1944
In Suspense #121, “The Lodger,” Robert Montgomery stars in a chilling adaptation of the classic tale inspired by the Jack the Ripper legend. In 1888 London, Ellen and Robert Bunting, desperate for income, take in a mysterious new lodger, Mr. Sleuth—an intense, reclusive man obsessed with scripture and secrecy. As “The Avenger” murders young women in the foggy streets outside, Ellen’s suspicions grow: is her gentle but peculiar boarder really the killer? With her beloved stepdaughter Daisy in growing danger, Ellen must decide whether to risk everything on her terrifying suspicions. This gothic thriller simmers with paranoia, dread, and Victorian atmosphere.
Cast:
Robert Montgomery, Lurene Tuttle, Denis Green, Verna Felton, Janet Nolan, William Johnstone
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, gothic, JackTheRipper, RobertMontgomery, oldtimeradio, mystery, VictorianLondon, fog, psychological, paranoia, TheLodger, classicdrama, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast

The Black Curtain: Lost Years and a Murderer’s Shadow

Originally Aired: November 30, 1944
In Suspense #120, “The Black Curtain,” Cary Grant stars as Frank Townsend, a man who awakens on a snowy street with no memory of the past three years—and no clue why a stranger is hunting him with a gun. As Townsend pieces together a new identity, he uncovers a murder for which he is the prime suspect, a lost love, and a trail of betrayal that stretches back to a vanished life under the name Daniel Nearing. In a desperate quest for the truth, he must confront dangerous secrets, a mysterious slaying, and the woman who holds the final, fatal answer. Based on Cornell Woolrich’s classic noir novel, this episode is a tense spiral into amnesia, suspicion, and heartbreak.
Cast:
Cary Grant, Cathy Lewis, Hans Conried, Bea Benaderet, William Johnstone
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, noir, psychological, amnesia, CaryGrant, CornellWoolrich, oldtimeradio, mystery, mistakenidentity, lostlove, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, TheBlackCurtain

The Fountain Plays: Blackmail, Murder, and the Whispering Water

Originally Aired: November 23, 1944
In Suspense #119, “The Fountain Plays,” Charles Laughton stars as Mr. Spiller, a mild-mannered Englishman whose tranquil country life hides a dark secret. When an old “friend” turns up demanding hush money—and threatening to expose Spiller’s criminal past—an impulsive act of violence leads to a cunning coverup by the garden fountain. As the investigation closes in and a silent witness emerges, Spiller discovers that even the gentlest streams can carry the deadliest secrets. Dorothy L. Sayers’s tale delivers blackmail, murder, and a quietly chilling twist.
Cast:
Charles Laughton
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, DorothyLSayers, CharlesLaughton, oldtimeradio, blackmail, murdermystery, gardenfountain, England, classicdrama, 1940sradio, coverup, twistending, suspensepodcast

Dead of the Night: A Brother’s Nightmare and a Body on the Beach

Originally Aired: November 16, 1944
In Suspense #118, “Dead of the Night,” young Jimmy Barton returns to Los Angeles to find his sister Helen battered and terrified of her violent new husband. When that husband turns up dead, Jimmy and Helen become fugitives—hauling the corpse through motels, beaches, and a fog of mounting panic as suspicion and guilt threaten to destroy them both. With a nosy landlady, the ever-watchful police, and a deadly misunderstanding, the siblings must untangle a web of fear and fatal mistakes before it’s too late. Robert Cummings stars in this gripping tale of crime, coverup, and family loyalty at the edge of disaster.
Cast:
Robert Cummings
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, RobertCummings, oldtimeradio, murdermystery, siblingdrama, mistakenidentity, coverup, beachnoir, 1940sradio, family, paranoia, LosAngeles, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

You Were Wonderful: Espionage, Song, and a Deadly Encore

Originally Aired: November 9, 1944
In Suspense #117, “You Were Wonderful,” American singing star Lorna Dean finds herself swept into a dangerous world of spies, coded messages, and sabotage while performing at a Buenos Aires nightclub. When a fellow performer dies under suspicious circumstances and a song request becomes the signal for a Nazi submarine attack, Lorna must choose between saving her own life or stopping a deadly plot. With the fate of a convoy—and her country—on the line, her voice becomes the ultimate weapon. Lena Horne stars in this electrifying wartime thriller of courage, deception, and patriotism.
Cast:
Lena Horne
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, LenaHorne, oldtimeradio, espionage, WWII, nightclub, BuenosAires, patriotism, codedmessage, murdermystery, sabotage, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

The Singing Walls: Memory, Murder, and the Man with the Frog Voice

Originally Aired: November 2, 1944
In Suspense #116, “The Singing Walls,” Tommy Cochran wakes up from a terrifying dream—only to find blood on his shirt, a key in his pocket, and no memory of what happened the night before. With the help of his cop brother-in-law, Tommy races against time to piece together a night of narcotics, strangers, and a mysterious “singing wall” before the police do. As the clues lead them to a shadowy mobster, a locked closet, and a harmonica band, Tommy must clear his name—or go down for a murder he doesn’t remember committing. A labyrinthine noir where memory itself may be the deadliest trap.
Cast:
Van Johnson
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, VanJohnson, oldtimeradio, noir, amnesia, harmonica, murdermystery, frameup, 1940sradio, policeprocedural, mobster, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

The Night Man: Ghosts, Guilt, and a Ride to Madness

Originally Aired: October 26, 1944
In Suspense #115, “The Night Man,” Stella Rhodes becomes convinced that Tom Nixon—the man who murdered her mother a decade ago and swore revenge—has escaped prison and is stalking her as the night elevator operator in her New York apartment. Haunted by memories and terror, Stella is driven to the edge of sanity in a harrowing, claustrophobic encounter where nothing is as it seems. Lucille Fletcher crafts a tale of obsession, mistaken identity, and a twist ending that blurs the line between guilt and innocence.
Cast:
Virginia Bruce, Richard Warke
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, LucilleFletcher, VirginiaBruce, RichardWarke, oldtimeradio, elevator, revenge, mistakenidentity, guilt, motherdaughter, 1940sradio, psychological, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Eve: Love, Betrayal, and a Killer’s Confession

Originally Aired: October 19, 1944
In Suspense #114, “Eve,” a woman’s fierce devotion sends her on a desperate mission to free her husband, wrongfully convicted of murder. Disguised as “Evelyn Jarvis,” Eve tracks down the real killer—a charming but dangerous man with a secret, and a taste for cigars. In a deadly web of deception, tape-recorded confessions, and double-crosses, Eve’s own motives are called into question as love, guilt, and vengeance spiral toward a shocking finale. Nancy Kelly stars in this tense psychological thriller where nothing—and no one—is as innocent as they seem.
Cast:
Nancy Kelly
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, NancyKelly, oldtimeradio, murdermystery, femmefatale, betrayal, confession, taperecording, 1940sradio, classicdrama, psychological, suspensepodcast

The Merry Widower: Murder, Madness, and a Waltz to Ruin

Originally Aired: October 12, 1944
In Suspense #113, “The Merry Widower,” George Munsey—dreamer, would-be aristocrat, and frustrated husband—begins to believe he’s a prince destined for greatness. Caught between two women and haunted by a waltz from a popular operetta, George’s delusions spiral into murder and deceit. But when his lies unravel, he’s left facing a fate worse than justice: the lonely grandeur of his own madness. A grim and wry thriller where reality and fantasy dance toward a chilling end.
Cast:
Reginald Gardiner
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, ReginaldGardiner, oldtimeradio, murdermystery, madness, waltz, bigamy, 1940sradio, delusion, psychological, classicdrama, suspensepodcast