Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

The Twist: A Writer’s Scheme, A Partner’s Demise

Originally Aired: September 11, 1947
In Suspense #262, “The Twist,” struggling former cabbie Gus Green and acerbic gag writer Van Houser form a volatile comedy-writing duo—bound by mutual dependence and mutual loathing. When Van announces he's marrying Julie, a dancer with a shady past, Gus’s jealousy ignites a deadly plan. What begins as a ploy to preserve his lucrative partnership spirals into a clever frame-up and a horrifying twist of fate. Featuring sharp dialogue, psychological manipulation, and a chilling climax, this episode explores how ambition and resentment can breed the perfect crime—until it unravels.
Cast:Michael O'Shea, Sidney Miller
Tags:Suspense, thriller, radio drama, crime, writers, jealousy, frameup, MichaelOShea, SidneyMiller, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, betrayal, revenge, suspensepodcast, thetwist

The Argyle Album: A Dead Man’s Secret and a Reporter’s Trap

Originally Aired: September 4, 1947
In Suspense #261, “The Argyle Album,” star reporter Harry Mitchell is summoned to the bedside of dying political columnist Alan Pearce, who promises an explosive exposé contained in a mysterious white-leather dossier known as the Argyle Album. But when Pearce dies suddenly—and a murder weapon appears in his chest—Mitchell is swept into a deadly manhunt involving secret documents, blackmail, and a tangled web of lies. Pursued by killers and the law alike, he must solve the mystery of the album before he joins the body count. A taut political thriller filled with double-crosses, deadly femmes, and a hard-hitting finale.
Cast:
Edmund O’Brien
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, political, blackmail, conspiracy, EdmundOBrien, argylealbum, oldtimeradio, murdermystery, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, newspapernoise, suspensepodcast

Double Ugly: A Tale of Loneliness and Unraveling Rage

Originally Aired: August 28, 1947
In Suspense #260, “Double Ugly,” Matthew Eberman has spent a lifetime tormented by his appearance and shunned by those around him. Growing up mocked and lonely, he finds a glimmer of connection in Sally, a woman who seems to look past his face and into his heart. But as their marriage unfolds in an isolated home filled with silence, frilly distractions, and a growing emotional chasm, Matthew’s long-buried pain festers. What begins as an awkward romance slowly spirals into a disturbing portrait of resentment, psychological isolation, and suppressed fury—culminating in a chilling, inevitable climax. A haunting character study in the tradition of noir tragedy.
Cast:Lloyd Nolan
Tags:Suspense, psychological, thriller, noir, loneliness, LloydNolan, oldtimeradio, murder, gaslight, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, domesticthriller, uglyduckling, characterstudy

Murder Aboard the Alphabet: Madness at Sea in a Tugboat Thriller

Originally Aired: August 21, 1947
In Suspense #259, “Murder Aboard the Alphabet,” a transatlantic voyage turns into a voyage of terror aboard the deep-sea tug Alphabet. Chief Officer Marshland quickly realizes that their commanding officer, Captain Walker, is a rigid and unstable man obsessed with order—so obsessed that he insists all ship duties follow an alphabetical sequence. But when crew members start vanishing one by one, beginning with “A” for Abercrombie, Marshland suspects more than eccentricity is at play. Is the Captain picking them off in alphabetical order? Or is someone else aboard with a darker purpose? A tense maritime mystery with psychological horror at its helm.
Cast:John Lund, Joseph Kearns
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, maritime, JohnLund, JosephKearns, tugboat, madness, mystery, seahorror, alphabetticalmurders, oldtimeradio, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Smiley: A Dishwashing Drifter’s Dark Descent

Originally Aired: August 14, 1947
In Suspense #258, “Smiley,” Donald O’Connor delivers a chilling performance as Gerald “Smiley” Smythe, a man whose easygoing nature masks a deep and growing darkness. After a false accusation sends him to prison, Smiley emerges changed—quiet, obsessed with his hands, and harboring a deadly grudge against women. Rehired at a diner by his old boss Curly, Smiley seems to be rebuilding his life—until a co-worker named Cookie stirs memories he can't suppress. A slow-burn psychological tale of vengeance, identity, and emotional decay, culminating in an unsettling climax.
Cast:Donald O’Connor, Sydney Miller, Vereen Tuttle
Tags:Suspense, psychological, thriller, DonaldOConnor, dinerdrama, madness, vendetta, noir, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, darkdrama, twistedmind, revengeplot, suspensepodcast, classicthriller

Quiet Desperation: A Clerk’s Crime of Opportunity

Originally Aired: August 7, 1947
In Suspense #257, “Quiet Desperation,” Homer Bigelow, a mild-mannered bank clerk living a life of quiet despair, overhears a conversation that tempts him toward a bold escape from his drab existence. A rich man’s secret scheme to smuggle £20,000 worth of negotiables into the U.S. sparks Homer’s fantasy of reinvention—and crime. When he intercepts the young courier, Hester Vail, his plan spirals into deceit, murder, and a desperate attempt to vanish. A tightly plotted noir drama that probes the thin line between quiet desperation and explosive action.
Cast:Walter Abel, Cathy Lewis
Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, psychological, crime, WalterAbel, CathyLewis, quietdesperation, oldtimeradio, mystery, smuggling, murder, desperation, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Mortmain: A Fatal Frame and a Lawyer’s Fall

Originally Aired: July 31, 1947
In Suspense #256, “Mortmain,” the ambition of attorney Sam Boston knows no bounds—nor scruples. When his charming partner George Perry unexpectedly lands a DA nomination and wins the heart of the woman Sam loves, Sam’s envy turns deadly. What begins as a calculated smear spirals into blackmail, betrayal, and murder. As George is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Sam's own deception metastasizes—until a twist of fate delivers a grim poetic justice. A darkly clever tale of corruption, conscience, and a dead man’s grip.
Cast:Jerome Cowan
Tags:Suspense, thriller, legaldrama, betrayal, JeromeCowan, Mortmain, oldtimeradio, courtroom, revenge, noir, blackmail, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Murder by an Expert: A Dance of Death and Deception

Originally Aired: July 24, 1947
In Suspense #255, “Murder by an Expert,” a struggling dance duo’s dreams take a deadly turn when ambition, jealousy, and betrayal spiral into murder. Edith Reed, half of a nightclub act, kills her husband and partner Bob, carefully orchestrating a scheme to pin the crime on another. But in the aftermath, her cold precision is undone not by guilt, but by the man she trusted most. With chilling narration and a twist-laden script, this episode explores how expertly planned crimes can unravel under the weight of deception.
Cast:Lynn Bari, Elliott Lewis, Wally Maher
Tags:Suspense, thriller, murder, dance, betrayal, LynnBari, ElliottLewis, WallyMaher, oldtimeradio, noir, jealousy, femmefatale, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, crime, psychologicalthriller

Murder by the Book: A Writer’s Split Mind and a Killer’s Confession

Originally Aired: July 10, 1947
In Suspense #253, “Murder by the Book,” Gloria Swanson stars as Emily Carlisle, a mystery writer struggling with memory lapses following her husband's drowning. When her psychiatrist, Dr. Winter, is murdered, Emily is asked to cover the sensational case for a national newspaper syndicate. As she investigates, she becomes entangled in a web of confessions, circumstantial evidence, and suppressed truths. But Emily’s headaches and blackout spells hint at something far more disturbing: a dual personality and a hidden killer within. A psychological thriller that twists its way to a shocking revelation.
Cast:Gloria Swanson
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, GloriaSwanson, splitpersonality, dualidentity, murdermystery, oldtimeradio, gaslight, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmehorror, suspensepodcast

Money Talks: Greed, Love, and a Deadly Double-Cross

Originally Aired: July 3, 1947
In Suspense #252, “Money Talks,” Alan Baxter stars as Clifford Goff, a smooth-talking, cold-blooded grifter with a meticulous plan to rob the Bankers Industrial Trust Company of $100,000. With the help of calculating co-worker Anita Willoughby—whom he seduces into compliance—Cliff intends to embezzle the money and disappear. But Anita isn’t who she appears to be, and the double-cross is just beginning. In a scheme tangled with deception, betrayal, and murder, the cash starts to “talk”—and it’s speaking louder than anyone can silence. A sharply-written noir tale of ambition gone fatally awry.
Cast:Alan Baxter
Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, heist, betrayal, AlanBaxter, oldtimeradio, mystery, moneytalks, crime, doublecross, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmefatale, suspensepodcast