Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Phobia: A Socialite's Secret and a Killer's Return

Originally Aired: June 26, 1947
In Suspense #251, “Phobia,” wealthy spinster Emily Haven tells the tale of her peculiar aversion to metal—and how it might have saved her life. As Emily navigates a strange household shared with her impulsive sister Grace, a blackmailing suitor, a scheming maid, and even a fugitive murderer, the lines between paranoia and reality blur. When a robbery escalates into murder and Emily's phobia is put to the test, her calm narration conceals a chilling twist that only unfolds in the final moments. A psychological thriller delivered with dry wit and deceptive gentility.
Cast:Eva Le Gallienne
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, phobia, metal, EvaLeGallienne, oldtimeradio, mystery, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, spinstercrime, familysecrets, murdertwist, noir

Dead of Night: A Brother’s Terror and a Beachside Corpse

Originally Aired: June 19, 1947
In Suspense #250, “Dead of Night,” Jimmy Barton returns home to find his sister Helen bruised, terrified, and desperate to flee her violent new husband, Phil. When Phil ends up dead, Jimmy and Helen go on the run—dragging a body through motels, hiding it in the bathroom, and ultimately staging it on a sunlit California beach. But as nosy neighbors, ball-playing kids, and a well-meaning beat cop close in, the mystery of how Phil died begins to unravel. A tightly wound thriller of misjudged guilt, drugged delusions, and a twist that redefines the killer.
Cast:Elliot Reid, Cathy Lewis
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, beachnoir, siblingbond, ElliotReid, CathyLewis, 1940sradio, classicdrama, oldtimeradio, mistakenmurder, noir, suspensepodcast, vintagecrime, gaslight

Stand-In: A Star’s Shadow and a Killer’s Role

Originally Aired: June 12, 1947
In Suspense #249, “Stand-In,” Diana Burke is used to living in the shadows—after all, she’s just the stand-in for Hollywood’s reigning screen diva, “Madame.” But when Diana falls for the star’s new husband, a charming but violent ex-lifeguard named Dennis, her off-screen role becomes a deadly performance. As tension mounts on the set and behind the scenes, a perfect plan for murder unfolds under the klieg lights. In the ruthless world of fame and ambition, who’s really pulling the strings—and who will take the final bow?
Cast:June Havoc
Tags:Suspense, thriller, Hollywood, standin, JuneHavoc, oldtimeradio, mystery, noir, femmefatale, betrayal, ambition, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Make Mad the Guilty: A Floorwalker's Revenge and a Fatal Frame

Originally Aired: June 5, 1947
In Suspense #248, “Make Mad the Guilty,” Hume Cronin stars as Bertram Matthews, a failed Shakespearean actor turned meek department store floorwalker—until he uncovers his wife's affair and plots a theatrical revenge worthy of the Bard himself. Feigning suicide, Bertram orchestrates a chilling frame-up that sends his wife to death row. But as the clock ticks down to her execution, Bertram becomes desperate for recognition of his “performance,” spiraling into madness in search of applause. A darkly ironic tale of obsession, ego, and poetic justice.
Cast:Hume Cronin
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, revenge, HumeCronin, oldtimeradio, mystery, madness, ego, gaslight, classicdrama, fakeddeath, femmefatale, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast

A Thing of Beauty: The Ghosts Behind the Glamour

Originally Aired: May 29, 1947
In Suspense #247, “A Thing of Beauty,” Angela Lansbury stars as Madeline Tremaine, a reclusive former stage actress whose legend lives on long after the curtain has fallen. When a young curate visits her remote estate during a storm, she begins to unravel the haunting tale of her rise to stardom, a backstage rivalry turned deadly, and the terrible secrets that led to her permanent seclusion. A chilling narrative unfolds, involving murder, betrayal, and a face destroyed—if not by acid, then by guilt. As the storm rages outside, so does the tempest within her memory. A story of obsession, vanity, and the price of beauty, told in layers of shadow and shock.
Cast:Angela Lansbury
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, gothic, AngelaLansbury, theater, vanity, murder, oldtimeradio, mystery, femmefatale, madness, acidattack, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Night Comes Riding: A Woman Torn, a Killer Reborn

Originally Aired: May 22, 1947
In Suspense #246, “Night Comes Riding,” Mildred Anderson endures a loveless, oppressive marriage, haunted by the mysterious death of her nephew. When a soft-spoken stranger named Duncan Shaw appears, offering comfort and kindness, she sees a chance at escape—and perhaps at love. But Duncan has secrets of his own, and a buried vendetta against her husband. As the shadows deepen and tensions mount, betrayal, murder, and madness converge in a tale that gallops toward a grim climax. A psychologically rich noir about guilt, manipulation, and the terrifying price of freedom.
Cast:Virginia Bruce, Wally Maher, Howard Duff
Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, psychological, betrayal, VirginiaBruce, WallyMaher, HowardDuff, oldtimeradio, mystery, revenge, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmefatale, suspensepodcast

Death at Live Oak: A Parachute Plan, a Dead Ringer, and a Widow’s Perfect Alibi

Originally Aired: May 15, 1947
In Suspense #245, “Death at Live Oak,” down-on-his-luck David Sutherland meets a mysterious woman who mistakes him for her estranged husband—and suddenly finds himself the centerpiece of a deadly scheme. When the husband turns out to be his doppelgänger, a chilling plan unfolds: impersonate him, kill him in a faked plane crash, and take his identity. But even the best-laid murder plots can unravel under the weight of guilt, missteps, and a single elevator boy’s memory. Robert Mitchum stars in this gripping tale of deception, identity, and poetic justice.
Cast:Robert Mitchum, Mary Jane Croft
Tags:Suspense, thriller, RobertMitchum, doppelgänger, identitytheft, noir, murderplot, planecrash, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast, alibi, mistakenidentity, femmefatale, twistending, guilt

Dead Ernest: A Dropped Jacket, a Lost Bracelet, and a Body That Wasn’t

Originally Aired: May 8, 1947
In Suspense #244, “Dead Ernest,” Dennis Bowers is struck by a car and presumed dead. But Bowers suffers from catalepsy—a condition that mimics death—and he carries a letter and bracelet warning against embalming. When both go missing, his body is taken to the morgue with no one the wiser. As kids melt his ID bracelet for scrap and a secondhand shop sells his blood-stained jacket, Bowers inches closer to being embalmed alive. Only a nosy housewife, a smudged pair of glasses, and a twitch at the last second stand between life and a horrific mistake. Wally Mayer stars in this black comedy of errors and suspense.
Cast:Wally Mayer
Tags:Suspense, thriller, WallyMayer, catalepsy, mistakenidentity, embalming, blackcomedy, morgue, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, nearburiedalive, PeabodyAward, closecall, medicalthriller

Lady in Distress: A Rainy Road, a Loaded Gun, and a License to Kill

Originally Aired: May 1, 1947
In Suspense #243, “Lady in Distress,” Evelyn Harris picks up a drifter on a stormy roadside—only to discover he's an escaped convict with a vendetta against her husband, police officer Ralph Harris. But Evelyn’s not so innocent herself. As she manipulates her dangerous passenger into carrying out her own deadly plan, the stakes spiral toward an explosive finale in a darkened garage. Ava Gardner and Howard Duff star in this twist-laden tale of betrayal, seduction, and revenge, where every turn in the road tightens the noose.
Cast:Ava Gardner, Howard Duff
Tags:Suspense, thriller, AvaGardner, HowardDuff, noir, betrayal, escapedconvict, garagebomb, revenge, policewife, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast, femmefatale, twistending, explosive

Win, Place and Murder: A Dead Bookie, a Bag of Cash, and a Private Eye’s Last Bet

Originally Aired: April 24, 1947
In Suspense #242, “Win, Place and Murder,” down-on-his-luck private eye Chris Draper stumbles into a deadly horse-betting racket when a mysterious client named Pilsen pays him to retrieve a black bag. But Pilsen is no ordinary accountant—he’s just murdered a bookie and is on the run with the payroll. As Draper navigates crooked cops, jealous lovers, and one unforgettable filly named Mosquito, he finds that every lead comes with a catch and every favor costs more than it’s worth. Richard Conte stars in this wisecracking noir where money talks, but a bullet still has the last word.
Cast:Richard Conte, Wally Maher
Tags:Suspense, thriller, RichardConte, noir, horsebetting, bookie, murdermystery, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, privateeye, getaway, payrollrobbery, twistending, gambling