Fugue in C Minor: The Pipes That Whispered Murder

Originally Aired: June 1, 1944

Fugue in C Minor: The Pipes That Whispered Murder

In one of the most haunting and elegantly chilling episodes of Suspense, screen legends Ida Lupino and Vincent Price star in a Victorian tale of madness, music, and murder.

Amanda Peabody arrives in the quiet town of Pilotsville to visit her sister, only to become enchanted by Theodore Evans—a cultured widower, music enthusiast, and pipe organ fanatic. Evans lives in a vast mansion outfitted with a cathedral-sized pipe organ, its pipes installed through every room in the house, echoing with thunderous classical music and eerie mechanical groans.

But as Amanda is courted by the charming Theodore, she senses something is terribly wrong. His two traumatized children believe their dead mother isn’t in heaven—she’s trapped in the organ pipes, crying out for help.

What begins as an odd courtship soon becomes a psychological horror story. Amanda learns that Theodore's first wife, and perhaps other women, may have met their deaths within the labyrinth of pipes beneath the home. When Amanda discovers the truth, she nearly becomes the next victim—locked in the echo chamber with the organ thundering above her. But fate intervenes, and Evans dies of fright, overcome by his own delusions and the weight of his crimes.

Written by Lucille Fletcher (Sorry, Wrong Number), Fugue in C Minor is a masterpiece of atmosphere and mounting dread, with unforgettable performances by Lupino and Price.

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Cast: Ida Lupino (Amanda Peabody), Vincent Price (Theodore Evans), with supporting performances by child actors portraying Daphne and David Evans. Written by Lucille Fletcher. Produced and directed by William Spier.