Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Pearls Are a Nuisance: Chandler’s Comic Caper of Crooks, Pearls, and Pink Lies

Originally Aired: April 19, 1945
In Suspense #138, “Pearls Are a Nuisance,” William Bendix and Alan Joslyn star in Raymond Chandler’s slyly comic tale of bumbling detectives, fake pearls, and one very inconvenient romance. When Mrs. Penruddock’s “priceless” pearl necklace vanishes, mild-mannered Walter Gage and the tough ex-chauffeur Henry Eichelberger form an unlikely duo to recover the loot. Their hunt through seedy hotels, nightclubs, and the underworld reveals a tangle of mistaken identity, double-crosses, and Chandler’s signature wisecracks—right up to the last punch. A rare light-hearted gem from the golden age of radio noir.
Cast:William Bendix, Alan Joslyn
Tags:Suspense, comedy, RaymondChandler, WilliamBendix, AlanJoslyn, oldtimeradio, noir, detective, pearls, heist, romance, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, parody

A Guy Gets Lonely: A Con, a Corpse, and a Lonely Heart’s Gamble

Originally Aired: April 5, 1945
In Suspense #137, “A Guy Gets Lonely,” Dane Clark stars as Eddie Lewis—a lonely, struggling actor who falls for a beautiful stranger named Jolly after a chance meeting in a penny arcade. What starts as a whirlwind romance quickly turns into a nightmare of lies, mistaken identity, and murder. When Jolly disappears and Eddie is told she’s dead, he plunges into a web of deception involving her scheming family, a deadly con, and a dangerous double. As Eddie unravels the truth, he must fight to clear his name and find out who he can trust before it’s too late. A gripping noir of heartbreak, betrayal, and second chances.
Cast:Dane Clark
Tags:Suspense, noir, DaneClark, oldtimeradio, conartist, mistakenidentity, murder, loneliness, romance, deception, pennyarcade, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

The Taming of the Beast: A Fatal Diagnosis, a Cruel Marriage, and the Last Laugh

Originally Aired: March 29, 1945
In Suspense #136, “The Taming of the Beast,” Nancy Kelly stars as Nora Van Ostrand, a beautiful and volatile heiress locked in a toxic marriage with Mark—and later, with the scheming Dr. Paul Ferrari (Helmut Dantine). When a violent argument leads to Mark’s supposed suicide, Nora quickly remarries her new lover, only to discover a fatal medical diagnosis is driving her toward the grave. But as betrayal, resentment, and secrets come to a boil, both Nora and Paul learn just how twisted their final days together will become. A psychological thriller filled with deception, manipulation, and an unforgettable final twist.
Cast:Nancy Kelly, Helmut Dantine
Tags:Suspense, psychological, NancyKelly, HelmutDantine, oldtimeradio, marriage, betrayal, manipulation, diagnosis, revenge, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast, toxicrelationships

Heart’s Desire: A Life Missed, a Fortune Lost, a Name Forgotten

Originally Aired: March 22, 1945
In Suspense #135, “Heart’s Desire,” Lloyd Nolan stars as Henry Doyle, a man who spends his life chasing success and respectability, only to find himself lost in mediocrity and regret. After twenty years as a bank messenger, Henry’s dreams collapse—along with $50,000 in bank money that mysteriously disappears. Imprisoned for the crime, Henry clings to the memory of a secret he left behind: the location of the missing fortune, sealed away under a name he can no longer remember. As he scours the city—and his own failing memory—for the key to his “heart’s desire,” the story unfolds as a melancholy noir about ambition, loneliness, and the tricks memory plays when fate comes to collect.
Cast:Lloyd Nolan
Tags:Suspense, noir, LloydNolan, oldtimeradio, memory, lostfortune, regret, crime, psychological, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, identity, heartbreak

Cricket: The Ghost Dog, the Little Girl, and a Night of Fire

Originally Aired: March 15, 1945
In Suspense #134, “Cricket,” Margaret O’Brien stars as Florence, a lonely young girl haunted by memories of her brave dog Cricket, who gave his life to save her during a wartime bombing. Now living in a house rumored to be cursed, Florence refuses to leave—even as mysterious noises, burning smells, and the howls of an unseen dog unsettle everyone around her. Dame May Whitty co-stars as her loving but worried grandmother, determined to keep Florence safe. On a stormy night filled with air raids and ghostly apparitions, past and present collide—testing the bonds of love, memory, and courage in a moving tale of loss and hope.
Cast:Margaret O’Brien, Dame May Whitty
Tags:Suspense, ghoststory, MargaretOBrien, DameMayWhitty, oldtimeradio, supernatural, WWII, family, hauntedhouse, childhood, loss, hope, mystery, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Love’s Lovely Counterfeit: The Grifter, the Girl, and a Fatal Game

Originally Aired: March 8, 1945
In Suspense #133, “Love’s Lovely Counterfeit,” Humphrey Bogart stars as Ben Grace—a tough, streetwise operator caught between rival gangsters, a crooked political machine, and a woman whose love might be his only hope for redemption. Adapted from the hardboiled novel by James M. Cain, this tale plunges deep into the seedy world of Lake City, where betrayal lurks behind every promise and love comes with a price. When Ben hatches a scheme to bring down the city’s top racketeer, his plan tangles him in a violent web of murder, double-crosses, and heartbreak. A moody noir classic where fate deals out the final hand.
Cast:Humphrey Bogart, Lurene Tuttle
Tags:Suspense, noir, HumphreyBogart, JamesMCain, oldtimeradio, crime, hardboiled, betrayal, redemption, gangster, politicalcorruption, femmefatale, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

My Wife Geraldine: The Husband, the Phantom Bride, and the Black Widower

Originally Aired: March 1, 1945
In Suspense #132, “My Wife Geraldine,” Edward G. Robinson stars as Mr. Graham—a mild-mannered bachelor whose imaginary wife, Geraldine, becomes a full-blown presence in his life and in the minds of everyone around him. When a series of innocent lies about his marital bliss snowball into a web of suspicion, Graham finds himself accused of being the notorious “Black Widower,” a serial wife-killer. As reality blurs and the truth about Geraldine is revealed, the story builds to a remarkable and bittersweet twist—where love, fantasy, and identity collide in a gentle, suspenseful comedy of errors. A unique psychological mystery from the golden age of radio.
Cast:Edward G. Robinson, Jeanette Nolan
Tags:Suspense, psychological, EdwardGRobinson, oldtimeradio, mystery, imaginarywife, comedyoferrors, identity, delusion, mistakenidentity, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noircomedy, suspensepodcast

John Barbie and Son: A Father's Promise, a Fugitive's Flight

Originally Aired: February 22, 1945
In Suspense #131, “John Barbie and Son,” Thomas Mitchell stars as John Barbie, a grief-stricken father determined to keep a heartbreaking promise to his late wife: never to let their troubled son, Carl, be taken away to an institution. When a tragic accident brings authorities to their door, John and Carl go on the run, desperate to escape a system that neither understands nor forgives. As the two flee through the night—dodging suspicion, hiding in hotel rooms, and racing up fire escapes—John’s devotion to his son leads him to the edge of sanity, and ultimately, to a rooftop confrontation with a shattering revelation. A haunting, psychological suspense story about love, loss, and the blurred line between reality and delusion.
Cast:Thomas Mitchell
Tags:Suspense, drama, psychological, ThomasMitchell, oldtimeradio, fatherandson, tragedy, escape, mentalhealth, delusion, 1940sradio, classicdrama, family, heartbreak, suspensepodcast, rooftop

Sell Me Your Life: A Washed-Up Man, a Fatal Offer, and a Deadly House

Originally Aired: February 15, 1945
In Suspense #130, “Sell Me Your Life,” Lee Bowman stars as Joe Bland, a desperate ex-con standing on the brink of suicide—until a mysterious woman intervenes, offering him a second chance… for a price. But when Bland is swept into the mansion of a wealthy banker, he soon finds himself at the center of a murder, a missing fortune, and a web of lies involving the enigmatic Mrs. Bodine and her secretive household. Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Joe must fight for his life and the truth, in a taut thriller where every good deed comes at a deadly cost. Betrayal, noir intrigue, and split-second reversals drive this suspenseful drama to its shattering conclusion.
Cast:Lee Bowman
Tags:Suspense, noir, thriller, mystery, LeeBowman, oldtimeradio, murder, frameup, redemption, betrayal, femmefatale, 1940sradio, classicdrama, escape, suspensepodcast, lostfortune

Tale of Two Sisters: A Promise Never Broken

Originally Aired: February 8, 1945
In Suspense #129, “Tale of Two Sisters,” Claire Trevor and Nancy Kelly star as Clara and Adele, siblings bound by a childhood promise of eternal togetherness. As adults, jealousy and tragedy twist their lives—when Clara’s marriage drives a wedge between them, and a murder trial leaves Adele isolated and unstable. Years later, the sisters’ final, fevered confrontation spirals into madness and fire, as the line between love and destruction blurs forever. A dark, haunting gothic drama of obsession, guilt, and family ties.
Cast:
Claire Trevor, Nancy Kelly
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, gothic, sisters, ClaireTrevor, NancyKelly, oldtimeradio, madness, jealousy, promise, familydrama, murder, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast