Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Two Birds with One Stone: The Playwright, the Dog, and the Fatal Birthday Record

Originally Aired: May 17, 1945
In Suspense #141, “Two Birds with One Stone,” Dana Andrews stars as Walter Faber, a struggling playwright whose marriage has curdled into bitterness, suspicion, and emotional isolation. When his wife Eleanor vanishes during a rainy night after leaving a cryptic recorded message—and her faithful dog Tracy becomes the only silent witness—Walter’s world unravels into a deadly game of guilt, deception, and confessions caught on tape. As police and friends close in, and Tracy’s loyalty becomes a turning point, a clever plot of murder, madness, and poetic justice emerges. A noir psychological thriller with a canine twist and an unforgettable, suspenseful finale.
Cast:Dana Andrews
Tags:Suspense, noir, DanaAndrews, oldtimeradio, murder, marriage, betrayal, guilt, psychological, dog, confession, birthday, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Reprieve: The Killer’s Confession, the Reporter’s Faith, and the Price of a Second Chance

Originally Aired: May 10, 1945
In Suspense #140, “Reprieve,” John Garfield stars as Steve Hannibal, a convicted killer waiting for execution—his only hope a last-minute legal reprieve. As he writes out his confession, Steve looks back on a life of crime, a fateful payroll heist, and the woman reporter who believed in his innocence and changed the course of his fate. Torn between old loyalties and new love, Steve is forced to choose between his criminal code and a chance at redemption. But when betrayal, heartbreak, and a deadly confrontation bring his story full circle, Steve learns that some reprieves come not from the law—but from the heart. A hard-boiled, tragic noir of guilt, love, and fatal choices.
Cast:John Garfield
Tags:Suspense, noir, JohnGarfield, oldtimeradio, prison, confession, deathrow, crime, redemption, betrayal, reporter, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Fear Paints a Picture: A Haunted Heiress, a Moving Portrait, and Madness by Design

Originally Aired: May 3, 1945
In Suspense #139, “Fear Paints a Picture,” Lana Turner stars as Julia Powell, a young heiress isolated in her family’s dark San Francisco mansion, tormented by strange dreams, sinister guardians, and a chilling portrait that seems to change each night. As her 23rd birthday—and her inheritance—draws near, Julia’s grip on sanity is tested by ghostly footsteps, whispered warnings, and the conviction that she is fated to go mad like her mother. But a deeper conspiracy is at work: the mysterious Dr. Barrow isn’t who he seems, and the true threat may come from the living, not the dead. A gothic, gaslight thriller where art, paranoia, and inheritance collide.
Cast:Lana Turner
Tags:Suspense, gothic, LanaTurner, oldtimeradio, inheritance, hauntedhouse, madness, gaslight, conspiracy, portrait, psychological, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

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