Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

The Black Shawl: A Mother’s Madness and a Captive’s Escape

Originally Aired: July 27, 1944
 
In Suspense #102, “The Black Shawl,” a young woman named Susan Appleby accepts what seems like a simple live-in companionship job for a grieving widow—but soon finds herself trapped in a house of secrets, madness, and menace. Her new employer, Mrs. Masters, speaks tenderly of her lost son, a once-promising sculptor—until Susan discovers he’s not dead at all, but hidden upstairs, broken in body and mind. As Susan pieces together the disturbing truth about past companions who never left, she realizes she may not survive to tell her tale. A gothic psychological thriller that builds slowly toward a harrowing finale.
 
Cast:
Maureen O’Sullivan, Dame May Whitty
 
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, gothic, captivity, MaureenOSullivan, DameMayWhitty, blackshawl, oldtimeradio, mystery, gaslight, madness, escape, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmehorror, suspensepodcast

Of Maestro and Man: A Contract, A Steamroom, A Finale

In Suspense #101, “Of Maestro and Man,” a former impresario turned boxing manager spirals into obsession after gambling debts force him to sell his only fighter, Ricky Martin, to a crooked promoter. But when Ricky announces he’s quitting the ring to marry and start a new life, the Maestro’s grip on reality begins to slip. What follows is a tense, steam-filled descent into betrayal and madness, as the Maestro hatches a chilling plan to ensure Ricky’s career—and life—end on his terms. A brooding tale of control, loss, and one man’s tragic finale.
Originally aired: July 20, 1944
Cast:
Peter Lorre, Richard Conte, Wally Maher
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, boxing, noir, psychological, 1940s, PeterLorre, oldtimeradio, betrayal, obsession, revenge, crime, drama, tragicfinale, fightgame, steamroom, manipulation, classic
 

The Beast Must Die: A Hunter’s Revenge

In Suspense #100, “The Beast Must Die,” a grieving crime writer named Frank Hargrove embarks on a chilling journey of vengeance after the hit-and-run death of his young son. Determined to find the killer, Frank assumes a false identity and infiltrates the suspect’s circle, meticulously documenting his intentions in a diary. As he plays a dangerous game of deception, the lines between justice and obsession blur, culminating in a deadly confrontation. This psychological thriller explores grief, guilt, and the human capacity for retribution. Originally aired: July 13, 1944.
 
Cast:
Herbert Marshall, Lurene Tuttle, William Johnstone, Wally Maher, Joseph Kearns
 
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, revenge, drama, crime, mystery, psychological, noir, radio, 1940s, detective, HerbertMarshall, oldtimeradio, hitandrun, grief, murder, identity, deception, retribution, classic

The Search for Henri Lefebvre: A Melody from the Mind’s Abyss

Originally Aired: July 6, 1944
The Search for Henri Lefebvre: A Melody from the Mind’s Abyss
A composer named Adolphus Flynn finishes a new orchestral work—only to hear it broadcast over the radio that very evening, credited to a long-dead composer he’s never heard of. Convinced he’s being plagiarized or haunted, Flynn launches a desperate investigation to find the mysterious Henri Lefebvre. But the truth is far more disturbing: the music is real, the composer is real, and Flynn may not be who he thinks he is. As memories of a past life unravel, the lines blur between genius and madness in this haunting psychological mystery.
Keywords: “Suspense Henri Lefebvre episode,” “Paul Muni radio drama,” “Lucille Fletcher suspense play,” “composer psychological thriller,” “July 1944 Suspense CBS,” “Roma Wines mystery episode,” “musical identity mystery”
Cast: Paul Muni (Adolphus Flynn / Henri Lefebvre), with supporting cast from the Suspense radio company. Written by Lucille Fletcher. Produced and directed by William Spier.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Bibles, Blood, and a Buried Masterpiece

Originally Aired: June 29, 1944
The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Bibles, Blood, and a Buried Masterpiece
When gossip columnist Patrick Darcy receives a cryptic visit from an old priest, he’s drawn into a deadly mystery involving a pair of Bibles marked “E.B.,” a murdered clergyman, and the long-lost final mural of a forgotten artist. With the help of a frightened young woman and a trail of coded scripture, Darcy uncovers the truth hidden beneath layers of lies, greed, and betrayal. From a graveyard clue to a Greenwich Village tenement, the search for the “walls of Jericho” becomes a race against time—and a murderer who will kill again to possess the priceless secret.
Keywords: “Suspense The Walls Came Tumbling Down,” “June 29 1944 Suspense episode,” “Keenan Wynn Suspense radio,” “lost mural mystery thriller,” “Father Walsh murder story,” “rare Bibles radio drama,” “Roma Wines classic broadcast”
Cast: Keenan Wynn (Patrick Darcy), with supporting performances by the Suspense radio company. Directed by William Spier.

The Ten Grand: A Chorus Girl's Close Call

Episode Title: The Ten Grand: A Chorus Girl's Close CallOriginally Aired: June 22, 1944
The Ten Grand: A Chorus Girl's Close Call
Down-on-her-luck dancer Gigi Lewis is scrounging for a meal when fate hands her a mysterious bankroll—possibly $10,000 in cash—stuffed into her returned purse after a snatching attempt. But with the money comes danger, cryptic messages, and suspicious strangers following her through the New York City subway. As she navigates the late-night shadows, she's not sure who to trust: the strange man who returned her purse, the kindly old lady with secrets of her own, or the pair of ominous men on her trail. With danger closing in, Gigi is forced to decide whether to run, fight, or place her trust in a cause much bigger than herself.
Keywords: "Lucille Ball Suspense radio," "The Ten Grand 1944 episode," "Suspense CBS noir drama," "chorus girl thriller," "Roma Wines suspense stories," "New York subway mystery," "Lucille Ball thriller radio episode"
Cast: Lucille Ball (Gigi Lewis), supporting cast uncredited.

A Friend to Alexander: A Duel Beyond the Grave

Originally Aired: June 15, 1944
A Friend to Alexander: A Duel Beyond the Grave
In this haunting and psychologically rich episode of Suspense, based on the short story by James Thurber, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Richard Whorf star in a tale where history, dreams, and reality fatally collide.
Harry Andrews is a happy, easygoing man—until he starts having recurring dreams about Aaron Burr. Night after night, Harry sees Burr insult, provoke, and ultimately murder Alexander Hamilton in a dreamscape that feels chillingly real. The dreams begin to take over Harry’s waking life, infecting his work, his marriage, and his peace of mind.
Though his wife Bess tries desperately to save him—urging him to leave town, seek medical help, and even take a vacation—the ghost of Burr follows Harry wherever he goes. In the countryside, during target practice, Harry rehearses for a duel he believes he must fight. In the middle of the night, he marches off the paces, reenacting the fatal confrontation at Weehawken.
Finally, in the early morning hours, Harry faces his imaginary adversary. With a steady hand and a determined heart, he "duels" Aaron Burr—and collapses, dead, as though shot through the heart.
A chilling meditation on obsession, honor, and the deadly grip of unresolved grudges, A Friend to Alexander is a masterpiece of psychological suspense that leaves listeners questioning where dreams end and destiny begins.
Keywords: "Suspense A Friend to Alexander episode," "June 1944 Suspense radio drama," "James Thurber psychological story," "Aaron Burr duel dream," "Alexander Hamilton radio thriller," "Geraldine Fitzgerald Suspense," "Richard Whorf radio performance."
Cast: Geraldine Fitzgerald (Bess Andrews), Richard Whorf (Harry Andrews), produced and directed by William Spier, adapted from the story by James Thurber.

Case History on Edgar Lowndes: The Train That Never Stopped

Originally Aired: June 8, 1944
Case History on Edgar Lowndes: The Train That Never Stopped
In this darkly psychological episode of Suspense, two of Hollywood’s most iconic actors—Thomas Mitchell and Donald Crisp—deliver powerhouse performances in a tale that unravels the twisted mind of a man haunted by death, guilt, and memory.
Edgar Lowndes is a powerful railroad tycoon tormented by debilitating headaches. Seeking help from psychiatrist Dr. Aronson, Lowndes confesses a series of troubling events: the accidental death of his ailing wife due to a medicine mix-up, and a childhood friend lost in a train wreck. But as Dr. Aronson probes deeper, it becomes clear these events are linked not by misfortune, but by motive.
As memories flood back, Lowndes recounts a chilling childhood trauma—watching his paralyzed father die on train tracks, a death he could have prevented but chose not to. His subconscious guilt has spiraled into a need to relive and repeat the act of killing. With each victim—a friend, a wife, a stranger on a train—Lowndes is symbolically murdering his father all over again.
When the truth surfaces, so does the danger. Lowndes pulls a gun, ready to silence the man who knows too much. But Dr. Aronson turns Lowndes’ mind against itself—using a recorded voice from a previous session to replay the cries of his dying father. The mental break is instant. Lowndes flees—and leaps to his death, believing he’s boarding the train that haunted his dreams.
A chilling masterpiece of psychological drama, Case History on Edgar Lowndes explores inherited trauma, subconscious vengeance, and the fragile boundary between guilt and madness.
Keywords: "Suspense Case History Edgar Lowndes," "Thomas Mitchell Donald Crisp radio drama," "June 1944 Suspense episode," "psychological murder radio story," "Roma Wines suspense classic," "railroad symbolism murder plot," "train trauma and subconscious guilt."
Cast: Thomas Mitchell (Edgar Lowndes), Donald Crisp (Dr. Aronson), with supporting performances by the Suspense radio company. Written by Robert Tallman. Produced and directed by William Spier.

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.
Keywords: "Suspense Fugue in C Minor episode," "Vincent Price Ida Lupino Suspense," "Lucille Fletcher organ pipe horror," "June 1 1944 CBS radio drama," "Victorian murder mystery radio," "ghostly pipe organ suspense story," "Roma Wines classic Suspense."
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.

Donovan’s Brain, Part Two: The Final Host

Originally Aired: May 25, 1944
Donovan’s Brain, Part Two: The Final Host
In the chilling conclusion to Suspense's two-part science fiction saga, Orson Welles returns as Dr. Patrick Cory—a man now fully under the growing influence of the disembodied brain he has kept alive in his laboratory. What began as an ambitious experiment to preserve thought has devolved into a psychological and spiritual nightmare.
As the brain of ruthless financier William H. Donovan continues to grow in power, it manipulates Cory’s thoughts, voice, and memories. His family grows suspicious—especially when Cory can no longer recall what happened to his wife, Janice, or when he begins mimicking Donovan’s infamous phrase: “Sure, sure, sure.”
As the horrifying truth unfolds, Janice returns, revealing that Cory committed her to a psychiatric clinic under Donovan’s influence. Cory, desperate to break free, tries one last desperate act: using a blood transfusion with an incompatible blood type, he attempts to destroy the brain. But Donovan anticipates every move.
The story builds to its devastating climax: Cory performs fatal surgery on his own son, David, intending to use his body to house Donovan’s mind. But in sacrificing his son, Cory finally breaks free of the brain’s control and finds the strength to destroy it—though at the cost of his own life.
In a final narration, we learn that both Cory and David are dead, and Janice has been committed once again. The brain, found rotting in the lab, appears to have been dead for months—leaving the chilling question: what was truly controlling Patrick Cory?
An unforgettable blend of science fiction and psychological horror, Donovan’s Brain, Part Two is a cautionary tale of unchecked ambition, obsession, and the price of playing God.
Keywords: "Donovan’s Brain Part Two Suspense," "Orson Welles brain experiment story," "May 1944 Suspense radio," "disembodied brain horror," "William H. Donovan science fiction," "Patrick Cory mind control," "Roma Wines classic Suspense."
Cast: Orson Welles (Dr. Patrick Cory), with supporting performances by Hans Conried, Joseph Kearns, and the Suspense radio company. Produced and directed by William Spier.