Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Alibi Me

Originally Aired: January 4, 1951
In Suspense #410, "Alibi Me," small-time hustler Georgie finds himself in desperate trouble after a confrontation with his childhood rival Julie goes horribly wrong. When Julie muscles in on Georgie's punch board territory in their old Brooklyn neighborhood, Georgie storms into Julie's office for a showdown. Their lifelong hatred is well known to the police, particularly Lieutenant Larkin, who once warned both men that if either turned up dead, the other would be the prime suspect. The confrontation turns violent, and Georgie suddenly realizes Julie is dead. With less than two hours before Julie's scheduled parole check-in with Larkin at six o'clock, Georgie frantically tries to construct an alibi.
Racing against the clock, Georgie desperately seeks someone who will vouch for his whereabouts. He turns to Leo, an old bartender friend who owes him favors, pleading with him to say Georgie has been sitting in his bar since 3:30. But when Leo learns Lieutenant Larkin is already prowling nearby, he refuses to get involved. As precious minutes tick away, Georgie must find someone—anyone—willing to provide the airtight alibi he needs before Larkin discovers Julie's body and comes looking for him.

A Ring for Marya

Originally Aired: December 28, 1950
Suspense #409, "A Ring for Marya," John, a struggling immigrant store owner, presents his wife Maria with a beautiful diamond ring as part of his carefully orchestrated plan. Burdened by business failures and trapped in a loveless marriage to a woman he wed only for her father's money, John convinces Maria to commit insurance fraud by burning down their failing store. He manipulates her devotion masterfully, even pretending to lose his nerve at the last moment so that Maria volunteers to set the fire herself while he establishes an alibi with his friend Frank.
But when Maria calls from a phone booth after midnight, everything has gone terribly wrong. She's been burned in the fire, wandering the streets in pain and confusion, and can't remember if she locked the store door as planned. As John realizes his scheme is unraveling, he must decide how to handle his injured, desperate wife whose blind loyalty may have just destroyed them both. The ring that sealed Maria's devotion now binds John to the consequences of his cold-blooded manipulation.

A Ring for Marya

Originally Aired: December 28, 1950
Suspense #409, "A Ring for Marya," John, a struggling immigrant store owner, presents his wife Maria with a beautiful diamond ring as part of his carefully orchestrated plan. Burdened by business failures and trapped in a loveless marriage to a woman he wed only for her father's money, John convinces Maria to commit insurance fraud by burning down their failing store. He manipulates her devotion masterfully, even pretending to lose his nerve at the last moment so that Maria volunteers to set the fire herself while he establishes an alibi with his friend Frank.
But when Maria calls from a phone booth after midnight, everything has gone terribly wrong. She's been burned in the fire, wandering the streets in pain and confusion, and can't remember if she locked the store door as planned. As John realizes his scheme is unraveling, he must decide how to handle his injured, desperate wife whose blind loyalty may have just destroyed them both. The ring that sealed Maria's devotion now binds John to the consequences of his cold-blooded manipulation.

Christmas for Carole

Originally Aired: December 21, 1950
Suspense #408, "Christmas for Carole," Paul, a bank teller earning $48.50 a week, faces a desperate crisis when his pregnant wife Carol must stay bedridden for two months with round-the-clock nursing care costing more than his entire salary. As Christmas approaches, Paul watches money pass through his hands daily at the bank, feeling the mounting pressure of debts and his wife's deteriorating condition. When elderly Mr. Forbes withdraws his life savings of $8,000 in cash to secretly buy a farm as a Christmas surprise for his wife, Paul sees what he convinces himself is the answer. He contacts Rocky Perea, a criminal, and together they plan to steal the money. Now Paul stands in a dark alley with Rocky on Christmas Eve, the stolen cash in hand, but Rocky insists they wait to see if the elderly couple returns home and reveals where more money might be hidden. What began as Paul's desperate one-time solution to save his family has become something far more dangerous than he imagined.

A Killing in Abilene

Originally Aired: December 14, 1950
Suspense #407, "A Killing in Abilene," stars Alan Ladd as Jeff Mander, a man who has traveled 300 miles from Abilene to find Lee Burridge, the man who murdered his brother Seth two years ago. Jeff arrives in Pleasant Valley just as the townspeople unearth the body of Fred Coston, beaten to death in the same brutal manner as Jeff's brother. The angry citizens, led by Ben Chafey, want immediate frontier justice and plan to lynch Burridge themselves. Sheriff Jake Garvey struggles to maintain order, but the mob mentality is growing stronger.
Jeff faces a moral dilemma that puts him at odds with the entire town. He promised his brother's widow he would bring the killer back to Abilene for a proper trial, but the locals believe Burridge deserves to hang in Pleasant Valley for what he did to their friend. When Jeff finally tracks Burridge to his isolated canyon hut, he must decide whether to uphold his promise of lawful justice or let the vengeful townspeople have their way. The tension builds as two communities clash over one man's fate.

After the Movies

Originally Aired: December 7, 1950
Suspense #406, "After the Movies," stars Ray Milland as Al Benig, a juror sequestered during a sensational trial. When Al and his wife Ann go to the movies during a brief recess, they stop at a local drugstore for ice cream. There, Al discovers an envelope containing ten thousand dollars and a cryptic, threatening note. The message reads: "This is your first half as agreed in the EH business. If they are not hung up when the time comes, don't expect to get the rest or stay healthy very long."
Ann quickly pieces together the clues, realizing the money is a bribe intended for someone on Al's jury. The initials "EH" likely stand for Edward Harmon, the defendant in the very trial where Al is serving. The note's ominous warning about keeping a jury "hung up" suggests a dangerous conspiracy to corrupt the justice system. As the couple debates what to do with their discovery, they face a difficult choice: turn the money over to authorities immediately or wait until morning. The decision becomes more urgent when Ann insists they must call the police right away, fearing any delay might make Al himself appear complicit in the bribery scheme.

The Lady in the Red Hat

Originally Aired: November 30, 1950
Suspense #405, "The Lady in the Red Hat," features Van Heflin as Mitch Mitchell, a columnist whose provocative articles about a serial killer known as the Avenger have attracted unwanted attention. The Avenger has murdered five women in three months, each victim wearing something red. When Mitch receives an anonymous note inviting him to meet the Avenger at midnight in an abandoned chapel, he discovers his colleague Jeannie and police Lieutenant Dow have received identical messages. The three realize they're all deeply involved in the case—Mitch through his psychological analysis columns, Jeannie through her newspaper reporting, and Dow through his investigation.
As they wait together in a dimly lit bar, tension mounts while they debate whether the invitation is genuine or a crank's sick joke. Mitch theorizes about the killer's psychology, suggesting the Avenger sees red as sinful and seeks to purge the world. The chilling possibility emerges that the murderer could be someone they know, perhaps even one of them. Despite Lieutenant Dow's objections, all three are determined to keep the midnight appointment at the community chapel, knowing one of them might be the Avenger's next target.

Going, Going, Gone

Originally Aired: November 23, 1950
Suspense #404, "Going, Going, Gone," finds married couple Wally and Jan Pindell caught up in an increasingly dangerous situation after a routine auction visit turns extraordinary. When Jan insists on bidding for a mysteriously sealed old trunk, Wally reluctantly agrees, thinking it's just another impulse purchase. They secure it for three dollars, but immediately a frantic latecomer offers two hundred dollars for it. The auction house even tries to substitute a different trunk, fueling Jan's suspicion that their purchase contains something valuable.
Back home, the couple opens the trunk to find what appears to be costume jewelry buried beneath old rags and newspapers. When Wally performs the classic glass-scratch test to prove the gems are fake, he discovers the shocking truth: the jewels are real, worth millions. As they try to process their incredible fortune, reality intrudes. Someone knocks at their door. After hastily hiding the trunk in their bedroom, they open it to find a man named Anatole Minchie, who politely introduces himself and makes clear he knows exactly what they bought at the auction.

On a Country Road

Originally Aired: November 16, 1950
Suspense #403, "On a Country Road," stars Cary Grant as David, who makes a fateful decision to take a shortcut with his wife Dorothy during a violent storm. As they drive through the desolate woods of Long Island, radio bulletins warn that Nellie Galler, a dangerous escaped mental patient who has already murdered multiple people with a meat cleaver, is loose in the area. The authorities urge motorists to stay off lonely roads and avoid picking up hitchhikers, but David dismisses Dorothy's growing fear and presses on through the isolated countryside.
When their car runs out of gas on a deserted road near Center Moriches, the very area where Galler just committed her latest murders, Dorothy's terror intensifies. Strapped in darkness with only the storm raging around them, the couple must decide whether to stay in the vulnerable car or venture into the woods for help. As tension mounts between David's determination and Dorothy's panic, they face the horrifying possibility that the killer may be lurking nearby in the darkness.

Blood on the Trumpet

Originally Aired: November 9, 1950
In Suspense #402, "Blood on the Trumpet," Victor Roberts, a talented jazz trumpeter in New Orleans, finds himself under arrest for the brutal murder of his wife Sarah. As Sergeant Juno interrogates him, Vic recounts the deteriorating marriage that led to tragedy. Sarah constantly belittles his musical dreams, calling him a second-rate horn blower and a has-been, while Vic clings to hopes of making it big. Their arguments have become routine, vicious, and seemingly endless. The tension escalates when Vic meets Luanna Duran, a beautiful music lover who actually appreciates his talent, at Lou Eichstatt's club in the French Quarter.
The situation spirals toward violence when Vic returns home late one night to discover Sarah entertaining another man in their room. Club owner Lou has already warned him about Luanna, mentioning she's involved with Rico Angelini, a corrupt and dangerous cop. Now, betrayed by his wife and holding Luanna's lipsticked address in his hand, Vic makes a fateful decision. The murder weapon—his own trumpet—becomes an instrument of death rather than music, and Lieutenant Angelini himself leads the investigation into a case with dark personal connections.