Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

The Will to Power: Greed, Murder, and a Fatal Misstep

Originally Aired: January 9, 1947
In Suspense #227, “The Will to Power,” an ambitious secretary named Charles Ross schemes to eliminate his tyrannical employer and claim both his fortune and his wife. Poison, a staged accident, and a solid alibi set the plot in motion—but Charles doesn’t count on a blackmailing elevator man or the deadly fallout of a letter left behind. As lies compound and the body count rises, Charles’s perfect crime unravels under the weight of its own hubris. Starring Dan Duryea, this gripping noir descent into betrayal and comeuppance delivers one of Suspense’s most biting finales.
Cast:Dan Duryea
Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, DanDuryea, betrayal, poison, blackmail, greed, 1940sradio, classicdrama, murderplot, twistending, suspensepodcast, oldtimeradio, crime

Tree of Life: Wrong Door, Dead Wife, and a Deadlier Secret

Originally Aired: January 2, 1947
In Suspense #226, “Tree of Life,” a pair of identical front doors leads to a deadly mix-up in a suburban duplex. Advertising man James Dawson returns home to find himself mistaken for his neighbor, Roxborough—by two professional killers who’ve just murdered a woman. Dawson is forced to play along, forging a confession and writing a payoff check, while plotting his escape. But a final twist reveals an ironic, chilling truth: it wasn’t Roxborough’s wife the hitmen killed... it was Dawson’s. Starring Mark Stevens, this taut thriller explores guilt, fate, and the cruel geometry of coincidence.
Cast:Mark Stevens
Tags:Suspense, thriller, mistakenidentity, MarkStevens, murderplot, noir, retribution, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, twistending, crime, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Philomel Cottage: A Bride’s Suspicion and a Killer’s Mistake

Originally Aired: December 26, 1946
In Suspense #225, “Philomel Cottage,” newlywed Alex Martin settles into a picturesque country home with her charming husband Gerald—but happiness turns to dread as unsettling clues hint at a dark secret in his past. An entry in his diary, rumors from the gardener, and the reappearance of a jilted suitor stir Alex’s suspicions. As 6 p.m. approaches, she discovers Gerald may be more than just mysterious—he may be a murderer. Adapted from a short story by Agatha Christie and starring Lily Palmer, this domestic thriller simmers with tension until a brilliantly twisted climax.
Cast:Lily Palmer, Raymond E. Lewis
Tags:Suspense, thriller, AgathaChristie, LilyPalmer, domesticnoir, psychological, newlywed, mystery, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, gaslight, betrayal, twistending, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

The Thing in the Window: A Delusion of Death Across the Street

Originally Aired: December 19, 1946
In Suspense #224, “The Thing in the Window,” a reclusive actor named Martin Ames becomes obsessed with what he believes is a corpse seated in a chair across the street. Night after night, he watches the window, convinced he sees the lifeless body, despite reassurances from neighbors, the superintendent, and even the police that nothing is there. As the line between perception and paranoia blurs, Ames spirals deeper into obsession—until he takes chilling action to ensure his vision becomes real. A macabre psychological thriller from Lucille Fletcher, famed for “Sorry, Wrong Number,” starring Joseph Cotten in a masterclass of suspense and descent into madness.
Cast:Joseph Cotten
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, JosephCotten, LucilleFletcher, paranoia, obsession, oldtimeradio, ghoststory, gaslight, mystery, 1940sradio, vintagehorror, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

They Call Me Patrice: A Widow’s Masquerade and a Blackmailer’s Doom

Originally Aired: December 12, 1946
In Suspense #223, “They Call Me Patrice,” a young divorcée named Helen assumes the identity of a deceased bride, stepping into the role of a wealthy family’s daughter-in-law after a tragic train accident. What begins as a desperate bid for comfort and security spirals into a web of deception, guilt, and blackmail. When her scheming ex-husband resurfaces, threatening her new life, Helen is forced to make a harrowing choice—one that leads to murder and a final, shattering twist. A haunting tale of identity, moral compromise, and the price of survival.
Cast:Susan Peters
Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, deception, identity, SusanPeters, blackmail, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, mystery, psychologicaldrama, classicdrama, trainwreck, femmefatale, suspensepodcast

The House in Cypress Canyon: A Manuscript of Horror and a Loop in Time

Originally Aired: December 5, 1946
In Suspense #222, “The House in Cypress Canyon,” a grisly manuscript found in a newly finished house reveals a tale too terrifying to be true—until reality begins to mirror the story’s events. James and Ellen Woods move into a long-vacant California home, only to be haunted by inexplicable howls, a locked closet seeping blood, and a creeping madness that drives them to the brink. Is the manuscript fiction, or a premonition? A meta-horror classic that masterfully blurs the line between story and storyteller, culminating in a chilling twist that suggests the nightmare is only beginning.
Cast:Robert Taylor, Cathy Lewis
Tags:Suspense, horror, hauntedhouse, timeparadox, RobertTaylor, CathyLewis, CypressCanyon, oldtimeradio, mystery, metafiction, blooddoor, supernatural, classicradio, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast, noirhorror

The Strange Death of Gordon Fitzroy: A Face Reborn, A Soul Shattered

Originally Aired: November 28, 1946
In Suspense #221, “The Strange Death of Gordon Fitzroy,” Johnny Malone emerges from prison hideously disfigured and consumed by vengeance. Betrayed by his childhood friend Gordon Fitzroy during a botched jewelry heist, Malone’s only aim upon release is retribution. But his plan to destroy Fitzroy backfires catastrophically, leaving Malone mistaken for the very man he hates—and surgically reconstructed into his likeness. Haunted by his past and trapped in a stranger’s face, Malone spirals into psychological torment, questioning identity, justice, and whether revenge is worth the cost. A brutal noir tragedy wrapped in post-war paranoia and existential horror.
Cast:Chester Morris
Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, identity, revenge, ChesterMorris, mistakenidentity, oldtimeradio, mystery, 1940sradio, classicdrama, psychological, disfigurement, postwar, faceoff, suspensepodcast

Drive-In: A Carhop, a Killer, and a Deadly Detour

Originally Aired: November 21, 1946
In Suspense #220, “Drive-In,” Judy Garland stars as Mildred, a Hollywood carhop whose late-night shift turns into a nightmare when she serves one last customer—a man with blood on his hands and a dark past he’s desperate to escape. What begins as a seemingly harmless offer of a ride becomes a harrowing drive into the hills above Los Angeles, where secrets unravel, sanity frays, and survival hinges on a single moment of courage. A chilling blend of noir and psychological terror that showcases Garland in a rare and riveting dramatic role.
Cast:Judy Garland, Raymond E. Lewis
Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, psychological, JudyGarland, DriveIn, oldtimeradio, mystery, captivity, gaslight, escape, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmehorror, suspensepodcast

The One Who Got Away: A Banker, a Betrayal, and a Deadly Escape Plan

Originally Aired: November 14, 1946
In Suspense #219, “The One Who Got Away,” Hume Cronyn stars as James Carroll, a weary bank auditor trapped in a soul-crushing marriage. Desperate for freedom, he crafts a perfect murder plot—backed by the coerced alibi of a compromised colleague. But when the plan succeeds and justice seems thwarted, fate has one more twist in store. A chilling portrait of psychological manipulation and poetic justice.
Cast:Hume Cronyn
Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, noir, murderplot, HumeCronyn, oldtimeradio, mystery, perfectcrime, alibi, betrayal, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, justice

Easy Money: A Pianist’s Past, A Heiress’s Fate

Originally Aired: November 7, 1946
In Suspense #218, “Easy Money,” struggling nightclub pianist Paul Bentley sees a path to freedom when he learns that his estranged, powerful wife, Martha Lathrop, has returned to America. Trapped in a marriage that ended in all but name, Paul’s desire to remarry is blocked—until he devises a chilling plan. But Martha, now a paranoid recluse surrounded by loyal staff and a sinister macaw, proves harder to manipulate than expected. As poison, paranoia, and a deadly parrot collide, Paul gambles on the perfect crime—only to find out that easy money can come with a deadly cost. A tightly plotted noir with a wicked twist ending.
Cast:
Jack Carson
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, noir, deception, inheritance, JackCarson, vintagecrime, oldtimeradio, murdermystery, psychologicaldrama, classicradio, suspensepodcast, 1940sradio, femmefatale, macaw, easyMoney