Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

The Name of the Beast: An Artist, a Killer, and a Portrait of Damnation

Originally Aired: April 11, 1946
In Suspense #188, “The Name of the Beast,” Vincent Price stars as James Dorrance, a reclusive painter who finds his ultimate subject in Elmer Krebs, a waterfront drifter and murderer. Obsessed with capturing pure evil on canvas, Dorrance aids Krebs in covering up a pawnshop killing—only to fall deeper into a web of crime, manipulation, and doomed desire for a woman named Jeanie. As the portrait nears completion, it reflects not only the beastly soul of its subject but also the artist’s own descent into corruption. A haunting study of obsession, identity, and the monstrous within.
Cast:
Vincent Price, Elliot Lewis
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, VincentPrice, ElliotLewis, nameofthbeast, oldtimeradio, mystery, painting, obsession, noir, portrait, murder, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmefatale, suspensepodcast

Post Mortem: A Sweepstakes Secret and a Fatal Sunlamp

Originally Aired: April 4, 1946
In Suspense #187, “Post Mortem,” Agnes Moorehead stars as Josie Archer, a former actress whose late husband unknowingly left her a winning sweepstakes ticket—buried with him in the suit he was laid to rest in. When Josie and her new husband Stephen retrieve the ticket, whispers of foul play begin to surface, pointing toward Harry Mead’s mysterious death. As suspicion grows, Josie’s theatrical confession and a reporter’s meddling bring the truth closer to light—until a “sunlamp accident” nearly makes her Stephen’s next victim. A tale of greed, duplicity, and a deadly domestic scheme that turns upon a chilling irony.
Cast:
Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Kearns
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, AgnesMoorehead, JosephKearns, postmortem, oldtimeradio, mystery, sweepstakes, sunlamp, murderplot, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, femmehorror, suspensepodcast

Out of Control: A Blind Detective and the Ice Pick Method

Originally Aired: March 28, 1946
In Suspense #186, “Out of Control,” Brian Donlevy stars as Captain Duncan McLean, a blind detective whose sharpened senses unravel one of the most ingenious murder methods ever devised. When blackmailer Walter Crane is found dead in a car crash near a mountain lodge, suspicion falls on Marsha Fillmore and her jealous husband Dennis. But McLean uncovers a chilling method: drug the victim, wedge a car’s wheels with blocks of ice, and let time and gravity finish the job—leaving no trace as the evidence melts away. With his police dog Dreist at his side, McLean faces off against a beautiful and deadly killer in a battle of wits and survival.
Cast:
Brian Donlevy
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, BrianDonlevy, outofcontrol, oldtimeradio, mystery, blinddetective, ingeniousmurder, icepick, blackmail, noir, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

The Lonely Road: Temptation, Betrayal, and the Trap of Desire

Originally Aired: March 21, 1946
In Suspense #185, “The Lonely Road,” Gregory Peck stars as Stephen Gare, a man whose isolated country home becomes the stage for seduction and murder. When Jenny, a striking and predatory young housemaid, enters the household, she begins to manipulate Stephen into plotting his wealthy wife Helen’s death. But the plan unravels in blood and madness, with bear traps and butcher knives turning the would-be scheme on its makers. In the end, Stephen finds himself crushed between guilt, temptation, and a wife far more dangerous than he ever imagined. A gothic tale of obsession and deadly entanglements.
Cast:
Gregory Peck, Maria Palmer, Cathy Lewis
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, GregoryPeck, thelonelyroad, MariaPalmer, CathyLewis, oldtimeradio, mystery, temptation, betrayal, murder, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, gothic, suspensepodcast

No More Alice: A Psychiatrist’s Plot and a Fatal Substitution

Originally Aired: March 14, 1946
In Suspense #184, “No More Alice,” Paul Henreid stars as Dr. Warren Rice, a psychiatrist trapped in a bitter marriage to his jealous wife, Alice. When escaped convict Frankie Tatum stumbles into his car, Rice seizes a dark opportunity: hide Tatum in his home and use him as the instrument of murder. But his plan to have Tatum kill Alice collapses when fate—and a storm—bring his lover Lisa back to the house. In the end, it is Lisa who lies dead, Alice who survives, and Rice who is exposed by his own butler. A chilling tale of deceit, obsession, and a plan too clever for its maker.
Cast:
Paul Henreid
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, PaulHenreid, nomorealice, oldtimeradio, mystery, psychiatry, jealousy, betrayal, convict, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast

The Black Path of Fear: Havana, Murder, and a Deadly Photograph

Originally Aired: March 7, 1946
In Suspense #183, “The Black Path of Fear,” Brian Donlevy stars as Bill Scott, a man who runs off to Havana with Eve, the wife of gangster Ed Spinelli. Their honeymoon bliss ends in Sloppy Joe’s café when Eve is stabbed to death during their first photograph together. Framed for her murder, Scott flees through Havana’s alleys, finding refuge with “Midnight,” a mysterious woman who helps him pursue the truth. A damning photograph holds the key, revealing Spinelli himself as the killer. But vengeance comes at a cost, leaving Scott haunted by love lost and the shadows of Havana’s underworld.
Cast:
Brian Donlevy
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, BrianDonlevy, blackpathoffear, oldtimeradio, mystery, Havana, murder, noir, photograph, gangster, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, betrayal, suspensepodcast

Consequence: A Doctor’s Betrayal and a Fatal Exchange

Originally Aired: February 21, 1946
In Suspense #181, “Consequence,” James Stewart stars as Dr. Philip Martin, a weary physician trapped in a loveless marriage to Gwen and secretly in love with another woman, Joe. When his old friend Ted Wolf visits, fate presents Martin with a chance to trade lives: a fire destroys his home, leaving Ted’s body mistaken for his own. Seizing the opportunity, Martin assumes Ted’s identity, escaping with Joe to begin anew. But their freedom is fragile—Gwen resurfaces, suspicion grows, and deception spirals into a web of guilt and inevitability. A haunting tale of passion, duplicity, and the crushing weight of choices that can never be undone.
Cast:
James Stewart
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, JamesStewart, consequence, oldtimeradio, mystery, identity, guilt, betrayal, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast

The Lucky Lady: A Cat’s Scratch, a Star’s Curse

Originally Aired: February 14, 1946
In Suspense #180, “The Lucky Lady,” Faye Bainter stars as Leonora Plim, a retired actress who runs a theatrical boarding house for young hopefuls—and fiercely protects her cat, Lady Susie, believed to bring luck. When aspiring stars Diane and Jane rise to fame after being scratched by Susie, their success is short-lived: both die mysteriously at the height of their careers. Suspicion falls on the sinister handyman George, but the truth is far darker. Miss Plim herself has orchestrated the “luck,” using poison beneath her cat’s claws to grant the girls eternal fame in death. A macabre tale of envy, superstition, and twisted devotion.
Cast:
Faye Bainter
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, FayeBainter, theluckylady, oldtimeradio, mystery, superstition, poison, envy, cat, gothic, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmevillain, suspensepodcast

Too Little to Live On: Greed, Dependence, and a Deadly Pact

Originally Aired: February 7, 1946
In Suspense #179, “Too Little to Live On,” a struggling young couple, David and Myra O’Connor, care for Myra’s miserly Uncle Ed, who controls their future with the promise of a $30,000 inheritance. Bitter, trapped, and desperate, they begin to fantasize about ending his life—until desperation turns to action with a fateful switch of medicine bottles. But Uncle Ed proves far from helpless, revealing a cruel wit and a trap of his own making. A bleak and harrowing portrait of greed, dependence, and the crushing weight of confinement, culminating in a grim twist of irony and despair.
Cast:
George Murphy, Nancy Coleman
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, GeorgeMurphy, NancyColeman, toolittletoliveon, oldtimeradio, mystery, inheritance, greed, entrapment, poison, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast

The Long Shot: Murder, Identity, and a Deadly Gamble

Originally Aired: January 31, 1946
In Suspense #178, “The Long Shot,” down-and-out gambler Kelly Raymond seizes a dangerous opportunity when he answers an ad for a wealthy Englishman’s cross-country chauffeur. As they travel west, Raymond hatches a plan to murder his employer and assume his identity, lured by the promise of a vast inheritance in San Francisco. But as the journey unfolds—with endless tests of his supposed “London” knowledge and the watchful eyes of the law—Raymond discovers he’s not the only one playing a role. A razor-edged tale of imposture, greed, and the fatal odds of a long gamble.
Cast:
George Colouris
Tags:
Suspense, thriller, psychological, GeorgeColouris, thelongshot, oldtimeradio, mystery, murder, impostor, identity, gambling, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast