Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Originally Aired: February 3, 1944 The Sisters: A Deadly Bond: This eerie episode of Suspense stars Ida Lupino as Lydia Haskell and Agnes Moorehead as her mentally fragile sister, Ellie. When Lydia visits an undertaker to purchase an expensive casket—one she requests be held for three weeks—the request raises suspicions. But when asked who the casket is for, her chilling answer is: “It’s for me.”...

Originally Aired: January 27, 1944 The Locked Room: Secrets and Betrayal: In this twist-filled episode of Suspense, Virginia Bruce, Alan Jocelyn, and George Zuko star in a tale of murder, greed, and a seemingly impossible crime. When millionaire diamond dealer Francis Seaton is found unconscious in his locked study, the investigation uncovers a web of lies and deception among the four suspects in...

In this compelling episode of Suspense, Paul Lukas delivers a riveting performance as Anton Rejak, a blind pianist who becomes the key witness in a cold-blooded murder. Despite his blindness, Anton’s heightened senses allow him to hear the events of a brutal stabbing in the rooming house where he lives. As the police investigate, Anton's extraordinary ability to perceive the world through sound le...

In this thrilling episode of Suspense, Lucille Ball stars as Ginger Allen, a red-headed taxi dancer at the Joyland Palace dance hall just off Broadway. When her close friend and fellow dancer Julie is found murdered, Ginger learns she's potentially next on the killer's list - the third victim in a string of murders targeting red-headed dance hall girls. Enter Nick, a mysterious man who claims to b...

This thrilling episode of Suspense stars Alan Ladd as Tom Dwyer, a shrewd private detective who stumbles upon a deadly mystery at Ocean City's amusement park. When a professor's body mysteriously appears on a roller coaster ride - in a seat that was empty when the ride began - Dwyer's instincts tell him something sinister is afoot. The investigation leads him to Sheila Kennedy, a local performer w...

This captivating episode of Suspense features an all-female cast, with Margo, Elsa Lanchester, and Janet Beecher leading the charge in a tale of manipulation, jealousy, and murder at the Nash School for Girls. Caroline Watts begins her new teaching position with excitement, only to uncover sinister undercurrents within the prestigious institution. The formidable Dean Sterling exerts a chilling inf...

In this darkly humorous and chilling episode of Suspense, Peter Lorre stars as Hubert Schumacher, a mild-mannered professor who plans to murder his overbearing wife, Hermione, and bury her in the cellar beneath his "devil’s garden." Hubert’s meticulously crafted plan is designed to ensure no one suspects her disappearance while he embarks on a lecture tour in America. Hubert’s plan seems flawless—...

This sardonic tale of Suspense follows the Princy family on a rainy afternoon as they attempt to cover up a murder committed by their daughter, Millicent. When the body of Mr. Withers, a local curate and Millicent’s unrequited love, is discovered in their home, the family’s patriarch, Mr. Princy, devises a sinister plan to hide the crime and protect the family’s reputation. The tension escalates w...

In this haunting episode of Suspense, Robert Young stars as Harry Jordan, an investigator for a fire insurance company who begins to suspect that his wife, Marie (played by Margo), is responsible for a string of mysterious fires in their neighborhood. Harry’s unease grows as he uncovers troubling evidence, including matches hidden throughout their home and newspaper clippings detailing local blaze...

In this gripping Suspense episode, Cary Grant delivers a masterful performance as Frank Townsend, a man plagued by amnesia who awakens on a snowy street with no memory of the last three years of his life. Haunted by the initials "D.N." on a hat and cigar case, Frank sets out to uncover the truth about his forgotten past. As Frank retraces his steps to Tillery Street, he discovers he was once known...

In this gripping episode of Suspense, Vincent Price delivers a masterful performance as Charles Umberstein, an undercover operative embedded within Nazi Germany. Posing as an architect in a munitions factory, Umberstein's meticulous espionage activities are suddenly exposed, thrusting him into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the Gestapo. As Captain von Heinde, a chilling and relentless Gest...

This high-stakes episode of Suspense stars Gene Kelly as Art Kramer, a cunning black market operator whose shady dealings spiral into a tangled web of greed and murder. When Art's financial troubles push him to desperate measures, he plans an alibi for a deadly robbery, implicating a fellow criminal, Canelli. But as events unfold, fate has its own sinister plans, leading both men into a deadly tra...

This classic episode of Suspense delivers a masterfully woven tale of intrigue, betrayal, and murder on the high seas. Anne Brewster boards the luxurious ocean liner Moravania for a honeymoon voyage with her new husband, Ricky. But when Ricky mysteriously disappears, and the crew denies his existence, Anne begins to question her own sanity. Austrian doctor Carl Heinrich intervenes, piecing togethe...

This chilling episode of Suspense explores the unraveling psyche of Henry Wilson, a man consumed by hatred and ambition. When Henry’s resentment toward his supervisor, Charles Dodds, boils over, it leads to a calculated act of murder. But in his attempt to cover up his crime, Henry’s paranoia intensifies, trapping him in a web of lies, hallucinations, and guilt. Gene Lockhart delivers a masterful...

A quiet dinner party erupts into a deadly revelation in this chilling Suspense episode. Five men, including millionaire industrialist Ralph Chandler, sit down for what begins as a routine evening. As the evening unfolds, Chandler shocks his guests with a haunting tale involving a murder that hits dangerously close to home. Secrets unravel and tensions mount as Chandler dares his companions to face...

Dr. Robert Wensley Graham, a psychiatrist, faces an unparalleled case of the supernatural. Roger Holcomb, a man who “returned from the dead,” is plagued by an unexplainable compulsion: the ability to see through lies and reveal the truth. When Graham invites Holcomb into his home for treatment, his wife, Isabel, begins to unravel under the weight of her own insecurities and a growing sense of unea...

This suspenseful episode of Suspense showcases Agatha Christie’s gripping short story brought to life by the talents of Geraldine Fitzgerald as Alex Martin and Orson Welles as her enigmatic husband, Gerald. Newlyweds Alex and Gerald Martin begin their idyllic life together in the secluded Philomel Cottage. But beneath their seemingly perfect marriage lies a dark web of secrets. When Alex stumbles...

In this suspenseful adaptation of a story by Arthur Conan Doyle, Orson Welles delivers a gripping performance as he narrates a tale involving a vanished train and an unsolved mystery. The story follows the strange disappearance of a special train transporting a mysterious figure named Monsieur Louis Caratel and his companion, Gomez. As the train travels through the English countryside, it veers of...

In this thrilling episode of Suspense, Orson Welles stars as General Zaroff, a menacing character who has turned the remote island he inhabits into a hunting ground for the most dangerous prey of all—humans. When celebrated hunter Sanger Rainsford, portrayed by Keenan Wynn, is shipwrecked and finds himself on Zaroff’s eerie island, he soon learns that his host’s passion for the hunt extends beyond...

In this gripping episode of Suspense, Lisanne Steppen, portrayed by Virginia Bruce, becomes entangled in a dangerous mystery involving a wealthy man’s estate and his three sons, all of whom are desperate to inherit his fortune. The story begins when Lisanne answers a mysterious personal ad requesting “a beautiful girl, no special training required, but must not be afraid to look upon the bright fa...

In this chilling episode of Suspense!, a sinister plot unfolds in the fog-shrouded Cape as a woman named Lettie Hawthorne, portrayed by Lillian Gish, finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit and danger. Newly married to the younger and mysterious Mark Taylor, Lettie’s attempts to adapt to her life by the sea are shadowed by fear and suspicion. As her nerves unravel amid the constant sound of fogh...

In this gripping episode of “Suspense,” Dolores Costello stars as Countess Elsa in a tale set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Denmark. The story follows the people of Denmark who face oppression from their Nazi rulers but find strange and effective ways to deal with their enemies and those who betray them. The episode begins with the arrival of Nazi Gauleiter Herr Reichmann, played by Martin...

In this classic episode of “Suspense,” originally aired on August 10, 1943, listeners are treated to a delightfully British tale of murder and intrigue. The story stars the distinguished British actor Edmund Gwenn as Mr. Archibald Spiller, a conservative man who has recently come into a bit of luck. Spiller resides on a country estate, enjoying a comfortable lifestyle with a cook, a manservant, an...

In this gripping episode of "Suspense," one of radio's most iconic thrillers, an invalid woman named Mrs. Stevenson becomes entangled in a terrifying murder plot when she accidentally overhears a chilling conversation over the telephone. Alone in her home, Mrs. Stevenson frantically tries to contact her husband but is met with frustration and indifference from the telephone operators. As the night...

In this chilling episode of Suspense, a young man, Tom Cochran, finds himself in a desperate situation after waking up from what he thought was a nightmare. The only problem is, the strange events that unfolded in his dream might have been real—and now he's in a serious jam. Was there a murder? And why does that eerie music seem to follow him wherever he goes? Tom, played by Dane Clark, seeks help...