Originally Aired: July 24, 1947 In Suspense #255, “Murder by an Expert,” a struggling dance duo’s dreams take a deadly turn when ambition, jealousy, and betrayal spiral into murder. Edith Reed, half of a nightclub act, kills her husband and partner Bob, carefully orchestrating a scheme to pin the crime on another. But in the aftermath, her cold precision is undone not by guilt, but by the man she trusted most. With chilling narration and a twist-laden script, this episode explores how expertly planned crimes can unravel under the weight of deception. Cast:Lynn Bari, Elliott Lewis, Wally Maher Tags:Suspense, thriller, murder, dance, betrayal, LynnBari, ElliottLewis, WallyMaher, oldtimeradio, noir, jealousy, femmefatale, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, crime, psychologicalthriller

Originally Aired: July 10, 1947 In Suspense #253, “Murder by the Book,” Gloria Swanson stars as Emily Carlisle, a mystery writer struggling with memory lapses following her husband's drowning. When her psychiatrist, Dr. Winter, is murdered, Emily is asked to cover the sensational case for a national newspaper syndicate. As she investigates, she becomes entangled in a web of confessions, circumstantial evidence, and suppressed truths. But Emily’s headaches and blackout spells hint at something far more disturbing: a dual personality and a hidden killer within. A psychological thriller that twists its way to a shocking revelation. Cast:Gloria Swanson Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, GloriaSwanson, splitpersonality, dualidentity, murdermystery, oldtimeradio, gaslight, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmehorror, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: July 3, 1947 In Suspense #252, “Money Talks,” Alan Baxter stars as Clifford Goff, a smooth-talking, cold-blooded grifter with a meticulous plan to rob the Bankers Industrial Trust Company of $100,000. With the help of calculating co-worker Anita Willoughby—whom he seduces into compliance—Cliff intends to embezzle the money and disappear. But Anita isn’t who she appears to be, and the double-cross is just beginning. In a scheme tangled with deception, betrayal, and murder, the cash starts to “talk”—and it’s speaking louder than anyone can silence. A sharply-written noir tale of ambition gone fatally awry. Cast:Alan Baxter Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, heist, betrayal, AlanBaxter, oldtimeradio, mystery, moneytalks, crime, doublecross, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmefatale, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: June 26, 1947 In Suspense #251, “Phobia,” wealthy spinster Emily Haven tells the tale of her peculiar aversion to metal—and how it might have saved her life. As Emily navigates a strange household shared with her impulsive sister Grace, a blackmailing suitor, a scheming maid, and even a fugitive murderer, the lines between paranoia and reality blur. When a robbery escalates into murder and Emily's phobia is put to the test, her calm narration conceals a chilling twist that only unfolds in the final moments. A psychological thriller delivered with dry wit and deceptive gentility. Cast:Eva Le Gallienne Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, phobia, metal, EvaLeGallienne, oldtimeradio, mystery, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, spinstercrime, familysecrets, murdertwist, noir

Originally Aired: June 19, 1947 In Suspense #250, “Dead of Night,” Jimmy Barton returns home to find his sister Helen bruised, terrified, and desperate to flee her violent new husband, Phil. When Phil ends up dead, Jimmy and Helen go on the run—dragging a body through motels, hiding it in the bathroom, and ultimately staging it on a sunlit California beach. But as nosy neighbors, ball-playing kids, and a well-meaning beat cop close in, the mystery of how Phil died begins to unravel. A tightly wound thriller of misjudged guilt, drugged delusions, and a twist that redefines the killer. Cast:Elliot Reid, Cathy Lewis Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, beachnoir, siblingbond, ElliotReid, CathyLewis, 1940sradio, classicdrama, oldtimeradio, mistakenmurder, noir, suspensepodcast, vintagecrime, gaslight

Originally Aired: June 12, 1947 In Suspense #249, “Stand-In,” Diana Burke is used to living in the shadows—after all, she’s just the stand-in for Hollywood’s reigning screen diva, “Madame.” But when Diana falls for the star’s new husband, a charming but violent ex-lifeguard named Dennis, her off-screen role becomes a deadly performance. As tension mounts on the set and behind the scenes, a perfect plan for murder unfolds under the klieg lights. In the ruthless world of fame and ambition, who’s really pulling the strings—and who will take the final bow? Cast:June Havoc Tags:Suspense, thriller, Hollywood, standin, JuneHavoc, oldtimeradio, mystery, noir, femmefatale, betrayal, ambition, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: June 5, 1947 In Suspense #248, “Make Mad the Guilty,” Hume Cronin stars as Bertram Matthews, a failed Shakespearean actor turned meek department store floorwalker—until he uncovers his wife's affair and plots a theatrical revenge worthy of the Bard himself. Feigning suicide, Bertram orchestrates a chilling frame-up that sends his wife to death row. But as the clock ticks down to her execution, Bertram becomes desperate for recognition of his “performance,” spiraling into madness in search of applause. A darkly ironic tale of obsession, ego, and poetic justice. Cast:Hume Cronin Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, revenge, HumeCronin, oldtimeradio, mystery, madness, ego, gaslight, classicdrama, fakeddeath, femmefatale, vintagehorror, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: May 29, 1947 In Suspense #247, “A Thing of Beauty,” Angela Lansbury stars as Madeline Tremaine, a reclusive former stage actress whose legend lives on long after the curtain has fallen. When a young curate visits her remote estate during a storm, she begins to unravel the haunting tale of her rise to stardom, a backstage rivalry turned deadly, and the terrible secrets that led to her permanent seclusion. A chilling narrative unfolds, involving murder, betrayal, and a face destroyed—if not by acid, then by guilt. As the storm rages outside, so does the tempest within her memory. A story of obsession, vanity, and the price of beauty, told in layers of shadow and shock. Cast:Angela Lansbury Tags:Suspense, thriller, psychological, gothic, AngelaLansbury, theater, vanity, murder, oldtimeradio, mystery, femmefatale, madness, acidattack, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: May 22, 1947 In Suspense #246, “Night Comes Riding,” Mildred Anderson endures a loveless, oppressive marriage, haunted by the mysterious death of her nephew. When a soft-spoken stranger named Duncan Shaw appears, offering comfort and kindness, she sees a chance at escape—and perhaps at love. But Duncan has secrets of his own, and a buried vendetta against her husband. As the shadows deepen and tensions mount, betrayal, murder, and madness converge in a tale that gallops toward a grim climax. A psychologically rich noir about guilt, manipulation, and the terrifying price of freedom. Cast:Virginia Bruce, Wally Maher, Howard Duff Tags:Suspense, thriller, noir, psychological, betrayal, VirginiaBruce, WallyMaher, HowardDuff, oldtimeradio, mystery, revenge, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmefatale, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: May 15, 1947 In Suspense #245, “Death at Live Oak,” down-on-his-luck David Sutherland meets a mysterious woman who mistakes him for her estranged husband—and suddenly finds himself the centerpiece of a deadly scheme. When the husband turns out to be his doppelgänger, a chilling plan unfolds: impersonate him, kill him in a faked plane crash, and take his identity. But even the best-laid murder plots can unravel under the weight of guilt, missteps, and a single elevator boy’s memory. Robert Mitchum stars in this gripping tale of deception, identity, and poetic justice. Cast:Robert Mitchum, Mary Jane Croft Tags:Suspense, thriller, RobertMitchum, doppelgänger, identitytheft, noir, murderplot, planecrash, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast, alibi, mistakenidentity, femmefatale, twistending, guilt

Originally Aired: May 8, 1947 In Suspense #244, “Dead Ernest,” Dennis Bowers is struck by a car and presumed dead. But Bowers suffers from catalepsy—a condition that mimics death—and he carries a letter and bracelet warning against embalming. When both go missing, his body is taken to the morgue with no one the wiser. As kids melt his ID bracelet for scrap and a secondhand shop sells his blood-stained jacket, Bowers inches closer to being embalmed alive. Only a nosy housewife, a smudged pair of glasses, and a twitch at the last second stand between life and a horrific mistake. Wally Mayer stars in this black comedy of errors and suspense. Cast:Wally Mayer Tags:Suspense, thriller, WallyMayer, catalepsy, mistakenidentity, embalming, blackcomedy, morgue, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, nearburiedalive, PeabodyAward, closecall, medicalthriller

Originally Aired: May 1, 1947 In Suspense #243, “Lady in Distress,” Evelyn Harris picks up a drifter on a stormy roadside—only to discover he's an escaped convict with a vendetta against her husband, police officer Ralph Harris. But Evelyn’s not so innocent herself. As she manipulates her dangerous passenger into carrying out her own deadly plan, the stakes spiral toward an explosive finale in a darkened garage. Ava Gardner and Howard Duff star in this twist-laden tale of betrayal, seduction, and revenge, where every turn in the road tightens the noose. Cast:Ava Gardner, Howard Duff Tags:Suspense, thriller, AvaGardner, HowardDuff, noir, betrayal, escapedconvict, garagebomb, revenge, policewife, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast, femmefatale, twistending, explosive

Originally Aired: April 24, 1947 In Suspense #242, “Win, Place and Murder,” down-on-his-luck private eye Chris Draper stumbles into a deadly horse-betting racket when a mysterious client named Pilsen pays him to retrieve a black bag. But Pilsen is no ordinary accountant—he’s just murdered a bookie and is on the run with the payroll. As Draper navigates crooked cops, jealous lovers, and one unforgettable filly named Mosquito, he finds that every lead comes with a catch and every favor costs more than it’s worth. Richard Conte stars in this wisecracking noir where money talks, but a bullet still has the last word. Cast:Richard Conte, Wally Maher Tags:Suspense, thriller, RichardConte, noir, horsebetting, bookie, murdermystery, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, privateeye, getaway, payrollrobbery, twistending, gambling

Originally Aired: April 17, 1947 In Suspense #241, “Green-Eyed Monster,” Michael Dawson seems like the perfect grieving widower—until he remarries, and his second wife begins to stir old obsessions. Haunted by jealousy and guilt, Michael spirals into paranoia, suspecting Judy of being a serial killer. But when she turns up dead in the same trunk where he once hid his first wife’s body, the twist cuts both ways. Lloyd Nolan delivers a riveting performance in this psychological shocker, where possession, madness, and misdirection meet a sharp brass letter opener. Cast:Lloyd Nolan, Cathy Lewis Tags:Suspense, thriller, LloydNolan, CathyLewis, jealousy, murder, noir, serialkiller, psychological, twistending, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, trunkmurder, letteropener, gaslight

Originally Aired: April 10, 1947 In Suspense #240, “Community Property,” George Mason’s marriage is a powder keg of resentment, jealousy, and greed. When his ailing uncle promises him a $500,000 inheritance, George finally sees a future without his bitter wife Lois—and begins planning a way to cut her out entirely. Under California’s community property laws, divorce would mean splitting the windfall. So George goes another route: he fakes reconciliation, spikes her warm milk, and waits for the drugs to take effect. But a prescription swap, a meddling doctor, and a cruel twist of law leave George with blood on his hands—and nothing in the bank. Kirk Douglas stars in this razor-sharp tale of murder and miscalculation. Cast:Kirk Douglas, Cathy Lewis Tags:Suspense, thriller, KirkDouglas, murderplot, inheritance, noir, classicdrama, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast, poison, prescription, fatalmistake, communityproperty, darkcomedy, marriagegonewrong

Originally Aired: April 3, 1947 In Suspense #239, “The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright,” elevator operator Eddie dreams of success and romance, but a white lie to impress a manicurist snowballs into a deadly misadventure. When Eddie recognizes a fugitive gangster from his days running the penthouse car, he tries to play hero—only to find himself framed, stripped of his uniform, and mistaken for the very killer he sought to expose. A body in a carpet, a swapped jacket, and a last-second shootout form the twists in this fast-talking noir starring Phil Silvers in a rare dramatic role. Cast:Phil Silvers Tags:Suspense, thriller, PhilSilvers, mistakenidentity, noir, crimecomedy, gangster, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, elevatorboy, underdoghero, deadbody, impersonation, shootout

Originally Aired: August 12, 1942 In Suspense #9, “Suspicion,” respectable Englishman Hubert Mummery starts to feel unwell after breakfast—and can’t shake a creeping unease. His new young wife, Ethel, seems fine. The new housekeeper, Sutton, is all kindness. But then a neighbor mentions a notorious poisoner, Carolyn Andrews, still at large and possibly posing as a domestic servant. When Mummery finds newspaper clippings cut out and weed killer stored beside the soup, his stomach pain takes on a new dread. Charles Ruggles delivers a masterful performance in this quietly mounting tale of fear, deduction, and a finale that proves appearances can be fatally deceiving. Cast:Charles Ruggles Tags:Suspense, thriller, CharlesRuggles, poisonplot, mistakenidentity, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, arsenic, domesticterror, twistending, gaslight, Britishmystery, CarolynAndrews, psychological

Originally Aired: March 13, 1947 In Suspense #236, “You Take Ballistics,” Homicide Lieutenant Ed Harvey arrests Clarence Coleman for the murder of a bookie—but the case nearly collapses when ballistics reveals that Coleman’s gun doesn’t match the murder slug. While others are ready to let Coleman walk, Harvey’s instincts scream otherwise. When a cheap book of cigarette papers in Coleman’s suit sparks a wild theory, Harvey reconstructs the murder weapon with a sleight-of-hand bullet switch that stuns even the lab. Howard Da Silva delivers a gritty, relentless performance in this gripping police procedural from the pen of Cornell Woolrich. Cast:Howard Da Silva Tags:Suspense, thriller, CornellWoolrich, HowardDaSilva, policeprocedural, ballistics, noir, forgedevidence, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, crossfire, trickbullet, detectiveintuition

Originally Aired: August 21, 1943 In Suspense #54, “Sorry, Wrong Number,” bedridden and increasingly frantic, Mrs. Elbert Stevenson tries to reach her husband’s office—only to overhear a chilling phone conversation between two men planning a murder at 11:15 that night. As she desperately tries to get help from uncaring operators, indifferent police, and even a nurses’ registry, her calls descend into terror and futility. With the sound of every ring, her isolation deepens—until the horror strikes home. Agnes Moorehead delivers one of radio’s most iconic performances in this tour de force written by Lucille Fletcher, a suspense classic that remains unmatched for its tension and psychological dread. Cast:Agnes Moorehead Tags:Suspense, thriller, AgnesMoorehead, LucilleFletcher, wrongnumber, psychological, telephone, isolation, gaslight, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, iconicperformance, helplessness, noir, radioclassic

Originally Aired: March 6, 1947 In Suspense #235, “Elwood,” mild-mannered gas station attendant Elwood Parsons lives quietly with his mother and sister—until the town is shaken by a series of strangulations. As suspicion falls on outsiders and local eccentrics, Elwood spirals inward, obsessed with stolen trinkets and a fantasy world built on respect and recognition he never received. His twisted logic, rooted in childhood trauma and repression, leads him to murder—again and again. Eddie Bracken delivers a chilling, sympathetic performance in this psychological noir that slowly unveils a killer hiding in plain sight. Cast:Eddie Bracken Tags:Suspense, thriller, EddieBracken, psychological, serialkiller, abnormalpsychology, gaslight, 1940sradio, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, stolenidentity, noir, smalltown, strangler, trophykiller