Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

We salute one of the all-time great radio actors with his best performances from Suspense. Best known as Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, William Conrad lent his voice to hundreds of characters on the air including memorable parts in these episodes. First, he's the captain of a doomed spaceship on its final voyage in "Kaleidoscope" (originally aired on CBS on July 12, 1955). Then Conrad plays every role in the classic chiller "The Waxwork" (originally aired on CBS on May 1, 1956). He stars in a titanic tale of man versus nature in "Leiningen vs. the Ants" (originally aired on CBS on August 25, 1957...

Trick or treat! We're celebrating Halloween with Orson Welles as he stars in some very scary stories from the golden age of radio. First, he plays the count himself in the Mercury Theatre's adaptation of Dracula (originally aired on CBS on July 11, 1938). Next, he's stalked on the highway by "The Hitch-hiker" (originally aired on CBS on September 2, 1942), and finally Welles is a scientist whose grisly experiment consumes his life and threatens the world in "Donovan's Brain," a Suspense two-parter (originally aired on CBS on May 18 and May 25, 1944).

We wrap up our series of classic Hollywood horror with a movie starring a pair of iconic movie monsters. Bride of Frankenstein saw the return of Boris Karloff's creature and the introduction of his mate, she of the high hair and hiss and played by Elsa Lanchester. We'll hear both of them in radio thrillers, plus a pair of radio adaptations of Mary Shelley's classic tale. Ms. Lanchester stars in "Finishing School" (originally aired on CBS on December 30, 1943), and Mr. Karloff headlines "Drury's Bones" (originally aired on CBS on January 25, 1945). We'll also hear a Suspense adaptation of "Frankenstein" (originally...

Rats! Our series of scariest stories from Suspense continues with a showcase of radio sound effects. Listen as a horde of ravenous rodents comes to life in one of the all-time terror treats of the radio era. Vincent Price stars in "Three Skeleton Key" (originally aired on CBS on November 11, 1956).

A killer has his eye on a young woman who can't speak in The Spiral Staircase. Dorothy McGuire, Kent Smith, and Ethel Barrymore star in this classic Hollywood chiller, which we'll hear recreated for radio along with Suspense episodes featuring the cast. Kent Smith co-stars with Margo in "Last Night" (originally aired on CBS on June 15, 1943); Ethel Barrymore appears alongside Gene Kelly in "To Find Help" (originally aired on CBS on January 6, 1949); and Dorothy McGuire stars in "Last Confession" (originally aired on CBS on September 15, 1949). Plus, Ms. McGuire recreates her film role on Screen Directors' Playhouse (originally aired on...

Our Halloween series of the scariest stories from Suspense continues with "On a Country Road" (originally aired on CBS on November 16, 1950), a cautionary tale about avoiding shortcuts and keeping your gas tank topped off. Cary Grant stars in this classic chiller with Cathy Lewis and Jeanette Nolan in supporting roles. Listen with the lights out if you dare!

A dream house becomes a nightmare in The Uninvited. This week's October chiller stars Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey as siblings who buy a seaside home and discover it comes complete with a resident ghost. We'll hear Mr. Milland and Ms. Hussey, along with their co-star Donald Crisp, in episodes of Suspense: Mr. Crisp in "Banquo's Chair" (originally aired on CBS on August 3, 1944); Mr. Milland in "Night Cry" (originally aired on CBS on October 7, 1948); and Ms. Hussey in "Firing Run" (originally aired on CBS on November 3, 1957). Then, Mr. Milland recreates his role on Screen Directors' Playhouse (originally aired on...

We're counting down to Halloween with some of the scariest stories from Suspense. In our first October bonus episode, Ralph Edwards plays a radio DJ who spends a memorable night in a haunted house in "Ghost Hunt" (originally aired on CBS on June 23, 1949).

In honor of the spooky season, we're kicking off a series of films about things that go bump in the night. First up is the frightfully fun adaptation of The Canterville Ghost with Charles Laughton as a cowardly specter and Margaret O'Brien and Robert Young as the pair who try to help him break his curse with an act of courage. We'll hear the three stars in Suspense stories: Mr. Laughton in "The Fountain Plays" (originally aired on CBS on November 23, 1944); Mr. Young in "You'll Never See Me Again" (originally aired on CBS on September 5, 1946); and Ms. O'Brien in "...

Take to the seas with Gregory Peck as C.S. Forester's British naval hero in Captain Horatio Hornblower. Peck starred as Hornblower in Raoul Walsh's 1951 swashbuckling adventure, and we'll hear Peck recreate his role on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 21, 1952). But first we'll hear him on a different type of dangerous trip in "Hitchhike Poker" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1948). Finally, we'll hear a spoof of the film from The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on CBS on September 23, 1951).

Let's win one for the Gipper with Pat O'Brien and future president Ronald Reagan in Knute Rockne, All American. The biopic starred O'Brien as the legendary Notre Dame football coach and Reagan as the player whose struggles off the field inspire his teammates. We'll hear them recreate their roles in a Lux Radio Theatre production (originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1940), as well as episodes of Suspense: Ronald Reagan in "One and One's a Lonesome" (originally aired on CBS on March 23, 1950) and Pat O'Brien in "True Report" (originally aired on CBS on August 31, 1950).

Comedy legends Bob Hope and Lucille Ball head west in the romantic comedy Fancy Pants. Hope is an actor posing as an English butler, and Ball is the rough riding lady he's tasked with teaching the ways of refinement. We'll hear them in Suspense shows - "A Little Piece of Rope" (originally aired on CBS on October 14, 1948) and "Death Has a Shadow" (originally aired on CBS on May 5, 1949) before they reprise their film roles on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on September 10, 1951).

We wrap up our Hitchcock series with a bonus episode featuring stories from Suspense that were later adapted as episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents on television. Charles Laughton is a patriarch with a problem in "Wet Saturday" (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1943), and Charles Ruggles' indigestion may have a sinister origin in "Suspicion" (originally aired on CBS on February 10, 1944). A talented cast of radio players brings Ray Bradbury's chilling tale "Riabouchinska" to radio life (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1947). Claude Rains and Vincent Price hunt for a murderer stalking the streets in "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole"...

Shadow of a Doubt was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite of the many classic films he directed, with its small town setting disrupted by the arrival of a dastardly murderer on the run from police. Joseph Cotten played the charming killer, and Teresa Wright was his niece and namesake who discovers his horrible secret. We'll hear Mr. Cotten recreate his role on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on September 11, 1946) and in a Suspense adaptation of "The Most Dangerous Game" (originally aired on CBS on February 1, 1945). We'll also hear his co-stars Hume Cronyn and Macdonald Carey in Suspense shows: "The One...

Before he thrilled television audiences with Alfred Hitchcock Presents, there were attempts to bring the master of suspense to radio in his own anthology series. We'll hear the three audition shows as we continue our salute to the great director. First, it's an adaptation of "The Lodger" - the audition show for what became Suspense - featuring Herbert Marshall and Edmund Gwenn (originally aired on CBS on July 22, 1940). Then, it's a pair of adaptations of "Malice Aforethought" - first for Once Upon a Midnight with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, and for The Alfred Hitchcock Show featuring Joseph Kearns.<...

Alfred Hitchcock put nine people in a Lifeboat in his thrilling wartime drama, and the cramped and crowded conditions are the perfect setting for some suspense. We'll hear four of the film's stars - Henry Hull, Hume Cronyn, William Bendix, and John Hodiak - in radio thrillers: "The Pit and the Pendulum" (originally aired on CBS on November 12, 1943); "Too Many Smiths" (originally aired on CBS on June 13, 1946); "The Gift of Jumbo Brannigan" (originally aired on CBS on March 1, 1951); and "The Mountain" (originally aired on CBS on March 16, 1953). Then, Tallulah Bankhead recreates her lead role in an adaptation of the...

We kick off a series saluting Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, and some of his classic films recreated for radio. First up is his wartime espionage drama Foreign Correspondent. We'll hear two of the film's stars in Suspesnse stories: Herbert Marshall in "The Beast Must Die" (originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1944) and Edmund Gwenn in "Murder in Black and White" (originally aired on CBS on April 14, 1949). Joseph Cotten steps in for the film's star Joel McCrea as the movie is adapted on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 24, 1946), and we'll hear Mr. McCrea, not on...

Broken Arrow was unique in the world of Hollywood westerns as one of the first films to offer a sympathetic, nuanced portrayal of Native Americans. Jeff Chandler earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Cochise alongside Jimmy Stewart, and we'll hear both of them in episodes of Suspense: Mr. Stewart in "Consequence" (originally aired on CBS on February 21, 1946) and Mr. Chandler in "The Case Against Loo Doc" (originally aired on CBS on January 7, 1952). Then, Chandler co-stars with Burt Lancaster in a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the film (originally aired on CBS on January 22, 1951).

Get ready for your close-up with the stars of Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder's classic noir set on the darker side of Hollywood. We'll hear Gloria Swanson and William Holden in Suspense thrillers: Ms. Swanson in "Murder by the Book" (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1947) and Mr. Holden in "Blood on the Trumpet" (originally aired on CBS on November 9, 1950). Then the pair reprise their screen roles on the Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on September 17, 1951). And as a bonus, Jack Benny and his gang put their own spin on the story (originally aired on CBS on March 25, 1951).<...

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz not only had a massive hit with I Love Lucy, but they also changed TV forever. The then-husband and wife team had millions of Americans in stitches for their original run and continue to entertain old and new fans today. We'll hear the couple in thrillers: first, Ms. Ball stars in "Dime a Dance," a thriller from the pen of Cornell Woolrich (originally aired on CBS on January 13,1944), and then she's joined by her husband in "The Red-Headed Woman" (originally aired on CBS on November 17, 1949). Then, Lucy and Desi are Lucy and Ricky in...

Set sail with the stars of The Sea Wolf, the adaptation of Jack London's adventure novel that stars Edward G. Robinson as a tyrannical captain. His co-stars in the movie include Ida Lupino and John Garfield, and we'll hear all three of them in radio thrillers from Suspense: Mr. Garfield in "Reprieve" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 10, 1945); Ms. Lupino in "Summer Night" (originally aired on CBS on July 15, 1948); and Mr. Robinson in "You Can't Die Twice" (originally aired on CBS on March 31, 1949). Plus, Robinson recreates his film role on Screen Directors' Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1950).

With the Fourth of July - and America's 250th birthday - only a few days away, our movie of the week is Yankee Doodle Dandy - the Oscar-winning musical biopic of George M. Cohan. James Cagney took home an Academy Award for his performance as the composer who gave us songs like "Over There" and "You're a Grand Old Flag." We'll hear both of Mr. Cagney's Suspense appearances - "Love's Lovely Counterfeit" (originally aired on CBS on January 17, 1948) and "No Escape" (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1948). And he recreates his film role as The Lady Esther Screen Guild...

Hit the trail with the stars of Stagecoach - John Ford's western classic that announced John Wayne as one of Hollywood's legendary leading men. The film follows a gang of passengers on a dangerous trip through Apache country, and we'll hear two of those riders - Claire Trevor and Thomas Mitchell - whose performance won him an Academy Award. Mitchell stars in "John Barbie and Son" (originally aired on CBS on February 22, 1945) and Ms. Trevor stars in "The Blue Hour" (originally aired on CBS on September 25, 1947) and "The Light Switch" (originally aired on CBS on May 12, 1949). Plus, Claire Trevor...

Hop in your Model T and fly courtesy of "flubber" with the stars of The Absent-Minded Professor and its sequel Son of Flubber. The Disney classics concern the titular man of science whose new invention is a very hot commodity, but the discovery may cost him the love of his long-suffering fiancee. We'll hear five of the stars of the film and its sequel in stories from Suspense: Charles Ruggles in "The Burning Court" (originally aired on CBS on June 17, 1942); Keenan Wynn in "I Had an Alibi" (originally aired on CBS on January 4, 1945); Elliot Reid in "Return Trip" (originally...

It's off to Sherwood Forest with two of the stars of The Adventures of Robin Hood, the 1938 lavish Technicolor production that pits Errol Flynn's Robin against Basil Rathbone's vile Sir Guy. It's one of the best (maybe the best) film adaptation of the classic legend, and it still thrills audiences today. We'll hear Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian) in "Voyage Through Darkness" (originally aired on CBS on September 7, 1944) and Alan Hale, Sr. (Little John) in "The Leading Citizen of Pratt County" (originally aired on CBS on May 30, 1946). Plus, Edmond O'Brien stars in a radio retelling of Robin Hood from...

Join us for a journey 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with the stars of Walt Disney's special effects-laden big screen adaptation of Jules Verne's science fiction adventure. We'll hear the film's four stars - James Mason, Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre - in old time radio thrillers: Mr. Lorre in "The Moment of Darkness" (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1943); Mr. Lukas in "A World of Darkness" (originally aired on CBS on January 20, 1944); Mr. Douglas in "The Butcher's Wife" (originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1950); and Mr. Mason in "Banquo's Chair" (originally aired on CBS on March 9, 1950). Plus...

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is the rare epic-length comedy - over three hours long with a cast that includes Spencer Tracy, the Three Stooges, and nearly everyone in between. The movie follows a crazy cast on the hunt for hidden loot, and we'll hear six of the film's stars in radio thrillers: Phil Silvers in "The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright" (originally aired on CBS on April 3, 1947); Mickey Rooney in "The Lie" (originally aired on CBS on April 28, 1949); Milton Berle in "Rave Notice" (originally aired on CBS on October 12, 1950); Jack Benny in "Plan X" (originally aired o...

Hailed by many as the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane was the debut feature from Orson Welles and featured many of his colleagues from the Mercury Theatre productions of Broadway and radio. We'll hear Mr. Welles and his co-stars in radio thrillers: Ray Collins in "Marry for Murder" (originally aired on CBS on September 9, 1943); Welles in "Lazarus Walks" (AFRS rebroadcast from October 19, 1943); Joseph Cotten in "You'll Never See Me Again" (originally aired on CBS on September 14, 1944); George Coulouris in "The Long Shot" (AFRS rebroadcast from January 31, 1946); Agnes Moorehead in "The Evil of Adelaide Winters" (originally aired on CBS...

Some of radio's funniest performers trade skits for Suspense in radio thrillers starring the cast of The Jack Benny Program. This collection of regular players and recurring guest stars kept audiences in stitches on Sunday nights but had listeners on the edge of their seats when "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" came on the air.  We'll hear Joseph Kearns in "Short Order" (originally aired on CBS on August 16, 1945); Ronald Colman in "A Vision of Death" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1951); Phil Harris with Alice Faye in "Death on My Hands" (originally aired on CBS on May 10, 1951); Jack Benny i...

We're going back to school with the stars of the classic radio sitcom Our Miss Brooks starring in Suspense thrillers. First, Eve Arden - the titular English teacher of Madison High - stars in "The Well-Dressed Corpse" (originally aired on CBS on January 18, 1951). Then, Jeff Chandler - bashful biology teacher Mr. Boynton - stars in "The Steel River Prison Break" (originally aired on CBS on September 3, 1951). Finally, Richard Crenna - squeaky-voiced teen Walter Denton - stars in "Night on Red Mountain" (originally aired on CBS on January 11, 1959). Plus, we'll hear the cast in an episode of Our Miss Brooks...

We wrap up this month of my favorite movies with Seven Days in May - John Frankenheimer's tense Cold War drama about a planned coup d'etat in the United States. With a script from Rod Serling and an amazing cast, it's a thriller that holds up over sixty years later. We'll hear three of its stars: Kirk Douglas, who plays the Army officer who discovers the plot; Edmond O'Brien as the rascally senator enlisted to help save the day; and Fredric March as the president facing removal - a man committed to doing the right thing even if it's...

My month of personal favorites continues with two for the price of one - my favorite Suspense episodes adapted from the stories of Ray Bradbury, one of my favorite writers. He's best known for his science fiction stories, but the tales here are (mostly) down to earth tales of thrills and chills. Dana Andrews is a cop hunting a killer in "The Crowd" (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1950); a children's game may hide a sinister secret in "Zero Hour" (originally aired on CBS on April 5, 1955); Jeanette Nolan takes the long way home in "The Whole Town's Sleeping" (originally...

This week, I'm sharing another of my favorite movies - Carol Reed's classic noir drama set on the streets of postwar Vienna The Third Man. Orson Welles makes one of his most memorable screen appearances as the charming rogue Harry Lime, and Joseph Cotten is Holly Martins, Lime's friend who struggles to face the truth about his pal's criminal nature. We'll hear the two stars in Suspense shows - Welles in "The Dark Tower" (originally aired on CBS on May 4, 1944) and Cotten in "Fly By Night" (originally aired on CBS on September 28, 1950). Then, Cotten recreates his film role in...

My month of favorite movies continues this week with Superman - the 1978 film that brought the Man of Steel to the big screen and still holds up as one of the best entries in its genre. We'll hear two of its stars: Glenn Ford, who played Jonathan Kent, the adopted father of the future Superman, and Jackie Cooper, who ran the Daily Planet newsroom as editor Perry White. Ford stars in "The End of the Road" (originally aired on CBS on February 6, 1947) and Cooper stars in "The Clock and the Rope" (originally aired on CBS on December 5, 1947). Then, we'll...

For April, I'm featuring some of my favorite movies with their stars appearing in tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense. First up is Witness for the Prosecution, Billy Wilder's engrossing courtroom drama adapted from the story by Agatha Christie. We'll hear the stars of the film - Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Marlene Dietrich, and Tyrone Power - in radio thrillers as well as a recreation of the Christie story. Real-life husband and wife Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester star in "The ABC Murders" - another Christie story (originally aired on CBS on May 18, 1943). Ms. Dietrich stars in "...

Our month-long series of Best Picture winning movies and their stars concludes with All the King's Men - the story of a populist politician who rides into office in an anti-corruption campaign and leaves mired in scandal. We'll hear its two Oscar-winning stars in episodes of Suspense: Broderick Crawford in "Dutch Schultz" (originally aired on CBS on October 26, 1953) and Mercedes McCambridge in "America's Boyfriend" (AFRS rebroadcast from July 21, 1957). Then, The NBC University Theatre presents a radio adaptation of the Robert Penn Warren novel that inspired the film (originally aired on NBC on January 16, 1949).

Our parade of Best Picture winners continues with Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend - a harrowing portrayal of alcoholism that also netted a Best Actor Oscar for its star, Ray Milland. We'll hear Mr. Milland, along with his co-stars Jane Wyman and Howard Da Silva, in episodes of Suspense, plus a radio recreation of the film. Mr. Da Silva stars in "You Take Ballistics" (originally aired on CBS on March 13, 1947), Ms. Wyman stars in "Catch Me if You Can" (originally aired on CBS on February 17, 1949), and Mr. Milland stars in "Chicken Feed" (originally aired on CBS on September 8, 1949). Then M...

Our month of Best Picture Oscar winners continues with All About Eve - where Anne Baxter's ambitious Eve inserts herself into the life of Bette Davis' legendary Broadway star with a plan to steal the actress's crown. We'll hear Ms. Baxter and Ms. Davis - both Oscar nominees for their performances - in stories from Suspense and a Lux Radio Theatre recreation of the film. Anne Baxter fights to get ahead in the cutthroat world of advertising in "Always Room at the Top" (originally aired on CBS on February 20, 1947), and Bette Davis is menaced by a madman in "Goodnight...

With the Academy Awards ceremony only a few weeks away, we're kicking off a new month-long series of Best Picture Oscar winners with Gentleman's Agreement - Elia Kazan's searing indictment of antisemitism. We'll hear three of the film's stars - Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and John Garfield - in episodes of Suspense. Garfield stars in "Death Sentence" (originally aired on CBS on November 4, 1948); Peck in "Murder Through the Looking Glass" (originally aired on CBS on March 17, 1949); and McGuire headlines "Last Confession" (originally aired on CBS on September 15, 1949). Plus, Peck recreates his role in a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation (originally...

Our month of classic Hollywood romance wraps up with the picture that gave us one of the most iconic scenes in film history - From Here to Eternity, the wartime romantic drama featuring the love scene on the beach between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr with the waves crashing over them. We'll hear Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Kerr along with Frank Sinatra - who took home an Oscar for his performance - in three tales of Suspense. First it's Ol' Blue Eyes menacing Agnes Moorehead in "To Find Help" (AFRS rebroadcast from January 18, 1945). Next, Burt Lancaster is out to...