Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

By Mean Streets Podcasts

Arts TV & Film Performing Arts

What's Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio) about?

Presenting the biggest legends of Hollywood starring in "Suspense," radio's outstanding theater of thrills! Each week, we'll hear two chillers from this old time radio classic featuring one of the all-time great stars of stage and screen.

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Episode 363 - Frank Lovejoy...

11.30.2023

Frank Lovejoy joins our five-timer's club and flies the unfriendly skies in a pair of thrillers involving pilots and their dangerous flight plants. First, he's overseeing the first flight of an experimental plane whose pilot returns with a warning from ...

Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio) episodes:

11.30.2023 Episode 363 - Frank Lovejoy (Part 5) Frank Lovejoy joins our five-timer's club and flies the unfriendly skies in a pair of thrillers involving pilots and their dangerous flight plants. First, he's overseeing the first flight of an experimental plane whose pilot returns with a warning from ...
11.22.2023 Episode 362 - Alan Baxter Alan Baxter made a name for himself playing dangerous characters on screen - moody men on the wrong side of the law. He turned to television as film roles dried up in the postwar years, and he was busy on ...
11.16.2023 Episode 361 - John McIntire (Part 2) Veteran character actor John McIntire is back in the spotlight in two episodes of Suspense. First, he's a promising poet who suddenly becomes a killer in the sixty-minute production of "House by the River" (originally aired on CBS on February ...
11.09.2023 Episode 360 - Ray Bradbury (Part 3) It's a radio short story collection with four tales from the great Ray Bradbury - including one of his terrifying tales that became one of the scariest episodes of Suspense. Agnes Moorehead stars in "The Whole Town's Sleeping" (originally aired ...
11.02.2023 Episode 359 - Antony Ellis Antony Ellis wrote and starred in episodes of Suspense before he became the show's director. From 1954 to 1958, Ellis had the reins of "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and steered the program into the realm of science fiction with ...
10.29.2023 BONUS - Halloween Haunts: Three Tales of Terror It's been a crazy month, and the Halloween Haunts countdown of bonus episodes suffered as a result. To make it up to you after a lengthy delay, I'm sharing a trilogy of terror - three scary old time radio shows ...
10.12.2023 Episode 358 - Paula Winslowe (Part 2) Paula Winslowe, aka the long-suffering Mrs. Riley on The Life of Riley, returns to the podcast in two more radio thrillers. First, she's in a frantic race against the clock to find a woman in danger in "The Death Parade" ...
10.08.2023 BONUS - Halloween Haunts: Death Robbery Our annual countdown to Halloween kicks off with one of the biggest names in Hollywood horror. Boris Karloff plays a scientist who thinks he can bring the dead back to life, and he wants to test his theories on his ...
10.07.2023 Episode 357 - Ben Wright British actor Ben Wright's natural voice made him a perfect fit for characters like Sherlock Holmes and Scotland Yard men, but his affinity for accents and dialects allowed him to play all sorts of parts - sometimes even multiple characters ...
09.29.2023 Episode 356 - Sheldon Leonard Big screen tough guy Sheldon Leonard went from cutting a menacing figure in To Have and Have Not and It's a Wonderful Life to producing classic TV sitcoms like The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. In ...
09.21.2023 Episode 355 - Mr. and Mrs. Radio Cathy and Elliott Lewis were two of the busiest - and best - performers of the radio era. Both could get laughs (Cathy on My Friend Irma and Elliott on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show) and could be heard on ...
09.14.2023 Episode 354 - Zachary Scott His star in Hollywood didn't burn bright for long, but Zachary Scott made memorable impressions as mysterious villains in movies like Mildred Pierce. In his one and only appearance on Suspense, Scott plays a man accused of bumping off an ...
09.10.2023 Episode 353 - Joseph Kearns (Part 3) Joseph Kearns - the longtime voice of "The Man in Black" - makes his final starring appearance on Suspense as a trigger-happy store owner who learns a tragic lesson in vigilante justice in "Hold-Up" (originally aired on CBS on August ...
09.02.2023 BONUS - Best of Robert Young In this bonus show, I'm sharing my favorite Suspense shows starring Robert Young. Before he made rounds as kindly old Marcus Welby or showed how Father Knows Best, Young made several memorable appearances on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." First, ...
08.31.2023 Episode 352 - Whitfield Connor Whitfield Connor broke out on the Broadway stage in the 1940s, and he returned to the theatre in the 1960s as a manager and producer. In between, he made two starring turns on Suspense. First, he's an editor who finds ...
08.24.2023 Episode 351 - Lucille Fletcher Lucille Fletcher penned some of the best old time radio thrillers of all time - stories that can still keep listeners on the edge of their seats over eighty years later. She wrote "Sorry, Wrong Number," "The Hitch-hiker," and many ...
08.23.2023 BONUS - Alfred Hitchcock (Part 6) It's our annual (belated) birthday tribute to the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. This year, it's a double feature of Hitchcock pictures recreated for radio. Joseph Cotten stars in adaptations of Foreign Correspondent and Shadow of a Doubt from Academy ...
08.10.2023 Episode 350 - Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, & Robert Ryan For the 350th episode of Stars of Suspense, we'll hear a recreation of the film noir classic Crossfire for "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" with its original stars Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, and Robert Ryan. A man is murdered, and ...
08.07.2023 Episode 349 - Agnes Moorehead (Part 10) The "First Lady of Suspense" is back, and she becomes the inaugural member of our "ten-timer's club." We'll hear her as an artist haunted by the same gruesome image in "Death and Miss Turner" (originally aired on CBS on May ...
08.04.2023 BONUS - Best of Charles Laughton NOTE: Due to some technical issues, this episode meant for July 28th isn't being uploaded until today. Sorry for the delay! In this bonus episode, I'm sharing my favorite Suspense shows starring Academy Award-winner Charles Laughton. One of the most ...
07.28.2023 BONUS - Remembering Tony Bennett In this special bonus show, we salute the late, great Tony Bennett with one of the legendary crooner's old time radio appearances. In this May 9, 1954 episode of Guest Star, Bennett promotes savings bonds and sings "Cheek to Cheek" ...
07.28.2023 Episode 348 - Reginald Gardiner Stage star, screen actor, and train imitator - no, really - Reginald Gardiner was an in-demand comedy star in the 1940s. He appeared alongside Charlie Chaplin and Barbara Stanwyck, and he memorably impersonated train engines for a royal audience at ...
07.20.2023 Episode 347 - John Dehner (Part 2) Veteran radio actor and superb character actor John Dehner returns to the podcast to star in a pair of thrillers. First, he's a doctor who arrogantly believes he cannot be murdered and devises an experiment to put his theories to ...
07.15.2023 BONUS - Charlton Heston In this bonus episode, we're celebrating the return of one of the greatest heroes of the movies with a film that inspired his creation. Charlton Heston - who unfortunately never made it to Suspense - recreates his role as rogue ...
07.13.2023 Episode 346 - George Murphy George Murphy went from singing and dancing in movie musicals to the floor of the US Senate. Murphy retired from Hollywood in 1952 and was elected to a single term as one of California's senators in 1964. We'll hear two ...
07.06.2023 Episode 345 - John Hodiak (Part 3) John Hodiak battles fire and ice in his final appearances on Suspense. First, he's battling the wind, the cold, and a rival climber in order to stay alive to reach the top of an unclimbed peak in "The Mountain" (originally ...
07.03.2023 BONUS - Best of Comedians Some of the era's best comedians left the jokes at home when they stepped up to the Suspense microphone. In this bonus episode, we'll hear these funny men and women play effectively against type in five radio thrillers. First, Danny ...
07.01.2023 Episode 344 - Cathy Lewis (Part 3) For years on Suspense, Cathy Lewis delivered strong supporting performances alongside stars like Cary Grant, James Stewart, and Kirk Douglas. But in the late 1950s, she stepped into the spotlight and began to star in "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." ...
06.22.2023 Episode 343 - Ray Noble Ray Noble composed beloved standards like "The Very Thought of You," and he led great jazz bands in his native England and in the United States. He also had a successful career on radio as a musical director and as ...
06.16.2023 Episode 342 - Dane Clark (Part 3) Self-described "Joe Average" Dane Clark plays criminals both amateur and professional in his final appearances on Suspense. First, he's an actor who tries to play a murderer in real life in "Spoils for Victor" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 23, 1946). ...
06.09.2023 Episode 341 - Miriam Hopkins Miriam Hopkins jumped from the Broadway stage to the silver screen with well-received performances in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Trouble in Paradise. But her film roles began to decline in the 1940s, and she embraced the new medium ...
06.02.2023 Episode 340 - Jeff Chandler (Part 3) Silver-haired star Jeff Chandler takes his final bow on Suspense in "A Good Neighbor" (originally aired on CBS on March 31, 1957). Chandler stars as a thief who's trying to lay low after a heist, but a nosy neighbor may ...
05.29.2023 BONUS - Best of Gregory Peck In this month's bonus spotlight episode, I'm sharing my favorite Suspense shows starring Gregory Peck. The star of To Kill a Mockingbird, Gentleman's Agreement, and Roman Holiday plays a variety of characters - some good, some bad, but all starring ...
05.25.2023 Episode 339 - Raymond Burr (Part 3) Raymond Burr was a year into his iconic run as Perry Mason on television when he starred in his final episodes of Suspense. He's hunting for a pirate's loot in "The Treasure Chest of Don Jose" (AFRS rebroadcast from October ...
05.24.2023 BONUS - Eighty Years of Wrong Numbers Eighty years ago this week - on May 25, 1943 - listeners first heard "Sorry, Wrong Number" on Suspense. The terrifying tale from Lucille Fletcher starred Agnes Moorehead as a woman who overhears a murder plot over crossed phone lines. ...
05.24.2023 Episode 338 - Ellen Drew Though her screen career never quite took off, Ellen Drew turned in memorable performances in movies like Christmas in July, Johnny O'Clock, and Isle of the Dead. We'll hear her co-starring with Agnes Moorehead in "Uncle Henry's Rosebush" (originally aired ...
05.18.2023 Episode 337 - Edward Arnold Edward Arnold put his frame and booming voice to good use as heavies in classic films. He was a go-to bad guy for Frank Capra in pictures like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe, where he played ...
05.08.2023 Episode 336 - Marsha Hunt (Part 2) Actress and activist Marsha Hunt returns to Suspense in a pair of radio thrillers. First, she's a racecar driver's wife on a collision course with death in "The Last Kilometer" (originally aired on CBS on June 22, 1958). Then, she's ...
04.28.2023 BONUS - Best of Richard Widmark For this month's bonus episode, I'm sharing my favorite Suspense shows starring Oscar-nominee Richard Widmark. First, he's an innocent man on the run in his bare feet in "Too Hot to Live" (originally aired on CBS on October 26, 1950). ...
04.27.2023 Episode 335 - John Dickson Carr Master mystery writer John Dickson Carr was a key figure in the first year of Suspense. The creator of Dr. Gideon Fell and godfather of locked room puzzles penned nearly two dozen episodes of "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" between ...
04.25.2023 Episode 334 - John Lund (Part 4) John Lund returns to the podcast in a pair of radio thrillers. First, he's an ordinary man drawn into a dangerous adventure during Mardi Gras in "The Man Who Stole the Bible" (originally aired on CBS on November 25, 1956). ...
04.14.2023 Episode 333 - Gene Lockhart Gene Lockhart wore many hats in his career: Oscar-nominee, stage star, acting teacher at Julliard, and songwriter. He played everyone from Bob Cratchit to villains to the judge trying to decide Kris Kringle's fate in Miracle on 34th Street. We'll ...
04.06.2023 Episode 332 - Cornel Wilde (Part 3) For his final appearance on the podcast, Cornel Wilde stars as C. Auguste Dupin - the master detective created by Edgar Allan Poe - in "The Mystery of Marie Roget" (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1953). Inspired by ...
03.31.2023 Episode 331 - Sterling Holloway The Cheshire Cat, Kaa the snake, and Winnie the Pooh. Sterling Holloway voiced them all and became a Disney legend for his years of work bringing beloved characters to life with his instantly recognizable voice. He lent that voice to ...
03.29.2023 BONUS - Best of Claire Trevor For this month's bonus episode, I'm sharing my favorite episodes of Suspense starring Oscar-winner Claire Trevor. First, she's trapped in her home with a madman in "The Plan" (originally aired on CBS on May 16, 1946). Then, she's a dancer ...
03.23.2023 Episode 330 - Joseph Cotten (Part 7) Hitchockian heavy and Third Man hero Joseph Cotten returns for more "tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense!" We'll hear him first as a corrupt prosecutor who plans a murder to keep his dirty dealings a secret in "A ...
03.16.2023 Episode 329 - Ann Richards After achieving stardom in her native Australia, Ann Richards traveled to Hollywood. Unfortunately, studios never quite figured out what to do with her, and she retired after making just 12 movies in the States. But during her short stint in ...
03.09.2023 Episode 328 - Lee Bowman Lee Bowman enjoyed a brief run of success on the big screen during World War II, but when film roles dried up he turned to television and eventually to a second career as a corporate and political media consultant. We'll ...
03.02.2023 Episode 327 - Joan Lorring (Part 3) Academy Award-nominated actress Joan Lorring returns in two more Suspense thrillers from the early 1960s. First, it's "The Luck of the Tiger Eye," a tale of greed and graverobbing set in a mansion on a dark and stormy night (originally ...
02.24.2023 BONUS - Best of Alan Ladd For this month's bonus show, I'm sharing my three favorite Suspense episodes starring Shane himself - Alan Ladd. First, he's an ex-con framed for murder in "The Defense Rests" (originally aired on CBS on March 9, 1944). Then, Ladd plays ...

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