Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Originally Aired: February 23, 1950

Suspense #373, "Slow Burn," Johnny Wilson stands in a dingy hotel room watching the clock tick toward midnight, waiting for the moment when the slow burn that has consumed him for three months will finally be satisfied. As he prepares to make a fateful phone call to sports reporter Todd Sloan, Johnny recounts the events that led him to this desperate moment. It all began when he fought in a Pennsylvania coal town and met Chuck Masters, a clean-cut Medal of Honor winner who asked Johnny to participate in a charity boxing exhibition. Johnny's manager Lefty Wilkins saw an opportunity: sign the war hero as their new fighter, use his wholesome image and congressional endorsement as the exploitation angle to attract promoter Courtney Barr's money, and eventually finance Johnny's own shot at the championship.

The plan seemed perfect until Johnny's cynical wife Dania entered the picture at the Copa Club, immediately antagonizing the idealistic Chuck with her bitter contempt for fighters and the parasites who live off them. As Johnny recalls how Chuck looked just like he did when starting out, the tension builds toward whatever terrible act drove Johnny into hiding, waiting for midnight to arrive so he can finally tell his story before the police close in.

Originally Aired: February 16, 1950

Suspense #372, "Murder Strikes Three Times," stars Marlene Dietrich as Laura, a woman whose husband Robert dies in a suspicious bathtub electrocution after his electric razor malfunctions. When Assistant District Attorney Elmer Garner arrives to investigate, he wastes no time confronting Laura with his theory: she murdered her husband for his hundred thousand dollar estate, using her background as a laboratory technician to tamper with the razor's electrical cord. Despite having no concrete proof, the clever and unscrupulous Garner boldly offers Laura a deal - pay him fifty thousand dollars and he'll make sure she goes free, or refuse and face his prosecution in court.

Laura remains remarkably composed throughout Garner's accusations and attempted extortion, refusing his offer and gambling that he cannot prove his case. The ruthless prosecutor makes good on his threat, taking Laura to trial and demanding the death penalty. But the episode title promises three murders, and this electrocution is only the first, suggesting that Laura's story is far from over and dark secrets remain to be revealed.

Originally Aired: February 9, 1950

Suspense #371, "The Butcher's Wife," stars Kirk Douglas as Harry Carr, a New York transplant who lands a liquor clerk job at a Los Angeles supermarket. On his first day, Harry locks eyes with Mary, the checkout girl, and despite warnings from Nick the vegetable man that she's married, he can't resist the attraction. Mary's husband is Krause, the store's butcher—a creepy figure with thick glasses that make his eyes look like baseballs, constantly wielding cleavers and mallets as he works. Harry and Mary begin a reckless affair, staying out until the early morning hours, and when Mary finally comes home, Krause confronts her with jealous rage and strange biblical references about Babylon.

Though Krause doesn't yet know Harry's identity, the tension escalates as Harry tries to distance himself from the dangerous situation. He stays late at work to avoid Mary, terrified of what the unstable butcher might do if he discovers the truth. The stage is set for a violent confrontation as Harry finds himself trapped between desire and self-preservation, working just feet away from a jealous husband who spends his days expertly dismembering meat.

Originally Aired: February 2, 1950

Suspense #370, "Consideration," stars Rosalind Russell as Ellen Forrester, a woman whose gambling addiction has devastating consequences. When her husband Charles reveals he's embezzled company funds to cover their expenses and needs ten thousand dollars before auditors arrive, Ellen must confess a terrible secret: she's lost all their money betting on the horses. Twenty-two thousand dollars gone in a single month of compulsive gambling. Charles faces prison unless he can replace the funds immediately.

The next day, Charles tells Ellen not to worry, that he's worked out a solution to their financial crisis. He begins spending long hours working alone in his garage laboratory, and Ellen's anxiety mounts. When their insurance agent Bill Dover visits and Charles insists on tripling their life insurance policies to thirty thousand dollars each, Ellen notices the murder clause in the paperwork. Strange sounds come from the locked laboratory at night, and Ellen discovers a letter from the City Health Department about an autopsy performed on their dog, testing for poison. Ellen realizes with growing horror what Charles's "solution" might be.

Originally Aired: January 26, 1950

Suspense #369, "Mr Diogenes," stars Ozzy and Harriet Nelson in a mysterious tale that begins with an innocent penny fortune card. When Ozzy steps on a scale at a tobacco shop, he receives an ominous prediction: "Today will be the most memorable day of your life." The prophecy seems to come true almost immediately when he encounters the eccentric Hector Diogenes, a wealthy man who has been dropping his wallet repeatedly to test people's honesty. Ozzy becomes the first person to return it unhesitatingly, making him Diogenes's chosen "honest man."

Diogenes insists that Ozzy cancel his anniversary plans with Harriet and spend the evening studying a leather-bound book containing the wisdom of Diogenes the Cynic. In exchange, he promises Ozzy access to his five million dollar fortune. Meanwhile, strange coincidences multiply—everyone in Ozzy and Harriet's apartment building receives free tickets to South Pacific except them. As the day unfolds, it becomes clear that something sinister may be at work, and Ozzy's "memorable day" could be far more dangerous than he realizes.

Originally Aired: January 19, 1950

Suspense #368, "The Escape of Lacey Abbott," stars William Powell as Lacey Abbott, a man who has spent two years confined in the psychopathic ward at Bellevue Hospital. When his lawyer Nicholas Westland visits, Lacey seizes his opportunity for freedom in the most violent way possible: he strangles Westland, switches clothes with him, and forges the lawyer's signature to walk out of the institution. Free at last, Lacey purchases a .45 automatic from a pawnshop and makes his way to a lavish Park Avenue apartment with a single-minded purpose.

His destination is the home of Martin Avery, a man from Lacey's past who appears to be living comfortably with his wife and son. As Lacey forces his way into Avery's study and draws the gun, he reveals that authorities believe he killed his own wife Kate, but Lacey insists it was Martin who committed the murder. Now, with his picture splashed across newspaper front pages and police searching the city, Lacey settles in for what he promises will be a long night of reckoning. He's waited two years for this confrontation, and whether Martin Avery sees another dawn depends entirely on what happens in the hours ahead.

Originally Aired: January 12, 1950

Suspense #367, "Four Hours to Kill," stars Robert Taylor as Theodore, a down-on-his-luck newspaper man who visits his successful lawyer brother Walter at an exclusive New York bachelor's club. Theodore needs five thousand dollars to invest in a small Florida newspaper with a war buddy, representing his last chance at the kind of journalism career he's always dreamed of. When Walter responds with mockery and contempt instead of help, years of sibling rivalry explode into violence. Theodore strikes his brother, and Walter falls, hitting his head on the corner of the hearth. Within moments, Theodore realizes his brother is dead.

Panic sets in as Theodore attempts to cover his tracks and escape undetected, but complications immediately arise. A telephone receiver lies off the hook, and a mysterious woman on the other end has heard everything. When Theodore foolishly tries to impersonate his dead brother, she sees through the deception. Now Theodore must find this unknown caller before she can expose him, turning what began as a terrible accident into a desperate race against time with his life hanging in the balance.

Originally Aired: January 5, 1950

Suspense #366, "I Never Met the Dead Man," stars Danny Kaye as Joe Wickoff, an ordinary truck driver whose life turns into a nightmare on New Year's Day. While walking home from work along an empty side street, Joe suddenly finds himself in the middle of a murder scene when bullets fly and a man is shot dead in a nearby car. Officer Callan immediately suspects Joe, who becomes the only witness to what appears to be a professional hit. At police headquarters, Joe faces hours of intense questioning, and though he's eventually released, his troubles are just beginning. Joe harbors a dangerous secret that he's kept even from his wife Bella: he served time in prison years ago for robbery. When he lied to police about having a criminal record, he thought he could escape suspicion, but Detective Callan senses Joe is hiding something and won't let go.

The situation escalates dramatically when the victim is identified as Willoughby Roberts, a newspaper reporter investigating illegal gambling operations. With a $10,000 reward posted and every cop in town hunting for the killer, Joe's past threatens to surface. As Callan continues to circle closer and pressure mounts from all sides, Joe must navigate an increasingly desperate situation where his concealed criminal history could make him the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit.

Originally Aired: December 29, 1949

In Suspense #365, "The Bullet," Ruth Martin finds herself trapped in a psychological nightmare with her husband Harry. When Harry returns from a three-year prison sentence for a business mistake, he discovers that Ruth has transformed herself and their dress manufacturing business into something far more successful than he left behind. Unable to accept that his wife has become the real force behind their company, Harry's wounded pride turns into something darker and more dangerous. He begins following Ruth, tapping her phone, and discovering her relationship with George, a man who gave her companionship during Harry's absence.

The situation spirals into terror as Harry devises a twisted game of Russian roulette, holding Ruth at gunpoint and forcing her to face the clicking of the trigger again and again. As Ruth relives the steps that brought them to this horrifying moment, she realizes neither of them wanted this outcome, but Harry's inability to accept her independence and success has pushed them both to the breaking point. Now, with a gun pointed at her, Ruth must survive Harry's deadly game while he determines the terms of their future.

Originally Aired: December 22, 1949

Suspense #364, "Double Entry," stars Eddie Cantor as Eddie, a bookkeeper who discovers his longtime friend and colleague Sam Crockett is in serious trouble. Sam, the company's head bookkeeper, confesses he's been embezzling money for nine years—a staggering hundred thousand dollars—not for personal gain, but to be an "unknown benefactor." He's sent kids to summer camp, supported aging cat charities, and contributed to various worthy causes. Now the auditors are closing in, and Sam knows his charitable crime spree is about to be exposed. With his ulcers raging and jail looming, Sam faces ruin just as Christmas arrives.

As Sam is summoned to meet with their boss Mr. Bartholomew and the auditors, Eddie grapples with how to help his desperate friend. The situation seems hopeless until a case of mistaken identity brings an unexpected visitor to Eddie's desk—a bookie's runner looking for a different Eddie in the building. This chance encounter may offer Eddie a dangerous opportunity to help Sam, but it means risking everything and crossing lines he's never crossed before.