Originally Aired: March 21, 1946

In Suspense #185, “The Lonely Road,” Gregory Peck stars as Stephen Gare, a man whose isolated country home becomes the stage for seduction and murder. When Jenny, a striking and predatory young housemaid, enters the household, she begins to manipulate Stephen into plotting his wealthy wife Helen’s death. But the plan unravels in blood and madness, with bear traps and butcher knives turning the would-be scheme on its makers. In the end, Stephen finds himself crushed between guilt, temptation, and a wife far more dangerous than he ever imagined. A gothic tale of obsession and deadly entanglements.

Cast:

Gregory Peck, Maria Palmer, Cathy Lewis

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, GregoryPeck, thelonelyroad, MariaPalmer, CathyLewis, oldtimeradio, mystery, temptation, betrayal, murder, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, gothic, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: March 14, 1946

In Suspense #184, “No More Alice,” Paul Henreid stars as Dr. Warren Rice, a psychiatrist trapped in a bitter marriage to his jealous wife, Alice. When escaped convict Frankie Tatum stumbles into his car, Rice seizes a dark opportunity: hide Tatum in his home and use him as the instrument of murder. But his plan to have Tatum kill Alice collapses when fate—and a storm—bring his lover Lisa back to the house. In the end, it is Lisa who lies dead, Alice who survives, and Rice who is exposed by his own butler. A chilling tale of deceit, obsession, and a plan too clever for its maker.

Cast:

Paul Henreid

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, PaulHenreid, nomorealice, oldtimeradio, mystery, psychiatry, jealousy, betrayal, convict, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: March 7, 1946

In Suspense #183, “The Black Path of Fear,” Brian Donlevy stars as Bill Scott, a man who runs off to Havana with Eve, the wife of gangster Ed Spinelli. Their honeymoon bliss ends in Sloppy Joe’s café when Eve is stabbed to death during their first photograph together. Framed for her murder, Scott flees through Havana’s alleys, finding refuge with “Midnight,” a mysterious woman who helps him pursue the truth. A damning photograph holds the key, revealing Spinelli himself as the killer. But vengeance comes at a cost, leaving Scott haunted by love lost and the shadows of Havana’s underworld.

Cast:

Brian Donlevy

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, BrianDonlevy, blackpathoffear, oldtimeradio, mystery, Havana, murder, noir, photograph, gangster, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, betrayal, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: February 21, 1946

In Suspense #181, “Consequence,” James Stewart stars as Dr. Philip Martin, a weary physician trapped in a loveless marriage to Gwen and secretly in love with another woman, Joe. When his old friend Ted Wolf visits, fate presents Martin with a chance to trade lives: a fire destroys his home, leaving Ted’s body mistaken for his own. Seizing the opportunity, Martin assumes Ted’s identity, escaping with Joe to begin anew. But their freedom is fragile—Gwen resurfaces, suspicion grows, and deception spirals into a web of guilt and inevitability. A haunting tale of passion, duplicity, and the crushing weight of choices that can never be undone.

Cast:

James Stewart

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, JamesStewart, consequence, oldtimeradio, mystery, identity, guilt, betrayal, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: February 14, 1946

In Suspense #180, “The Lucky Lady,” Faye Bainter stars as Leonora Plim, a retired actress who runs a theatrical boarding house for young hopefuls—and fiercely protects her cat, Lady Susie, believed to bring luck. When aspiring stars Diane and Jane rise to fame after being scratched by Susie, their success is short-lived: both die mysteriously at the height of their careers. Suspicion falls on the sinister handyman George, but the truth is far darker. Miss Plim herself has orchestrated the “luck,” using poison beneath her cat’s claws to grant the girls eternal fame in death. A macabre tale of envy, superstition, and twisted devotion.

Cast:

Faye Bainter

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, FayeBainter, theluckylady, oldtimeradio, mystery, superstition, poison, envy, cat, gothic, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmevillain, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: February 7, 1946

In Suspense #179, “Too Little to Live On,” a struggling young couple, David and Myra O’Connor, care for Myra’s miserly Uncle Ed, who controls their future with the promise of a $30,000 inheritance. Bitter, trapped, and desperate, they begin to fantasize about ending his life—until desperation turns to action with a fateful switch of medicine bottles. But Uncle Ed proves far from helpless, revealing a cruel wit and a trap of his own making. A bleak and harrowing portrait of greed, dependence, and the crushing weight of confinement, culminating in a grim twist of irony and despair.

Cast:

George Murphy, Nancy Coleman

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, GeorgeMurphy, NancyColeman, toolittletoliveon, oldtimeradio, mystery, inheritance, greed, entrapment, poison, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: January 31, 1946

In Suspense #178, “The Long Shot,” down-and-out gambler Kelly Raymond seizes a dangerous opportunity when he answers an ad for a wealthy Englishman’s cross-country chauffeur. As they travel west, Raymond hatches a plan to murder his employer and assume his identity, lured by the promise of a vast inheritance in San Francisco. But as the journey unfolds—with endless tests of his supposed “London” knowledge and the watchful eyes of the law—Raymond discovers he’s not the only one playing a role. A razor-edged tale of imposture, greed, and the fatal odds of a long gamble.

Cast:

George Colouris

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, GeorgeColouris, thelongshot, oldtimeradio, mystery, murder, impostor, identity, gambling, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, noir, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: January 24, 1946

In Suspense #177, “My Dear Niece,” Dame Mae Whitty stars as Emily Rogers, a lonely widow who answers a seemingly harmless newspaper ad offering part-time work. Soon she is drawn into a shadowy scheme involving a fugitive masquerading as a writer, a dead man named Paul Stevens, and a criminal mastermind hiding behind the alias “Mr. Bruce.” Told as a chilling letter to her niece, Emily recounts how she unknowingly harbored a murderer in her home, only to discover that family ties, betrayal, and deception were far closer to her than she ever imagined. A cleverly constructed tale of menace and revelation.

Cast:

Dame Mae Whitty, Wally Maher

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, DameMaeWhitty, mydearniece, oldtimeradio, mystery, deception, fugitive, criminal, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, letterformat, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: January 17, 1946

In Suspense #176, “The Pasteboard Box,” identical twins Jack and Walter Parcell embody Cain and Abel reborn. After staging his own “suicide,” Jack murders Walter and slips into his life—his wealth, his identity, even his fiancée. But while Walter’s body proves hard to dispose of, his head remains an especially grim problem, hidden in a pasteboard box that seems to follow Jack everywhere. When police come calling with questions about a murdered woman, Jack’s frantic lies collapse in a final, cruelly ironic twist. A grim tale of greed, identity, and justice inescapable.

Cast:

Joseph Cotten

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, JosephCotten, pasteboardbox, twins, oldtimeradio, mystery, murder, identity, noir, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, femmefatale, suspensepodcast

Originally Aired: January 3, 1946

In Suspense #174, “The Angel of Death,” John Forsythe (Paul Henreid) believes his intellect makes him untouchable—even as he manipulates fellow prisoners and boasts of his ability to commit the perfect crime. Convicted for the murders of his wife and best friend despite the absence of bodies, Forsythe serves his sentence smugly, conducting chilling psychological experiments behind bars. But upon release, he sets out to finish what he once began—only to discover that fate, vengeance, and madness take forms even he cannot predict. A dark meditation on arrogance, obsession, and justice deferred.

Cast:

Paul Henreid

Tags:

Suspense, thriller, psychological, crime, PaulHenreid, angelofdeath, oldtimeradio, mystery, prison, intellect, vengeance, gothic, vintagecrime, 1940sradio, classicdrama, retribution, suspensepodcast