Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Latest Episodes:

Episode 472 - Stars of "Bride of Frankenstein" Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

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 aired on CBS on June 7, 1955) and a more traditional retelling courtesy of The Weird Circle.

BONUS - Friday Frights: Three Skeleton Key Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

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).

Episode 471 - Stars of "The Spiral Staircase" Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

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 NBC on November 25, 1949).

BONUS - Friday Frights: On a Country Road Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

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!

Episode 470 - Stars of "The Uninvited" Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

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 NBC on November 18, 1949).

BONUS - Friday Frights: Ghost Hunt Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

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).

Episode 469 - Stars of "The Canterville Ghost" Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

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 "The Screaming Woman" (originally aired on CBS on November 25, 1948). Then, Mr. Laughton and Ms. O'Brien recreate their screen roles on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on June 18, 1945).

Episode 468 - Star of "Captain Horatio Hornblower" Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

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).

Episode 467 - Stars of "Knute Rockne, All American" Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

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).

Episode 466 - Stars of "Fancy Pants" Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

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).

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