Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Latest Episodes:

Episode 216 - Richard Basehart Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

Before he spent four seasons on a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Richard Basehart was a rising Hollywood star and made a visit to the Suspense microphone. His performance elevates "The Perfectionist," a far-fetched episode about a killer forced to improvise during his perfect crime (originally aired on CBS on January 21, 1952). Then, Basehart stars as Joyce Kilmer, the poet and writer who met his end on a battlefield during World War I in Family Theater (originally aired on Mutual on August 17, 1949).

Episode 215 - Robert Taylor (Part 2) Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

Leading man Robert Taylor made his Suspense debut as a reporter who stumbles into the story of the century in "The Argyle Album" (originally aired on CBS on December 13, 1945). Then we'll hear him join Mary, Phil, Dennis, and Don when he guest hosts The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on NBC on May 16, 1948).

Episode 214 - Lynn Bari Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

Actress Lynn Bari enjoyed a long career on the big and small screens, and though she never really broke into the starring sphere she appeared in hundreds of films opposite some of the major stars of the era. Her specialty was playing "the other woman" - the man-hungry femme fatale who was always ready with a seductive look or a gun - and she won the admiration of GIs as one of the most popular pinup girls of World War II. We'll hear her in her only visit to Suspense - "Murder By an Expert" (originally aired on CBS on July 24, 1947). Then, she joins Bud and Lou in a wild west comedy on The Abbott and Costello Show (originally aired on NBC on December 16, 1943).

Episode 213 - William Conrad (Part 2) Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

Before he solved TV crimes as Cannon, William Conrad was one of the titans of the golden age of radio. With his booming voice, Conrad gave life to the tough marshal of Dodge City Matt Dillon and hundreds of other characters - from historical figures like Nero, Blackbeard, and King Arthur to the ominous voice that introduced Escape. We'll hear him star in a pair of Suspense thrillers: "The Shot" (originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1954) and "A Study in Wax" (originally aired on CBS on August 16, 1955). Plus, we'll hear him in his signature role on Gunsmoke in "Matt Gets It" (originally aired on CBS on October 2, 1954).

Episode 212 - John Lund (Part 3) Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

John Lund's big screen career started with a bang but faded by the mid-1950s. Still, he was able to display his versatility during his appearances on Suspense. We'll hear him as a writer who finds inspiration in a real-life crime in "The Man in the Room" (originally aired on CBS on May 11, 1950). Then, Lund plays a cop on the trail of a drug ring in "Melody in Dreams" (originally aired on CBS on December 19, 1952).

BONUS - Halloween Haunts: The House in Cypress Canyon Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

I've saved the best - and scariest - for last. In our final Halloween Haunts bonus episode, we'll hear my pick for the most terrifying tale to ever air on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." Robert Taylor and Cathy Lewis receive the housewarming gift from hell in "The House in Cypress Canyon" (originally aired on CBS on December 5, 1946).

Episode 211 - Ray Bradbury Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Ray Bradbury brought science fiction into the mainstream with stories like The Martian Chronicles, and his works were adapted for some of the best radio anthologies of the era. Stories from the author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man inspired episodes of Escape, X Minus One, and Suspense. We'll hear two of his terrifying tales from radio's outstanding theater of thrills: "Zero Hour" (originally aired on CBS on April 5, 1955) and "The Whole Town's Sleeping" (originally aired on CBS on June 14, 1955). Plus, we'll hear "The Veldt," a story about addictive technology years before smart phones, from Dimension X (originally aired on NBC on August 9, 1951).

BONUS - Halloween Haunts: On a Country Road Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

A car out of gas, a frightened couple, and a homicidal maniac on the loose - they all come together in "On a Country Road," still one of the most terrifying stories ever produced on Suspense seventy years after it first aired. Cary Grant stars in this radio play designed for listening with the lights out (originally aired on CBS on November 16, 1950).

Episode 210 - Lee J. Cobb Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

Lee J. Cobb was still a rising star in Hollywood - years before his Oscar-nominated turns in On the Waterfront and The Brothers Karamazov and his powerful performances in 12 Angry Men and The Exorcist - when he made his only visit to Suspense. We'll hear him as an artist in a deadly love triangle in "The Bet" (originally aired on CBS on November 8, 1945). Then he recreates his big screen performance opposite Dick Powell in a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of Johnny O'Clock (originally aired on CBS on May 12, 1947).

BONUS - Halloween Haunts: Ghost Hunt Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

This week's scary story from Suspense was made to be enjoyed with the lights out. Join Ralph Edwards as a DJ who spends a night in a haunted house for a radio show stunt and gets more than he bargained for in "Ghost Hunt" (originally aired on CBS on June 23, 1949).

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