Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Here's looking at you, kid. In honor of Valentine's Day, here's one of Hollywood's all-time great romantic dramas - one of the all-time great movies, period - Casablanca. The tale of a love triangle set against an exotic wartime backdrop is dramatized for radio with its stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henried. Plus, Mr. Henreid and two of his fellow cast members - Peter Lorre and Claude Rains - make appearances on Suspense. Mr. Lorre headlines "Of Maestro and Man" (originally aired on CBS on July 20, 1944); Mr. Henreid stars in "The Angel of Death" (originally aired on CBS on January 3, 1946); and Claude Rains co-stars with Vincent Price in "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole" (originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1948). Finally, Casablanca comes to radio life on The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on April 26, 1943).

A month of classic Hollywood romances kicks off with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell trading quips at a mile a minute in His Girl Friday. Howard Hawks' adaptation of the newspaper comedy The Front Page changes the two battling newspaper men into a divorced husband and wife - an editor and his star reporter he doesn't want to let go off to a life of domestic bliss with a dud of a new husband. We'll hear Grant in "The Black Curtain" (originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1943) and Ms. Russell in "Consideration" (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1950). Then, they recreate their film roles on The Gulf Screen Guild Theatre (AFRS rebroadcast from March 30, 1941).

We ride off into the sunset for our winter out west series with Winchester '73, Anthony Mann's engrossing western drama starring James Stewart. It's the story of a man who loses his rifle and who travels the west to get it back. We'll hear Stewart, along with his co-stars Dan Duryea and John McIntire, in episodes of Suspense - Dan Duryea in "The Will to Power" (originally aired on CBS on January 9, 1947); James Stewart in "Mission: Completed" (originally aired on CBS on December 1, 1949); and John McIntire in "The Big Day" (originally aired on CBS on May 26, 1957). Finally, Stewart recreates his role in The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on November 12, 1951).  

Guns are drawn at the OK Corral and a legend of the west is born in My Darling Clementine, John Ford's classic dramatization of the life and times of Wyatt Earp. We'll hear three of the film's stars - Henry Fonda, who played Earp; Victor Mature, who co-starred as gambler and gunslinger Doc Holliday; and Linda Darnell, the old flame of Holliday's who gets in the middle of a feud that will turn bloody on the streets of Tombstone - in episodes of Suspense, plus a radio recreation of the film. Fonda stars in "Summer Storm" (originally aired on CBS on October 18, 1945); Mature headlines "Momentum" (originally aired on CBS on October 27, 1949); and Ms. Darnell is heard in "A Killing in Las Vegas" (originally aired on CBS on February 25, 1952). Then, Fonda and his screen co-star Cathy Downs recreate their roles on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on April 28, 1947).

No new episode this week due to some unexpected conflicts, but since we're celebrating classic western movies, here's a collection of western tales from "radio's outstanding theater of thrills!" Alan Ladd hunts for his brother's murderer in "A Killing in Abilene" (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1950). Then, Richard Widmark fights a bloody feud in "The Hunting of Bob Lee" (originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1951) and he tracks a deadly panther through the snow in "The Track of the Cat" (originally aired on CBS on February 18, 1952). Frank Lovejoy stars as one of the west's most infamous gunslingers in "The Shooting of Billy the Kid" (originally aired on CBS on April 28, 1952) and Richard Widmark returns - this time as another notorious outlaw - in "The Spencer Brothers" (originally aired on CBS on January 26, 1953). Finally, Victor Mature stars as a legendary bandit in "The Love and Death of Joaquin Murietta" (originally aired on CBS on February 16, 1953).

We're spending the winter out west with classic western movies and their stars in January. First up is Shane, the story of a gunfighter who tries to turn over a new leaf but has to fall back on his trade when his newfound family is threatened. We'll hear the two lead actors - Alan Ladd and Van Heflin - in Suspense shows as well as a radio recreation of the movie. First, Heflin is a reporter who receives an invitation from a murderer in "The Lady in the Red Hat" (originally aired on CBS on November 30, 1950). Then, Ladd stars in a tale of revenge from the old west in "A Killing in Abilene" (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1950). Finally, both men reunite as The Lux Radio Theatre presents "Shane" (AFRS rebroadcast of a show from February 22, 1955).

We bid goodbye to the old year and ring in the new with 'Til We Meet Again, a tale of star-crossed lovers on an ocean liner with plans for a New Year's Eve rendezvous…if the fates don't conspire against them. We'll hear three of the film's stars - Merle Oberon, Pat O'Brien, and Geraldine Fitzgerald - in episodes of Suspense plus a Lux Radio Theatre recreation of the movie.  Ms. Fitzgerald tries to comfort her husband through his unusual nightmares in "A Friend to Alexander" (originally aired on CBS on June 15, 1944). Ms. Oberon stars in a story set in Nazi-occupied France - "The Bluebeard of Bellac" (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1944). And Mr. O'Brien is a cop whose latest case hits close to home in "True Report" (originally aired on CBS on August 31, 1950). Finally, we'll hear Ms. Oberon and her screen co-star George Brent reunite on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on June 10, 1940).

We wrap up our series of classic holiday films with It's a Wonderful Life - the timeless tale from Frank Capra that proves no man is a failure who has friends. We'll hear three of its stars - Jimmy Stewart, Sheldon Leonard, and Thomas Mitchell - in Suspense thrillers, an old time radio recreation of the movie, and a bonus spoof courtesy of The Jack Benny Program. Thomas Mitchell is a tycoon with more than business on his mind in "Case History on Edgar Lowndes" (originally aired on CBS on June 8, 1944). Sheldon Leonard is a professional killer in "Feast of the Furies" (originally aired on CBS on July 11, 1946). And Jimmy Stewart is a man who finds the chance to escape his humdrum life in "Consequence" (originally aired on CBS on May 19, 1949). Then, Stewart and co-star Donna Reed reunite in a Lux Radio Theatre presentation of the film (originally aired on CBS on March 10, 1947). And finally, Jack Benny learns what the world would be like if he'd never been born - with a guest appearance from director Frank Capra (originally aired on NBC on February 2, 1947).

Our December series of classic holiday films continues with the cast of The Bishop's Wife - the heavenly comedy about a beleaguered bishop, his supportive wife, and the angel who pays a visit to lend a hand. We'll hear its three stars - Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven - recreate their roles in a radio adaptation of the film and we'll also hear them in three old time radio thrillers. First, Ms. Young fears for her life in "Lady Killer" (originally aired on CBS on March 2, 1950). Then, Cary Grant runs out of gas in "On a Country Road" (originally aired on CBS on November 16, 1950). Finally, David Niven plans a swindle in "Grand Theft" (originally aired on CBS on April 5, 1954). And all three reunite as The Camel Screen Guild Theatre presents a version of the movie (originally aired on March 1, 1948).

A tycoon's vacant mansion hosts holiday hijinks in the classic comedy It Happened on Fifth Avenue. It's the story of a vagrant who makes himself at home in the house when the owner heads south for the winter, and of how the true owner and his family end up as invited Christmas "guests" of their tenant. We'll hear two of the film's stars in radio thrillers - Charles Ruggles in "Suspicion" (originally aired on CBS on February 10, 1944) and Don DeFore in "The Furnished Floor" (originally aired on CBS on September 13, 1945). Then, we'll hear Messrs Ruggles and DeFore - along with their big screen co-stars Gale Storm and Victor Moore in a Lux Radio Theatre recreation of the movie in an Armed Forces radio service rebroadcast (original episode aired on CBS on May 19, 1947).  

A month-long series of classic holiday films and their casts kicks off with Miracle on 34th Street - the story of a department store Santa who says he's the real deal. We'll hear three of its stars in radio thrillers from Suspense, plus a radio recreation of the film. Maureen O'Hara is a debutante turned detective in "The White Rose Murders" (originally aired on CBS on July 6, 1943). Edmund Gwenn stars in a darkly comedic murder mystery from Dorothy L. Sayers in "The Fountain Plays" (originally aired on CBS on August 10, 1943). And John Payne is a small town sheriff with a big murder to solve in Dashiell Hammett's "Two Sharp Knives" (originally aired on CBS on June 7, 1945). Then, Ms. O'Hara and Messrs Payne and Gwenn are joined by their screen co-star Natalie Wood as they recreate their roles for The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on December 22, 1947).

After you hear Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck recreate their famous roles on The Lux Radio Theatre, enjoy this bit of "what if" alternate Hollywood casting of the film. Burt Lancaster, Joan Bennett, and Myron McCormick play Walter Neff, Phyllis Dietrichson, and Barton Keyes in an adaptation of Double Indemnity from The Ford Theater (originally aired on CBS on October 15, 1948).

"Noirvember" draws to a close with the cast of Double Indemnity - Billy Wilder's genre-defining adaptation of James M. Cain's novel. It's a twisted tale of greed, lust, and revenge with Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson, and we'll hear each of them in an old time radio thriller courtesy of Suspense. Robinson invents a spouse to get ahead at work with unexpected results in "My Wife Geraldine" (originally aired on CBS on March 1, 1945). Ms. Stanwyck is a tough dame whose connection to a murder puts her own life in danger in "The Wages of Sin" (originally aired on CBS on October 19, 1950). And MacMurray is a jazz player in a Prohibition-era tale of the mob and murder - "The Windy City Six" (originally aired on CBS on February 8, 1951). Then, Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck recreate their film roles in a production of The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on October 30, 1950).  

It's an addendum to our spotlight show on The Killers as Jack Benny, his radio gang, and special guest star Edward G. Robinson present their own version of the movie. This comedic caper originally aired on NBC on November 24, 1946.

Ernest Hemingway's short story The Killers was memorably adapted and expanded for the big screen by director Robert Siodmak and an incredible cast. We'll hear the stars of that film - plus a radio recreation - as our "Noirvember" series continues. Ava Gardner slows down for a hitchhiker with murder on his mind in "Lady in Distress" (originally aired on CBS on May 1, 1947). Edmond O'Brien is a streetwise reporter out for the story of the year in "The Argyle Album" (originally aired on CBS on September 4, 1947). Burt Lancaster is in no hurry to get revenge for his brother in "The Long Wait" (originally aired on CBS on November 24, 1949). And the titular killers William Conrad and Charles McGraw reunite in "Two for the Road" (originally aired on CBS on November 9, 1958). Finally, Burt Lancaster reprises his role as The Screen Director's Playhouse presents "The Killers" (originally aired on NBC on June 5, 1949).

Our celebration of "Noirvember" continues with the cast of The Maltese Falcon - the classic adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's celebrated novel. Peter Lorre plays a husband with a plot to dispose of his wife and her lover in "Till Death Do Us Part" (originally aired on CBS on December 15, 1942). Mary Astor is on the other side of the equation, as she plans to kill her husband and his girlfriend before they bump her off in "In Fear and Trembling" (originally aired on February 16, 1943). Humphrey Bogart stars in an adaptation of James M. Cain's gangland drama "Love's Lovely Counterfeit" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1945). And Sydney Greenstreet portrays John Dickson Carr's master sleuth Dr. Gideon Fell in the surviving half of "The Hangman Won't Wait" (originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1943)...and since only fifteen minutes of Mr. Greenstreet just won't do, we'll also hear him as Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe in "The Case of the Careworn Cuff" (originally aired on NBC on October 27, 1950). Then, all four stars recreate their film roles for The Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on September 20, 1943).

Beginning with this episode, Stars on Suspense goes to the movies and shines a spotlight on the cast of a Hollywood classic. Up first is Laura, the 1944 Oscar-nominated mystery that the American Film Institute hailed as one of the ten best of all time. We'll hear three of its stars in "radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" - Dana Andrews in "Two Birds With One Stone" (originally aired on CBS on May 17, 1945), Clifton Webb in "The Burning Court" (originally aired on CBS on June 14, 1945), and Vincent Price in "The Name of the Beast" (originally aired on CBS on April 11, 1946), and . Plus, we'll hear a radio recreation of the film featuring Andrews, Webb, and Gene Tierney from The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on August 20, 1945).

Happy Halloween! We're celebrating with a spooky collection of some of the big screen's most famous monsters in old time radio thrillers. Orson Welles is the count who never drinks...wine in "Dracula," presented by the Mercury Theatre On the Air (originally aired on CBS on July 11, 1938), and Suspense presents its own version of the horror classic "Frankenstein" (originally aired on CBS on June 6, 1955). Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" walk the streets in a syndicated story from The Weird Circle, and a group of climbers hunt for the legendary beast of the Himalayas in "The Abominable Snowman" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on September 13, 1953). A mysterious island is home to a creature that's howling mad in "W is for Werewolf" from Dark Fantasy (originally aired on NBC on February 13, 1942). Finally, Basil Rathbone dons the mask of "The Phantom of the Opera" on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on September 13, 1943).

Our journey through the years of "radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" ends with my favorite installments from the final years of Suspense. Ray Bradbury presents a terrifying tale of a popular new kids' game in "Zero Hour" (originally aired on April 5, 1955), and a pharmacist races to correct a potentially fatal error in "To None a Deadly Drug" (originally aired on CBS on October 25, 1955). A man meticulously plots how to dispose of his wife's body in "Variations on a Theme" (originally aired on CBS on February 7, 1956), and William Conrad delivers a tour de force one-man performance in "The Waxwork" (originally aired on CBS on May 1, 1956). A postal inspector tries to intercept a bomb before it reaches its intended target in "Fragile: Contents Death" (originally aired on CBS on May 22, 1956), and DeForest Kelley is a talent agent who finds an act to die for in "Flesh Peddler" (originally aired on CBS on August 4, 1957). A defiant man stares down an army of ravenous ants in "Leiningen vs. the Ants" (originally aired on CBS on August 25, 1957), and anybody could be a killer on a train in "The Man Who Murders People" (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1960).

Suspense enters its final decade on the air and loses its longtime sponsor as our journey through the years of the show continues. Between 1952 and 1954, Elliott Lewis remained at the helm of the series and continued to present compelling dramas, but the rise of television and the loss of Autolite's financial support left Suspense in a transition period by the middle of the decade. We'll hear my favorite shows from this three year run: Deborah Kerr is a jewel thief out for revenge against her old partner in "The Lady Pamela" (originally aired on CBS on March 31, 1952). Jack Benny celebrates his retirement with a robbery in "A Good and Faithful Servant" (originally aired on June 2, 1952). Frank Lovejoy fights to free his hometown from the oppressive grip of criminals in "The Frightened City" (originally aired on CBS on November 10, 1952). Joseph Kearns tries to commit an experiment in objective murder in "The Earth is Made of Glass" (originally aired on CBS on June 17, 1954). And finally, John Dehner sets out to prove he cannot be killed in "The Last Letter of Dr. Bronson" (originally aired on CBS on November 4, 1954).