Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Ed Gardner was born June 29, 1901. The actor, writer, and director is best known as the creator and star of Duffy's Tavern. Gardner starred as Archie, the manager of the titular tavern (Duffy, as it was explained every week, was never found in his own place), and he found fame as the wisecracking bartender with a loose grasp of proper grammar. Duffy's Tavern aired on radio from 1941 to 1952.

Though he found his greatest success in comedy, Gardner made one memorable appearance on Suspense in "The Palmer Method" (originally aired on April 20, 1944). Gardner stars as a small-time con who enlists to fight the fascists in Spain. When a twist of fate gives him the chance to take a new identity, he seizes the opportunity but soon finds himself in over his head.

Some of the twentieth century's best singers made visits to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" during the twenty year run of Suspense. This week, we'll hear two of them in uncharacteristic dark and dramatic roles. First, Frank Sinatra is a deranged madman tormenting Agnes Moorehead in "To Find Help" (an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast of an episode from January 18, 1945). Then, Rosemary Clooney stars and sings in "St. James Infirmary Blues" (originally aired on CBS on February 23, 1953), a tale of crime and love in the Roaring Twenties.

Actor Peter Lorre was born June 26, 1904. With his unique accent and large eyes, Lorre was frequently cast as shady foreign villains and left a legacy as one of Hollywood's legends.

Lorre launched his acting career in Germany, where he appeared in Fritz Lang's landmark film M and several early films of Alfred Hitchcock. Upon moving to Hollywood, he starred in eight Fox films as the international detective Mr. Moto. Lorre famously played Joel Cairo in John Huston's adaptation of The Maltese Falcon, the first of several films he made with co-stars Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet. Lorre's screen credits include Casablanca, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Arsenic and Old Lace.

On radio, Lorre could be heard recreating his film roles on Screen Guild Players, making guest appearances Abbott & Costello, and headlining his own anthology series, Mystery in the Air. Lorre also served as master of ceremonies for the Mystery Playhouse for the Armed Forces Radio Service, a program that re-aired detective and suspense shows for the troops overseas.

Lorre also made six appearances on Suspense in the early years of the program. We've heard four of those appearances on the podcast in Episode 2 and Episode 14. Here are some more of the legendary actor's appearances on Suspense:

"The Devil's Saint" - Peter Lorre stars as a wealthy man who invites his daughter's boyfriend to stay the night in a mysterious room. (Aired January 19, 1943)

"Nobody Loves Me" - As a demented killer, Peter Lorre narrates this tale of a tragic life and a kidnapping. (Aired August 30, 1945)

With his leading man looks and his mellifluous voice, Ronald Colman was a star of both the silent and talking eras of Hollywood. His appearances on radio gave the Oscar winner a chance to put that voice to good use, whether he and his wife Benita Hume were clowning around with Jack Benny or whether Colman was making one of his six visits to Suspense. We'll hear him in "August Heat" (originally aired on May 31, 1945) and "A Vision of Death" (originally aired on March 8, 1951).

A star in front of and behind the camera, Ida Lupino was one of Hollywood's first female directors and producers. She turned in memorable performances in movies like High Sierra and On Dangerous Ground before she established her own production company and embarked on a long career of directing for the big and small screens. We'll hear Ida Lupino in "Summer Night" (originally aired on CBS on July 15, 1948) and "The Bullet" (originally aired on CBS on December 29, 1949).

Cary Grant returns to the podcast for one last "tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense." We'll hear the legendary leading man in "The Black Path of Fear" (an Armed Forces Radio Service broadcast of an episode originally aired on CBS on March 7, 1946). Then, he recreates his big screen role from Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion in The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 21, 1946).

Gene Kelly dances his way to "radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" in two shows that are miles away from his screen persona. The star of An American in Paris and Singin' in the Rain leaves his dazzling footwork at the door for a pair of tense, well-calculated tails: "Thieves Fall Out" (originally aired on CBS on November 16, 1943) and "Death Went Along for the Ride" (originally aired on CBS on April 27, 1944).

Gregory Peck returns to "Stars On Suspense" in two old time radio thrillers – a pair of tales about the dangers that can lurk on the highway. First, Peck thumbs a ride with the wrong man in "Hitch-Hike Poker" (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1948). Then, he's a grieving father looking for revenge on a drunk driver in "Nightmare" (originally aired on CBS on September 1, 1949).

Glamorous leading lady Lana Turner had a career that spanned five decades from her discovery at a Hollywood café all the way up to her final television appearances. But the Oscar-nominated actress had a tumultuous personal life – including a murder scandal – that could overshadow her screen work. In her two appearances on Suspense, Turner showed off her versatility in a pair of very different roles. We'll hear her as a woman terrorized by a painting in "Fear Paints a Picture" (originally aired on CBS on May 3, 1945). Then, she's a detective investigating her own husband in "The Flame Blue Glove" (originally aired on CBS on December 15, 1949).

One of the great gangster stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Edward G. Robinson excelled at playing all types of characters over his fifty year career. From Nazi hunters to cagey sleuths to desperate criminals, Robinson delivered memorable performances with a signature style that is still imitated today. We'll hear him in an unusual double role as himself and as "The Man Who Wanted to Be Edward G. Robinson" (originally aired on CBS on September 30, 1948). Then, he's a man out to profit from his alleged demise in "You Can't Die Twice" (originally aired on CBS on March 31, 1949).

Known as "the queen of film noir," Claire Trevor was amazing on screen as tough dames and gun molls (including Murder, My Sweet and her Oscar-winning turn in Key Largo). But the actress could play more than noir as she demonstrated over long career in movies like Stagecoach and The High and the Mighty. We'll hear two of her visits to Suspense - a series where she got to put her talent at playing tough women to good use: "The Plan" (originally aired on CBS on May 16, 1946) and "The Blue Hour" (originally aired on CBS on September 25, 1947).

Before she was a TV star, and even before she kept audiences smiling with her radio comedy series, Lucille Ball delivered tough noir performances in episodes of Suspense. She was as talented in the world of drama and thrills as she was with slapstick and a punchline. The red-headed legend returns for two more "tales well calculated" – "The Ten Grand" (originally aired on CBS on June 22, 1944) and "A Shroud for Sarah" (originally aired on CBS on October 25, 1945).

Two comedy legends trade jokes and laughs for thrills and chills when they visit "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." First, Bob Hope plays a man who has an appointment with a murderer in "Death Has a Shadow" (originally aired on CBS on May 5, 1949). Then, Milton Berle is an actor whose greatest role could keep him out of the electric chair in "Rave Notice" (originally aired on CBS on October 12, 1950).

Actor John Hodiak was born April 16, 1914. After working in radio (where he voiced the comic strip character Lil' Abner), Hodiak got his big break in movies when he was cast opposite Tallulah Bankhead in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat. Despite some ups and downs (including a stretch in the late 1940s when he was branded "box office poison"), Hodiak continued to find success on screen and the stage. He originated the role of Lt. Maryk on Broadway in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, a role that won him acclaim. Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he suffered a heart attack and died October 19, 1955 at the age of 41.

During his Hollywood career, John Hodiak made a number of visits to Suspense. In honor of his birthday, here are some of his performances on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills."

"Dateline: Lisbon" - John Hodiak stars in this tale of wartime espionage and intrigue with Nazi and Allied agents swirling around the city. (October 5, 1944)

"The Case History of a Gambler" - Travel back to the 1920s for the rise and fall of a racketeer. (December 17, 1951)

"Gold of the Adomar" - A sunken ship and the promise of treasure provide the backdrop for this exciting story. (January 19, 1953)

Whether he was singing and dancing, breaking the law, or wielding a grapefruit, James Cagney never failed to deliver energetic, compelling performances on the big screen. The Oscar-winner gave audiences a series of memorable roles that are still admired – and imitated – today. For his first appearance on Suspense, Cagney returned to the world of gangster drama in an hour-long radio adaptation of James M. Cain's "Love's Lovely Counterfeit" (originally aired on CBS on January 17, 1948).

Bette Davis made only one appearance on Suspense, but it was a doozy. The two-time Oscar winner and ten-time nominee stands as one of the biggest legends of old Hollywood with a career and tumultuous personal life that continues to fascinate fans today. We'll hear her in "Goodnight Mrs. Russell," originally aired on CBS on October 20, 1949. Plus, she reprises her award-winning role from Jezebel in a production from Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on March 30, 1946).

Academy Award winner Gregory Peck was born April 5, 1916. One of the most popular leading men in Hollywood, Peck's career extended from the 1940s until the 1990s. Of course, he may be best known for his Oscar-winning turn as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird - the character named as the greatest movie hero of all time by the American Film Institute. Peck turned in memorable performances in comedies, dramas, and thrillers; his diverse filmography includes Gentleman's Agreement (1947) - a biting expose of anti-Semitism in America; Roman Holiday (1953), the romantic comedy with Peck as a reporter and Audrey Hepburn as a princess; Cape Fear (1962) as a lawyer protecting his family from a vengeful convict; and The Omen (1976) as a man who discovers his son is the antichrist.

Gregory Peck made five appearances on Suspense; we heard two of them ("The Lonely Road" and "Murder Through the Looking Glass") back on Episode 8 of the podcast. Here are the rest of his visits to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills."

"Hitch-Hike Poker" - Gregory Peck plays a hitchhiker picked up by a seemingly friendly driver (Ed Begley). It's a ride he should have refused. (September 23, 1948)

"Nightmare" - A powerful story with an amazing Peck performance, "Nightmare" follows a man's quest for revenge after a drunk driver hits and kills his young son. (September 1, 1949)

"The Truth About Jerry Baxter" - Gregory Peck stars in a "ripped from the headlines" story - a show that shines a spotlight on teenage drug addiction. (June 14, 1951)

Jack Benny sets down his violin and climbs out of his Maxwell for his final appearances on Suspense. Radio's most popular comedian returns to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" as a Martian on a mission in "Plan X" (originally aired on CBS on February 2, 1953) and a reluctant bank robber in "The Face is Familiar" (originally aired on CBS on January 18, 1954).

Lucille Fletcher, the writer who gave radio some of its all-time classic spine-tingling thrillers, was born March 28, 1912. Though she penned novels, plays, and even the libretto of an opera, Fletcher remains best known for her radio plays, a roster that includes some of the best episodes of Suspense.

A graduate of Vassar College, Fletcher worked at CBS as a publicity writer and clerk. Fletcher met her future husband, Bernard Herrmann, when he was conducting the CBS orchestra. Fletcher's radio career took off when one of her short stories was adapted for a radio script by Norman Corwin. Her original plays were presented on The Columbia Workshop, The Orson Welles Show, and more.

Fletcher's best-known work - indeed, one of the greatest radio plays of all time - is "Sorry, Wrong Number." The classic study in terror was presented seven times on Suspense, each time with Agnes Moorehead starring in the role of a bedridden woman who overhears a murder plot on the phone. The story was adapted into a 1948 film starring Barbara Stanwyck. According to her daughter Dorothy Hermann, Lucille Fletcher got the idea for her most famous play during a trip to the grocery store. In line to buy milk for one of her sick children, Fletcher asked a well-dressed woman if she could go ahead of the woman in line. "No, you cannot," the woman exclaimed. "How dare you?" For her revenge, Lucille Fletcher fashioned the haughty, wealthy woman into the ill-mannered invalid at the center of the story, brought to life perfectly by Agnes Moorehead.

Her work was also adapted for the screen when Rod Serling presented Fletcher's classic Suspense script "The Hitch-Hiker" as a first season episode of The Twilight Zone. The original radio production had starred Orson Welles as a man on a cross-country car trip who is pursued by a seemingly supernatural stranger on the side of the road.

A talented writer across multiple mediums, Lucille Fletcher seemed to be the most at home in the mystery genre. Describing mystery stories, she said "Writing suspense stories is like working on a puzzle. You bury the secret, lead the reader down the path, put in false leads and throughout the story remain completely logical. Each word must have meaning and be written in a fine literary style. Mysteries are a challenge, a double task for the writer, for the reader is aching to solve the puzzle before you do." When her radio plays were on the air, the audience was aching for the solution to the intricate, well-calculated tales weaved by Lucille Fletcher.

In honor of her birthday, here are some of Lucille Fletcher's fantastic plays presented on Suspense.

"The Hitch-Hiker" - Featured in Episode 1 of "Stars On Suspense," this eerie story starring Orson Welles has a fantastic twist ending, but the uneasy feeling generated throughout the show will stick with you. (September 2, 1942)

"The Diary of Saphronia Winters" - The first of many scripts by Lucille Fletcher to be performed multiple times on Suspense, this tale of music and madness stars Agnes Moorehead and Ray Collins. (April 27, 1943)

"Fugue in C Minor" - We heard this episode on Part 2 of our Vincent Price show. Price co-stars with Ida Lupino in another mystery surrounding music (a theme in her work) set at the dawn of the twentieth century. (June 1, 1944)

"Dark Journey" - Nancy Kelly and Cathy Lewis are the only performers in this tale of the power of will, and one woman's desire for revenge. (April 25, 1946)

"The Thing in the Window" - How can a dead body disappear, then reappear in an otherwise normal apartment? That's the mystery at the heart of this episode starring Joseph Cotten. (December 19, 1946)

Actor Frank Lovejoy was born March 28, 1912. In his all-too short career before his death at age 50, Lovejoy appeared on the big and small screens in memorable roles. One of my favorites is his turn as Detective Nicolai, an old friend of Humphrey Bogart's who begins to suspect Bogie of murder in Nicholas Ray's In a Lonely Place.

Old time radio fans may know him best as Chicago reporter Randy Stone in the outstanding dramatic mystery series Night Beat, a role he played from 1950 to 1952. But Lovejoy made a number of appearances on radio. He played villains on The Shadow and was heard regularly on Gang Busters. After several shows where he was in the supporting cast, Lovejoy made over a dozen visits as leading man to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills."

Here are a few of his appearances on Suspense, including several where he co-starred with his wife, actress Joan Banks.

"The Wreck of the Old 97" - A folk song provides the backdrop for a Suspense-ful retelling of the infamous train wreck. Frank Lovejoy plays two characters in this tale. (March 17, 1952)

"The Shooting of Billy the Kid" - Just days after he appeared in the premiere episode of Gunsmoke, the infamous gunfighter Billy Bonney is the subject of this story. (April 28, 1952)

"The Frightened City" - Frank Lovejoy co-stars with his wife Joan Banks in this story of a man who returns home from war to find his hometown under siege from an insidious evil force. (November 10, 1952)

"The Storm" - Another episode featuring real-life husband and wife Frank Lovejoy and Joan Banks, this episode casts them as a feuding couple trapped in a resort with a hurricane on the horizon. (March 2, 1953)

"Public Defender" - In this courtroom drama, a man charged with robbery is defended by the husband of his alleged victim. (April 20, 1953)

"On a Country Road" - Frank Lovejoy and Joan Banks are back in this version of one of the very best shows Suspense ever produced. A husband and wife are stranded on a dark road even as police hunt an escaped murderer nearby. (January 4, 1954)

Actress and three-time Oscar nominee Gloria Swanson was born March 27, 1899. Best known as silent movie queen Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, Swanson's career spanned from the silent era to television, and she also produced several films.

A major star of the silent era, Swanson's career began to decline with the transition to talkies. She worked offscreen, forming an invention and patent company called Multiprises. The company existed to rescue Jewish scientists from Europe and the Nazis - real-life offscreen heroics at a time when many actors were "saving the world" only on the big screen.

In 1950, she was cast in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, a film that reunited her with her old director Cecil B. DeMille; the director played himself in several scenes. The performance of a reclusive, delusional silent movie queen pining for a comeback earned Swanson her third and final Oscar nomination. It's a tremendous turn by the actress, and much of her performance and its iconic lines ("I am big. It's the pictures that got small.") have been part of pop culture ever since.

In 1947 - three years before Sunset Boulevard, Gloria Swanson made her first and only appearance on Suspense. In "Murder by the Book" (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1947), she plays Emily Carlisle, the most famous female mystery writer in America. She's tasked with investigating the real-life murder of her doctor and with finding the killer.

Oscar-winning actress Joan Crawford was born March 23, 1904. After bursting on to the Hollywood scene in the 1930s with success in both silent films and talkies - an era where she was one of the highest-paid women in America, she closed out the decade branded as "box office poison." However, a comeback with her title role in Mildred Pierce (the performance that earned her a Best Actress Academy Award) revived her career and put her back on top in Hollywood. Her credits include Possessed, Daisy Kenyon, and Flamingo Road.

In 1955, she married Alfred Steele, president of Pepsi Cola. After he passed away in 1959, Crawford remained on the Board of Directors until 1973. In the 1960s, she enjoyed a second comeback of sourts with performances in two successful thrillers - What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Ranked tenth on the American Film Institute's greatest actresses of classic Hollywood, Joan Crawford's performances continue to entertain audiences today (and the stories behind those performances enthrall viewers on the well-received FX dramatic series Feud: Bette vs. Joan, chronicling the making of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?).

Joan Crawford made two appearances on Suspense, and we heard both in Episode 12 of the podcast.

Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard were the stars of their own long-running radio and television sitcoms, but before they took their adventures to TV they made a pair of memorable appearances on Suspense. Playing effectively against type, the Nelsons showed listeners a different side of themselves in these tense, dramatic stories. We'll hear them in "Too Little to Live On" (originally aired on December 26, 1947) and "Going, Going, Gone" (originally aired on November 23, 1950).

Actor, producer, and band leader Ozzie Nelson was born March 20, 1906. To generations of radio and television fans, he's best known (along with his wife, Harriet) for starring in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, the longest-running live action television sitcom in US history. Nelson began his show business career as a bandleader, where he met Harriet when she worked with the band as a vocalist. The two made regular appearances on Red Skelton's radio show before Ozzie - hoping to spend more time with his family - developed the series for the family. Nelson co-wrote and produced the radio and TV series, and his sons Ricky (later a successful musician in his own right) and David eventually appeared as themselves on the show.

Alongside his wife Harriet, Ozzie made three appearances on Suspense. We'll hear two of them ("Too Little to Live On" and "Going, Going, Gone") in this week's new episode of "Stars On Suspense."

Long before he wore the white coat of Marcus Welby, MD and even before Father Knows Best, Robert Young was a big screen star making visits to Suspense. Those only familiar with him from those kindly, classic TV characters may be surprised at the performances he gives on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." We'll hear him in "The Night Reveals" (originally aired on CBS on December 9, 1943) and "You'll Never See Me Again" (originally aired on CBS on September 5, 1946).

If you're an old time radio fan, chances are you've heard the voice of Harlow Wilcox extolling the virtues of Rinso, Johnson's Wax, and (in the case of Suspense) Autolite resistor spark plugs. Born March 12, 1907, Wilcox was one of the most popular announcers of the radio era, often as much a character in the shows he announced as the leads.

Wilcox's best-known radio presence began when he met Jim and Marian Jordan in Chicago. He helped the couple produce some records, and when they got their own radio program as "Fibber McGee and Molly," the Jordans asked Wilcox to be their announcer. He moved from the Windy City to Hollywood when the McGees went west, and he stayed with them for years.

It was there that Wilcox implemented a practice that would be adopted all over radio (particularly by Don Wilson on The Jack Benny Program) - instead of saving commercials for act breaks, Wilcox entered the scene - dropping in on Fibber and Molly - to plug the show's sponsor Johnson's Wax. Wilcox tried to position the floor cleaner as the solution to whatever was giving McGee headaches that week, so much so that Fibber took to calling Wilcox "Waxy." (When the Jordans guest starred on Suspense during Wilcox's tenure as that show's announcer, his nickname was changed to "Sparky" in honor of Autolite.)

In addition to his work on Fibber McGee and Molly and Suspense, radio fans can hear Harlow Wilcox's voice on Amos 'n' Andy, Boston Blackie, Blondie, and many more.

In two appearances on Suspense, Danny Kaye traded singing, dancing, and his trademark silliness for thrills and chills. The star of White Christmas and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty plays very effectively against type as a man plotting a murder and another framed for a killing. We'll hear "The Too-Perfect Alibi" (originally aired on CBS on January 13, 1949) and "I Never Met the Dead Man" (originally aired on CBS on January 5, 1950).

Academy Award-winning actress Anne Baxter was a mainstay on stage and the big and small screens over her long career- from her first films at age 17 to her Oscar win for The Razor's Edge and her nomination for the title role in All About Eve. We'll hear two of her appearances on Suspense: a story of jealousy and murder on Madison Avenue in "Always Room at the Top" (originally aired on CBS on February 20, 1947; and in the dramatization of a legendary folk song in "The Death of Barbara Allen" (originally aired on CBS on October 20, 1952).

Vincent Price returns to "Stars On Suspense" for two more installments from "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." The big screen master of horror lends his voice to these chilling mysteries that deliver surprising twists before the final curtain. We'll hear him in "Fugue in C Minor" (originally aired on CBS on June 1, 1944) and "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole" (originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1948).

Though his performances could be overshadowed by his turbulent personal life, Mickey Rooney was one of Hollywood's most celebrated and enduring performers with a career that spanned nine decades. He had matured past boyish roles when he made his first appearances on Suspense in 1949, but he turned in memorable performances as darker, more complex characters. We'll hear him in "The Lie" (originally aired on CBS on April 28, 1949) and "For Love or Murder" (originally aired on December 8, 1949).

"Stars On Suspense" celebrates Valentine's Day with two radio thrillers starring real-life spouses. First, we'll hear Jim and Marian Jordan – better known to radio fans as "Fibber McGee and Molly." The two are miles away from 79 Wistful Vista in "Backseat Driver" (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1949). Then, Phil Harris and Alice Faye trade music and comedy for a tense tale of a small town lynch mob in "Death On My Hands" (originally aired on CBS on May 10, 1951).

On the big screen, Charles Laughton earned acclaim and awards for playing larger than life characters – figures like the tyrannical Captain Bligh, King Henry VIII, and the cagey legal eagle Sir Wilfrid Robarts. He brought that stature to ten appearances on Suspense. We'll hear Laughton in the dry, dark comedy "Wet Saturday" (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1943) and "The Man Who Knew How" (originally aired on CBS on August 10, 1944).

The "first lady of Suspense" returns as Agnes Moorehead stars in two more well-calculated tales. First, we'll hear her in a production of the most famous play Suspense produced – and one of radio's all-time best dramas – "Sorry, Wrong Number." This version of the classic chiller first aired on CBS on February 24, 1944. Then, Agnes Moorehead plays a woman fighting a mysterious intruder in her house in "The Trap" (originally aired on CBS on June 16, 1949).

Before he was an Academy Award nominated actor, Richard Widmark was a busy radio performer. Even after his big screen career took off, he remained active in radio and he made over a dozen appearances on Suspense. With his intense performances, he was equally effective as tormented heroes and demented villains. We'll hear him in "Too Hot to Live" (originally aired on CBS on October 26, 1950) and in "A Murderous Revision" (originally aired on CBS on December 3, 1951).

In her appearances on Suspense, Rosalind Russell traded the fast-paced banter of His Girl Friday for tense psychological drama. The five-time Golden Globe winner was a talented comedienne, but she was no slouch in the drama department as these radio plays demonstrate. We'll hear her in "The Sisters" (originally aired on CBS on December 9, 1948) and as a wife who suspects her husband is plotting her murder in "Consideration" (originally aired on CBS on February 2, 1950).

Best known as the titular gunfighter in Shane, Alan Ladd broke into stardom with his turn as a cold-blooded killer in the film noir classic This Gun for Hire. He made four appearances on Suspense, usually as tough, terse, hard-boiled characters. We'll hear Ladd as an ex-con framed for murder in "The Defense Rests" (originally aired on CBS on March 9, 1944) and as a man out to avenge his brother's murder in the western drama "A Killing in Abilene" (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1950).

Peter Lorre returns in two more "tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense." First, Lorre plays a down-on-his-luck boxing manager who concocts a murder scheme in "Of Maestro and Man" (originally aired on CBS on July 20, 1944). Then, just in time for the holidays, he stars as a henpecked husband with a deadly present for his wife in "Back for Christmas" (originally aired on CBS on December 23, 1943).

Burt Lancaster – the circus acrobat turned Oscar-winning actor – played a variety of complex characters in a screen career that spanned five decades. After early work in action and adventure films, he expanded into meatier roles and worked with some of Hollywood's best directors. Lancaster made two appearances on Suspense, and we'll hear them both: "The Big Shot" (originally aired on CBS on September 9, 1948) and "The Long Wait" (originally aired on CBS on November 24, 1949).

Oscar-winner Joan Crawford was one of Hollywood's all-time greatest stars, from her early days in the silent era to her award-winning turn in Mildred Pierce, all the way up to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? in the 1960s. She made two visits to the Suspense microphone where she starred in a pair of tense psychological thrillers. We'll hear both, beginning with "The Ten Years" (originally aired on CBS on June 2, 1949) followed by "Three Lethal Words" (originally aired on CBS on March 22, 1951).

Tall, lanky, and with that unmistakable drawl, Jimmy Stewart made memorable impressions in classic films from It's a Wonderful Life to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to Vertigo. Stewart was a polished radio performer, whether he was starring in his own western drama The Six Shooter or making visits to appear on Suspense. Though some of his best known screen roles are as upstanding, honest heroes, Suspense gave Jimmy Stewart the opportunity to play desperate men in dangerous situations. We'll hear him in "Consequence" (originally aired on CBS on February 21, 1946) and "Mission Completed" (originally aired on CBS on December 1, 1949).

The man himself – Orson Welles – is back at the microphone in two "tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense." First, he's the dastardly General Zaroff, the master hunter who has his eye set on "The Most Dangerous Game" (originally aired on CBS on September 23, 1943). Then we'll hear Welles as an actor (imagine that!) in a tale of the stage, extortion, and revenge from beyond the grave in "The Dark Tower" (originally aired on CBS on May 4, 1944).

One of Hollywood's top stars of the 1940s, Joseph Cotten was practically a member of the family on Suspense, making 18 appearances between 1944 and 1959. The star of Shadow of a Doubt and The Third Man excelled at playing both noble heroes and charming villains, and he got to do both frequently on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." We'll hear him in "Crime Without Passion" (originally aired on CBS on May 2, 1946) and "Fly By Night" (originally aired on CBS on September 28, 1950).

Before he was Atticus Finch, Oscar-winner Gregory Peck made five trips to Suspense. On "radio's outstanding theater of thrills," Peck was frequently cast as an everyman in over his head in dangerous situations, trying to keep his cool as events unraveled around him. We'll hear him as a husband dangerously smitten with a new housekeeper in "The Lonely Road" (originally aired on CBS on March 21, 1946) and as a man who may have murderous multiple personalities in "Murder Through the Looking Glass" (originally aired on CBS on March 14, 1949).

Before I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball delighted audiences on radio in comedies and dramas, including six appearances on Suspense. The red-headed comedienne took a break from her radio sitcom My Favorite Husband to visit "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." We'll hear her in "Dime a Dance" (originally aired on CBS on January 13, 1944) and "A Little Piece of Rope" (originally aired on CBS on October 14, 1948).

Cary Grant once said "If I ever do any more radio work, I want to do it on Suspense." The legendary leading man made five appearances on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills," and he always gave a wonderful performance. We'll hear him first as an amnesia victim in "The Black Curtain" (originally aired on CBS on November 30, 1944). Then, leave the lights on for Grant in "On a Country Road" (originally aired on CBS on November 16, 1950) - one of the scariest old time radio shows of all time.

Radio's stingiest would-be violin virtuoso Jack Benny traded puns for peril when he visited Suspense. Benny was the star of one of radio's most popular comedies, but he proved himself quite adept in the dramatic world when he guested on radio's outstanding theater of thrills. We'll hear him in "Murder in G-Flat" (originally aired on CBS on April 5, 1951) and "A Good and Faithful Servant' (originally aired on CBS on June 2, 1952).

Before he was a big screen horror icon, Vincent Price was a busy actor in Hollywood – both on screen and on the air. In his 13 appearances on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills," Price played both heroes and crazed villains, and he starred in one of the scariest radio plays of all time. We'll hear him in "The Strange Death of Charles Umberstein" (originally aired on CBS on November 23, 1943) and in "Hunting Trip" (originally aired on September 12, 1946).

Hailed as "the first lady of Suspense," Agnes Moorehead appeared on radio's outstanding theater of thrills more than any other star. She is most famous for her performance in "Sorry, Wrong Number," but this Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress turned in dozens of memorable turns over the years on Suspense. We'll hear Agnes Moorehead in "The Diary of Saphronia Winters" (originally aired on CBS on August 17, 1944) and "The Death Parade" (originally aired on February 12, 1951).

An actor who could play both mysterious heroes and dastardly villains, Peter Lorre was able to employ the full range of his talents when he appeared on Suspense. We'll hear the star of The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca as a jealous husband with murder on his mind in "Till Death Do Us Part" (originally aired on CBS on December 15, 1942) and as a medium who may not be what he appears in "The Moment of Darkness" (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1943).

We launch our show with the one and only Orson Welles. The legendary actor, writer, and director made nine appearances on Suspense, beginning with "The Hitch-Hiker." We'll hear that tale of terror on the highway (originally aired on CBS on September 2, 1942). Then, we'll hear Mr. Welles as both a master magician and his young rival in "The Marvelous Barastro" (originally aired on CBS on April 13, 1944).