Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

I Never Met the Dead Man

Originally Aired: January 5, 1950 Suspense #366, "I Never Met the Dead Man," stars Danny Kaye as Joe Wickoff, an ordinary truck driver whose life turns into a nightmare on New Year's Day. While walking home from work along an empty side street, Joe suddenly finds himself in the middle of a murder scene when bullets fly and a man is shot dead in a nearby car. Officer Callan immediately suspects Joe, who becomes the only witness to what appears to be a professional hit. At police headquarters, Joe faces hours of intense questioning, and though he's eventually released, his troubles are just beginning. Joe harbors a dangerous secret that he's kept even from his wife Bella: he served time in prison years ago for robbery. When he lied to police about having a criminal record, he thought he could escape suspicion, but Detective Callan senses Joe is hiding something and won't let go. The situation escalates dramatically when the victim is identified as Willoughby Roberts, a newspaper reporter investigating illegal gambling operations. With a $10,000 reward posted and every cop in town hunting for the killer, Joe's past threatens to surface. As Callan continues to circle closer and pressure mounts from all sides, Joe must navigate an increasingly desperate situation where his concealed criminal history could make him the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit.

The Bullet

Originally Aired: December 29, 1949 In Suspense #365, "The Bullet," Ruth Martin finds herself trapped in a psychological nightmare with her husband Harry. When Harry returns from a three-year prison sentence for a business mistake, he discovers that Ruth has transformed herself and their dress manufacturing business into something far more successful than he left behind. Unable to accept that his wife has become the real force behind their company, Harry's wounded pride turns into something darker and more dangerous. He begins following Ruth, tapping her phone, and discovering her relationship with George, a man who gave her companionship during Harry's absence. The situation spirals into terror as Harry devises a twisted game of Russian roulette, holding Ruth at gunpoint and forcing her to face the clicking of the trigger again and again. As Ruth relives the steps that brought them to this horrifying moment, she realizes neither of them wanted this outcome, but Harry's inability to accept her independence and success has pushed them both to the breaking point. Now, with a gun pointed at her, Ruth must survive Harry's deadly game while he determines the terms of their future.

Double Entry

Originally Aired: December 22, 1949 Suspense #364, "Double Entry," stars Eddie Cantor as Eddie, a bookkeeper who discovers his longtime friend and colleague Sam Crockett is in serious trouble. Sam, the company's head bookkeeper, confesses he's been embezzling money for nine years—a staggering hundred thousand dollars—not for personal gain, but to be an "unknown benefactor." He's sent kids to summer camp, supported aging cat charities, and contributed to various worthy causes. Now the auditors are closing in, and Sam knows his charitable crime spree is about to be exposed. With his ulcers raging and jail looming, Sam faces ruin just as Christmas arrives. As Sam is summoned to meet with their boss Mr. Bartholomew and the auditors, Eddie grapples with how to help his desperate friend. The situation seems hopeless until a case of mistaken identity brings an unexpected visitor to Eddie's desk—a bookie's runner looking for a different Eddie in the building. This chance encounter may offer Eddie a dangerous opportunity to help Sam, but it means risking everything and crossing lines he's never crossed before.

The Flame Blue Glove

Originally Aired: December 15, 1949 Suspense #363, "The Flame Blue Glove," stars Lana Turner as Shadow, a former detective who left the business when she married Jimmy Conway. Her former boss Dutch refuses to let an old case rest, convinced that Jimmy murdered his wealthy first wife Eloise, whose death was ruled a suicide after she consumed dissolved sleeping tablets on New Year's Eve. Dutch believes one of Jimmy's three lady friends, Kathy Dane, Millicent Taylor, or Judy Fleetwood, may have been involved, and he has evidence: a distinctive flame blue glove found at the scene. Shadow had once tailed Jimmy for Eloise and knows about his romantic entanglements, but she refused to testify at the inquest. Now Dutch pressures Shadow to help him investigate, using her knowledge of the case and her desire to prove Jimmy's innocence as leverage. Despite her misgivings and Jimmy's assurances that he never loved anyone before her, Shadow agrees to work with Dutch for one week. As she begins to reexamine the evidence and the women in Jimmy's past, she must confront the terrifying possibility that her husband might be guilty after all.

For Love or Murder

Originally Aired: December 8, 1949 In Suspense #362, "For Love or Murder," pianist Tommy Lee commits the unthinkable at the urging of his lover Anne. Following a meticulously rehearsed plan, Tommy climbs the back stairs of an apartment building with a gun in hand, ready to kill Anne's husband. The drums beat in his head as he confronts the helpless victim, a fat little man who looks at him like a scared fish. After pulling the trigger, Tommy must complete the rest of the plan: strike Anne to make it look like a robbery gone wrong, steal jewelry and the victim's wallet, and escape undetected. But in his rattled state, Tommy makes a crucial mistake—he forgets to dispose of the evidence. Racing back to the club where he works, Tommy tries to maintain his composure as just another pianist soothing sophisticated New Yorkers. When he finally attempts to dump the wallet and jewelry into a sewer, he has a close encounter with Dan, a friendly police officer who notices Tommy's jumpy behavior. As sirens wail in the distance from Fifty-Fifth Street and Tommy returns to his piano, the carefully planned murder begins to unravel around him.