Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

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).

We wrap up our Hitchcock series with a bonus episode featuring stories from Suspense that were later adapted as episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents on television. Charles Laughton is a patriarch with a problem in "Wet Saturday" (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1943), and Charles Ruggles' indigestion may have a sinister origin in "Suspicion" (originally aired on CBS on February 10, 1944). A talented cast of radio players brings Ray Bradbury's chilling tale "Riabouchinska" to radio life (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1947). Claude Rains and Vincent Price hunt for a murderer stalking the streets in "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole" (originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1948), and Herbert Marshall takes a cross-country trip in "The Long Shot" (originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1958). Finally, Stan Freberg finds that committing murder is easy, but covering it up is hard in "Alibi Me" (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1958).

Shadow of a Doubt was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite of the many classic films he directed, with its small town setting disrupted by the arrival of a dastardly murderer on the run from police. Joseph Cotten played the charming killer, and Teresa Wright was his niece and namesake who discovers his horrible secret. We'll hear Mr. Cotten recreate his role on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on September 11, 1946) and in a Suspense adaptation of "The Most Dangerous Game" (originally aired on CBS on February 1, 1945). We'll also hear his co-stars Hume Cronyn and Macdonald Carey in Suspense shows: "The One Who Got Away" (originally aired on CBS on November 14, 1946) and "The Missing Person" (originally aired on CBS on May 12, 1952).

Before he thrilled television audiences with Alfred Hitchcock Presents, there were attempts to bring the master of suspense to radio in his own anthology series. We'll hear the three audition shows as we continue our salute to the great director. First, it's an adaptation of "The Lodger" - the audition show for what became Suspense - featuring Herbert Marshall and Edmund Gwenn (originally aired on CBS on July 22, 1940). Then, it's a pair of adaptations of "Malice Aforethought" - first for Once Upon a Midnight with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, and for The Alfred Hitchcock Show featuring Joseph Kearns.

Alfred Hitchcock put nine people in a Lifeboat in his thrilling wartime drama, and the cramped and crowded conditions are the perfect setting for some suspense. We'll hear four of the film's stars - Henry Hull, Hume Cronyn, William Bendix, and John Hodiak - in radio thrillers: "The Pit and the Pendulum" (originally aired on CBS on November 12, 1943); "Too Many Smiths" (originally aired on CBS on June 13, 1946); "The Gift of Jumbo Brannigan" (originally aired on CBS on March 1, 1951); and "The Mountain" (originally aired on CBS on March 16, 1953). Then, Tallulah Bankhead recreates her lead role in an adaptation of the film from the Screen Directors' Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on November 16, 1950).

We kick off a series saluting Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, and some of his classic films recreated for radio. First up is his wartime espionage drama Foreign Correspondent. We'll hear two of the film's stars in Suspesnse stories: Herbert Marshall in "The Beast Must Die" (originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1944) and Edmund Gwenn in "Murder in Black and White" (originally aired on CBS on April 14, 1949). Joseph Cotten steps in for the film's star Joel McCrea as the movie is adapted on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 24, 1946), and we'll hear Mr. McCrea, not on Suspense but in his own radio series Tales of the Texas Rangers. He stars in "Hanging By a Thread" (originally aired on NBC on November 26, 1950).

Broken Arrow was unique in the world of Hollywood westerns as one of the first films to offer a sympathetic, nuanced portrayal of Native Americans. Jeff Chandler earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Cochise alongside Jimmy Stewart, and we'll hear both of them in episodes of Suspense: Mr. Stewart in "Consequence" (originally aired on CBS on February 21, 1946) and Mr. Chandler in "The Case Against Loo Doc" (originally aired on CBS on January 7, 1952). Then, Chandler co-stars with Burt Lancaster in a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the film (originally aired on CBS on January 22, 1951).

Get ready for your close-up with the stars of Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder's classic noir set on the darker side of Hollywood. We'll hear Gloria Swanson and William Holden in Suspense thrillers: Ms. Swanson in "Murder by the Book" (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1947) and Mr. Holden in "Blood on the Trumpet" (originally aired on CBS on November 9, 1950). Then the pair reprise their screen roles on the Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on September 17, 1951). And as a bonus, Jack Benny and his gang put their own spin on the story (originally aired on CBS on March 25, 1951).

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz not only had a massive hit with I Love Lucy, but they also changed TV forever. The then-husband and wife team had millions of Americans in stitches for their original run and continue to entertain old and new fans today. We'll hear the couple in thrillers: first, Ms. Ball stars in "Dime a Dance," a thriller from the pen of Cornell Woolrich (originally aired on CBS on January 13,1944), and then she's joined by her husband in "The Red-Headed Woman" (originally aired on CBS on November 17, 1949). Then, Lucy and Desi are Lucy and Ricky in the audition for what would have been a radio version of I Love Lucy.

Set sail with the stars of The Sea Wolf, the adaptation of Jack London's adventure novel that stars Edward G. Robinson as a tyrannical captain. His co-stars in the movie include Ida Lupino and John Garfield, and we'll hear all three of them in radio thrillers from Suspense: Mr. Garfield in "Reprieve" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 10, 1945); Ms. Lupino in "Summer Night" (originally aired on CBS on July 15, 1948); and Mr. Robinson in "You Can't Die Twice" (originally aired on CBS on March 31, 1949). Plus, Robinson recreates his film role on Screen Directors' Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1950).

With the Fourth of July - and America's 250th birthday - only a few days away, our movie of the week is Yankee Doodle Dandy - the Oscar-winning musical biopic of George M. Cohan. James Cagney took home an Academy Award for his performance as the composer who gave us songs like "Over There" and "You're a Grand Old Flag." We'll hear both of Mr. Cagney's Suspense appearances - "Love's Lovely Counterfeit" (originally aired on CBS on January 17, 1948) and "No Escape" (originally aired on CBS on December 16, 1948). And he recreates his film role as The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre presents Yankee Doodle Dandy (originally aired on CBS on October 19, 1942).

Hit the trail with the stars of Stagecoach - John Ford's western classic that announced John Wayne as one of Hollywood's legendary leading men. The film follows a gang of passengers on a dangerous trip through Apache country, and we'll hear two of those riders - Claire Trevor and Thomas Mitchell - whose performance won him an Academy Award. Mitchell stars in "John Barbie and Son" (originally aired on CBS on February 22, 1945) and Ms. Trevor stars in "The Blue Hour" (originally aired on CBS on September 25, 1947) and "The Light Switch" (originally aired on CBS on May 12, 1949). Plus, Claire Trevor and the Duke himself reunite in a production of the film from Screen Directors' Assignment (originally aired on NBC on January 9, 1949).

Hop in your Model T and fly courtesy of "flubber" with the stars of The Absent-Minded Professor and its sequel Son of Flubber. The Disney classics concern the titular man of science whose new invention is a very hot commodity, but the discovery may cost him the love of his long-suffering fiancee. We'll hear five of the stars of the film and its sequel in stories from Suspense: Charles Ruggles in "The Burning Court" (originally aired on CBS on June 17, 1942); Keenan Wynn in "I Had an Alibi" (originally aired on CBS on January 4, 1945); Elliot Reid in "Return Trip" (originally aired on CBS on June 27, 1946); Leon Ames in "An Evening's Diversion" (originally aired on CBS on July 4, 1946); and Fred MacMurray in "The Great Train Robbery" (originally aired on CBS on April 13, 1953).

It's off to Sherwood Forest with two of the stars of The Adventures of Robin Hood, the 1938 lavish Technicolor production that pits Errol Flynn's Robin against Basil Rathbone's vile Sir Guy. It's one of the best (maybe the best) film adaptation of the classic legend, and it still thrills audiences today. We'll hear Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian) in "Voyage Through Darkness" (originally aired on CBS on September 7, 1944) and Alan Hale, Sr. (Little John) in "The Leading Citizen of Pratt County" (originally aired on CBS on May 30, 1946). Plus, Edmond O'Brien stars in a radio retelling of Robin Hood from Family Theatre (originally aired on Mutual on July 27, 1949).

Check out this TCM special on the making of The Adventures of Robin Hood!

Join us for a journey 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with the stars of Walt Disney's special effects-laden big screen adaptation of Jules Verne's science fiction adventure. We'll hear the film's four stars - James Mason, Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre - in old time radio thrillers: Mr. Lorre in "The Moment of Darkness" (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1943); Mr. Lukas in "A World of Darkness" (originally aired on CBS on January 20, 1944); Mr. Douglas in "The Butcher's Wife" (originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1950); and Mr. Mason in "Banquo's Chair" (originally aired on CBS on March 9, 1950). Plus, the original story is recreated for radio with Gene Lockhart on Family Theatre (originally aired on Mutual on April 22, 1953).

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Worldis the rare epic-length comedy - over three hours long with a cast that includes Spencer Tracy, the Three Stooges, and nearly everyone in between. The movie follows a crazy cast on the hunt for hidden loot, and we'll hear six of the film's stars in radio thrillers: Phil Silvers in "The Swift Rise of Eddie Albright" (originally aired on CBS on April 3, 1947); Mickey Rooney in "The Lie" (originally aired on CBS on April 28, 1949); Milton Berle in "Rave Notice" (originally aired on CBS on October 12, 1950); Jack Benny in "Plan X" (originally aired on CBS on February 2, 1953); Ethel Merman in "Never Follow a Banjo Act" (originally aired on CBS on February 1, 1954); and Jim Backus in "See How He Runs" (AFRS rebroadcast from April 19, 1959).

Hailed by many as the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane was the debut feature from Orson Welles and featured many of his colleagues from the Mercury Theatre productions of Broadway and radio. We'll hear Mr. Welles and his co-stars in radio thrillers: Ray Collins in "Marry for Murder" (originally aired on CBS on September 9, 1943); Welles in "Lazarus Walks" (AFRS rebroadcast from October 19, 1943); Joseph Cotten in "You'll Never See Me Again" (originally aired on CBS on September 14, 1944); George Coulouris in "The Long Shot" (AFRS rebroadcast from January 31, 1946); Agnes Moorehead in "The Evil of Adelaide Winters" (originally aired on CBS on September 10, 1951); and Everett Sloane in "Alibi" (AFRS rebroadcast from July 7, 1957).

Some of radio's funniest performers trade skits for Suspense in radio thrillers starring the cast of The Jack Benny Program. This collection of regular players and recurring guest stars kept audiences in stitches on Sunday nights but had listeners on the edge of their seats when "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" came on the air. We'll hear Joseph Kearns in "Short Order" (originally aired on CBS on August 16, 1945); Ronald Colman in "A Vision of Death" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1951); Phil Harris with Alice Faye in "Death on My Hands" (originally aired on CBS on May 10, 1951); Jack Benny in "A Good and Faithful Servant" (originally aired on CBS on June 2, 1952); and Dennis Day in "Like, Man, Somebody Dig Me" (originally aired on CBS on August 16, 1959.) Plus Jack Benny and his gang present their own version of Suspense (originally aired on CBS on January 6, 1952).

We're going back to school with the stars of the classic radio sitcom Our Miss Brooks starring in Suspense thrillers. First, Eve Arden - the titular English teacher of Madison High - stars in "The Well-Dressed Corpse" (originally aired on CBS on January 18, 1951). Then, Jeff Chandler - bashful biology teacher Mr. Boynton - stars in "The Steel River Prison Break" (originally aired on CBS on September 3, 1951). Finally, Richard Crenna - squeaky-voiced teen Walter Denton - stars in "Night on Red Mountain" (originally aired on CBS on January 11, 1959). Plus, we'll hear the cast in an episode of Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on CBS on May 28, 1950).

We wrap up this month of my favorite movies with Seven Days in May - John Frankenheimer's tense Cold War drama about a planned coup d'etat in the United States. With a script from Rod Serling and an amazing cast, it's a thriller that holds up over sixty years later. We'll hear three of its stars: Kirk Douglas, who plays the Army officer who discovers the plot; Edmond O'Brien as the rascally senator enlisted to help save the day; and Fredric March as the president facing removal - a man committed to doing the right thing even if it's unpopular. Douglas stars in "The Story of Markham's Death" (originally aired on CBS on October 2, 1947); O'Brien stars in "Muddy Track" (originally aired on CBS on November 11, 1948); and March stars in "The Night Reveals" (originally aired on CBS on May 26. 1949). Plus - a bonus Suspense story of Cold War espionage: "The Case for Dr. Singer" (originally aired on CBS on June 28, 1951).

My month of personal favorites continues with two for the price of one - my favorite Suspense episodes adapted from the stories of Ray Bradbury, one of my favorite writers. He's best known for his science fiction stories, but the tales here are (mostly) down to earth tales of thrills and chills. Dana Andrews is a cop hunting a killer in "The Crowd" (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1950); a children's game may hide a sinister secret in "Zero Hour" (originally aired on CBS on April 5, 1955); Jeanette Nolan takes the long way home in "The Whole Town's Sleeping" (originally aired on CBS on June 14, 1955); and a crew of astronauts makes their final voyage in "Kaleidoscope" (originally aired on CBS on July 12, 1955).

This week, I'm sharing another of my favorite movies - Carol Reed's classic noir drama set on the streets of postwar Vienna The Third Man. Orson Welles makes one of his most memorable screen appearances as the charming rogue Harry Lime, and Joseph Cotten is Holly Martins, Lime's friend who struggles to face the truth about his pal's criminal nature. We'll hear the two stars in Suspense shows - Welles in "The Dark Tower" (originally aired on CBS on May 4, 1944) and Cotten in "Fly By Night" (originally aired on CBS on September 28, 1950). Then, Cotten recreates his film role in a Lux Radio Theatre presentation (originally aired on CBS on April 9, 1951), and finally Welles stars again as Lime in an episode of the radio series The Lives of Harry Lime - "Clay Pigeon."

My month of favorite movies continues this week with Superman - the 1978 film that brought the Man of Steel to the big screen and still holds up as one of the best entries in its genre. We'll hear two of its stars: Glenn Ford, who played Jonathan Kent, the adopted father of the future Superman, and Jackie Cooper, who ran the Daily Planet newsroom as editor Perry White. Ford stars in "The End of the Road" (originally aired on CBS on February 6, 1947) and Cooper stars in "The Clock and the Rope" (originally aired on CBS on December 5, 1947). Then, we'll hear the inaugural episodes of Superman's radio series - a six-part story that brings him from Krypton to Metropolis and to his first showdown with a supervillain (originally aired between February 12 and February 23, 1940).

For April, I'm featuring some of my favorite movies with their stars appearing in tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense. First up is Witness for the Prosecution, Billy Wilder's engrossing courtroom drama adapted from the story by Agatha Christie. We'll hear the stars of the film - Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Marlene Dietrich, and Tyrone Power - in radio thrillers as well as a recreation of the Christie story. Real-life husband and wife Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester star in "The ABC Murders" - another Christie story (originally aired on CBS on May 18, 1943). Ms. Dietrich stars in "Murder Strikes Three Times" (originally aired on CBS on February 16, 1950), and Mr. Power headlines "The Guilty Always Run" (originally aired on CBS on March 22, 1954). Then we'll hear "Witness for the Prosection" presented on The Mollé Mystery Theatre (AFRS rebroadcast from May 31, 1946).

Our month-long series of Best Picture winning movies and their stars concludes with All the King's Men - the story of a populist politician who rides into office in an anti-corruption campaign and leaves mired in scandal. We'll hear its two Oscar-winning stars in episodes of Suspense: Broderick Crawford in "Dutch Schultz" (originally aired on CBS on October 26, 1953) and Mercedes McCambridge in "America's Boyfriend" (AFRS rebroadcast from July 21, 1957). Then, The NBC University Theatre presents a radio adaptation of the Robert Penn Warren novel that inspired the film (originally aired on NBC on January 16, 1949).

Our parade of Best Picture winners continues with Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend - a harrowing portrayal of alcoholism that also netted a Best Actor Oscar for its star, Ray Milland. We'll hear Mr. Milland, along with his co-stars Jane Wyman and Howard Da Silva, in episodes of Suspense, plus a radio recreation of the film. Mr. Da Silva stars in "You Take Ballistics" (originally aired on CBS on March 13, 1947), Ms. Wyman stars in "Catch Me if You Can" (originally aired on CBS on February 17, 1949), and Mr. Milland stars in "Chicken Feed" (originally aired on CBS on September 8, 1949). Then Milland and Wyman reunite in The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 7, 1946), and Ray Milland joins Jack Benny in a spoof of the film (originally aired on NBC on March 10, 1946).

Our month of Best Picture Oscar winners continues with All About Eve - where Anne Baxter's ambitious Eve inserts herself into the life of Bette Davis' legendary Broadway star with a plan to steal the actress's crown. We'll hear Ms. Baxter and Ms. Davis - both Oscar nominees for their performances - in stories from Suspense and a Lux Radio Theatre recreation of the film. Anne Baxter fights to get ahead in the cutthroat world of advertising in "Always Room at the Top" (originally aired on CBS on February 20, 1947), and Bette Davis is menaced by a madman in "Goodnight, Mrs. Russell" (originally aired on CBS on October 20, 1949). Then the stars reunite on the Lux broadcast of "All About Eve" (originally aired on CBS on October 10, 1951).

With the Academy Awards ceremony only a few weeks away, we're kicking off a new month-long series of Best Picture Oscar winners with Gentleman's Agreement - Elia Kazan's searing indictment of antisemitism. We'll hear three of the film's stars - Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and John Garfield - in episodes of Suspense. Garfield stars in "Death Sentence" (originally aired on CBS on November 4, 1948); Peck in "Murder Through the Looking Glass" (originally aired on CBS on March 17, 1949); and McGuire headlines "Last Confession" (originally aired on CBS on September 15, 1949). Plus, Peck recreates his role in a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation (originally aired on CBS on September 20, 1948).

Our month of classic Hollywood romance wraps up with the picture that gave us one of the most iconic scenes in film history - From Here to Eternity, the wartime romantic drama featuring the love scene on the beach between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr with the waves crashing over them. We'll hear Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Kerr along with Frank Sinatra - who took home an Oscar for his performance - in three tales of Suspense. First it's Ol' Blue Eyes menacing Agnes Moorehead in "To Find Help" (AFRS rebroadcast from January 18, 1945). Next, Burt Lancaster is out to make a killing in the mining business in "The Big Shot" (originally aired on CBS on September 9, 1948). Finally, Deborah Kerr is a beautiful jewel thief out for revenge on the partner who double crossed her in "The Lady Pamela" (originally aired on CBS on March 31, 1952).

In this Friday bonus episode, we'll hear the Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the sequel to The Thin Man - the appropriately titled After the Thin Man. William Powell and Myrna Loy are back as Nick and Nora Charles in this second adventure (originally aired on CBS on June 17, 1940).

Our month of classic Hollywood romances continues with frequent co-stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles - husband and wife detectives who trade quips and down drinks as they investigate a murder in The Thin Man. We'll hear them, along with co-star Maureen O'Sullivan, in Suspense thrillers and a Lux Radio Theatre recreation of the Dashiell Hammett detective story. We'll hear Ms. O'Sullivan in "The Black Shawl" (originally aired on CBS on July 27, 1944). Ms. Loy stars in "Library Book" (originally aired on CBS on September 20, 1945). Mr. Powell headlines "Give Me Liberty" (originally aired on CBS on October 21, 1948). Finally, Powell and Loy are Nick and Nora in a radio adaptation of The Thin Man (originally aired on CBS on June 8, 1936).

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).

We're celebrating the birthday of Alfred Hitchcock with one of the big screen master of suspense's films adapted for radio. In this Screen Directors' Playhouse production, Mercedes McCambridge and Joseph Cotten star in "Spellbound," Hitchcock's thriller about psychoanalysis and murder (originally aired on NBC on January 25, 1951).

Peter Lawford broke out in Hollywood in British war stories at the outset of World War II, and the English-born actor appeared in The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Canterville Ghost, and The White Cliffs of Dover. But he may be better known for his years in Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack, and his relationship with his presidential brother-in-law John F. Kennedy. We'll hear Lawford in a two-part adaptation of Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" (originally aired on CBS on November 16 and November 23, 1953).

Dan Duryea was a big screen heavy - equally at home in urban noir dramas and westerns. His looks, combined with his knack for movie villainy, earned him the nickname "the heel with sex appeal." He put that talent for playing crooks and fiends to work when he visited Suspense. We'll hear Duryea plot a murder in "The Will to Power" (originally aired on CBS on January 9, 1947). Then, he's riding a wave of good luck to ill-gotten gains in "The Man Who Couldn't Lose" (originally aired on CBS on December 12, 1947).

Lloyd Nolan stars on opposite sides of the law in a pair of Suspense thrillers. First, he's a man driven to murder in "Double Ugly" (originally aired on CBS on August 28, 1947). Then, he plays a dogged detective chasing down leads on a cold case in "The Man With Two Faces" (originally aired on CBS on December 15, 1952).

Merle Oberon broke out on the big screen in England, and Hollywood producers were quick to bring her across the pond for their own films. She rose to stardom and picked up an Academy Award even as she kept her past a closely guarded secret and recovered from tragedy. We'll hear her in the only visit she made to Suspense - "The Bluebeard of Bellac," a murder mystery in Nazi-occupied France (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1944). Then, she recreates the title role in Lydia from The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on September 22, 1941).

John Hodiak broke out in Hollywood when Alfred Hitchcock cast him in Lifeboat, but his subsequent screen career had ups and downs. A sensational turn on Broadway showed signs of a career resurgence, but he died tragically young before he could capitalize on his newfound acclaim. We'll hear the dynamic leading man in "Dateline Lisbon" (originally aired on CBS on October 5, 1944) and "The Case History of a Gambler" (originally aired on CBS on December 17, 1951).

Van Heflin returns to the podcast in two more old time radio thrillers, including a tale pulled from the history books. We'll hear the star of 3:10 to Yuma as a con man plotting a perfect crime in "Murder of Aunt Delia" (originally aired on CBS on November 10, 1949). Then, Suspense dramatizes an unsolved mystery of the sea when it presents "The Mystery of the Marie Celeste" (originally aired on CBS on June 8, 1953).

One of Hollywood's most popular and beloved child stars, Margaret O'Brien turned in performances on Suspense that outshone some of the adult performers of the era. We'll hear the star of Meet Me in St. Louis in a wartime drama with May Whitty in "Cricket" (originally aired on CBS on March 15, 1945). Then, she stars in Ray Bradbury's "The Screaming Woman" (originally aired on CBS on November 25, 1948).

Eddie Cantor was one of the most beloved showmen of the 20th century; he kept audiences entertained on stage, screen, and for nearly two decades on radio. The singer and comedian made one trip to Suspense for a lighthearted crime caper in "Double Entry" (originally aired on CBS on December 22, 1949). Then, we'll hear him welcome guest William Powell in an episode of The Eddie Cantor Show (originally aired on NBC on October 1, 1948).

In his final appearances on Suspense, James Mason starred in a tale of intrigue from the court of Elizabeth I and a mystery from genre master John Dickson Carr. Mason co-stars with his then-wife Pamela in "The Queen's Ring" (originally aired on CBS on December 28, 1953) and "The Dealings of Mr. Markham" (originally aired on CBS on November 2, 1958).

Actress, singer, and activist Lena Horne kept audiences entertained over her long screen and stage career, and she fought tirelessly for civil rights alongside some of the giants of the movement. We'll hear her as a singer battling Nazis in "You Were Wonderful" (originally aired on CBS on November 9, 1944). Then, we'll hear a compilation of her songs from Command Performance and an appearance on The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel (originally aired on CBS on March 30, 1945).

For his final appearance on the podcast, Ray Milland stars in a Suspense story from Raymond Chandler. Milland plays a private eye in the comedic caper "Pearls are a Nuisance" (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1950). Then, he recreates his big screen role in The Big Clock on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on November 22, 1948).

Nearly 80 years after it first aired, Lucille Fletcher's "Sorry, Wrong Number" remains a powerful masterpiece of suspense. It's one of the all-time great radio dramas and one of the very best episodes ever produced on "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." We'll hear the first and final performances of this legendary radio play, both starring "First Lady of Suspense" Agnes Moorehead (originally aired on CBS on May 25, 1943 and February 14, 1960).

Susan Peters was one of Hollywood's brightest rising dramatic stars before a tragic hunting accident paralyzed her. But she didn't stop acting, and she turned in a terrific performance in her one and only visit to Suspense. We'll hear her in "They Call Me Patrice" (originally aired on CBS on December 12, 1946). Then, she stars in "Johnny Eager," recreated for The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 21, 1946).

Oops! This week's episode contained the wrong version of "A Vision of Death," so here is the June 1, 1953 episode starring Ronald Colman, Mary Jane Croft, and Hy Averback. It's the correct tale well calculated to keep you in...Suspense!

In 1953, Ronald Colman took his final bows on Suspense with a pair of terrific thrillers. We'll hear him in an encore performance of "A Vision of Death" (originally aired on CBS on June 1, 1953). Then, he's an amateur detective on the trail of a killer in "Trent's Last Case" (originally aired on CBS on December 7, 1953). Plus, we'll hear Colman and his wife Benita Hume in the premiere episode of their radio sitcom The Halls of Ivy (originally aired on NBC on January 6, 1950).

Dancing her way from the stage and on to the big screen, Margo won acclaim for her screen performances in the 1930s and 40s. The blacklist ultimately derailed her career, but before she left Hollywood she made several memorable visits to Suspense. We'll hear "Last Night" (originally aired on CBS on June 15, 1943) and "Cabin B-13" (originally aired on CBS on November 9, 1943).

In Singin' in the Rain, Donald O'Connor showed us how to "Make 'Em Laugh," but in his two visits to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" the actor, singer, and dancer kept audiences in Suspense. We'll hear him in "Smiley" (originally aired on CBS on august 14, 1947) and "The Visitor" (originally aired on CBS on September 18, 1947).

Actress and groundbreaking director Ida Lupino takes her final bow on the podcast in her first and last appearances on Suspense. We'll hear her co-starring with Agnes Moorehead in a story of deadly sibling rivalry - "The Sisters" (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1944). Then, she takes a shortcut through the woods in one of the scariest shows Suspense ever produced - "On a Country Road" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 10, 1959). Plus, Ida Lupino stars as poet Elizabeth Barrett in a production of The Hallmark Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on February 2, 1950).

Herbert Marshall returns to the podcast in stories of prewar and postwar Suspense. First, he's a schoolmaster blackmailed by a delinquent student in "The Victoria Cross" (originally aired on CBS on November 2, 1950). Then, he's on the run to avert an international crisis in a radio adaptation of "The Thirty-Nine Steps" (originally aired on CBS on March 3, 1952).

Though he was rarely the star of the show, Joseph Kearns was one of the most frequently heard voices on Suspense. For years, he played supporting roles and introduced stories as the "Man in Black." He was one of radio's most versatile and talented character actors, but he also shined when he stepped into lead roles. We'll hear him in "Short Order" (originally aired on CBS on August 16, 1945) and "The Earth is Made of Glass" (originally aired on CBS on June 15, 1954).

John Lund plays a pair of villains - one reluctant and one cold and calculating - in two "tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense." Though he often played milquetoast characters on screen, Lund showed a knack for crime in his 13 visits to the program. We'll hear him in "Lunch Kit" (originally aired on CBS on June 9, 1949) and "Experiment 6-R" (originally aired on CBS on September 22, 1949).

Jack Carson came out of the vaudeville comedy circuit and carved out a niche as an arrogant, but ignorant, know-it-all in films and on his own radio comedy show. But he could walk on the dramatic side of the street in movies like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Mildred Pierce and in his appearances on Suspense. We'll hear him as a husband with murder on his mind in "Easy Money" (originally aired on CBS on November 7, 1946) and as a PR man whose stunt may turn deadly in "The One Millionth Joe" (originally aired on CBS on June 22, 1950). Plus, we'll hear a comedy courtesy of The Jack Carson Show (originally aired on CBS on January 8, 1947).

One of the screen's most intense and engaging presences, Richard Widmark always turned in a terrific performance when he visited the Hollywood sound stage of Suspense. We'll hear the star of Kiss of Death as a sailor suspected of a high seas murder in "Mate Bram" (originally aired on CBS on April 14, 1952) and as a western outlaw trying to outrun a posse in "The Spencer Brothers" (originally aired on CBS on January 26, 1953).

For her final appearance on the podcast, we're going back to Claire Trevor's first visit to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." The Oscar-winning star of Key Largo co-stars with Nancy Kelly in "A Tale of Two Sisters" (originally aired on CBS on February 8, 1945). Then, she recreates her big screen role of Dallas in Stagecoach, presented on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on May 4, 1946).

A big screen tough guy who could also play comedic and sensitive, Brian Donlevy carved out an impressive career on the big screen in movies like Beau Geste, The Great McGinty, and The Glass Key. On radio, Donlevy starred as a two-fisted secret agent in Dangerous Assignment and he made several visits to Suspense. We'll hear him as a man falsely accused of murder in "The Black Path of Fear" (originally aired on CBS on August 31, 1944) and as a brilliant blind detective in "Out of Control" (AFRS rebroadcast from March 28, 1946).

As a sitcom dad, Robert Young always "knew best," but he was no slouch in the Suspense department during his visits to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." We'll hear Young co-star with Virginia Bruce in "Celebration" (originally aired on CBS on September 23, 1948). Then he plays a killer hunting for the witness to his crime in "A Murder of Necessity" (originally aired on CBS on March 24, 1952).

For over twenty years on radio, Jim and Marian Jordan (better known as "Fibber McGee and Molly") kept audiences in stitches with their unique blend of wordplay, running gags, and colorful characters. But the Jordans could also shine in dramatic roles - including their visits to Suspense. We'll hear the couple recreate their roles in an encore production of "Backseat Driver" (an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast from February 22, 1951). Plus, we'll hear an episode of their classic radio sitcom (originally aired on NBC on June 4, 1946).

We're saluting the late Kirk Douglas with all three of the legendary actor's performances on Suspense. The star of Spartacus and Paths of Glory headlines "Community Property" (originally aired on CBS on April 10, 1947); "The Story of Markham's Death" (originally aired on CBS on October 2, 1947); and "The Butcher's Wife" (originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1950).

Loretta Young won an Oscar and delighted audiences in comedies, dramas, and thrillers before she entered the new frontier of television. Her long-running anthology series was a critical and audience favorite, and as host and performer she took home three Emmy awards. We'll hear "Lady Killer," her only visit to Suspense (originally aired on CBS on March 2, 1950). Plus, she recreates her Academy Award-winning performance in The Farmer's Daughteron The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 5, 1948).

For her memorable performances in classic thrillers like "Sorry, Wrong Number" and "The Diary of Saphronia Winters," Agnes Moorehead earned the title "First Lady of Suspense." We'll hear the four-time Oscar nominee and queen of radio's outstanding theater of thrills in "The Chain" (originally aired on CBS on April 27, 1950) and as Lizzie Borden in "The Fall River Tragedy" (originally aired on CBS on January 14, 1952).

It was said Ginger Rogers could do everything her dancing partner Fred Astaire could do, but backwards and in high heels. Her dazzling dances won over audiences, and her acting won her an Academy Award as she became one of Hollywood's most popular and highest-paid performers. We'll hear her as a woman trying to solve her sister's murder in "Vamp Till Dead" (originally aired on CBS on January 11, 1951). Plus, she recreates her Oscar-winning performance in Kitty Foyle on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on April 6, 1946).

Van Johnson is back in the Suspense spotlight in his final three visits to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." The star of Battleground and The Caine Mutiny (and a BatmanTV villain) stars in "Salvage" (originally aired on CBS on April 6, 1950), "Strange for a Killer" (a rehearsal for a show broadcast on CBS on March 15, 1951), and "Around the World" (originally broadcast on CBS on April 6, 1953).

Dane Clark prided himself on playing regular guys and described himself as "Joe Average." But his wasn't an average story: he broke out on the big screen opposite Humphrey Bogart (who gave the young actor his stage name) and he went on to a long career as a character actor on the big and small screens. We'll hear Clark in "The Singing Walls" (originally aired on CBS on September 2, 1943) and "Life Ends at Midnight" (originally aired on CBS on February 17, 1944).

Actor and director Robert Montgomery was part of the family on Suspense. During the show's era as a sixty-minute series, the star of Here Comes Mr. Jordan and Night Must Fall, he was the master of ceremonies for "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." But he also starred in installments, including the two shows we'll hear today. Montgomery is the narrator and titular character in "The Lodger" (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1944). Then we'll hear him in "The Thing in the Window" (originally aired on CBS on January 27, 1949).

We wrap up 2019 with one of the biggest movie stars of all time - Humphrey Bogart. We'll hear the legendary leading man in his one and only visit to Suspense -"Love's Lovely Counterfeit" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1945). Then, we'll hear him recreate a pair of his film roles: in The Maltese Falcon from Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 3, 1946) and Across the Pacific from The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 25, 1943). Finally, Bogart and wife Lauren Bacall pay a visit to The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on NBC on January 1, 1947).

In a bonus episode just in time for Christmas, we'll hear past "Stars on Suspense" Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn recreate their film roles as The Lux Radio Theatre presents an adaptation of the big screen holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street (originally aired on CBS on December 20, 1948).

One of Hollywood's biggest box office draws during the World War II years, Greer Garson earned seven Oscar nominations and one win for her memorable performances. We'll hear the British-born star in a holiday offering from Suspense - "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" (originally aired on CBS on December 21, 1953). Plus, she recreates her role from Random Harvest on The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on January 31, 1944) and stops by a Christmas installment of Guest Star (originally aired on December 21, 1947).

Clifton Webb's breakthrough role in Laura earned him an Oscar nomination and a place in film history as one of Hollywood's most colorful character actors. And though he was best known for playing effete and arrogant snobs, Webb could also play loving fathers and heroes. We'll hear him in "The Burning Court" (originally aired on CBS on June 14, 1945). Plus, he recreates his performance as Waldo Lydecker as The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre presents Laura (originally aired on CBS on August 20, 1945).

Character actor and occasional screenwriter Hume Cronyn (Shadow of a Doubt, Cocoon) returns to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" in two stories of unhappy marriages that put the "death" in "till death do us part" - "The One Who Got Away" (originally aired on CBS on November 14, 1946) and "Make Mad the Guilty" (originally aired on CBS on June 5, 1947). Plus, we'll hear Cronyn and his real-life wife actress Jessica Tandy in the audition show for their own radio romantic comedy The Marriage.

Joseph Cotten - the charming serial killer of Shadow of a Doubt - returns for two more visits to "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" in tales of a missing wife and a deadly experiment. We'll hear "You'll Never See Me Again" (originally aired on CBS on September 14, 1944) and "The Earth is Made of Glass" (originally aired on CBS on September 27, 1945).

For his final visit to the podcast, legendary screen gangster and tough guy Edward G. Robinson stars as himself and "The Man Who Wanted to Be Edward G. Robinson" (originally aired on CBS on October 19, 1946). Then, we'll hear him as crusading newspaper editor Steve Wilson, always ready to wield the sword of the press, in the premiere broadcast of Big Town (originally aired on CBS on October 17, 1937).

Curly-haired character actor Sam Jaffe lent a memorable presence to everything from film noir (The Asphalt Jungle) to classic sci-fi (The Day the Earth Stood Still) to Disney musicals (Bedknobs & Broomsticks). The engineer and math teacher turned actor made only one visit to Suspense - an outstanding adaptation of Dorothy Sayers' "Suspicion" (originally aired on CBS on April 3, 1948).

Edmond O'Brien returns to the podcast in an hour-long installment of "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." The Oscar-winning character actor extraordinaire of The Barefoot Contessa and The Wild Bunch plays a man probing the strange death of a friend in "The Blind Spot" (originally aired on CBS on May 1, 1948).

It's Halloween, and our star this week headlines one of the scariest shows Suspense ever aired. Ralph Edwards, best known as the jovial host of madcap game shows, stars as a radio DJ narrating his trip through a haunted house in "Ghost Hunt" (originally aired on CBS on June 23, 1949). Then, we'll hear him as host of Truth or Consequences in a Halloween-themed episode (originally aired on NBC on October 30, 1948). Finally, in the spirit of the season, we'll hear a bonus episode from the horror anthology Quiet Please - the classic radio chiller "The Thing on the Fourble Board" (originally aired on Mutual on August 9, 1949).

For their final visit to Suspense, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard starred as themselves. The couple finds their plans for an anniversary date thwarted by the mysterious "Mr. Diogenes" (originally aired on CBS on January 26, 1950). Then, we'll hear a haunted house Halloween episode of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (originally aired on NBC on October 31, 1948).

He was one of Hollywood's brightest stars - obsessively committed to bringing his characters to life and a master of make-up to transform himself on screen, and Paul Muni's devotion to his craft earned him five Oscar nominations and one win. We'll hear the star of Scarface as a composer haunted by a mysterious rival in "The Search for Henri Le Fevre" (originally aired on CBS on July 6, 1944). Plus, he recreates his Oscar-winning role as the Lux Radio Theatre presents "The Story of Louis Pasteur" (originally aired on CBS on November 22, 1936).

After she came to Hollywood and made her American movie debut at age 72, Dame May Whitty carved out a niche (and earned two Oscar nods) by playing outwardly cranky dowagers with hearts of gold. In two of her visits to Suspense, she played to and against that type. First, in "The Black Shawl," she's a woman seeking companionship from Maureen O'Sullivan while hiding a secret (originally aired on CBS on July 27, 1944). Then, a part-time job makes her a prisoner in her own home in "My Dear Niece" (originally aired on CBS on January 24, 1946).

In his final appearances on Suspense, William Powell played against type as characters far removed from debonair drunkard Nick Charles of The Thin Man. We'll hear him as a Soviet embassy clerk desperately trying to defect in "The Man Who Cried Wolf" (originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1953) and as a doctor hunting a rabid dog on the loose in "The Barking Death" (originally aired on CBS on March 1, 1954).