Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Author: Mean Streets Podcasts Language: English Episodes: 545
Step back into an era where the crackle of a radio dial promised an evening of expertly crafted tension, brought to life by the most iconic voices ever captured on tape. Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio) from Mean Streets Podcasts is a weekly double feature dedicated to preserving and celebrating this specific golden age artifact. The focus here is on the thrilling convergence of A-list Hollywood talent with the masterful sound production of the classic "Suspense" radio series. You'll hear legends like Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead, or Cary Grant not in their familiar cinematic roles, but using only their voices to paint pictures of desperation, mystery, and impending doom. Each episode presents two complete, original broadcasts, allowing the listener to fully immerse in the narrative craftsmanship and atmospheric sound design that held a nation captive. This podcast isn't just about nostalgia; it's an archival showcase of performance art, highlighting how these stars built entire worlds and complex characters through vocal nuance alone. The collection spans the show's long run, offering everything from psychological noir to supernatural tales, all united by that signature spine-tingling "Suspense" mood. For anyone interested in the roots of modern audio drama, the history of performance, or simply a brilliantly told story, this curated journey provides a direct line to a time when imagination was the ultimate special effect. Tune in for a masterclass in tension, starring the very best.
Episodes
Episode 356 - Sheldon Leonard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:08:25
Big screen tough guy Sheldon Leonard went from cutting a menacing figure in To Have and Have Not and It's a Wonderful Life to producing classic TV sitcoms like The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. In three…
Episode 355 - Mr. and Mrs. Radio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:44
Cathy and Elliott Lewis were two of the busiest - and best - performers of the radio era. Both could get laughs (Cathy on My Friend Irma and Elliott on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show) and could be heard on mysteries, in…
Episode 354 - Zachary Scott [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:36
His star in Hollywood didn't burn bright for long, but Zachary Scott made memorable impressions as mysterious villains in movies like Mildred Pierce. In his one and only appearance on Suspense, Scott plays a man accused…
Episode 353 - Joseph Kearns (Part 3) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:37
Joseph Kearns - the longtime voice of "The Man in Black" - makes his final starring appearance on Suspense as a trigger-happy store owner who learns a tragic lesson in vigilante justice in "Hold-Up" (originally aired on…
BONUS - Best of Robert Young [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:09
In this bonus show, I'm sharing my favorite Suspense shows starring Robert Young. Before he made rounds as kindly old Marcus Welby or showed how Father Knows Best, Young made several memorable appearances on "radio's out…
Episode 352 - Whitfield Connor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:39
Whitfield Connor broke out on the Broadway stage in the 1940s, and he returned to the theatre in the 1960s as a manager and producer. In between, he made two starring turns on Suspense. First, he's an editor who finds a…
Episode 351 - Lucille Fletcher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10:12
Lucille Fletcher penned some of the best old time radio thrillers of all time - stories that can still keep listeners on the edge of their seats over eighty years later. She wrote "Sorry, Wrong Number," "The Hitch-hiker,…
BONUS - Alfred Hitchcock (Part 6) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:52
It's our annual (belated) birthday tribute to the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. This year, it's a double feature of Hitchcock pictures recreated for radio. Joseph Cotten stars in adaptations of Foreign Correspond…
Episode 350 - Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, & Robert Ryan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:37
For the 350th episode of Stars of Suspense, we'll hear a recreation of the film noir classic Crossfire for "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" with its original stars Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, and Robert Ryan. A…
Episode 349 - Agnes Moorehead (Part 10) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:38
The "First Lady of Suspense" is back, and she becomes the inaugural member of our "ten-timer's club." We'll hear her as an artist haunted by the same gruesome image in "Death and Miss Turner" (originally aired on CBS on…