Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

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).