In his final visit to Suspense, Eddie Bracken sheds his lovable and dopey screen persona honed in comedies from Preston Sturges. We'll hear him in "Nightmare," a sixty-minute story from Cornell Woolrich (originally aired on CBS on March 13, 1948). We'll also hear Bracken in the first episode of his radio sitcom The Eddie Bracken Show, where he plays a version of himself closer to his portrayals in The Miracle at Morgan Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero (originally aired on NBC on January 28, 1945).

Character actor Everett Sloane broke out in radio and onstage before he moved to movies like Citizen Kane and The Lady from Shanghai. His voice was perfect for radio, with a patrician air that could give a character sophistication or menace. We'll hear him as a man plotting the murder of his business partner in "Alibi" (originally aired on CBS on July 7, 1957). Then, he's a safari guide facing off against a dangerous lion in "Game Hunt" (originally aired on CBS on March 16, 1958).

For his final Suspense appearance, Edmond O'Brien starred in a grim tale of the frontier pulled from the history books. We'll hear him in "Ordeal in Donner Pass" (originally aired on November 2, 1953). Plus, he stars as "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" Johnny Dollar in "The Queen Anne Pistols Matter" (originally aired on CBS on November 4, 1950).

Debonair British star David Niven lent a touch of class and charm to his roles during his long Hollywood career. Whether he was racing the globe in Around the World in 80 Days, carrying out a daring commando raid in The Guns of Navarone, or vexing Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films, Niven was always poised, polished, and highly entertaining. We'll hear him as a con artist plotting an insurance swindle in "Grand Theft" (originally aired on CBS on April 5, 1954). Plus, we'll hear him visit Bob Hope in Reno on The Pepsodent Show (originally aired on NBC on March 5, 1946).

Best known for his physical presence in epics like The Robe and Samson and Delilah, Victor Mature starred on stage, screen, and television in musicals, westerns, and noir dramas. We'll hear him in a pair of thrillers, beginning with Cornell Woolrich's "Momentum" (originally aired on CBS on October 27, 1949). Then, he's a hitman on assignment in "Blackjack to Kill" (originally aired on CBS on December 10, 1951).

For our 200th episode, I'm sharing five of my favorite "tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense." We'll hear Dana Andrews in Ray Bradbury's "The Crowd" (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1950); "Murder in G-Flat" starring Jack Benny (originally aired on CBS on April 5, 1951); the Cold War spy drama "The Case for Dr. Singer" (originally aired on CBS on June 28, 1951); "first lady of Suspense" Agnes Moorehead in "The Evil of Adelaide Winters" (originally aired on CBS on September 10, 1951); and finally an encore of a classic Suspense show "The Last Letter of Dr. Bronson" (originally aired on CBS on November 4, 1954).

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 Daughter on 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 Batman TV 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).