Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Host: Mean Streets Podcasts
Episode: Encore – Jack Benny: No Sillies, Just Suspense
Date: August 28, 2025

Overview

In this special "Stars on Suspense" bonus episode, the host celebrates the versatile talents of Jack Benny, a legendary comedian who proved his dramatic range in the radio anthology "Suspense." The episode features three gripping old-time radio thrillers headlined by Benny:

• "Murder in G Flat" (April 5, 1951)
• "A Good and Faithful Servant" (June 2, 1952)
• "Plan X" (February 2, 1953)
  Each story highlights Benny in roles far removed from his usual comic persona, offering suspense, intrigue, and even a foray into science fiction.

Introduction & Context (00:12–05:10)

• Host paints a vivid portrait of Jack Benny, emphasizing his comedic legacy and how his "vain, cheap, aging straight-man" radio persona differed from the real, generous man off-mic.
• Benny’s range: Despite his reputation for silliness, his appearances on "Suspense" showcase his ability to take on unsettling, dramatic roles convincingly.
• The three featured episodes are briefly summarized, setting the stage for listeners.

Notable Quote:
"It's always a pleasure to appear on Suspense. This is probably every actor's favorite program, and I know that." – Jack Benny as himself (00:58)

Episode 1: "Murder in G Flat"

Original Airdate: April 5, 1951
Starting Timestamp: 06:10

Summary

• Plot: Hercules Remington (Benny), a mild-mannered piano tuner, accidentally switches his tool bag with a stranger’s on the subway, only to discover the bag contains $25,000 in stolen cash. The stranger soon comes looking for him, plunging Remington into a deadly web of theft and murder.
• Cast: Jack Benny as Hercules Remington, Bea Benedara as Martha (his wife), Joseph Kearns as Uncle Herman, Larry Thor as Lt. (police).

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Hercules's Dilemma:
  • Grapples with whether to keep the money or turn it in to the police. His wife insists on honesty; his uncle encourages keeping it.
  • His moral turmoil and everyman persona ground the drama:

    “Maybe this is fate… Maybe we were meant to have this money.” – Hercules (19:48)

• Escalating Danger:
  • The original bag owner contacts Remington and arranges a tense late-night exchange.
  • Remington finds the man dead and becomes the prime suspect when his own tool is found at the scene.
• Uncle Herman’s Treachery:
  • Uncle Herman is revealed as the true villain, willing to kill for the money. The final showdown in a funhouse is rich with classic radio suspense.
• Resolution:
  • The ordeal ends with Remington exonerated—his wife had turned the money in to the authorities. Uncle Herman dies accidentally during their confrontation.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Benny’s subtle wit edges into suspenseful realism:

  "Lieutenant, may I call my wife? ... If there's any explaining to be done to my wife, you guys will have to do it." (09:55)

• Signature moment when the comic “straight man” plays murder suspect:

  “Who said I can't do drama.” – Benny, breaking the fourth wall as himself (05:05)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Introduction of the dilemma: 14:12
• First contact from the bag’s owner: 25:50
• Discovery of the body: 32:35
• Funhouse confrontation: 42:10
• Resolution: 47:45

Episode 2: "A Good and Faithful Servant"

Original Airdate: June 2, 1952
Starting Timestamp: 55:20

Summary

• Plot: Harold Fenton (Benny), a dedicated department store cashier on the eve of retirement, orchestrates a fake robbery to secure a better future. When his co-workers discover the truth, blackmail and double-crosses ensue.
• Cast: Jack Benny as Harold Fenton, Norma Varden as Mrs. Fenton (mother), Doris Singleton as Helen Prentice, Gerald Moore as Mr. Cartwright.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Portrait of a "Little Man":
  • Fenton’s monotonous, unremarkable life—punching in 9,240 times—and unfailing honesty contrast with his desperate criminal gambit.
  • Benny plays him with pathos and gentle resignation:

    “I figured 308 working days a year. That made 9,240 punches. It was a little strange to think of this being my last.” (01:06:45)

• Corporate Indifference:
  • A ceremony celebrates Fenton’s “service and devotion,” awarding him his desk and a modest pension—underscoring the store’s coldness and superficial gratitude.
• Undercut by Betrayal:
  • Cartwright, a superior, tries to draw Fenton into further fraud; his secretary Helen joins in the scheme.
  • The plan unravels when Fenton is double-crossed and the truth is inevitably uncovered.
• Ironic Resolution & Wistfulness:
  • Fenton’s quiet acceptance of the fallout—serving a light sentence for his nominal crime—mirrors the drudgery of his past life.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Bittersweet humor in Fenton's “celebration”:

  “Fenton will live up the rest of his days in ease and comfort because he has arrived at the retirement age of the Waterman Pension Plan, by which he will receive $31.68 a month...” – Mr. Waterman (01:15:28)

• Fenton, after all the ceremonies and betrayals, to his mother:

  “It’s still a long time. A long time after thirty years in Waterman's? Hardly.” (01:39:40)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Robbery and vault scene: 55:40
• Fenton at home with mother: 01:01:10
• Store retirement ceremony: 01:14:50
• Cartwright’s blackmail and the final double-cross: 01:27:45
• Closing reflection: 01:39:30

Episode 3: "Plan X"

Original Airdate: February 2, 1953
Starting Timestamp: 01:46:05

Summary

• Plot: Zeno (Benny), an unassuming Martian escalator-factory worker, is randomly selected by the Grand Council to greet the first visitors from Earth. Confronted with an invasion, he oversees the mysterious Plan X, which flips expectations for both Martians and humans.
• Cast: Jack Benny as Zeno, Norma Varden as his mother, Mary Jane Croft as Connie Morrison, John McIntyre and others in supporting roles.
• Genre: Sci-fi with sly comic undertones.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Everyman on Mars:
  • Zeno’s “lack of strong emotional or biological drives” is a running joke that doubles as serious social satire.
  • His matter-of-factness makes the absurd premise believable and charming.
• Subtle Satire & Role Reversal:
  • Earth’s crew expects hostility or backwardness, only to find Martians “have no aggressive impulses” and have long disarmed.
• Clever Climax – The Maturity Ray:
  • Plan X is revealed: Martian children use a “maturity ray” to instantaneously evolve human intelligence, making the Earthlings into Martians, erasing the threat of aggression.
  • Absurdity and warmth merge:

    “It’s just that Army and his little friends built a maturity ray. It takes people who are, shall we say, less advanced and increases their IQ by several thousand years. That’s amazing. Child’s play, Zeno.” (02:15:17)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Zeno's mother, echoing classic sitcom mothers:

  “You haven’t time. You’ll be late for the factory as it is... But will the Grand Council care if you don’t get your job back?” (01:51:30)

• Benny’s signature self-deprecating deadpan adapted to science fiction:

  “I’m in stair treads. Everybody, over here. Look at this... A flying saucer from 1952. Your calendar. 100 years old.” (02:06:10)

• Final bittersweet remark:

  “Well, she did like me for a while before Plan X. But she did like me, even just for a while. That’s something, isn’t it?” – Zeno (02:21:28)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Grand Council assignment: 01:47:45
• Earthlings arrive: 01:54:10
• Museum and paralyzer ray scene: 02:06:10
• Martian children explain Plan X: 02:13:27
• Climactic “Maturity Ray” sequence: 02:15:05
• Zeno’s closing reflection: 02:21:28

Host’s Closing and Legacy Reflections (02:25:10–End)

• Host thanks listeners and announces next episode stars, provides podcast updates and a reminder to support the show.
• Final public service message: a plea for unity in America, in the voice of Jack Benny.

Episode Highlights

• Jack Benny’s surprising dramatic range: Each story casts him as a fallible, ordinary man caught in extraordinary circumstances.
• Notable blend of suspense with Benny's trademark underplayed, anxious, and sincere delivery—the humor hues the drama, lending depth rather than distraction.
• Classic radio production atmosphere: Lively supporting performances, era-typical ad breaks, and omnipresent sound design transport the listener to radio’s golden age.

For First-Time Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

Whether you know him as a master comedian or not at all, Jack Benny’s "Suspense" performances are a showcase of old-time radio’s blend of drama, mid-century social commentary, and star power. The three stories are a masterclass in tone—ranging from noir to the existential to speculative sci-fi—each revealing a different facet of Benny’s uniquely understated style.

Selected Outstanding Quotes:

• "Who said I can't do drama." – Jack Benny, winkingly (05:05)
• "Sit up, Mr. Cartwright. Sit. That's it. That's it." – Fenton feeding squirrels, mirroring his humble, repetitive life (01:11:08)
• "It’s nothing, really. ... I work at an atomic escalator factory. I’m in stair treads." – Zeno, deadpan Martian humblebrag (02:06:30)
• "Well, she did like me for a while before Plan X... That’s something, isn’t it?" – The eternally hopeful, if slightly melancholy, Benny (02:21:28)

Episode Structure Timestamps

• Introduction & Host's Context: 00:12–05:10
• Murder in G Flat: 06:10–54:50
• A Good and Faithful Servant: 55:20–01:46:00
• Plan X: 01:46:05–02:22:00
• Host Closing and Legacy Reflection: 02:25:10–End

A must-listen for fans of old radio, suspense, and anyone curious how great comedians can shine in moments of genuine danger and wonder.