Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio): Episode 426 - Stars of "Laura" (November 6, 2025)

Episode Overview

This special episode of Stars on Suspense marks a new format: instead of spotlighting just a single Hollywood legend per week, the host features actors who co-starred on screen (in this case, Otto Preminger’s noir classic Laura) and their memorable turns as leads in “Suspense”—radio’s famed “Theater of Thrills.” To celebrate “Noir Vember,” the episode brings together Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, and Vincent Price in four standout radio stories, including an adaptation of Laura itself.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Segments

[00:55] Introduction and New Format

• Host (Mean Streets Podcasts) introduces the change: multiple actors who co-starred in a film, with episodes highlighting both their “Suspense” performances and a movie adaptation.
• Laura (1944) chosen as lead-off title for “Noir Vember.” Describes the core plot: the murder of young executive Laura Hunt and the detective’s (Dana Andrews’ Mark McPherson) obsession with her.
• Gives background on actors: Dana Andrews (detective Mark McPherson), Vincent Price, and Clifton Webb (the suspects). Notes all three visited the Suspense microphone in their careers.

[07:10] Segment 1: Dana Andrews in "Two Birds with One Stone" (Aired: May 17, 1945)

Plot Summary

• Dana Andrews stars as Walter Faber, a writer married to Eleanor. Their relationship is tense and fraught.
• Walter manipulates Eleanor to record a “suicide” note on his dictaphone, under the guise of helping with his play.
• Eleanor disappears during a rainy night walk; Walter feigns concern but the audience learns he murdered her at the wharf.
• Evidence—particularly the dog Tracy’s actions and the record—slowly turns suspicion to Walter.
• Ultimately, a twist reveals Walter’s guilt as he tries to kill to cover his tracks, but he’s caught thanks to a confession overheard by police.
• ends with a darkly sardonic line as Walter realizes his plan failed.

Insights & Atmosphere

• Classic “Suspense” mix of everyday domestic tension and mounting dread.
• Use of audio cues and the dog Tracy as a near-psychic witness is classic radio storytelling.

Notable Quotes

• Dana Andrews (as Walter): “Maybe we’re not like we used to be.” [10:22]
• Walter (confessing under pressure): “I hated her. I knew I’d never be rid of her.” [31:52]
• Walter (resigned): “Well, okay. I guess I’m even a worse playwright than I thought.” [33:15]

Important Timestamps

• [08:22] – Walter and Eleanor record the ‘suicide’ message.
• [18:12] – The murder at the wharf.
• [24:06] – Playback of Eleanor's final, staged “suicide note.”
• [31:52] – Walter's confession and breakdown.

[36:52] Segment 2: Clifton Webb in "The Burning Court" (Aired: June 14, 1945)

Plot Summary

• Clifton Webb is Godin Cross, an urbane murder historian and the narrator. He’s called into the mystery of a poisoned uncle and a wife whose ancestor was a famed poisoner.
• The plot weaves family secrets, reincarnation, and old crimes—a blend of campfire ghost story and drawing-room whodunit.
• Ted Covington’s wife eerily mirrors her poisoner ancestress—her portrait is even identical.
• Webb’s Cross unspools flashbacks, and the story descends into gothic intrigue with empty coffins and accusations.
• The resolution inverts expectations: Ted Covington, not his wife, is the actual murderer, with Cross guiding the police to this conclusion.

Insights & Tone

• Webb’s performance is arch and witty, skating between self-parody and the macabre—a perfect fit for this gothic-mystery twist.

Notable Quotes

• Clifton Webb (as Cross): “Primarily because I can tell it more beautifully, Mrs. Covington.” [50:08]
• Webb’s signature line: “A policeman who reads! Extraordinary.” [39:12]
• Cross (to Covington): “Maybe you’d be quite comfortable in an asylum for the insane.” [60:17]

Important Timestamps

• [39:00] – Cross introduces the cast of suspects.
• [57:30] – Cross’s monologue on the supernatural and his indictment of Ted Covington.
• [60:30+] – The chilling tea scene and “poisoned” denouement.

[66:07] Segment 3: Vincent Price in "The Name of the Beast" (Aired: April 11, 1946)

Plot Summary

• Price stars as artist James Dorrance, who becomes entangled with Elmer Krebs, a criminal whose face embodies “the beast.”
• Dorrance becomes Krebs’s accomplice, erasing evidence of murder to secure the perfect model for his magnum opus.
• Themes of obsession, artistic purpose, and moral corruption emerge as Dorrance becomes a participant and ultimately is set up by Krebs.
• Ultimately, a tangled web forms between Dorrance, Krebs, and Jeannie—a femme fatale—leading to double-crosses and murder.

Insights & Standout Moments

• The story leans heavily on noir motifs: blurred moral lines, the allure and terror of violence, and the artist’s descent.
• Price’s velvety voice carries the dread and intoxication of both crime and artistic inspiration.

Notable Quotes

• Vincent Price (as Dorrance): “Any intelligent man can get away with murder if he keeps his wits about him.” [72:10]
• Dorrance: “The name of the beast was Krebs. Elmer Krebs.” [67:40]
• “I shot him. You gave me a murderer’s name, and now I am a murderer.” [88:32]

Important Timestamps

• [67:40] – Price’s first encounter with Krebs, setting the story in motion.
• [76:57] – Tension between artist and model over the bloodstained portrait.
• [88:22] – The emotional climax and final murders.
• [91:25] – The philosophical postscript: “What is the name of the beast?”

[95:57] Segment 4: Laura – Lady Esther Screen Guild Players Radio Adaptation (Aired: August 20, 1945)

Overview

• This segment is an all-star radio retelling of Laura featuring Dana Andrews (Mark), Gene Tierney (Laura), and Clifton Webb (Lydecker), echoing their film roles.
• The story closely follows the film: Mark McPherson’s investigation, Lydecker’s manipulations, Carpenter’s duplicity, and the twist of Laura’s return.
• Snappy dialogue and sly humor punctuate the investigation and the love triangle, capped by the iconic clock concealing the murder weapon.

Notable Quotes

• Clifton Webb: “I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.” [101:39]
• Dana Andrews (McPherson): “Murder is murder, and a dame’s a dame. Personally, I never got mixed up with either.” [97:03]
• Clifton Webb: “You better watch yourself, McPherson, or you’ll end up in the psychiatric ward. I don’t think they’ve ever had a patient who fell in love with a portrait.” [110:42]
• Lydecker’s grand confession: “The best part of myself, that’s what you are. Think I’d leave it to the vulgar pawing of a second-rate detective who thinks you’re a dame?” [121:39]

Important Timestamps

• [97:03] – Andrews as McPherson introduces the Laura case.
• [100:13] – Lydecker’s sardonic reflections on love and murder.
• [111:25] – Laura returns, alive—the dramatic twist.
• [121:31] – The climactic confrontation when Lydecker reveals the hidden gun.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Clifton Webb’s razor-sharp putdowns, especially as Lydecker: “Hand me that washcloth, please. Thank you. As you probably know from reading my column, murder is a hobby of mine.” [97:59]
• Vincent Price’s poetic dread: “Like your murder, Elmer. After a life of petty crime, at last an act of yours really means something.” [70:00]
• Recurring motif of the Laura portrait: Mark’s obsession with the painting mirrors the original noir’s psycho-sexual undertones.

Thematic Linkages & Host’s Perspective

• The host contextualizes each performance within the golden-era Hollywood and radio culture, drawing links between the film’s themes (obsession, illusion, and identity) and the tension-driven Suspense radio style.
• Connects the “Noir Vember” celebration to the legacy of radio noir and the enduring resonance of these stories.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a nostalgic and thrilling cross-section of film noir and old-time radio, focusing less on showbiz background and more on the dark psychological drama each actor brought to “Suspense.” The dialogue crackles, the atmosphere is thick with dread and wit, and the radio format allows legendary film stars to stretch their dramatic muscles in new ways.

Navigation: Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Content | |--------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:55 | Host introduction and new format explanation | | 07:10 | Dana Andrews – "Two Birds with One Stone" | | 36:52 | Clifton Webb – "The Burning Court" | | 66:07 | Vincent Price – "Name of the Beast" | | 95:57 | "Laura" radio adaptation – Lady Esther Screen Guild | | 126:39 | Outro/closing remarks |

Source References

All quotes and content are transcribed directly from the episode. Attribution and timestamps as above. For those who missed the broadcast, this summary will walk you through all major story beats, capturing the tone, snappy dialogue, and psychological intensity that made both Laura and “Suspense” legendary in their genres.