Stars on Suspense: Episode 428 - Stars of "The Killers"

Podcast: Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)
Host: Mean Streets Podcasts
Release Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This installment of Stars on Suspense spotlights the Hollywood icons behind the 1946 film noir classic The Killers, itself based on Ernest Hemingway’s short story. The episode presents a treasure trove of old-time radio performances featuring the film's cast—Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, Edmund O'Brien, William Conrad, and Charles McGraw—plus a dramatic radio adaptation of "The Killers." Masterfully framed by the host as a tribute to both the film and the golden age of radio thrillers, this week's show treats listeners to a marathon of tightly-wound crime tales, rich with postwar tension and hard-boiled atmosphere.

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Introduction and Context (00:00–09:51)

• Host sets the stage: Introduces The Killers (1946), highlighting its impact, Hemingway roots, cast, and lasting influence—plus a brief nod to the 1964 remake.
• Show rundown: Outlines the episode’s format—separate suspense radio dramas starring Gardner, O'Brien, Lancaster, Conrad, and McGraw, followed by the Screen Directors Playhouse radio adaptation of The Killers.
• Notable Quote:
  • "The Killers opens where most noir films end, with a man dying in a hail of bullets. But then the story flashes back..." – Host (01:00)
• Nostalgic context: Recommends fans seek out Criterion Collection editions and restates the importance of experiencing these stories in radio’s “theater of thrills.”

2. Ava Gardner in "Lady in Distress" (09:52–34:39)

Plot Summary

• Ava Gardner, in her only Suspense appearance, shines as Evelyn Harris—a woman whose dark drive home during a storm turns nightmarish after she picks up a hitchhiker (Howard Duffer Sullivan) just released from prison. Tension builds as it becomes clear the hitchhiker has violent intentions tied to Evelyn’s own life.

Key Moments & Quotes

• First Encounter (09:52–12:04)

  • “You used the word ‘out’ twice. Did you just get out of someplace?” – Evelyn (11:03)
  • “There’s only one place a guy like me would get out of... The state penitentiary.” – Sullivan (11:20)

• Threats Revealed (13:03–15:29)

  • “It’s a gun. And it shoots. Don’t forget that.” – Sullivan (13:10)
  • “I told you I just got out of prison, didn’t I?” – Sullivan (15:09)
  • “Revenge, huh?” – Evelyn (15:23)

• Complicity and Double-Crosses (19:06–20:23)

  • “Suppose I told you... that I'd hated [my husband] as much as you do... I'd even help you.” – Evelyn (19:23)
  • “What do you think? I’d say it was a stall to save your own neck.” – Sullivan (19:33)

• Climax (27:01–33:50)

  • Evelyn, cornered by choices and her own complicity, manipulates both men, leading to a violent and tragic conclusion.

• Chilling Last Line (33:50)

  • “One way, I was lucky—neither of them came out alive. But in another way, I wasn’t so lucky. I’m going to die.” – Evelyn

3. Edmund O’Brien in "The Argyle Album" (34:39–59:56)

Plot Summary

• O’Brien's hardboiled reporter, Harry Mitchell, investigates the cryptic and dangerous "Argyle Album," running up against murder, deception, and wartime intrigue.

Highlights & Quotes

• Pierce’s Confession (39:29)

  • “Harry, it's got to a point where I think I ought to share it with somebody. Preferably somebody like myself.” – Alan Pierce (40:01)

• Aftermath of Deaths (43:59)

  • “You could feel the shock go through the whole crowd...A long steel scalpel was sticking right up in the middle of Alan Pierce’s chest.” – Mitchell/Narrator

• Noir Atmosphere

  • Femme fatale “Marla” seduces and manipulates, crooks double-cross each other, and a world-weary tone pervades ("Just like that?", "What is the Argyle Album? $10,000 without a breath.").

• Reveal

  • “You know, there's only one conceivable reason for you to have taken all those chances...that you are the powerful and wealthy individual who got Dr. Van Selben to do Pierce's murder.”

4. Burt Lancaster in "The Long Wait" (69:55–95:12)

Plot Summary

• Fresh out of prison, Lancaster’s Dan Varrell is hellbent on avenging his brother’s death—a classic noir spiral through betrayal, attempted murder, and bittersweet redemption.

Highlights & Quotes

• Opening Tension (69:55)

  • “All the heat of my body sucked into my head. I knew that feeling. I felt that way every time I wanted to kill a man.” – Dan Varrell

• Emotional Crossfire

  • “Go ahead, kill me.”—Lois Williams (Lancaster’s would-be target) (70:00)
  • “No job, no friend, no Tim. I got nothing to live for...” – Lois (71:53)
  • “I'll supply the coin. We'll be partners.” – Dan (72:33)

• Resolution

  • Dan’s actions save Lois not just from death but from despair, intertwining revenge with unexpected grace.

5. William Conrad & Charles McGraw in "Two for the Road" (95:12–121:59)

Overview

• In a tongue-in-cheek twist, Conrad and McGraw—who played the chilling hitmen in The Killers—star as two actors making their way west to Hollywood. Mistaken for real criminals, mistaken identity and noir tropes become farce.

Highlights & Quotes

• Self-Referential Comedy

  • “They killed us. We’re dead.” – Charlie Bloom (Conrad), on their TV fate (103:35)
  • “We got too big for the Plain Clothesman, see?” (103:39)

• Noir Satire

  • “Look, you can check it. I’m Joe Harris. Yeah, I’m Charlie Bloom. We’ve been playing the Heavies and the TV series of Plainclothes.” (109:49)

• Resolution

  • The sheriff’s wife recognizes them as TV stars and saves the day. “Oh, my. This is an honor...Would you please give me your autographs?” (120:39)

6. Screen Directors Playhouse: "The Killers" (Radio Adaptation) (127:55–152:33)

Summary

• Burt Lancaster (as Swede) and Shelley Winters (as Kitty) headline a feature-length radio version of the movie, introduced by director Robert Siodmak himself.
• Structure: Retells The Killers from the doomed Swede’s point of view, through flashbacks and the haunting refrain: “I did something wrong once.”

Memorable Dialogue

• “Why does a man come to such an abject end?” – Narrator/Sam Redden (129:04)

• “I'm through with running away. But why? Why do they want to kill you? I did something wrong once.” – Swede (129:21)

• “Any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind...” – (end reflection, 150:41)

• Finale:

  • Unravels the reasons behind Swede’s murder—loyalty, betrayal, the femme fatale, criminal schemes.
  • Ends with an existential sigh: “What loose the Killers on Swede? Something he did, or something we didn’t do? All of us.”

Director's Curtain Talk

• Siodmak discusses the "American-ness" of gangster films, shares a wry anecdote about U.S. culture, and banters with Shelley Winters and Lancaster about his roots, “Memphis, Tennessee!”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “The Killers opens where most noir films end...”
  Host (01:00)

• “There’s only one place a guy like me would get out of... The state penitentiary.”
  Sullivan to Evelyn, "Lady in Distress" (11:20)

• “Suppose I told you that you were right... I hated him as much as you do…”
  Evelyn, "Lady in Distress" (19:23)

• “I looked at it a minute, then I put across the clincher. Lois. I'll bet even Tim Grady comes back.”
  Dan Varrell, "The Long Wait" (73:26)

• “They killed us. We’re dead.”
  Charlie Bloom, "Two for the Road" (103:39)

• "Any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind..."
  Swede’s story narration, "The Killers" (150:41)

• “Do you want to make yourself the laughing stock of Jackrabbit County? And just before election, too?”
  The sheriff’s wife, "Two for the Road" (121:17)

Highlighted Segments by Timestamp

• Ava Gardner in "Lady in Distress": (09:52–34:39)
• Edmund O’Brien in "The Argyle Album": (34:39–59:56)
• Burt Lancaster in "The Long Wait": (69:55–95:12)
• William Conrad & Charles McGraw, "Two for the Road": (95:12–121:59)
• The Killers (Radio Play): (127:55–152:33)

Tone and Stylistic Notes

• The episode blends hardboiled cynicism (“I don't cool so easy”) with gallows humor, meta-references, and rich period atmosphere.
• The performances are performed with vintage, noir charisma; moments of suspense are sharply punctuated by sharp dialogue, existential musings, and sly irony.

Final Remark

A love letter to radio’s golden suspense, this epic episode intertwines some of Hollywood’s all-time greats in tales of murder, regret, and the dark allure of fatal choices. If you haven’t seen—or heard—The Killers, this audio journey is the perfect initiation into classic noir.

Next Up:
The host teases next week’s episode: Double Indemnity, promising more tales “well calculated to keep you in suspense.”