Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)

Episode 438 – Stars of "His Girl Friday"
Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Mean Streets Podcasts
Featured Radio Plays:

1. "The Black Curtain" starring Cary Grant (Suspense, 12/2/1943)
2. "Consideration" starring Rosalind Russell (Suspense, 2/3/1950)
3. "His Girl Friday" with Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell (Gulf Screen Guild Theater, 3/30/1941)

Episode Overview

This week's episode celebrates Valentine's Day with a salute to Hollywood's thrilling couples, spotlighting the legendary pairing of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell – best known for their roles as Walter Burns and Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday. The episode presents both iconic stars in their own Suspense radio dramas before featuring them together in a rollicking adaptation of His Girl Friday for the Gulf Screen Guild Theater.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Flow

[00:51] Introduction & Setup

• Host Introduces "His Girl Friday":
  The episode honors "Hollywood tales of romance and classic couples" for February.
• The origin of His Girl Friday as Howard Hawks’ screwball remake of The Front Page:

  "Hawks took the two main characters... and instead of having them be two men, he turned them into a divorced couple."

• Praise for Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell’s fast-paced banter.
• Programming lineup:
  1. Cary Grant in "The Black Curtain" (Suspense)
  2. Rosalind Russell in "Consideration" (Suspense)
  3. Both in "His Girl Friday" (Gulf Screen Guild Theater)

I. "The Black Curtain" starring Cary Grant

(Suspense – Originally aired 12/2/1943)
Segment Start: ~[08:44]

Plot Summary

• Opening Incident:
  Frank Townsend (Grant) wakes on a snowy street with amnesia, learning three years of his life have disappeared—a “black curtain” has come down across his memory.
  • ‘The last I remember was July 1943. Years just gone. Amnesia. A black curtain comes down over your mind.’ ([10:21], Grant)
• Strangers address him as "Dan" or "Danny," and he discovers items with the initials "D. N."
• Townsend is being pursued by a menacing man with gray eyes.
• He learns from a newsstand owner that he has a girlfriend, "Ruth," and tracks her to an apartment.
• Ruth reacts with fear—she’s worried about him being seen by detective Slattery (the gray-eyed man) ([18:34]).

Unraveling the Mystery

• Ruth proposes fleeing together, but hints at a shadowy event—murder.
• Newspaper clippings reveal Townsend (Dan Nearing) is wanted for the murder of his employer, John Dietrich.
• Ruth insists Dan is innocent but fears “if they get you, you’ll hang.”
• Ruth and Dan return to the scene of the crime to confront his forgotten past, seeking to jog his memory and find proof.
• The pair enter the old Dietrich home, speaking to the paralyzed old Mr. Dietrich:
  • 'He could see the murder through the mirror. Oh, if only he could talk.' ([26:30], Grant)

Tension Peaks

• Grant attempts to determine, by Mr. Dietrich’s eye blinks, who the real murderer is.

• As the authorities close in, Ruth’s guilt is revealed:

  'Why, Ruth? Why did you kill him?'
  'He was always after me... I hated him... I thought he’d never fall down and die...'
  ([32:22], Russell)

• Ruth takes her own life, motivated both by love and guilt.

Resolution

• Dan/Frank is exonerated by the paralyzed witness, but is left deeply affected:
  • “I want it all to die away and be still. And it will. All except Ruth. Because somewhere behind that black curtain, I was loved. And loved someone we must have known. A love that I'll never know again.” ([33:49], Grant)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "That black curtain had been over mine for three years. Where had I been? Who had I been?" ([10:25], Grant)
• The halting, rising suspense as old Mr. Dietrich blink-communicates the truth.
• Ruth’s desperate confession and tragic ending.

II. "Consideration" starring Rosalind Russell

(Suspense — Originally aired 2/3/1950)
Segment Start: ~[38:02]

Plot Summary

• Domestic Trouble:
  Ellen (Russell) and her husband Charles face financial ruin. Charles reveals he's embezzled from his company to cover his tracks and needs Ellen to replace $10,000 before the auditors arrive.
  • “Business has been pretty bad... I took out a mortgage... I paid it off with our company funds... Next week the auditors are coming in...” ([38:27], Charles)
• Ellen confesses: she’s gambled away all their savings and more, desperate for a win at the races.

Paranoia and Dread

• Charles’ reaction is unnervingly calm—he works obsessively in his home laboratory; Ellen becomes suspicious.
• A mysterious, locked trunk and frozen guinea pigs hint at deadly experimentation:
  • “Don’t open it... Just open the lock...” ([49:00], Russell)
• Ellen finds wrapping paper for dry ice, then confirms with the doctor that dry ice could be used to suffocate a person, leaving no trace—her fear escalates that her husband plans murder.

Suspense Reaches its Climax

• Charles increases their life insurance and plans a lavish final evening. Returning late, he urges Ellen to sleep alone in a room that would be ideal for a dry ice “accident.”
• A phone call from the frozen carbonic company confirms Charles ordered dry ice.[57:11]
• Ellen, drugged with sleeping pills, desperately tries to reach help as she starts falling asleep.
• Tom, Charles’ partner, calls:

  “I knew he took that money months ago... I've already made up for it out of my own pocket and... you and Chuck can pay me back whenever you can. He's much more valuable than a few dollars.” ([59:05], Tom)

• Tom intervenes in time—Charles is found groggy in his car, never having carried out any murderous plan.

Resolution

• Ellen and Charles, understanding restored through crisis, reconcile.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “No, Ellen. I’m never going to forget anything. That’ll make you rest easier.” ([41:13], Charles)
• Ellen’s dread as the mystery builds: “Dry ice. A guinea pig. A dog.” ([49:18], Russell)
• The entire sequence of mounting terror as Ellen waits for what seems like certain death.

III. "His Girl Friday" — Screen Guild Theater Adaptation

(Originally aired 3/30/1941)
Segment Start: ~[68:47]

Plot & Presentation

• A dynamically performed one-act radio version of His Girl Friday, highlighting the superstar chemistry and rapid-fire wit between Cary Grant (Walter Burns) and Rosalind Russell (Hildy Johnson).
• Iconic Banter and Character Dynamics:
  • Walter (Grant), managing editor, tries to win back Hildy (Russell), both professionally and personally.
  • Hildy announces her plan to marry Bruce Baldwin and leave journalism, but gets swept back into newspaper chaos when Walter ropes her into covering one final case—the fate of condemned prisoner Earl Williams.
  • Hilarious scenes as Walter manipulates every situation, including repeatedly landing Bruce in jail with invented charges.
• Classic Jokes and Exchanges:
  • "You look wonderful. Yep, you look like the latest edition right off the press." — Walter ([69:11], Grant)
  • "Aren’t you sorry your subscription’s been cancelled?” — Hildy ([69:16], Russell)
  • "Well, I was only a husband trying to protect his home." — Walter ([69:52], Grant)
  • "What home?" — Hildy ([69:55], Russell)
  • "How many times you got a murderer locked up in a desk? Once in a lifetime, Hildy." — Walter ([83:44], Grant)
  • Hildy, torn between love and journalism: “Gee, Walter, I never figured it that way.” ([84:03], Russell)

Memorable Scenes

• Hildy negotiating story and pay with Walter; Bruce’s continued misfortune at the hands of Walter’s schemes.
• The race against time to scoop the story of Earl Williams' escape, making slapstick use of a roll-top desk to hide the fugitive.
• The ultimate admission of true feelings and reconciliation:
  • "Oh, Walter, you darling." — Hildy ([91:44], Russell)
  • "We're going to be married again." — Walter ([92:21], Grant)
• Plans for a honeymoon quickly derailed by breaking news, poking fun at the relentless pull of the newspaper business.

Standout Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Memory & Identity:

  • "The last I remember was July 1943. Years just gone. Amnesia. A black curtain comes down over your mind." — Cary Grant, The Black Curtain ([10:21])

• Revelation & Guilt:

  • “Why, Ruth? Why did you kill him?” — Grant
    “He was always after me... I hated him...” — Russell ([32:22])

• Domestic Suspense:

  • "Business has been pretty bad... mortgage... company funds... auditors are coming in..." — Charles, Consideration ([38:27])
  • "Dry ice. A guinea pig. A dog." — Ellen, Consideration ([49:18])

• Quippy Bickering:

  • “Aren’t you sorry your subscription’s been cancelled?” — Rosalind Russell, His Girl Friday ([69:16])
  • “What home?" — Rosalind Russell ([69:55])
  • “How many times you got a murderer locked up in a desk? Once in a lifetime, Hildy.” — Cary Grant ([83:44])
  • "We're going to be married again." — Cary Grant ([92:21])

Structure & Pacing

• Seamless Tone & Patter: The succession of snappy dialogue, urgent plotting, and dramatic reveals gives each play a classic “Suspense” flavor but with unique shades—noir for Grant, psychological/domestic for Russell, screwball for their duo.

• Romantic Undercurrent: Despite the darkness of the themes (“The Black Curtain” and “Consideration”), love and redemption are central—either tragically denied (as with Ruth) or hard-won (as with Ellen and Charles, and Walter and Hildy).

Conclusion

Stars on Suspense Episode 438 delivers high-caliber old-time radio drama, showcasing the versatility and star magnetism of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell—whether in psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, or their legendary comic battle of the sexes in His Girl Friday. For fans of classic Hollywood, snappy dialogue, and vintage radio, this episode is a treat from start to finish.

[Selected Timestamps for Key Segments]

• [00:51] Host intro and His Girl Friday background
• [08:44] The Black Curtain — begins
• [38:02] Consideration — begins
• [68:47] His Girl Friday radio adaptation begins
• [92:21] Walter & Hildy’s reconciliation/happy ending

This summary is intended for listeners and fans of classic Hollywood and old-time radio who want a detailed, engaging overview of Episode 438’s highlights, content flow, and memorable moments. Dialogue captures original tone and language for authenticity.