Best OTR.FM Podcasts (2025)

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The Long Shot: Murder, Identity, and a Deadly Gamble 25:04

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36m ago25:04

25:04

Originally Aired: January 31, 1946 In Suspense #178, “The Long Shot,” down-and-out gambler Kelly Raymond seizes a dangerous opportunity when he answers an ad for a wealthy Englishman’s cross-country chauffeur. As they travel west, Raymond hatches a plan to murder his employer and assume his identity, lured by the promise of a vast inheritance in Sa…

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My Dear Niece: An Aunt’s Letter and a Criminal’s Deception 29:36

2h ago29:36

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Originally Aired: January 24, 1946 In Suspense #177, “My Dear Niece,” Dame Mae Whitty stars as Emily Rogers, a lonely widow who answers a seemingly harmless newspaper ad offering part-time work. Soon she is drawn into a shadowy scheme involving a fugitive masquerading as a writer, a dead man named Paul Stevens, and a criminal mastermind hiding behi…

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The Pasteboard Box: Twins, Murder, and a Fatal Switch 29:44

1h ago29:44

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Originally Aired: January 17, 1946 In Suspense #176, “The Pasteboard Box,” identical twins Jack and Walter Parcell embody Cain and Abel reborn. After staging his own “suicide,” Jack murders Walter and slips into his life—his wealth, his identity, even his fiancée. But while Walter’s body proves hard to dispose of, his head remains an especially gri…

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The Angel of Death: Genius, Retribution, and a Fatal Return 29:53

1h ago29:53

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Originally Aired: January 3, 1946 In Suspense #174, “The Angel of Death,” John Forsythe (Paul Henreid) believes his intellect makes him untouchable—even as he manipulates fellow prisoners and boasts of his ability to commit the perfect crime. Convicted for the murders of his wife and best friend despite the absence of bodies, Forsythe serves his se…

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Pink Camellias: Poison in the Petals 29:52

2h ago29:52

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Originally Aired: December 27, 1945 In Suspense #173, “Pink Camellias,” dutiful niece Martha tends her tyrannical Aunt Abby and falls for smooth-talking cousin Neil—then coolly decides murder is the only path to freedom. Arsenic, teacakes, and greenhouse strawberries become instruments of fate as Martha outmaneuvers Neil and the household…until a f…

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Double Entry: The Bookkeeper’s Bet Gone Bad 25:26

5d ago25:26

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Originally Aired: December 20, 1945 In Suspense #172, “Double Entry,” a weary bookkeeper named Sam Crockett discovers that balancing ledgers isn't the only gamble he's made—especially when his friend Eddie tries to bail him out with a bet on a 100-to-1 longshot. As the office audits close in, Sam confesses to years of embezzlement, only to be overs…

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The Argyle Album: Murder, Blackmail, and a Reporter’s Dangerous Scoop 30:20

1h ago30:20

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Originally Aired: December 13, 1945 In Suspense #171, “The Argyle Album,” hard-nosed reporter Harry Mitchell (Robert Taylor) stumbles into the story of a lifetime when famed columnist Alan Pierce dies under mysterious circumstances. Pierce had been preparing to expose the contents of the so-called Argyle Album—a white leather book filled with incri…

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I Won’t Take a Minute: A Vanishing Fiancée and a Counterfeit Identity 28:53

9d ago28:53

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Originally Aired: December 6, 1945 In Suspense #170, “I Won’t Take a Minute,” Kenny waits outside a dingy apartment house while his bride-to-be, Steffie, runs a quick package up to 4B—and never comes back. Minutes turn to terror as the bell rings, the elevator sighs, and a stranger in Steffie’s clothes walks past him without a flicker of recognitio…

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A Week Ago Wednesday: A Nightmare Lived Twice 29:39

2d ago29:39

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Originally Aired: November 29, 1945 In Suspense #169, “A Week Ago Wednesday,” Maud Haskin is just another working woman—until a rainy night and a quarrel with her husband Harry hurl her into a psychological spiral. After seemingly witnessing a future where she is murdered by Harry, Maud wakes to find herself alive, but haunted. Was it only a dream,…

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Nineteen Deacon Street: The Ghost of Laverne 29:37

4d ago29:37

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Originally Aired: November 22, 1945 In Suspense #168, “Nineteen Deacon Street,” tie salesman Maury Swartz rents a theatrical rooming house in Chicago, only to find himself haunted by the presence of a vanished blonde named Laverne. Her untouched room, her photograph, and his dreams all lead him deeper into a mystery that stretches back ten years. A…

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Box o’ Rocks: A Silver Mine, a Fake Funeral, and a Coward’s Revenge 20:38

4d ago20:38

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Originally Aired: September 23, 1956 In Gunsmoke #233, “Box o’ Rocks,” a humble old prospector named Packy Roundtree is supposedly laid to rest—until Marshal Matt Dillon pries open the coffin and finds only rocks. As it turns out, Packy faked his death to escape the brutal Jeb Cruder, a sadistic bully with a grudge and an eye on Packy’s secret silv…

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Murder Off Key: The Songbird’s Scales and a Framed Stranger 29:57

5d ago29:57

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Originally Aired: November 15, 1945 In Suspense #167, “Murder Off Key,” Frederick Carlson arrives in New York to stay at a friend’s apartment, only to be tormented by the nightly shrieks of a delusional would-be soprano, Violet Pondecker. But when Violet is found strangled and her jewels stolen, Carlson becomes the prime suspect—trapped by circumst…

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Thick 'n Thin: Grits, Guns, and a Friendship on the Brink 20:41

16d ago20:41

20:41

Originally Aired: September 16, 1956 In Gunsmoke #232, “Thick 'n Thin,” long-time partners Odie Perkins and Brace McCoy are at war—over sour grits. What starts as a spat over cooking spirals into a full-blown feud, with bullets flying between barn and house on their shared homestead. Marshal Matt Dillon steps in to restore order, but it’ll take mor…

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Belle’s Back: Secrets, Sisters, and a Fugitive's Return 21:17

6d ago21:17

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Originally Aired: September 9, 1956 In Gunsmoke #231, “Belle’s Back,” Belle Ainsley returns to Dodge after three years away—and immediately stirs up old memories, deeper secrets, and dangerous consequences. She claims she was abducted by the outlaw Jess Crider and forced to flee, but her younger sister Phyllis isn’t buying it. When Phyllis vanishes…

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The Bet: A Deadly Wager in the Trinidad Rain 29:26

6d ago29:26

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Originally Aired: November 8, 1945 In Suspense #166, “The Bet,” artist Scott Turner accepts a $50,000 challenge from wealthy sugar magnate Paul Barton: to endure two years of monotonous lab work in Trinidad. But Barton’s wife, Ada—a woman drawn to destruction—soon ensnares Scott in a dangerous triangle of temptation and deceit. As rain pounds endle…

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Old Pal: A Marshal’s Hunt for a Friend Turned Fugitive 21:15

6d ago21:15

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Originally Aired: September 2, 1956 In Gunsmoke #230, “Old Pal,” Marshal Matt Dillon is stunned when fresh clues suggest that his close friend Jim Rankin—believed murdered during a robbery in El Paso—may actually be alive and involved in the very crime that supposedly killed him. As Dillon follows the trail, he uncovers a tangled web involving stol…

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The Dunwich Horror: Armitage vs. the Unseen on Sentinel Hill 26:58

7d ago26:58

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Originally Aired: November 1, 1945 In Suspense #165, “The Dunwich Horror,” Dr. Henry Armitage broadcasts from Sentinel Hill as he recounts Wilbur Whateley’s blasphemous origins, a doomed raid on Miskatonic’s Necronomicon, and the ravenous, invisible twin that finally storms loose across Dunwich. As Halloween night peaks, Armitage and Dr. Rice confr…

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No Sale: A Gunman’s Threat and a Gambler’s Bluff 21:08

7d ago21:08

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Originally Aired: August 26, 1956 In Gunsmoke #229, “No Sale,” Kitty and Sam are offered a suspiciously high price for the Long Branch Saloon by two strangers—Brice and Temple. When Kitty declines, threats begin to fly, and it becomes clear the buyers have a deadly backup plan: kill Sam if Kitty won’t sign. With Marshal Dillon on alert and a surpri…

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A Shroud for Sarah: A Double Life, a Deadly Scheme, and Three Murderers 29:31

8d ago29:31

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Originally Aired: October 25, 1945 In Suspense #164, “A Shroud for Sarah,” Lucille Ball stars as Sarah Martell, a woman whose ambition knows no bounds—not even murder. As her husband Peter campaigns for governor, Sarah secretly plans to betray him, striking deals with a political rival and a corrupt doctor, and rekindling a romance with an ex-con f…

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Annie Oakley: A Rifle, a Lie, and a Woman’s Desperation 21:29

8d ago21:29

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Originally Aired: August 19, 1956 In Gunsmoke #228, “Annie Oakley,” a bitter love triangle erupts into murder on the plains near Dodge. When Kate Kinsman’s husband is shot dead with a Sharps rifle, all signs point to Ed Dolliver, the man she accused of pursuing her. But Marshal Dillon isn’t convinced by appearances—or by Kate’s tearful accusations.…

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Summer Storm: A Voice in the Mind and a Death That Wasn’t 25:23

9d ago25:23

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Originally Aired: October 18, 1945 In Suspense #163, “Summer Storm,” Eddie, a solitary man who talks to himself, finds his world spiraling after a tense altercation with his slovenly landlord, Mr. Waters. Believing he’s accidentally killed Waters during a scuffle, Eddie hides in the attic as paranoia and inner voices begin to consume him. With a th…

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Snakebite: The Drifter, the Dog, and a Deadly Lie 21:29

9d ago21:29

21:29

Originally Aired: August 12, 1956 In Gunsmoke #227, “Snakebite,” an old drifter named Pony Thompson rides into Dodge for his annual drink—only to have his dog shot in cold blood by a cruel stranger. When the shooter turns up murdered, suspicion falls on Pony. But as Marshal Dillon digs deeper, he uncovers a darker betrayal: a partner’s treachery, a…

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Beyond Good and Evil: A Prisoner’s Masquerade and the Sermon of a Killer 29:21

10d ago29:21

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Originally Aired: October 11, 1945 In Suspense #162, “Beyond Good and Evil,” an escaped convict named Philip Gentry assumes the identity of a country preacher to hide in plain sight. Taking the name Dr. Howard Pierce, he infiltrates a small-town church, earns the trust of its congregation, and even wins the heart of the paralyzed pastor’s daughter.…

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Death on Highway 99: A Letter, a Hit-and-Run, and a Deadly Reckoning 24:26

11d ago24:26

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Originally Aired: October 4, 1945 In Suspense #161, “Death on Highway 99,” Morton “Speed” Blake pens a final letter to his high school crush Julie—his last confession before the law catches up to him. What starts as a desperate, reflective monologue quickly turns into a chilling narrative of murder, manipulation, and a failed cover-up. When a hit-a…

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Sweet and Sour: The Woman Who Turned Men Deadly 21:26

11d ago21:26

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Originally Aired: August 5, 1956 In Gunsmoke #226, “Sweet and Sour,” Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester return from Wichita only to cross paths with Rena Decker, a seemingly innocent young woman with a dangerous gift for stirring men into violence. After saving her from a drunken brute at the train station, Matt brings her to Dodge, where she quickly …

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Death Went Along for the Ride: A Double Life Unmasked 14:40

12d ago14:40

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Originally Aired: January 26, 1943 In Suspense #026, “Death Went Along for the Ride,” George Avery finds himself pursued across the country by mysterious figures after agreeing to help a man he barely knows. What begins as a casual encounter turns into a deadly cross-country chase involving shadowy phone calls, a menacing photographer, and a series…

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The Earth Is Made of Glass: A Journal of Madness and the Murmur of Guilt 29:53

24d ago29:53

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Originally Aired: September 27, 1945 In Suspense #160, “The Earth Is Made of Glass,” a brilliant but disturbed intellectual, Richard Steele, attempts to prove Emerson’s concept of karmic justice wrong—by committing a “laboratory murder” without motive, connection, or consequence. But even as he believes he’s escaped detection, his own mind becomes …

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How to Kill a Woman: Vengeance, Guilt, and a Gunman's Code 23:47

19d ago23:47

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Originally Aired: October 31, 1953 In Gunsmoke #080, “How to Kill a Woman,” Marshal Matt Dillon investigates a series of brutal stagecoach attacks where robbery turns to senseless murder. As suspicion circles a stoic station master and a cold-blooded drifter named Nat Pilcher, Dillon uncovers a haunting backstory of betrayal, obsession, and a killi…

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Library Book: A Torn Page, a Ransom Note, and a Deadly Discovery 30:41

23d ago30:41

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Originally Aired: September 20, 1945 In Suspense #159, “Library Book,” librarian Prudence Roberts discovers more than just overdue fines when a vandalized copy of Gone with the Wind reveals a hidden ransom note. Her amateur sleuthing leads her deep into a kidnapping plot involving a missing girl named Melanie, a string of cryptic clues, and a sinis…

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The Devil in the Summer House: A Phonograph Confession and a 25-Year Lie 29:35

22d ago29:35

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In Suspense #16, “The Devil in the Summer House,” attorney Joe Parker returns to a shuttered Hudson River home with Captain Burke after receiving a freshly mailed letter—dated 1918—hinting that Major Jerry Kenyon’s long-ago “suicide” was murder. In the vine-choked summer house and lamplit library, they uncover a hidden phonograph record that coolly…

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Wrong Man: A Mistaken Identity and a Murderous Truth 25:57

13d ago25:57

25:57

In Gunsmoke #135, “Wrong Man,” homesteader Sam Rickers rides into Dodge with what he claims is the body of outlaw Bob Hobart—gunning for a $1,000 reward. But Marshal Dillon quickly realizes the corpse isn’t Hobart at all, but an innocent man, Jake Haney, mistaken for an outlaw. When Jake’s grieving partner arrives in town demanding justice, Sam’s l…

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How to Kill a Friend: A Gunman’s Ultimatum and a Marshal’s Resolve 23:54

13d ago23:54

23:54

In Gunsmoke #076, “How to Kill a Friend,” two crooked gamblers—Ben Corder and Harry Duggan—try to buy Marshal Matt Dillon’s favor, then send a rifle shot through his office window when he won’t bend. Run out of Dodge, they slink back with hired gun Tolk Marlin—an old trail partner of Matt’s, twisted by a past mob beating in Silver City. Tolk gives …

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Philomel Cottage (Part 2): A Deceptive Marriage and Deadly Coffee 14:54

16d ago14:54

14:54

In Suspense #7, “Philomel Cottage (Part 2),” newlywed Alex Martin begins to fear that her charming husband Gerald is hiding a murderous past—until she turns the tables with a chilling confession over evening coffee. As the clock ticks toward six, a tense duel of wits unfolds on the cottage porch, phone calls are cut short, and Alex’s tale of prior …

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Cain: A Riverboat Past and a Reckoning in Dodge 30:05

14d ago30:05

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In Gunsmoke #042, “Cain,” a quiet musician named Cain Vestal arrives in Dodge on his way to Arizona to die—but when he sees a face from the past, his plans change. Years of sorrow and betrayal boil to the surface as Cain prepares to settle an old score with powerful landowner Joel Adams, a man who once destroyed the life of the woman Cain loved. De…

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The Furnished Floor: A Haunting Revisited 31:05

17d ago31:05

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Originally Aired: September 13, 1945 In Suspense #158, “The Furnished Floor,” a grieving widower named Mr. Jennings returns to his former apartment, seeking to restore every detail of his married life with his late wife, Mabel—even down to the canary and the exact placement of the furniture. As the new landlady begins to suspect something is terrib…

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Sorry, Wrong Number: A Phone Call, a Panic, and a Premonition of Death 31:51

18d ago31:51

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Originally Aired: September 6, 1945 In Suspense #157, “Sorry, Wrong Number,” a bedridden woman named Mrs. Elbert Stephenson becomes the accidental eavesdropper on a chilling murder plot when a crossed phone line connects her to two men planning a killing. As she frantically tries to alert the authorities and reconnect with her absent husband, the l…

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The Lynching: Justice by Rope in a Lawless Land 30:17

15d ago30:17

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Originally Aired: August 16, 1952 In Gunsmoke #017, “The Lynching,” Marshal Matt Dillon confronts the raw violence of frontier justice when a mob takes the law into its own hands. After the murder of Job Powell, a young drifter named Billy Saxton is accused and lynched without a trial. Dillon must untangle a web of guilt, silence, and manipulation—…

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Nobody Loves Me: A Killer’s Confession and the Girl Who Changed Everything 29:26

28d ago29:26

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Originally Aired: August 30, 1945 In Suspense #156, “Nobody Loves Me,” a police precinct is held hostage by an armed man who claims he’s ready to confess. What begins as a chilling standoff quickly transforms into a dark and deeply personal monologue by Joe Reese—a hitman with a trail of bodies and a hole in his soul. But when Joe meets Peggy Stewa…

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Lost Rifle: A Boy’s Secret and a Marshal’s Gamble 21:51

23d ago21:51

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Originally Aired: July 29, 1956 In Gunsmoke #225, “Lost Rifle,” a man is shot dead while fishing, and Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself under pressure to arrest Ben Tipple—a hot-tempered man with motive, but no evidence against him. As Dodge buzzes with speculation, the truth lies in the hands of a scared young boy, Andy Spangler, who knows more th…

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Lynching Man: Vengeance, Mistakes, and the Price of Justice 21:14

18d ago21:14

21:14

Originally Aired: July 22, 1956 In Gunsmoke #224, “Lynching Man,” Marshal Matt Dillon investigates the hanging of a newcomer named Hank Blennis, apparently lynched for horse theft. But what begins as a search for justice soon uncovers a tangle of revenge and misplaced hatred. A man named Charlie Drain, still haunted by his father’s wrongful lynchin…

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This Will Kill You: A Workman’s Obsession and a Fatal Setup 29:32

23d ago29:32

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Originally Aired: August 23, 1945 In Suspense #155, “This Will Kill You,” factory worker Joe Jordan is fed up with being belittled by his foreman, Charlie Harris. But when workplace slights and romantic jealousy boil over, Joe hatches a chillingly calculated plan—not just for revenge, but to destroy Charlie’s life completely. What follows is a dark…

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Letter of the Law: A Marshal’s Judgment and a Family’s Stand 21:36

20d ago21:36

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Originally Aired: July 15, 1956 In Gunsmoke #223, “Letter of the Law,” Marshal Matt Dillon is ordered to evict Brandon Teak from his homestead for a bureaucratic oversight—his failure to register the deed. Once a notorious gunslinger, Teak has traded violence for a quiet life with his pregnant wife, Sarah. But the law, pushed by land baron Lee Spra…

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Short Order: A Stranger’s Face and a Diner’s Doom 29:26

24d ago29:26

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Originally Aired: August 16, 1945 In Suspense #154, “Short Order,” Bailey, a proud diner owner, finds his business slowly unraveling after a mysterious, disfigured man begins frequenting his establishment. Though the stranger is polite and quiet, his grotesque appearance drives customers away and triggers a downward spiral of paranoia, misfortune, …

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Murder for Myra: A Lover’s Desperation and a Killer’s Trap 29:30

30d ago29:30

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Originally Aired: August 9, 1945 In Suspense #153, “Murder for Myra,” Ernie Cobb falls under the spell of the alluring and volatile Myra Blair, a housewife trapped in a loveless marriage. When she confides her dreams of freedom—and hints that murder is the only escape—Ernie finds himself lured into a dark and deadly plot. As a plan to kill her husb…

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A Man in the House: Terror Behind Locked Doors 29:32

1M ago29:32

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Originally Aired: August 2, 1945 In Suspense #152, “A Man in the House,” a dutiful daughter named Emily Barrett finds her quiet, dutiful life overturned when a scarred and dangerous intruder breaks into her home and refuses to leave. Trapped in a decaying house with a domineering invalid mother and a madman with a gun, Emily must maintain a façade …

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Bank Holiday: Love, Loyalty, and a Hostage’s Test 29:28

1M ago29:28

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Originally Aired: July 19, 1945 In Suspense #150, “Bank Holiday,” junior bank teller Jane Evans thinks the biggest challenge to her engagement with assistant manager Harold Osborne is the bank’s no-romance policy—until a routine Friday morning turns into a harrowing ordeal. When two armed robbers burst in and take her hostage, Jane is plunged into …

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Passive Resistance: Sheep, Violence, and the Strength Not to Fight 21:03

1M ago21:03

21:03

Originally Aired: July 8, 1956 In Gunsmoke #222, “Passive Resistance,” Dodge City is divided when Gideon Seek, a gentle, gunless sheep herder, becomes the target of cattlemen determined to drive him out by violence. Refusing to fight back or even name his attackers, Gideon stands by his pacifist beliefs—even as his sheep are slaughtered, his home i…

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Gun for Chester: A Deadly Grudge from South Texas 21:06

1M ago21:06

21:06

Originally Aired: July 1, 1956 In Gunsmoke #221, “Gun for Chester,” Chester Proudfoot is haunted by the arrival of Ace Ledbetter, a man from his mysterious past in South Texas. Convinced Ledbetter has come to Dodge to kill him, Chester grows increasingly desperate, even as Matt Dillon struggles to separate paranoia from real danger. When a violent …

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Footfalls: A Blind Cobbler’s Vigil and Vengeance 29:22

1M ago29:22

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Originally Aired: July 12, 1945 In Suspense #149, “Footfalls,” blind cobbler Boaz Negro lives a quiet life with his delicate son, Manuel—until a charming bank clerk named Campbell Wood rents a room in their home. When a fire destroys the house, Wood is presumed dead, government funds vanish, and Manuel disappears, accused of murder and theft. Boaz …

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Sunday Supplement: Writers, Warpaths, and the Pawnee Totem 20:53

1M ago20:53

20:53

Originally Aired: June 24, 1956 In Gunsmoke #220, “Sunday Supplement,” two writers from New York arrive in Dodge City, searching for thrilling stories of the untamed West. Disappointed by the relative calm, they stir up trouble by stealing a sacred Pawnee totem from a burial ground—an act that drives the peaceful Chief Little Hawk to violence. As t…