Lucille Fletcher, one of the twentieth century’s scriptwriters, wrote several episodes of the radio series, Suspense. Her most famous is “Sorry, Wrong Number,” but “Fugue in C Minor” is also an extraordinary example of radio writing. Fletcher was a music librarian for a time—her first husband was an orchestral composer—so this music-themed horror story does a lot more than simply use music as a bit of dressing; Fugue in C Minor integrates music and dialogue to create an odd but truly Halloweenish story.

Fugue in C Minor – Tales Well Calculated to Keep You in…Suspense.

This episode first aired on June 1, 1944. The audio engineering is excellent. The pipe organ in the story functions as a character. Theodore Evans is played by Vincent Price, and it’s a showcase for his broad range of storytelling. Ida Lupino plays Amanda Peabody. The Evans children’s dialogue is written in a way that blurs the line between creepy and sympathetic.

Here are a few more of my favorite suspenseful radio episodes for your all hallows’ eve enjoyment.

Creepy. Crawley. Cursed. From CBS Radio Mystery Theatre, E.G. Marshall narrates Black Widow.
“Fake News” ruled the airwaves on the night of October 30, 1938. Here’s a recording of the broadcast.
A 1955 Halloween treat from Suspense: Agnes Moorehead in “The Whole Town Sleeping”
A Halloween treat: Cary Grant stars in an intense episode of Suspense—On A Country Road.

Boo! And Happy Halloween! As always, thanks for stopping by, and feel free to share the post.