Suspense - Motive for Murder

The mysterious murder of a vacuum cleaner salesman is a dilemna for Alan Ladd in Suspense's "Motive for Murder." He plays a detective named "Irish" whose wife, Mary, has just been found passed out alongside a dead salesman. All of the evidence points to Mary, but Irish believes she was framed. He intends to go through the facts one by one to prove her innocence. These are things he knows for sure:

Fact! -- Strangers usually don't kill each other.

The people involved in this scenario had to have known each other. He sets out to find their connection.

Fact! -- The vacuum cleaner salesman had come to do a demonstration, but there was no vacuum cleaner at the murder scene; therefore, someone had killed to get that vacuum cleaner.

If he can figure out who wanted it, he can find the murderer.

Appearing with Alan Ladd were Joseph Kearns as the lieutenant, Howard McNear, John Dehner, Ed Max, Jeannette Nolan, and Lurene Tuttle.  "Motive for Murder" was based on the 1948 short story by John and Ward Hawkins and was adapted for radio by  E. Jack Neuman.  This show aired on March 16, 1950.

Download suspense_1950.03.16_Motive for Murder.mp3

The same story had been presented the previous year by Radio City Playhouse. Bernard Grant played David Murphy and Mitzi Gould played Mary. The credits aren't given on the recording but the radio adaptation was probably written by Harry W. Junkin. It aired on June 20, 1949.

Download rcph.1949.06.20_Motive_for_Murder.mp3

(Image of Alan Ladd from classicsavers.com.)

Comments

[addie]

"motive for murder" is the perfect vehicle for alan ladd, who plays a hard boiled, film noir, styled "detective" (a cop here, really).
i love alan ladd, i love this web site, but right now, i have to stop listening to suspense, turn off the computer and get out of the house, gosh time flies.

addie
ny, ny

[Alex]

Was Georgia Ellis also in the Suspense episode? I could have sworn it was her playing the girl the old landlady calls over to talk to the detective.

It would have made it a gathering of Gunsmoke regulars two years before it even started. Directed by Norman Macdonnell with McNear, Dobkin, Kearns and possibly Georgia Ellis. I have to say, though, I can't seem to find Dehner in this one.