"The Sisters" begins with the purchase of a coffin for someone who has not yet died. Lydia Haskell explains that she has had a premonition of her own death and wants to plan her own funeral arrangements. The mortician and the police don't believe her story and think she is suicidal. It appears, however, that Lydia may have someone else in mind for that coffin. Her sister, Ellie, is a madwoman who lives in the attic of Lydia's house. One of them is going to die, but which one?
"The Sisters" was written for Suspense by screenwriter George Wells and was presented three times. The script is more or less the same in each version, but the performances vary with the actresses in the lead roles. The first time this story aired, Ida Lupino starred as the cold and calculating Lydia Haskell and Agnes Moorehead put in a gentle performance as Ellie. This episode was produced/directed by William Spier and aired on February 3, 1944.
. Download Suspense_1944.02.03_TheSisters.mp3
The second time Suspense presented this story, Rosalind Russell and Lurene Tuttle starred. In this version, the sister fight scenes are the best and we get a better sense of how disturbed Lydia is. This episode was produced/directed by Anton Leader and aired on December 9, 1948.
Download Suspense_1948.12.09_TheSisters.mp3
The third time this story was presented Francis Farmer and Cathy Lewis starred. This version is shorter and less intense . It was produced/directed by William N. Robson and aired on March 30, 1958.
Download Suspense_1958.03.30_The Sisters.MP3
(Image of Rosalind Russell and Lurene Tuttle performing "The Sisters" from Library of Congress/American Memory)
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