Suspense 461017 215 The Man Who Thought He Was Edward G Robinson (64 44) 13851 28m11s

# The Man Who Thought He Was Edward G. Robinson

Picture this: a modest apartment, a man alone with his obsession, and the terrifying blur between fantasy and reality. In this October 1947 installment of *Suspense*, listeners descend into the fractured mind of an ordinary fellow whose admiration for Hollywood's greatest tough-guy actor has metastasized into something far more sinister. As the orchestra swells with that distinctive CBS *Suspense* theme—those pulsing strings and ominous brass stabs—we're plunged into a psychological thriller where the line between impersonation and insanity becomes dangerously thin. What begins as harmless mimicry in the mirror gradually transforms into something more disturbing, a descent into delusion where the protagonist no longer merely *watches* Edward G. Robinson's films—he believes he *is* Edward G. Robinson. The broadcast's taut 28-minute runtime wastes no time, building dread through intimate character study and mounting tension as those around our delusional protagonist begin to realize something has fundamentally broken inside his mind.

For over two decades, *Suspense* was American radio's premier purveyor of psychological terror, crafting thrills without ever relying on cheap monster scares. This particular episode exemplifies why the show earned its reputation: it weaponizes the everyday, transforming a common fantasy—the Hollywood daydream—into a gateway to madness. The show's brilliance lay in its understanding that the most terrifying monsters are those we create in our own heads, a lesson perfectly demonstrated here through the simple act of someone becoming *too* much like their idol.

Don't miss this haunting exploration of obsession and fractured identity. Adjust the dials to *Suspense*—where every shadow might hide a secret, and every certainty conceals a chilling truth. *Suspense* airs tonight at 10 o'clock.