Suspense CBS · September 16, 1948

Suspense 480916 307 Hitch Hike Poker (128 44) 28457 29m40s

· GHOST OF RADIO ·
0:00 --:--

# Suspense: "Hitch Hike Poker"

Picture yourself huddled around the radio on a restless evening in the 1940s as three strangers meet on a lonely stretch of highway. What begins as an innocent game of cards in a borrowed car quickly spirals into a web of deception, desperation, and mounting dread. In "Hitch Hike Poker," the stakes aren't merely monetary—they're existential. Every shuffle of the deck, every raised bet, every nervous glance carries the weight of lives hanging in the balance. The cramped confines of the automobile become a pressure cooker of human nature stripped bare, where the cards reveal far more about a man's character than his face ever could. As tension crackles through the airwaves, listeners will find themselves wondering: who is bluffing, who is truly dangerous, and what price is anyone willing to pay to win?

*Suspense* stands as CBS's crown jewel of audio terror, a program that perfected the art of psychological horror during radio's golden age. From 1942 through its final broadcast in 1962, the series proved that the most terrifying monsters often wore human faces. Each episode stripped away the supernatural trappings that lesser programs relied upon, instead mining genuine horror from the everyday vulnerabilities of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. With meticulous sound design, accomplished character actors, and scripts that understood the power of suggestion, *Suspense* became appointment listening for millions who understood that imagination was far more frightening than any special effect.

If you've never experienced the particular thrill of *Suspense*, or if you're a devoted fan seeking a forgotten gem, "Hitch Hike Poker" offers the perfect entry point—a masterclass in dramatic construction where a simple poker game becomes a battleground of wits, nerve, and survival instinct.