The Whistler CBS · December 5, 1948

Whistler 48 12 05 Ep339 Hired Alibi

· GHOST OF RADIO ·
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# The Whistler: "Hired Alibi"

Step into the shadowed corridors of deception as a desperate man discovers that money can buy many things—but can it buy innocence? In this December 1948 broadcast, *The Whistler* spins a twisted tale of a manufactured alibi that spirals into something far more sinister than its architect ever imagined. When a seemingly simple transaction—pay for a false witness, walk free from suspicion—threatens to unravel into blackmail and murder, our protagonist finds himself trapped between the devil who framed him and the devil he hired. The unseen Whistler's ominous theme pierces through the night like a blade, setting the tone for an evening where the line between guilty and innocent becomes as blurred as the fog rolling through the city streets, and where the price of deception proves far steeper than any cash payment.

*The Whistler* occupied a unique position in the golden age of radio drama—a show that perfected the intimate, first-person noir narrative that had captivated audiences since its 1942 debut. Unlike the ensemble casts of competing programs, this series relied on the hypnotic narration of an unseen presence and a rotating cast of guest stars to deliver tight, psychologically complex stories in just twenty-five minutes. By 1948, the show had refined its formula into something almost operatic in its economy of storytelling, where every word counted and every sound effect deepened the moral ambiguity at the heart of each episode.

Don't miss "Hired Alibi"—a masterclass in radio suspense that proves some debts can never truly be paid off. Tune in and discover why *The Whistler* remains one of the most haunting voices ever transmitted into American living rooms.