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The Whistler: Classic Radio Drama

Presented by OTR.FM

Welcome to The Whistler: Classic Radio Drama, featuring the complete collection of this iconic suspense series that captivated audiences from 1942 to 1955. The Whistler was a unique radio series where a mysterious narrator, known only as "The Whistler," would introduce stories of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. Each episode began with his haunting 13-note whistle and the chilling words: "I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night." These tales of suspense, murder, and psychological drama featured stories of greed, jealousy, revenge, and the dark corners of the human psyche. What made The Whistler special was its focus on the criminal's perspective, often revealing the perpetrator's thoughts and motivations as their carefully laid plans inevitably unraveled. Join us for this comprehensive collection of classic radio drama, meticulously restored and presented for modern listeners who appreciate timeless storytelling and masterful suspense.

507 episodes

Episode 91: Murder in the Mind

Dec 7, 2025 · 27 min

In “Murder in the Mind,” Gil Hollister and his calculating wife Vicki are desperate for Gil’s inheritance, blocked by the continued good health of his wealthy stepmother, Belle. After a string of “accidents” fails to kill her, Belle unexpectedly hires a chauffeur-bodyguard named Foster, whose presence threatens their plans but soon inspires a new one. When Belle later dies in a fall from a dilapidated bridge, Foster reveals he’s been watching them—and blackmails Gil with a letter Belle supposedly wrote detailing their earlier murder attempts. Week after week the payments drain their finances, until Gil and Vicki decide to poison Foster and retrieve the incriminating letter from his apartment. But just as Foster collapses, the police arrive to warn the Hollisters about him: the letter is a forgery, Foster is a wanted criminal, and Belle’s death was believed to be accidental. With Foster dead from the poison Gil administered, the blackmail flips on its head—leaving Gil exposed as a murderer and trapped by his own paranoia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 81: The Twin

Dec 7, 2025 · 31 min

In “The Twin,” identical sisters Mona and Martha Spencer share the same face, the same voice, and the same life—until jealousy pushes Martha into a murderous obsession. Convinced that Mona has stolen every advantage, including the love of Bill Edwards, Martha kills her sister and flawlessly takes her place, staging the death as suicide. At first her plan works; neither Bill nor the police suspect a thing. But as she settles into Mona’s life, cracks form—Bill’s coldness, his insistence on using another name, and a growing sense that Mona’s memory is haunting her steps. When Bill finally reveals his own secret motive on a dark mountain road, Martha learns too late that she never understood the man she killed for. Bill tries to murder the woman he believes is Mona, only to be undone by the very clues he left behind. In the end, both killer and imposter fall to their own deceptions, proving that even perfect twins can’t escape the consequences of their darkest impulses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 80: Legacy of Death

Dec 7, 2025 · 29 min

In “Legacy of Death,” Doreen Holliston grows up believing her late mother’s warning: that she may have inherited a murderous impulse that strikes young adults in her father’s bloodline. Her stepfather, Henry Mitchell, enforces strict control over her life to “protect” her until she turns thirty. But after Doreen falls in love—first with the earnest overseer Irving, then with Henry’s charismatic brother Clyde—Henry panics, insisting that emotional stress could trigger her supposed hereditary urge to kill. When Clyde suddenly announces he’s leaving to marry another woman, Doreen is devastated, and by morning Clyde is found murdered with a sickle. Suspicion turns first to Doreen, then to Irving, until Doreen’s midnight memories and a few telling inconsistencies expose the truth: Henry himself killed Clyde, just as he had secretly poisoned Doreen’s mother, all to keep control of the estate. His invented “family curse” was nothing but a cover for murder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 64: Partners In Crime

Dec 7, 2025 · 29 min

In “Partners in Crime,” literary agents Chris Matthews and Freddy Stacey are living under a shadow of paranoia after stealing a priceless, jewel-encrusted Louis XIV dagger during a trip abroad—a theft that left Captain Frisco dead. Now someone is trying to kill them, and each is convinced the other is plotting a double-cross. When Captain Frisco’s look-alike brother appears, the pressure tightens, and Chris decides the safest path is eliminating Freddy and fleeing to Mexico with the dagger. But when Freddy confronts him at gunpoint, the plan explodes into violence, leaving Freddy dead. Chris then lures the smuggler Higgins to a beach house to finish the job and escape with the treasure, only to learn Freddy already took the dagger off the ship. Chris thinks he can still salvage the scheme—until the sheriff arrives with Freddy’s body, the dagger, and the address Chris himself had forced Higgins to write down. In that instant, Chris’s perfect getaway collapses, undone by his own instructions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 200: The Trigger Man

Dec 7, 2025 · 29 min

In “The Trigger Man,” Martin Lane is a talented young lawyer who rises fast by defending gangster Branch Malone, convincing himself it’s only temporary. But when Branch murders a key witness—and forces Martin to unknowingly lure the man to his death—Martin realizes too late that he’s crossed a line he can’t ever step back over. Now he’s the only living witness who can put Branch in the gas chamber, which makes him Branch’s biggest liability. With a hitman named Spike waiting to silence him, the police tailing him for protection, and his wife begging him to break free, Martin finally reaches his breaking point. In court he does the unthinkable: he abandons the defense, confesses what he knows, and becomes the star witness for the state. It feels like redemption—until Spike strikes. But in a final twist, Martin learns the “killer” walking beside him isn’t Spike at all, but a police decoy, while the real Spike lies dead on the sidewalk. For the first time, Martin has a future—one he nearly lost to the man he helped keep out of prison for far too long. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 198: Boomerang

Dec 7, 2025 · 29 min

In “Boomerang,” Amy Clark is suffocating in a dull marriage and wants the comforts of her life without the burden of her husband, Ralph. When a series of killings by the so-called doorbell murderer grips their neighborhood, Amy notices how neatly the details could be twisted to point toward Ralph. Bit by bit, she feeds suspicion into the gossip mill, then subtly manipulates events the night of another stabbing to make Ralph look like the killer. Her plan works almost perfectly: police shoot Ralph in “self-defense,” she cashes out the house and insurance, and she prepares to flee to Miami with a fortune. But her triumph collapses when crime reporter Haley appears at her door with a revelation she never saw coming. He isn’t there to expose her—he is the real doorbell killer, and Amy’s story has backed him into a corner. She becomes his final victim, and Haley himself is ultimately executed for her murder, closing a cycle of manipulation, violence, and poetic justice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 155: A Friendly Case of Blackmail

Nov 17, 2025 · 23 min

In “A Friendly Case of Blackmail,” Mildred Hardwick finally decides to leave her joyless marriage and run away with her lover, Hillary Gaines—until a thick San Francisco fog derails everything. On their way back to return her before her husband sees the goodbye note, they accidentally strike and kill him in the mist. Panicked, they flee the scene, convinced no one will ever believe it was an accident. But someone did see them: a smooth-talking opportunist named Baldwin, who soon appears with a smile and a blackmail racket tailored specifically to their secret. As the payments rise and the pressure becomes unbearable, Hillary plots a desperate way out—only to find himself trapped even deeper when the police uncover Baldwin’s insurance policy, his safe-deposit visit, and a trail of evidence pointing straight to murder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 54: Final Decree

Nov 15, 2025 · 27 min

In “Final Decree,” Gordon Weller survives what looks like a hunting accident—except he knows it wasn’t an accident at all. Someone is trying to kill him, and he’s certain it’s his wife, Joyce, who has long suspected that Gordon murdered her lover, Martin Benson, under the guise of a hunting mishap. What follows is a tense psychological duel between two people trapped in a marriage built on secrets, resentment, and mutual fear. Each plots the other’s death with mounting boldness, until Gordon finally engineers a perfect frame-up—an apparent suicide attempt tied to an “accidental” car crash meant to eliminate Joyce for good. But fate intervenes with a dark twist, leaving Gordon undone by the very plan he believed would save him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 18: Mirage

Nov 8, 2025 · 30 min

Shady lawyer Fred Adams marries the district attorney’s daughter Brenda but is still loved by nightclub owner Gloria who financed his career. Consumed by jealousy, Gloria enlists a henchman to stage a robbery and do away with Brenda. When society pages continue to report Brenda with Fred, Gloria becomes unhinged and eventually confesses when a woman who appears to be Brenda confronts her. The ghost is actually Brenda’s twin sister Nella, used by Fred and the police to trap the guilty parties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 17: House of Greed

Nov 6, 2025 · 30 min

Wealthy businessman John Talbot is deserted by his first wife Mary and later marries a widow named Helga, whose indolent son Paul moves into the household. Helga and Paul plot to inherit John’s fortune, but their plan is complicated by the return of John’s brother Frank and revelations about Mary’s daughter. When a murder shocks the household, greed and betrayal are unmasked, and John uses clever manipulation to expose those who tried to swindle him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 16: The Letter

Oct 19, 2025 · 30 min

In pre‑war Austria, mild‑mannered biologist Hans Minkler becomes involved with a secret group opposing the Nazis. When his wealthy patron Monsieur Galet is murdered and Hans's pipe is found at the scene, he goes into hiding and sends his fiancée a letter explaining his disappearance. The plot involves espionage, betrayal and suspicion as the police and his colleagues try to unravel who killed Galet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 15: Death Has a Thirst

Oct 13, 2025 · 30 min

Harvey Davis and his wife Donna arrange for their friend Victor to be taken to a sanitarium because of his severe drinking problem. Victor's father died insane from alcohol, and the doctor warns that Victor is headed for the same fate if he continues. The story delves into jealousy, trust, and the destructive power of addiction as Victor's drinking threatens to tear apart friendships and marriages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 7: Notes in the Night

Oct 11, 2025 · 30 min

Ambrose Brent, an airplane plant official, finds notes in his own handwriting that compel him to kill his business partner Henry but he has no memory of writing them. As the notes and a mysterious voice persist, he fears he is losing his mind. He consults his doctor and tries to escape the voices, but the true source of the notes reveals a plot to undermine him rather than madness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 5: Shrunken Head

Oct 10, 2025 · 30 min

A young woman named Marie visits her eccentric Uncle Peter in his gloomy mansion where he collects shrunken heads. When one of the heads mysteriously disappears and she hears whispering voices in her room, she suspects a sinister plot. With the help of Clay, she learns her uncle is manipulating her inheritance and using the shrunken heads to frighten her. In the end, the scheme surrounding her father's fortune is exposed without spoiling the final twist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 287: The Body Off Billingsgate

Oct 9, 2025 · 30 min

In episode 287 of The Whistler, titled 'The Body Off Billingsgate', a mysterious murder unravels as the Whistler recounts the grim discovery of a body on the dock at Billingsgate. The investigation leads to shocking revelations involving a check for 5,000 pounds signed by Wilford Greenwood, and a complex web of deceit and betrayal. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that the true cause of the man's death was a normally harmless instrument, an ordinary fountain pen, and the intricate connections between the characters come to light. The episode follows Victor Milton's entanglement in the dangerous world of gangsters and his unsettling encounter with the victim's family. The climax brings surprising twists and turns as secrets are revealed, ultimately leading to a shocking and unexpected ending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 178: One Man Jury

Sep 19, 2025 · 31 min

Dan Parcher, a respected newspaper editor in Southport, finds himself entangled in the high-profile trial of Clara Wentworth, who is accused of murdering her husband. Parcher takes a firm stand, using his editorial influence to rally support for Clara and swaying public opinion. However, after Clara is acquitted, Parcher's behavior takes a dark turn, leading to a shocking and tragic outcome. As the truth comes to light, Parcher's integrity and character are called into question, unraveling the facade of justice he had created. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 672: Letters from Aaron Burr

Sep 18, 2025 · 24 min

Ernie Madden, a former convict, is released from prison, and his fellow inmate, Pop Wiley, encourages him to visit an old woman named Mrs. Alden. However, Ernie's plans are disrupted when he encounters a woman named Louise Fenton, who manipulates him into participating in a scheme involving a forged letter from Aaron Burr. Ernie eventually becomes embroiled in a complicated plot that leads to the discovery of a genuine Aaron Burr letter, culminating in a confrontation with the police and the unraveling of the elaborate deception. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 521: Charming Hostess

Sep 4, 2025 · 27 min

Barbara Courtney, a woman with a hidden past, is faced with blackmail and deception as she tries to hide her dark secret from her husband and the authorities. She plans to pay off her blackmailer, Myra Dorsey, but events take a dangerous turn when a hit-and-run accident near her house reveals unexpected truths. As Barbara tries to cover up her involvement in past crimes, she is confronted with the harsh reality of her actions and the consequences of her deceit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 508: A Matter of Time

Sep 4, 2025 · 30 min

Russ Logan, a meticulous and calculating man, carefully plans out an opportunity to his advantage. However, an unexpected change in his routine leads to a series of complications, including a failed assassination attempt on his business partner, Jim Kendrick. As events spiral out of control, Russ finds himself in a desperate situation, leading to a shocking conclusion that exposes his true intentions and involves the police. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Two Lives of Colby Fletcher

Aug 28, 2025 · 24 min

Colby Fletcher leads a double life—one as a quiet, mild-mannered clerk in a hardware store, and another as a charming, confident man-about-town under the alias of Bruce Lambert. When a rich widow falls for his false identity and proposes marriage, Colby finds himself caught between two worlds. But when his deception threatens to unravel, he takes desperate measures to keep his secret safe. As the truth edges closer, Colby’s carefully constructed façade collapses, leading to betrayal, murder, and a final twist of justice delivered by fate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 690: Design for Murder

Aug 27, 2025 · 24 min

In this episode, Charles Gilbert anxiously encourages his wife Edna to go on a trip, while also having a secret romantic relationship with her close friend, Myreen Walker. In an attempt to rid himself of both women, Charles orchestrates a plan that leads to a tragic accident. However, his actions backfire, and he finds himself entangled in his own deceit when unexpected evidence surfaces, ultimately leading to a surprising turn of events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 689: Little Red Book

Aug 26, 2025 · 23 min

Larry Layton becomes embroiled in a complex and dangerous web of deceit after witnessing a deadly altercation in Panama City. He soon discovers that the woman involved, Julie Frazier, is not who she seems to be and is connected to a high-stakes payoff. As Larry attempts to uncover the truth, he finds himself entangled in a dangerous game of betrayal and murder, leading to unexpected twists and a shocking revelation about Julie's true intentions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 688: A Present for Ricky

Aug 25, 2025 · 24 min

In this episode of The Whistler, Marie Croydon, a talented dancer, becomes entangled in a love triangle with her husband Clyde Croydon and a young dancer named Ricky. As the tension builds, Clyde becomes increasingly jealous and resentful, ultimately leading to a tragic and unexpected turn of events. The episode is filled with deceit, betrayal, and a shocking revelation that unfolds in an unsuspecting way, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 687: Marked Man

Aug 24, 2025 · 21 min

In this episode, titled 'Marked Man,' the protagonist, Frank Seto, finds himself on the run after a swindle goes awry. With $70,000 stolen from associates, he flees to Los Angeles, where he encounters his accomplice, Wally Neal. Fearful of Wally's intentions, Frank orchestrates a deadly confrontation, leading to Wally's demise. As Frank tries to secure the stolen money, he becomes embroiled in unforeseen complications, ultimately leading to a confrontation with the police. Despite attempts to flee, Frank's ill-gotten gains ultimately mark him for a grim fate. This intense and suspenseful episode delves into the consequences of greed and deception. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 686: The Havana Lee

Aug 23, 2025 · 22 min

In this episode of The Whistler, Clifford Fargo, a chemist, gets involved in a smuggling operation to raise money to cover his gambling debts. As he navigates through the treacherous world of smuggling, betrayal, and deceit, he finds himself entangled in a web of danger and criminal activities, leading to unexpected twists and turns that threaten his life and freedom. The story takes a dramatic and suspenseful turn as Fargo becomes embroiled in a murder investigation, testing his wits and resolve as he tries to outmaneuver the authorities and his ruthless adversaries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.