This is an episode list for the 1980 season of the radio drama series CBS Radio Mystery Theater. The series premiered on CBS on January 6, 1974, and ended on December 31, 1982. A set of 1,399 original episodes aired between January 1974 and December 1982. The series was broadcast every day of the week for the first six years with re-runs filling in empty slots starting in February 1974. All episodes are available free at the Internet Archive.
List of seasons
| Episode list | # of episodes |
|---|---|
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1974 season) | 193 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1975 season) | 212 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1976 season) | 170 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1977 season) | 186 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1978 season) | 176 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1979 season) | 106 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1980 season) | 97 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1981 season) | 132 |
| List of CBS Radio Mystery Theater episodes (1982 season) | 127 |
Episodes
January
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1044 | 1 | "Revenge is Not Sweet" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | January 2, 1980 (1980-01-02) | |
|
A detective is called upon to examine a wealthy man's death, and begins to suspect that the deceased's oddly-behaving children may have had a role in the matter. Starring: Robert Dryden Based on a story by Jacques Futrelle | ||||||
| 1045 | 2 | "The Last Days of Pompeii (First Day): City of the Dead" | Himan Brown | Gerald Keane | January 7, 1980 (1980-01-07) | |
|
Adapted from Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel, this 5-part story begins with Marcus encountering two different women upon moving to the doomed city: Lydia, who leads a movement of her fellow slaves; and Orianna, an aristocrat who, much to the chagrin of Isis' high priest, discovers Christianity. Starring: Russell Horton, Evie Juster, Kristoffer Tabori, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1046 | 3 | "The Last Days of Pompeii (Second Day): Thrown to the Lions" | Himan Brown | Gerald Keane | January 8, 1980 (1980-01-08) | |
|
After Pompeii is struck by a devastating earthquake, Lydia and an Isis priest cast a love spell on Marcus to make him fall in love with Lydia; the plan backfires, however, as Marcus becomes destructive and is falsely accused of murder. Starring: Russell Horton, Evie Juster, Earl Hammond, Kristoffer Tabori, Velita Gray | ||||||
| 1047 | 4 | "The Last Days of Pompeii (Third Day): Half Prophet, Half Fiend" | Himan Brown | Gerald Keane | January 9, 1980 (1980-01-09) | |
|
Marcus is wrongfully imprisoned by Arbaces, High Priest of Isis, who wants Orianna to himself; Orianna and Lydia, however, have other plans. Starring: Russell Horton, Ian Martin, Evie Juster, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1048 | 5 | "The Last Days of Pompeii (Fourth Day): Danger, Love and Death" | Himan Brown | Gerald Keane | January 10, 1980 (1980-01-10) | |
|
Marcus is thrown to a lion, who refuses to attack; Arbaces kidnaps Orianna, with Marcus and Lydia in hot pursuit; and Mount Vesuvius erupts. Starring: Russell Horton, Earl Hammond, Ian Martin, Evie Juster, Patricia Elliott | ||||||
| 1049 | 6 | "The Last Days of Pompeii (Fifth Day): The Buried City" | Himan Brown | Gerald Keane | January 11, 1980 (1980-01-11) | |
|
The story ends as Marcus and Orianna, with Lydia's assistance, flee a burning Pompeii, despite a great many diversions (in particular Arbaces' last attempt to take Orianna). Starring: Russell Horton, Marian Seldes, Evie Juster, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1050 | 7 | "The Better Half" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | January 14, 1980 (1980-01-14) | |
|
In a fit of jealous rage, PR executive Bobby Boyle kills his partner in business and life, the more competent Jeannie Frye... who continues to offer Bobby advice and love from the great beyond. Starring: Tony Roberts, Patricia Elliott | ||||||
| 1051 | 8 | "Prisoner of the Machines" | Himan Brown | Henry Slesar | January 16, 1980 (1980-01-16) | |
|
In a war between humans and machines, a group of Earth soldiers are captured and sent to an asteroid prison, where the unit's commander schemes to liberate his men from their mechanical captors. Starring: John Lithgow, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1052 | 9 | "Once Upon an Island" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | January 21, 1980 (1980-01-21) | |
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A newlywed couple vacationing on a Caribbean island learn of a local legend, prompting the husband to investigate it further by exploring a haunted house. Starring: Norman Rose, Diana Kirkwood, Russell Horton | ||||||
| 1053 | 10 | "The Forty-Four" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | January 23, 1980 (1980-01-23) | |
|
A wealthy landowner confesses to killing her cousin with a .44 Colt over an ownership dispute; when a ballistics report on the gun comes back negative, the sheriff (who carries a romantic torch for the landowner) must find the true perpetrator. Starring: John Beal, Carol Teitel | ||||||
| 1054 | 11 | "The God Machine" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | January 28, 1980 (1980-01-28) | |
|
In a future where a master computer regulates the institutions of marriage and procreation, a man and woman override the system by falling in love, then fight back when the machine tries to separate them. Starring: Lloyd Battista, Patricia Elliott | ||||||
| 1055 | 12 | "The Crystal Gazer" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | January 30, 1980 (1980-01-30) | |
|
A private eye must match wits with a wily fortune teller to learn of a woman's whereabouts; the woman vanished after the oracle told her she'll be in an arranged marriage to an older man. Starring: Robert Dryden, Ian Martin, Evie Juster, Ray Owens | ||||||
February
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1056 | 13 | "That's What Friends Are For" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | February 4, 1980 (1980-02-04) | |
|
A British Army lieutenant in India is plagued by a ghost in his home; the bagpipe music that the spirit plays may serve as a warning regarding his pending nuptials to an army major's daughter. Starring: Tony Roberts, Earl Hammond Suggested by a Rudyard Kipling story | ||||||
| 1057 | 14 | "The Deserter" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | February 6, 1980 (1980-02-06) | |
|
A landslide strands a couple and their infant son in the Sierra mountains of California. Though a reclusive mountaineer is able to rescue them and help them survive, he refuses to guide them back to civilization. Starring: John Lithgow, Evie Juster, Ralph Bell | ||||||
| 1058 | 15 | "Talk to Me" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | February 11, 1980 (1980-02-11) | |
|
"I'm the one who got you into this; I can get you out... somehow." John J. Marlow is retired, respectful — and just desires someone to talk to. So he calls a crime tip hotline and offers detailed (but false) information on a recent murder case. But Marlowe's statement gets an innocent kid, Benny Sarafin, arrested for the crime; and actual evidence that ties Benny to the victim makes Marlowe's efforts to recant his statement all the more difficult. Starring: John Beal, Paul Hecht, Jack Grimes, Bryna Raeburn | ||||||
| 1059 | 16 | "Crime of Passion" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | February 13, 1980 (1980-02-13) | |
|
An expert in business law is called upon to defend a night watchman accused of murdering his wife after catching her with another man. As he builds his case, the attorney soon begins to suspect his own wife could be unfaithful as well. Starring: Mandel Kramer | ||||||
| 1060 | 17 | "The Time Box" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | February 18, 1980 (1980-02-18) | |
|
A newspaper reporter discovers a time machine developed in the 1880s; after using it to go back 100 years, he's called upon to save the inventor's daughter, who's engaged to a known serial killer. Starring: Russell Horton, Robert Dryden, Diana Kirkwood | ||||||
| 1061 | 18 | "The Vampire Plant" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | February 20, 1980 (1980-02-20) | |
|
A wimpy man marries an assertive woman, then notices that those tormenting him are starting to disappear; he suspects his wife's houseplant, a carnivorous hemo anderantus. Starring: Robert Dryden, Teri Keane, Ian Martin, Joan Shay | ||||||
| 1062 | 19 | "The Unseen and the Seen" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | February 25, 1980 (1980-02-25) | |
|
A widowed banker and aspiring artist takes measures to find out why a wedding day photo of he and his late wife is mysteriously and inexplicably moving about their house. Starring: Paul Hecht, Carol Teitel | ||||||
| 1063 | 20 | "The Intruder" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | February 27, 1980 (1980-02-27) | |
|
Robby Melville returns home on college spring break to see his parents, scientist Dr. Phillip Melville and author Dorothy Melville. But he's not really Robby, but rather an alien lookalike from another dimension (where the real Robby is being held captive). The doppelganger offers a trade demand to the Melvilles: In exchange for their son's release, Dorothy must follow the alien to his home planet, where she must help repopulate his dying species. Starring: Norman Rose, Grace Mathews, Russell Horton Adapted from a short story by Jules Verne | ||||||
March
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1064 | 21 | "Laundry Money" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | March 3, 1980 (1980-03-03) | |
|
An accountant unwittingly gets lured into a money laundering scheme, unaware it's a plot his wife and his best friend have concocted to hasten his demise. Starring: Larry Haines, Earl Hammond, Evie Juster | ||||||
| 1065 | 22 | "A Matter of Identity" | Himan Brown | Roy Winsor | March 5, 1980 (1980-03-05) | |
|
Worried that her cousin has fallen out of contact and may have been kidnapped, Claire Reed travels to Port-au-Prince, Haiti and, with the assistance of an old beau who works at the U.S. Embassy, implores a local police detective to investigate... and discover a link to local beliefs of voodoo and human sacrifice. Starring: Heather McCray, Russell Horton | ||||||
| 1066 | 23 | "You're Going to Like Rodney" | Himan Brown | Bob Juhren | March 10, 1980 (1980-03-10) | |
|
A couple babysitting their young nephew are tortured and harassed by his antics; they begin to suspect the child may be more malevolent than he appears to be. Starring: Tony Roberts, Patricia Elliott | ||||||
| 1067 | 24 | "The Secret of the Fifth Bell" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | March 12, 1980 (1980-03-12) | |
|
A woman buys her husband a set of antique Chinese bells; each time one of them rings on its own, good fortune finds one person... while death finds another. Starring: Earl Hammond, Arnold Moss, Joyce Gordon, Ian Martin Adapted from a story by Jacques Futrelle | ||||||
| 1068 | 25 | "The Evil Eye" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | March 17, 1980 (1980-03-17) | |
|
A fiction writer believes she has an "evil eye" power upon finding that those she becomes angry with suffer misfortune or even death. Her husband and her agent, who are having an affair, hatch a plot to take advantage of her gift. Starring: Mandel Kramer, Carol Teitel, Teri Keane | ||||||
| 1069 | 26 | "The Death Wish" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | March 19, 1980 (1980-03-19) | |
|
A stressed-out businessman relaxes by using "rhapsodic meditation," during which he has two disturbing visions — one of his wife having an affair, the other seductions by a celestial temptress. Starring: Ralph Bell | ||||||
| 1070 | 27 | "The Blue Tiger" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | March 24, 1980 (1980-03-24) | |
|
Seasoned assassin Leo murders a key organized crime witness, then stays a step ahead of the authorities by silencing both his girlfriend and the district attorney she ratted out to. But Leo's next assignment surprisingly weighs heavily on his conscience: Conning an elderly woman and owner of valuable land into believing he's her long lost son. Starring: Larry Haines | ||||||
| 1071 | 28 | "Conspiracy" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | March 26, 1980 (1980-03-26) | |
|
A recounting of a secret plot by John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln (after a kidnapping plot was unsuccessful) as well as Lincoln's vice president and secretary of state. Starring: Kevin McCarthy | ||||||
| 1072 | 29 | "The End of the Rainbow" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | March 31, 1980 (1980-03-31) | |
|
A businessman's neglected housewife gets picked up by a stranger at a singles bar, but everything goes pearshaped when they head for a nearby town that's infamous for its gambling. Starring: Teri Keane, Mandel Kramer, Robert Kaliban | ||||||
April
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1073 | 30 | "The Fateful Bell" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | April 2, 1980 (1980-04-02) | |
|
In 15th century China, a lowly artisan attempts to fulfill an emperor's request to cast a gigantic bell that can be heard for miles, while seeking to win the heart and hand of the princess who loves him. Starring: Kristoffer Tabori, Evie Juster, Ian Martin Adapted from a story by Lafcadio Hearn | ||||||
| 1074 | 31 | "Madame Sirocco" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | April 7, 1980 (1980-04-07) | |
|
Stumped and getting no help in a missing person case, a police detective enlists the help of the titular psychic... whom he also knows as a con artist. Starring: Bryna Raeburn, Earl Hammond, William Griffis, Joyce Gordon | ||||||
| 1075 | 32 | "Kitty" | Himan Brown | Henry Slesar | April 9, 1980 (1980-04-09) | |
|
Police determine whether a series of deaths by what appears to be cat scratches are connected with a dancer and her sister/roommate, who share an affinity for felines. Starring: Teri Keane, Catherine Byers, Robert Kaliban, Russell Horton | ||||||
| 1076 | 33 | "Star Sapphire" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | April 14, 1980 (1980-04-14) | |
|
After adopting a teenage girl to assist his wheelchair-using spouse and help tend to their farm, a man teaches the girl how to hunt and kill through his use of the hypnotic sapphire ring she's become obsessed with. Starring: Fred Gwynne, Evelyn Juster, Carol Teitel | ||||||
| 1077 | 34 | "The Face in the Coffin" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | April 16, 1980 (1980-04-16) | |
|
Tim & Cathy Doyle visit a funeral home to pay respects to their late aunt, but unwittingly view the body of a federal judge presiding over an organized crime case; their inadvertent error puts the Doyles' lives in danger. Starring: Kristofer Tabori, Roberta Maxwell, Robert Kaliban, Fred Gwynne | ||||||
| 1078 | 35 | "The Fourth Reason" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | April 21, 1980 (1980-04-21) | |
|
A woman enlists a congressman's aid after her husband fails to return from a business trip to Paris; the politician, however, uses the case to propel his aspirations for higher office. Starring: John Lithgow, Teri Keane | ||||||
| 1079 | 36 | "The Dead You Can't Bury" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | April 23, 1980 (1980-04-23) | |
|
A fortune teller warns a young woman that a man in her future portends doom. Just as predicted, the woman meets (and falls in love with) that man, despite nightmares she has of a spirit warning her of further danger. Starring: Jada Rowland | ||||||
| 1080 | 37 | "Portrait of a Memory" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | April 28, 1980 (1980-04-28) | |
|
A wealthy woman hires a starving American artist in Paris to paint a portrait of a man she once loved — based only on his own vision of the man (as the woman refuses to provide a picture of her beloved). Starring: Norman Rose, Marian Seldes | ||||||
| 1081 | 38 | "How Can I Ever Thank You" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | April 30, 1980 (1980-04-30) | |
|
An arrogant novelist recalls how, thanks to a devilish deal, he gained revenge on his unfaithful wife and his once-grateful former protégé... without committing the murder for which he now stands accused. Starring: Mandel Kramer | ||||||
May
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1082 | 39 | "Inner Eye" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | May 5, 1980 (1980-05-05) | |
|
Using the power of postcognition, a young woman tries to save the life of her ex-lover when she has visions that he's on the verge of doing something rash. Starring: Roberta Maxwell | ||||||
| 1083 | 40 | "Wanted, a Husband" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | May 7, 1980 (1980-05-07) | |
|
Two grifters set up a mail order scam for men seeking a mate, with widowed restaurant cook Wilhemina and a hefty "bank account" as lures. Everything goes well, until a postal inspector becomes suspicious... and Wilhemina falls for one of the applicants. Starring: Fred Gwynne, Ian Martin, Bryna Raeburn Adapted from O. Henry's short story "The Exact Science of Matrimony" | ||||||
| 1084 | 41 | "Tomorrow Is Never" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | May 12, 1980 (1980-05-12) | |
|
Years after they first met on a European expedition, a worldly traveler learns a spinster teacher is being taken advantage of by ill-mannered relatives, and vows to help her reclaim her life. Starring: Marian Seldes, Larry Haines Adapted from the Henry James novel The Aspern Papers | ||||||
| 1085 | 42 | "On the Side of the Angels" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | May 14, 1980 (1980-05-14) | |
|
A traveling salesman helps free a demoralized woman from the psychologically dark clutches of her evil family. Starring: Earl Hammond, Evie Juster | ||||||
| 1086 | 43 | "Two of a Kind" | Himan Brown | Henry Slesar | May 19, 1980 (1980-05-19) | |
|
Two identically furnished apartments are part of a lazy, selfish man's effort to drive his aunt insane and relieve her of her wealth. Starring: Kristoffer Tabori, Martha Greenhouse, Russell Horton | ||||||
| 1087 | 44 | "A Private Demon" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | May 21, 1980 (1980-05-21) | |
|
An absent-minded college professor murders a Ph.D. candidate, and then feigns innocence, after the student provides evidence that refutes his theories. A battle of wits then ensues between the professor, his housekeeper, and a police detective investigating the crime. Starring: Norman Rose, Carol Teitel, Robert Kaliban | ||||||
| 1088 | 45 | "Phantom World" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | May 26, 1980 (1980-05-26) | |
|
A British aristocrat and a former military officer, both condemned to die for treason, find themselves shipwrecked on a deserted island, where they find love, romance... and a deranged Frenchman. Starring: Marian Seldes, Lloyd Battista, Roberta Maxwell, Court Benson | ||||||
| 1089 | 46 | "The Bluff" | Himan Brown | Henry Slesar | May 28, 1980 (1980-05-28) | |
|
A blind ex-cop uses himself as bait to exact revenge on the man who ruined his and his wife's lives. Starring: Larry Haines, Earl Hammond, Roberta Maxwell | ||||||
June
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1090 | 47 | "Let George Do It" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | June 2, 1980 (1980-06-02) | |
|
For a salesman traveling in New England, what starts with a car needing repairs turns into a seduction by a shopkeeper who, like him, is unhappily married — and who'd like his help in murdering her husband. Starring: Russell Horton, Evie Juster, Ian Martin | ||||||
| 1091 | 48 | "Obsession" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | June 4, 1980 (1980-06-04) | |
|
A mystery writer asks an old friend, a police chief, to incarcerate him, believing it's the only way to prevent him from committing a felonious crime. Starring: Robert Dryden, Mandel Kramer | ||||||
| 1092 | 49 | "That Magic Touch" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | June 9, 1980 (1980-06-09) | |
|
An actress divorces her cold, emotionally distant producer-husband, but they decide to reunite and reconcile at a remote lodge at Christmastime. That's when past issues resurface and cause trouble. Starring: Marian Seldes, Michael Tolan | ||||||
| 1093 | 50 | "Legacy of Guilt" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | June 11, 1980 (1980-06-11) | |
|
After removing an antique from the attic, a pregnant woman is visited by a female specter, who not only tells of the house's previous owners, but also asks the woman to help her find her lost child. Starring: Roberta Maxwell, Bryna Raeburn, Russell Horton | ||||||
| 1094 | 51 | "Voice from the Grave" | Himan Brown | Roy Winsor | June 16, 1980 (1980-06-16) | |
|
Supposedly based on a true-life tale, this story finds a detective obtaining a peculiar form of assistance in solving a lab technician's murder — through the help of a doctor's wife who can speak in the victim's voice while in her sleep. Starring: Earl Hammond, Court Benson, Carol Teitel | ||||||
| 1095 | 52 | "In the Name of Love" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | June 18, 1980 (1980-06-18) | |
|
A powerful ad agency president lives a fantasy of being mother to a famous actress. When that "daughter" goes missing, she asks a wealthy client for help in solving the disappearance. Starring: Teri Keane, Norman Rose | ||||||
| 1096 | 53 | "Life Blood" | Himan Brown | Murray Burnett | June 23, 1980 (1980-06-23) | |
|
An embittered and vengeful physicist creates a lifelike female robot, Amelia, whose sole purpose is to seduce and destroy an old colleague who mistreated him in the past. Starring: Joan Beal, Marian Seldes | ||||||
| 1097 | 54 | "The Sweet Smell of Murder" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | June 25, 1980 (1980-06-25) | |
|
After her husband is caught red-handed with stolen loot from a robbery, a charter boat captain's wife works with a police investigator to prove his innocence. Starring: Bryna Raeburn, Robert Dryden, Joe Silver, Evie Juster | ||||||
| 1098 | 55 | "The Old Maid Murders" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | June 30, 1980 (1980-06-30) | |
|
A secretary falls secretly in love with her boss, and then must protect him from his worst impulses when she learns he may be a double agent working with an enemy government. Starring: Tammy Grimes, Norman Rose, Court Benson, Earl Hammond | ||||||
July
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1099 | 56 | "Maud-Evelyn" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | July 2, 1980 (1980-07-02) | |
|
Peter Harkness was once obsessed with marrying his fiance; now, the travel guide has a new love — the beloved daughter of clients who has been dead for 10 years. Starring: Paul Hecht, Carol Teitel, Lloyd Battista Based on the story by Henry James | ||||||
| 1100 | 57 | "Silent Partners" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | July 7, 1980 (1980-07-07) | |
|
A wealthy businessman and his secretary are kidnapped in South America; a daring escape from their captors is only the start of their adventure. Starring: Mandel Kramer, Marian Seldes, Gilbert Mack | ||||||
| 1101 | 58 | "Sierra Alpha 638" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | July 9, 1980 (1980-07-09) | |
|
A cult leader and his followers hijack an El Paso-to-Mexico City flight so that he can pick up a supply of marijuana in the California desert. Starring: Robert Dryden | ||||||
| 1102 | 59 | "Nightmare in Gillette Castle" | Himan Brown | Elizabeth Pennell | July 14, 1980 (1980-07-14) | |
|
A vacationing couple find themselves trapped overnight in the castle home of a late movie actor who once portrayed Sherlock Holmes — and in the middle of a murder investigation led by the famous sleuth himself! Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Jada Rowland | ||||||
| 1103 | 60 | "Murder Preferred" | Himan Brown | Henry Slesar | July 16, 1980 (1980-07-16) | |
|
A widow fakes a crime scene to make her husband's suicide look like a murder; but when an innocent man is accused of the crime, she confesses her deception to the lawyer she's hired to help clear the man's name. Starring: Teri Keane, Tony Roberts, Earl Hammond, Court Benson | ||||||
| 1104 | 61 | "A Ton of Gold" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | July 28, 1980 (1980-07-28) | |
|
An archaeologist, his team, and an Indian guide search for lost tribal gold in the New Mexico desert, and learn first-hand of the curse that envelops the treasure. Starring: Earl Hammond, Ralph Bell | ||||||
| 1105 | 62 | "The Death Disk" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | July 30, 1980 (1980-07-30) | |
|
A job applicant conducts her own investigation into the theft of a rare artifact from a charitable organization, who believes she is responsible for the crime and resultingly withdrew their employment offer to her — but it's a heist she did not commit. Starring: Tammy Grimes | ||||||
August
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1106 | 63 | "This Deadly Fraternity" | Himan Brown | Ian Martin | August 4, 1980 (1980-08-04) | |
|
A college fraternity alum is reluctant to attend its reunion celebration, as memories of his involvement in a horrific act during the frat's "Hell Week" still haunt him years later. Starring: Jack Grimes | ||||||
| 1107 | 64 | "The Mysterious Hanging of Squire Huggins" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | August 6, 1980 (1980-08-06) | |
|
A young artist embellishes the details of a squire's murder, then winds up becoming the primary suspect in the crime. Starring: Paul Hecht Adapted from a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne | ||||||
| 1108 | 65 | "The Master Minds" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | August 11, 1980 (1980-08-11) | |
|
A Boston detective works with Scotland Yard to catch a master jewel thief who has stolen priceless diamonds and is in the process of sailing from England to the U.S. Starring: Carol Teitel, Russell Horton, Court Benson Adapted from a story by Jacques Futrelle | ||||||
| 1109 | 66 | "The Return of Edward Blair" | Himan Brown | Roy Winsor | August 13, 1980 (1980-08-13) | |
|
A man returns to his home town one rainy night but is greeted with hostility by its residents, who mistake him for a criminal who committed an unspeakable act and escaped justice years earlier. Starring: John Lithgow, Joan Shay, Robert Dryden, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1110 | 67 | "Human Error" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | August 18, 1980 (1980-08-18) | |
|
His inattentive driving causes Harry Margolies to get in an accident that puts a young woman in the hospital; Harry soon finds himself attracted to her and makes up reasons to see her, much to his friend's consternation. Starring: Larry Haines, Jack Grimes, Evie Juster | ||||||
| 1111 | 68 | "Kill Now, Pay Later" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | August 20, 1980 (1980-08-20) | |
|
The normally spineless Stuart Belden professes his love for a diner waitress, Maude Henderson. But that only raises the ire of his domineering aunt, Melisande, whose threat to cut Stuart off from the family fortune only strengthens his bond with Maude... but also, just as the town sheriff had feared, leads to a deadly clash of wills. Starring: Tony Roberts, Fred Gwynne, Bryna Raeburn, Teri Keane | ||||||
| 1112 | 69 | "Poor Lester" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | August 25, 1980 (1980-08-25) | |
|
Juliet Keyworth wishes it was she who had died in an auto accident and not the agronomist husband, Lester, she believed still had so much to give to the world. But Zeus is there to grant her wish. Now, from the afterlife, Juliet gets to see Lester become well respected... while he falls for her best friend's romantic advances. Starring: Teri Keane, Norman Rose, Joyce Gordon, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1113 | 70 | "A Feast of Death" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | August 27, 1980 (1980-08-27) | |
|
In 1917 Paris, a penniless seamstress marries an older, richer entrepreneur... but becomes appalled when she unexpectedly discovers what he does to earn his wealth. Starring: Jada Rowland, Robert Dryden, Joan Lovejoy, Ray Owens | ||||||
September
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1114 | 71 | "The Power of Zeus" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | September 1, 1980 (1980-09-01) | |
|
With a massive hole in the ozone layer jeopardizing Earth's food supply, two scientists are dispatched to a remote planet, Zeus, where they must deal with a leader who's arrogant, egotistical... and speaks in a Texas-style drawl. Starring: Russell Horton, Earl Hammond, Court Benson, Tracy Ellis, Patricia Elliott | ||||||
| 1115 | 72 | "Leave Well Enough Alone" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | September 3, 1980 (1980-09-03) | |
|
The French novelist Guy de Maupassant serves as marriage counselor to a couple he is friends with; it leads to one of his more famous short stories. Starring: John Beal, Tracy Ellis, Court Benson | ||||||
| 1116 | 73 | "Hand in Glove" | Himan Brown | Nancy Moore | September 8, 1980 (1980-09-08) | |
|
A shootout in a hospital leaves mass murderer Jed Gant dead and Dr. Dan Crane with an irreparably damaged hand. Dr. Crane then receives Gant's hand in a transplant... but a vengeful Gant isn't done with that hand just yet. Starring: Russell Horton, Diana Kirkwood, Mandel Kramer | ||||||
| 1117 | 74 | "Ocean of Emptiness" | Himan Brown | Arnold Moss | September 10, 1980 (1980-09-10) | |
|
A married couple pilot the first crewed mission from Earth to Jupiter (three days at near-light speed). But peculiar things occur once in orbit, including their receiving a radio message reporting their deaths. All that's nothing compared to what they discover when they return home. Starring: Paul Hecht, Teri Keane | ||||||
| 1118 | 75 | "Number One" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | September 15, 1980 (1980-09-15) | |
|
A movie shoot in a Central American mountain range is disrupted when a warlord (the region's "Numero Uno") takes the crew hostage. The warlord will let the crew go on one condition — that he be allowed to spend one night with the producer/star's wife... who may be willing to take him up on the offer. Starring: Larry Haines, Evie Juster, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1119 | 76 | "The Threshold" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | September 17, 1980 (1980-09-17) | |
|
An enigmatic married couple purchase an abandoned Montana town long contaminated by radioactivity. When invisible hands begin to rebuild the town back to its glory days, the neighboring town's mayor and a scientist-turned-hardware store owner become suspicious. Starring: Fred Gwynne, Robert Dryden, Bryna Raeburn, Ian Martin | ||||||
| 1120 | 77 | "The Mysterious Rochdale Special" | Himan Brown | Murray Burnett | September 22, 1980 (1980-09-22) | |
|
Believing it will get him off the hook for the cold-blooded murder he was recently witnessed committing, Herbert Lernac confesses to an even bigger, more baffling, and unsolved crime — the disappearance years earlier of a train traveling from Liverpool to London. Starring: Ralph Bell, Ian Martin Adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Story of the Lost Special" | ||||||
| 1121 | 78 | "The Murder of Caesar" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | September 24, 1980 (1980-09-24) | |
|
The texts of Plutarch, Cicero, and Plutonius are the basis for this telling of Julius Caesar's final days, when after consolidating his hold on the Roman Empire he's strongly warned to "beware the Ides of March." Starring: Paul Hecht, Earl Hammond, Joan Shay, Gordon Gould | ||||||
| 1122 | 79 | "The Ruby Lamp" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | September 29, 1980 (1980-09-29) | |
|
A college professor creates a device that can photograph a person's thoughts; he uses the device to help his friend's deeply depressed wife, who wants the answer to one question — the whereabouts of her stillborn twin infants. Starring: Mandel Kramer, Teri Keane, John Beal | ||||||
October
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1123 | 80 | "Hero's Welcome" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | October 1, 1980 (1980-10-01) | |
|
Six years after being rescued at sea by the natives of a Pacific paradise, a shipwrecked amnesiac regains his memory and begings yearning for home. When he returns there, he discovers is wife, and the town as a whole, have gained monetary and cultural wealth on the belief that he's dead. Starring: Tony Roberts | ||||||
| 1124 | 81 | "Second Sight" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | October 6, 1980 (1980-10-06) | |
|
Safecracker Arthur "Fingers" Dickson blinds a police detective who catches him burglarizing a millionaire's safe. When Dickson is later arrested for the millionaire's murder, the detective comes out of retirement to prove that Dickson was set up for the killing. Starring: Fred Gwynne, Robert Maxwell, Carol Teitel, Earl Hammond | ||||||
| 1125 | 82 | "Portrait of an Assassin" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | October 8, 1980 (1980-10-08) | |
|
The life of Charles Guiteau, the man responsible for assassinating James A. Garfield after grandiosely believing he contributed to get Garfield elected President of the United States. Starring: John Lithgow, Patricia Elliott | ||||||
| 1126 | 83 | "Napoleon and the Queen of Sheba" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | October 13, 1980 (1980-10-13) | |
|
Two good witches try to help a small-time con artist stop his life of crime. Starring: Kristoffer Tabori, Evie Juster, Ian Martin, Court Benson | ||||||
| 1127 | 84 | "The Bright Golden Murders" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | October 15, 1980 (1980-10-15) | |
|
A nuclear scientist's widow turns to his friend and the police for help in proving her husband was murdered for discovering a great metallurgical secret... though he may actually have been offed by the jealous mobster boyfriend of his cabaret signer mistress. Starring: Tammy Grimes, Russell Horton, Martha Greenhouse, Ray Owens | ||||||
| 1128 | 85 | "Honest Mistake" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | October 20, 1980 (1980-10-20) | |
|
An aging hit man agrees to kill an accountant who's ready to testify in trial, but the hired gun may be after the wrong person with a similar name. Starring: Earl Hammond, Ian Martin, Evelyn Juster | ||||||
| 1129 | 86 | "Confession" | Himan Brown | G. Fredric Lewis | October 22, 1980 (1980-10-22) | |
|
Wheeling-dealing businessman Edgar Saville turns time with his easy-going brother, David, at a vacation resort into a confrontation with his dishonest broker. But David's attraction to the broker's daughter may complicate things. Starring: Paul Hecht, Fred Gwynne, Norman Rose, Valeka Gray | ||||||
| 1130 | 87 | "The Gilbert Stuart" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | October 27, 1980 (1980-10-27) | |
|
An art appraiser is talked into assigning value to and purchasing a painting that he's certain is not the work of a famous artist, even though a museum benefactor he works for believes it to be the real deal. Starring: Gordon Gould, Carol Teitel, Lloyd Batista, Tracey Ellis Based on Edith Wharton's short story "The Rembrandt" | ||||||
| 1131 | 88 | "Bloodline" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | October 29, 1980 (1980-10-29) | |
|
Stockbroker Lewis Olcutt tells of a scam involving his familial lineage, which led him to embezzle $2 million from his investment firm's ledgers. Starring: John Lithgow | ||||||
November
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1132 | 89 | "Guilty" | Himan Brown | G. Frederick Lewis | November 3, 1980 (1980-11-03) | |
|
A has-been playwright kills his uncle, but has difficulty convincing his relatives and a police detective of his motive: Using the uncle's wealth to fund his ailing sister's medical treatments. Starring: Paul Hecht, Joyce Gordon, Lloyd Battista, Ray Owens Adapted from a short story by Edith Wharton | ||||||
| 1133 | 90 | "The Question" | Himan Brown | Elspeth Eric | November 5, 1980 (1980-11-05) | |
|
Seeking to regain a sense of self, actress Mary Mannering leaves a long-running Broadway role to return to her family's seaside estate... where its caretaker and a mysterious fan of her work help lead Mary on a self-discovery journey. Starring: Teri Keane, Kristoffer Tabori, Robert Dryden | ||||||
| 1134 | 91 | "The Dagger of Almohades" | Himan Brown | Murray Burnett | November 10, 1980 (1980-11-10) | |
|
A cunning woman who delights in seeing men fight each other to the death for her amusement meets her match in a man who possesses an ancient dagger. Starring: John Lithgow, Patricia Elliott, Court Benson, Earl Hammond Adapted from a story by Arthur Conan Doyle | ||||||
| 1135 | 92 | "Natural Sugar" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | November 12, 1980 (1980-11-12) | |
|
Cranky actor Emmett Brundage is murdered every night on stage with a poisoned drink... until one night his death is all too real. It's up to a police detective to sort through various scenarios to determine the killer and their motive. Starring: Fred Gwynne | ||||||
| 1136 | 93 | "The Eleventh Plague" | Himan Brown | Henry Slesar | November 17, 1980 (1980-11-17) | |
|
A U.S. Space Command crew must apprehend a former stage magician/hypnotist marooned on a distant planet for 15 years. But the man now fancies himself as a maniacal potentate, using god-like "powers" to visit biblical-style plagues upon the crew unless they heed his command to depart. Starring: Russell Horton, Ian Martin, Lloyd Battista | ||||||
| 1137 | 94 | "The Iron Horse" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | November 19, 1980 (1980-11-19) | |
|
In mid-1800s Central Europe, a chance meeting between a downtrodden dreamer and a con artist leads to riches for both; was it due to their ingenuity... or just plain luck? Starring: Norman Rose, Bryna Raeburn, Evie Juster, Robert Dryden | ||||||
| 1138 | 95 | "The Killer Instinct" | Himan Brown | Sam Dann | November 24, 1980 (1980-11-24) | |
|
A police detective investigates a series of strange deaths, all of which had unusual circumstances and the involvement of a smooth-talking salesman. Starring: Teri Keane, Martha Greenhouse, Ralph Bell | ||||||
| 1139 | 96 | "Breakout" | Himan Brown | James Agate, Jr. | November 26, 1980 (1980-11-26) | |
|
Two French flying aces escape from a German POW camp during the First World War, with Holland the destination they have in mind. But a farm house they take shelter in may prove to be either a safe haven or a trap. Starring: Paul Hecht, Bob Kaliban | ||||||
December
| Series Ep.# |
Season Ep.# |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1140 | 97 | "A Holiday Visit" | Himan Brown | Bob Juhren | December 25, 1980 (1980-12-25) | |
|
Waylaid by an accident on their way to visit family for Christmas, Skip and Joan Bartram find shelter in a deserted town that contains only one resident (a mysterious old woman) and many forgotten memories for Joan. Starring: Lloyd Battista, Diana Kirkwood | ||||||
References
- "CBS Radio Mystery Theater - Complete Episode List & Guide". Radio Mystery Theater. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
- Goldin, J. David (2010). "The CBS Radio Mystery Theatre". RadioGOLDINdex. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- Haendiges, Jerry (1998). "CBS Radio Mystery Theater ... Episodic Log". The Vintage Radio Place. Jerry Haendiges Productions. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- Flowers, Keith. "CBS Radio Mystery Theater Episode Guide". Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- Judge, Dick (September 5, 2008). "CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER compiled by Dick Judge". The Original Old Time Radio (OTR) WWW Pages. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- "CBS radio mystery theater - complete collection".
- CBS Radio Mystery Theater: "Wanted, A Husband" on YouTube (accessed 4/5/2021)
- "Free Audio SF - CBS Radio Mystery Theater". Hard SF. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
Sources
- Payton, Gordon; Grams, Martin Jr. (January 1999), The CBS radio mystery theater: an episode guide and handbook to nine years of broadcasting, 1974-1982, McFarland & Company, Inc., ISBN 0-7864-0559-7, retrieved July 1, 2010