Narrative About Clarence: A Mind Unraveled

Suspense - Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Originally Aired: March 16, 1944

Narrative About Clarence: A Mind Unraveled:

This haunting episode of Suspense stars Laird Cregar as Clarence, a man whose eerie presence slowly unravels the mind of his unsuspecting brother-in-law, Bill. When Bill’s wife, Lillian, unexpectedly receives a letter from her estranged half-brother Clarence, she is surprised—he’s been gone for years, living in India, dabbling in what he calls "mental science." But upon his arrival at their home, it becomes clear that Clarence is no ordinary visitor. His hypnotic eyes, cryptic statements, and sinister fascination with Lillian’s daughter Jeannie leave Bill deeply unsettled.

As Clarence’s influence grows, Jeannie begins to change, speaking in strange tones and defying her parents. Bill becomes convinced that Clarence is using hypnosis and occult knowledge to manipulate his wife and daughter. But when Bill attempts to remove Clarence from their home, his mind begins to crack. Is Clarence truly an evil hypnotist, or is Bill losing his grip on reality?

In a shocking climax, Bill takes matters into his own hands, setting fire to the house with Clarence inside—only to wake up in an asylum, telling his story to a doctor. But the final twist is the most chilling of all: the asylum’s director is none other than Clarence himself, very much alive, and subtly implying that Bill’s descent into madness may have been orchestrated from the very start.

This dark psychological thriller is a masterful blend of paranoia, manipulation, and eerie suspense, leaving listeners questioning what was real and what was merely imagined.

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Cast: Laird Cregar, Hans Conried, William Spier.