Emily Barrett, a librarian who cares for her invalid mother, returns home one night to find a scarred, sinister stranger has taken over the house after killing their dog. He forces her to keep working by threatening her mother, and holds the two women under his control. Ted Roper, a doctor who once courted Emily, becomes involved as the tension between the stranger and the household grows. Suspense is presented by Roma Wines on CBS, and the episode aired on August 2, 1945, starring Joan Lorring as Emily and Joseph Kearns as the man in the house.
Characters: Emily Barrett, Mrs. Barrett, The man in the house, Ted Roper
The transcript of “A Man in the House”, an episode of Suspense first broadcast August 2, 1945. Press a time to play from that line (a 60-second preview; Potato Plus plays it all). Suspense plays Suspense free, live around the clock. Search inside this transcript.
Transcript
Now the Romo Wine Company of Fresno, California presents... Suspense! Tonight, Romo Wines bring you the remarkable young actress whose performance you have admired in the Warner Brothers production, The Corn Is Green. Miss Joan Loring has Star of a Man in the House.
A suspense play produced, edited and directed for Romo Wines by William Spier. So, Spence, Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills, is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A. Roma Wines, those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live, to your happiness in entertaining guests, to your enjoyment of everyday meals.
Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant. Roma wines bring you John Lorring in a remarkable tale of... SUSPEN! When I was 17, they called me that pretty little Barrett girl. I never imagined then that five years later I'd be working in the public library day after day and two evenings a week.
One of the mousie-tight, mild librarians who frown and rap a pencil when the adolescent scuffling and giggling becomes a little too unruly. I never dreamed that pretty little Barrett girl would become Primus Barrett Barrett, know that my mother would...
But one evening my father came home from the office looking a little more tired than usual. He barely touched his dinner and said he thought he'd lie down on the sofa for a nap. Three hours later he was dead.
From that day, mother was a changed woman and our house was a changed house. She became suspicious and bitter and solitary. After time, people stopped coming to visit and Ted Roper learned not to call for me.
I suppose I should have rebelled, but I was never a rebellious nerd, and I knew Dad would have expected me to stand by her. And so in a year or two things had completely changed for me.
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