Beyond Good and Evil: A Prisoner’s Masquerade and the Sermon of a Killer

Originally Aired: October 11, 1945

In Suspense #162, “Beyond Good and Evil,” an escaped convict named Philip Gentry assumes the identity of a country preacher to hide in plain sight. Taking the name Dr. Howard Pierce, he infiltrates a small-town church, earns the trust of its congregation, and even wins the heart of the paralyzed pastor’s daughter. But Gentry’s plans for a final heist are complicated by unexpected attachments—and a paralyzed man who hears everything. Written by Ben Hecht and Douglas Whitney, this moral chess game delivers one of the series’ most psychologically layered portraits of redemption, deception, and divine irony.

Cast:
Joseph Cotten

Tags:
Suspense, thriller, JosephCotten, BenHecht, impostor, redemption, identity, noir, psychological, preacher, fugitive, karmicjustice, oldtimeradio, 1940sradio, suspensepodcast, classicdrama