Retro Radio: Old Time Radio in the Dark Darren Marlar

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By the mid 1950s, science fiction had largely fallen into a familiar pattern, regardless of medium. When fans tuned into the radio or caught the latest science fiction movie, they either encountered space opera adventures or fare aimed largely at a juvenile audience. Only in magazines such as Astounding Science Fiction and Galaxy were stories grounded firmly in science fiction being told with mature themes aimed at character development, true literature taking off to the stars. The debut of X Minus One in April 1955 changed that on radio, making this program not only the best of its type, but in many ways one of the only shows from Radio’s Golden Age to present science fiction for a well-rounded adult audience. It is an often debated point among experts and fans as to whether or not X Minus One was simply a new season of Dimension X, a program that ran on NBC in 1950-51, or a revival of sorts of this previous show. The latter is probably more accurate since the first 15 episodes of X Minus One were new productions of Dimension X episodes. What makes X Minus One stand out, however, is the fact that the remaining programs were actually adaptations of works from two of the best science fiction magazines of the period. NBC staff writers, primarily Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts, scoured the pages of Astounding Science Fiction and then later Galaxy Magazine for tales that would thrill and chill their listeners, aiming most assuredly at the more sophisticated science fiction fans. Stories penned by noted science fiction and genre authors such as Philip K. Dick, Robert Heinlein, Frederik Pohl, and Isaac Asimov, and many others found themselves expertly adapted for radio over the program’s nearly three-year run. Listen to X Minus One and rocket to new heights of top-notch science fiction old time radio!

00:00:00.000 = INTRODUCTION
00:01:54.470 = Target One (December 26, 1957)
00:22:22.573 = Prime Difference (January 02, 1958)
00:42:03.386 = Gray Flannel Armor (January 09, 1958)
01:03:12.770 = The Parade (May 01, 1955)
01:31:19.548 = Mars is Heaven (May 09, 1955)
01:58:34.700 = Universe (May 15, 1955)
02:26:24.507 = Knock (May 22, 1955)
02:54:32.460 = The Man In The Moon (May 29, 1955)
03:22:12.064 = Perigi’s Wonderful Dolls (June 05, 1955)
03:50:05.753 = The Green Hills of Earth (July 07, 1955)
04:13:30.368 = Dr. Grimshaw’s Sanatorium (July 14, 1955)
04:36:48.555 = Nightmare (July 21, 1955)

SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
This episode is sponsored by http://RadioArchives.com
Weird Darkness Retro Radio theme by Storyblocks.
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness
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A creaking door and a chorus of haunting organ music. No radio show opening is more memorable for many fans than the one heard on Inner Sanctum Mysteries. This disturbing simple salvo led people into thirty minutes of suspense and horror sprinkled with puns from a creepy host, all of which can now be heard again in sparkling audio quality from Radio Archives.
Inner Sanctum Mysteries was the brainchild of producer Himan Brown, inspired by the unsettling creaking door in the basement of a studio where he once worked. Brown took that inspiration and built around it a formula that lived on beyond the show itself. Listeners tuned in every week to hear that door open and be welcomed by the sinister, yet often humorous host to join him in a chair near the fire inside the Inner Sanctum for a story sure to chill them to the bone.
Stories on Inner Sanctum Mysteries originally included both classic and original tales, the new stories taking center stage as the show continued. With writers like pulp scribes Emile Tepperman and Robert Newman, as well as Robert Sloan, Milton Lewis, and others, it is little surprise that Inner Sanctum is still beloved by fans today. Utilizing numerous clichés and literary devices, Inner Sanctum Mysteries carried listeners into the heart of horror, a liberal dose of camp often thrown in. Using voices ranging from star Boris Karloff to a veteran crew of New York radio actors, Inner Sanctum set the standard for horror programs both on radio and even inspired decades of horror hosts on television.
Inner Sanctum Mysteries features some of the best of fright, terror, and fantastic storytelling old time radio has to offer!

00:00:00.000 = INTRODUCTION
00:01:54.794 = Make Ready My Grave (April 23, 1946)
00:31:33.732 = You Could Die Laughing (May 07, 1946)
01:01:14.626 = Detour to Terror (May 21, 1946)
01:30:48.100 = Eight Steps to Murder (June 04, 1946)
02:00:25.568 = I Want To Report a Murder (June 18, 1046)
02:30:03.844 = Murder Comes at Midnight (August 09, 1946) – LOW QUALITY
02:55:14.815 = Dead Laugh (September 23, 1946) – LOW QUALITY
03:21:08.827 = No Rest For The Dead (November 25, 1946)
03:48:30.221 = Death Bound (February 03, 1947)
04:18:17.845 = Terror By Night (May 19, 1947)

SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
This episode is sponsored by http://RadioArchives.com
Weird Darkness Retro Radio theme by Storyblocks.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness
WeirdDarkness® - is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2024.
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CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/innersanctum-marathon-009

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“I am the Whistler and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak!”
Haunting stories of fate, dramas of crime, deception, and manipulation building to a sudden and shocking denouement...and, through it all, the sardonic, mocking laughter of — The Whistler!
One of radio’s most memorable thriller anthologies, The Whistler was a west-coast favorite for over a decade but, despite two attempts to go nationwide, never was able to achieve the same success as a coast to coast feature. But for listeners across the western states served by the Signal Oil Company, the program’s eerie theme music opened a weekly window into the very darkest corners of the human soul. It was so popular, in fact, that Columbia Pictures produced eight second-feature films based on the concept, all but one of which starred Richard Dix.
The Whistler himself was an omniscient narrator -- the voice of Fate itself, one might suggest, or perhaps of conscience. And his stories revolved around ordinary people, pushed by the pressures of daily life into taking drastic actions. Or perhaps a sudden circumstance, an unexpected twist of life’s path, suddenly placed these protagonists on a road leading inexorably to their own destruction. Greed, lust, and perfidy of every kind figure in the plots -- and when Fate inevitably catches up with these unfortunate, driven souls, The Whistler is always ready, at the very end, to see that the knife is properly twisted.
Produced by George W. Allen, with hauntingly evocative musical scores by Wilbur Hatch, The Whistler was a prime outlet for the cream of Hollywood’s top radio performers - actors such as Wally Maher, Cathy and Elliott Lewis, Gerald Mohr, Lurene Tuttle, and Betty Lou Gerson, who emphasized skill over star power - as well as announcer Bill Forman in the title role, with Marvin Miller voicing the commercials.
00:00:00.000 = INTRODUCTION
00:01:54.231 = Harvest of Death (November 05, 1945)
00:31:21.541 = The Seeing Eye (November 12, 1945)
01:00:50.309 = Coincidence (November 19, 1945)
01:30:19.234 = The Stray Dream (November 26, 1945)
01:59:48.626 = Poison Is Quicker (December 03, 1945)
02:29:17.497 = The Cistern (December 10, 1945)
02:58:46.265 = Miracle on 49th Street (December 31, 1945)
03:28:22.321 = The Thin Line (January 07, 1946)
03:57:46.831 = Treasure Hunt (January 21, 1946)
04:27:16.015 = The Strange Sisters (January 28, 1946)

SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
This episode is sponsored by http://RadioArchives.com
Weird Darkness Retro Radio theme by Storyblocks.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness
WeirdDarkness® - is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2024.
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One of the most popular radio shows in history, “The Shadow” went on the air in August of 1930. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954. A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds." Along with his team of operatives, the Shadow battled adversaries with chilling names like The Black Master, Kings of Crime, The Five Chameleons, and, of course, The Red Menace. The Shadow's exploits were also avidly followed by readers in The Shadow magazine, which began in 1931 following the huge success of the old-time mystery radio program. The magazine was published by Street & Smith, who had also sponsored the old-time mystery radio program. Over the course of 18 years, Street & Smith published 325 issues of The Shadow, each one containing a novel about the sinister crime fighter. These stories were written by Maxwell Grant, a fictional name created by the publishing company. Although several different people wrote under the pseudonym, Walter B. Gibson wrote most of the stories, 282 in all. Most of the novels published have been reprinted in paperback and The Shadow adventures remain popular today, with Shadow comic books, magazines, toys, games, cds and cassettes of old-time radio shows, and books bringing top dollar among collectors the world over.
00:00:00.000 = INTRODUCTION
00:01:54.735 = Dreams of Death (April 28, 1946)
00:32:38.460 = They Kill With a Silver Hatchet (May 26, 1946)
01:00:10.724 = Death In a Minor Key (June 02, 1946)
01:28:05.300 = The Juggernaut (November 06, 1946 – Australian Episode)
01:56:34.171 = The Gang Doctor (November 24, 1946)
02:24:56.565 = The Devil Takes a Wife (December 08, 1946)
02:52:52.835 = Murder On The Main Stem (December 15, 1946)
03:22:44.071 = The Scent of Death (February 02, 1947)
03:50:55.383 = The Shadow’s Revenge (May 11, 1947)
04:16:05.859 = Seance With Death (May 25, 1947)
04:46:03.957 = Air Freight Fracas (June 08, 1947)

SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
This episode is sponsored by http://RadioArchives.com
Weird Darkness Retro Radio theme by Storyblocks.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness
WeirdDarkness® - is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2024.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/theshadow-marathon-010

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Dreadful John at Midnight is a horror/suspense radio show though it is not a traditional old-time radio show. Instead of using a script and actors, the host simply reads short stories by authors like Edgar Allen Poe and Ambrose Bierce. The show broadcast from 1963 to 1967 on WKCR. At the end of each show, the host attributed the shows production to King's Crown Radio.

00:00:00.000 = INTRO
00:01:55.012 = Born Of Man And Woman
00:11:20.546 = Ghost Hunt
00:27:02.173 = Moonlight Sonata
00:35:43.448 = Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
00:58:54.718 = Oil of Dog
01:09:33.209 = The Boarded Window
01:21:39.388 = The Cone
01:42:08.694 = The Hornet
01:53:49.273 = The Masque of the Red Death
02:09:06.006 = The Pit And The Pendulum
02:39:30.719 = The Tell Tale Heart
02:54:52.998 = Torture By Hope
03:10:25.670 = Was It A Dream

SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
This episode is sponsored by http://RadioArchives.com
Weird Darkness Retro Radio theme by Storyblocks.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness
WeirdDarkness® - is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2024.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/dreadfuljohnatmidnight-marathon-001

Get full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp eBooks, and old-time radio shows ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD by emailing WeirdDarkness@RadioArchives.com!
After September 30, 1962, commercial radio drama was as dead as the doornail described in the opening pages of Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843), and everyone understood that television killed it. People who worked in both mediums realized that working in radio was a much better overall experience than television could ever be. Sure, TV had pictures to go along with the stories, but putting those pictures on the air involved a highly technical and expensive technology, and by the time those images reached the audience they were grainy, blurry, and sometimes nearly impossible to see. One actor could play different parts on several different radio programs, even in a single episode, but once they were seen in a TV show their face was recognizable enough that they had a hard time working on another show, and even a twenty-second appearance meant hours in makeup and wardrobe. Appearing in a radio drama required just a couple rehearsals and then remaining as quiet as possible in the studio, following along in the script until time to perform your lines, which you also read from the script. There was one important thing that television could offer over radio work; money. The accounting in TV and radio was fundamentally different. A radio program was usually paid for by a single sponsor while commercial time on TV shows was sold piecemeal, but there was still a phenomenal amount of money involved in TV production and the networks and sponsors were happy to pay it. Unable to compete with the huge amount of money being spread around by TV, after the final broadcasts of Suspense and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar on September 30, 1960, the Golden Age of Radio came to an end. Or did it? In the decade after the end of the Golden Age of Radio, TV matured artistically and technically. There had been a rejection by the networks of "rural" programming which helped launch a nostalgia craze. This craze began with the release of George Lucas's American Graffiti (1973), and suddenly everything old seemed new again. One of the genres which were best suited to radio was the horror shows which made listeners sit up in bed and pull the sheets over their heads. This sort of program had been pioneered Wyliss Cooper and Arch Oboler on Lights Out as well as The Whistler, Suspense, and Inner Sanctum Mysteries. This was the type of show creators decided upon for his radio nostalgia project, which became The CBS Radio Mystery Theater. They were convinced that there was enough interest from those who had heard similar shows growing up during the Golden Age, but the show built a following of younger fans for whom radio drama was a new and exciting experience. In many ways, CBSRMT was more like a TV program on the radio than a typical Old Time Radio show. The shows were taped rather than broadcast live, which allowed for greater post-production editing and creative control. The scripts generally ran 45 minutes, and the action was broken at points to allow for separately produced commercials and news bulletins to be inserted. The opening featured the "creaking door" effect which had been part of The Inner Sanctum. Host E.G. Marshall was never as campily creepy earlier horror hosts, but his closing, "Until next time, pleasant… dreams?" was sure to inspire nightmares. Production of CBSRMT was efficient almost to the point of cheapness. Creators drew upon radio row veterans working in New York as well as up-and-coming television personalities. The show used original stories from a wide variety of genres as well as literary classics. Writers were paid a flat $350 for each recorded script, and actors received union scale rates of $73.92 per episode. The actors would come into the studio for an initial script reading at 9:00 am,...