Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, Supernatural, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved Darren Marlar

IN THIS EPISODE: I’m bringing you a classic horror story from Charles Dickens called “The Signalman”.

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Signalman” by Charles Dickens: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/signalmancharlesdickens
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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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
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: December, 2022

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.com/signalman-charles-dickens/

Get full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp eBooks, and old-time radio shows ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD by emailing WeirdDarkness@RadioArchives.com!
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 = Creeping Wall (January 08, 1946)
00:31:27.729 = Edge of Death (January 15, 1946)
01:01:06.024 = Confession (January 22, 1946)
01:30:49.779 = Blood of Cain (January 29, 1946)
02:00:28.785 = Skeleton Bay (February 05, 1946)
02:30:05.613 = Man Who Couldn’t Die (February 12, 1946)
02:59:42.217 = I Walk In Night (February 26, 1946)
03:29:16.539 = Strands of Death (March 12, 1946)
03:59:11.121 = Death Is A Doublecrosser (March 26, 1946)
04:28:47.362 = Lady With a Plan (April 09, 1946)

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
WeirdDarkness® - is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2024.
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CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/innersanctum-marathon-008

Get full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp eBooks, and old-time radio shows ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD by emailing WeirdDarkness@RadioArchives.com!
“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 = What Makes a Murderer (August 13, 1945)
00:30:59.647 = X Marks The Murderer (August 20, 1945)
01:00:31.113 = I’ll Trade You Murder (August 27, 1945)
01:29:54.311 = Ambition Perilous (September 03, 1945)
01:59:07.124 = Phone Call From Death (September 10, 1945)
02:28:38.420 = Sing a Song of Murder (September 17, 1945)
02:58:10.947 = The Man Who Died Twice (September 24, 1945)
03:27:47.967 = Death Laughs Last (October 08, 1945)
03:57:22.693 = House on Sycamore Road (October 15, 1945)
04:26:41.824 = Final Returns (October 29, 1945)

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
WeirdDarkness® - is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2024.
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CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/whistler-marathon-010

IN THIS EPISODE: When the supernatural intrudes into our lives, it's not just our minds that are affected. We’ll delve into a few bizarre cases where individuals fell gravely ill after brushes with the paranormal. Is it coincidence? Or something more sinister? And could these illnesses be due to the paranormal literally draining us of life? (Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned) *** Helen Duncan made a living from conducting séances—until her uncanny knowledge of classified World War II tragedies spooked British authorities. (Britain’s Last Witch) *** Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher whose ideas about mortality and utility extended beyond death. Bentham's wish for his body to be preserved and displayed as an "auto-icon" – so it could be seen publicly by all. And while his wishes were granted, it came with a few hiccups along the way… mostly with his poor head. (The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham’s Corpse) *** Annie Dorman was discovered lifeless with a gunshot wound, sending shockwaves through her tight-knit community. Suicide seemed improbable, leaving detectives baffled and family perplexed. Was it a crime of passion, an accident, murder… or truly suicide? In a similar case, just a few years later, in the serene countryside of Greenwich, New York, the lifeless form of Maggie Hourigan is found, floating in a tranquil pool, speculation runs rampant. Were these cases suicide, as hastily concluded, horrible accidents… or sinister murders? (The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan) *** AND MORE!

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/6bu93dju
“The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/meu37k4m; https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4y9mn9a4
“The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham’s Corpse” by Melissa Sartore for Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yt6uetju
“Britain’s Last Witch” by Parissa Djangi for National Geographic: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8by87t
“Eccentric Habits of History’s Elite” by John Munoz for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdh2dw3x
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
= = = = =
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
= = = = =
WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
= = = = =
Originally aired: April 17, 2024

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.com/can-the-paranormal-drain-life-from-us/

A “gigantic cigar-shaped UFO” is spotted over the Atlantic in 1963, but the witness is so terrified by her experiences that it takes her twenty years to come forward to tell her story. And in that same year, elsewhere in the United Kingdom, people were dealing with dark, paranormal, even satanic forces - with numerous events that still remain unexplained.

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The 1963 Atlantic UFO Encounter” by Marcus Lowth for UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/z2j2zp88
“Dark Paranormal Forces Invade The United Kingdom” by Marcus Lowth for UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p93a79s
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
= = = = =
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
= = = = =
WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
= = = = =
Originally aired: January 05, 2022

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.com/1963-the-year-dark-forces-invaded-england-and-america/

Subscribe to Paranormality Magazine at https://weirddarkness.com/magazine. 
IN THIS EPISODE: “Mysterious Disappearing Vehicle Phenomenon Baffles Witnesses” by Brandon Grimes *** “Urban Legends in the Digital Age: How Social Media Shapes Modern Folklore” by Paranormality Magazine staff *** “Haunted Love: Singer’s Ghostly Stalker Saga” by Brandon Grimes *** “Murder and Mystery on the Isles of Shoals” by Molly Briggs *** “A Murder and Jeepers Creepers” by Cody Sharpe *** “Former Diver Claims Prince Charles Piloted Secret UFO-Like Craft” by Brandon Grimes

SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
All stories originally published in Paranormality Magazine or website at https://weirddarkness.com/magazine
Paranormality Magazine podcast theme by Alibi Music Library
Background music by Nicolas Gasparini at http://www.thedarkpiano.com
Narration by Darren Marlar at https://DarrenMarlar.com and https://WeirdDarkness.com
©Paranormality Magazine, 2024; ©Weird Darkness, 2024
Subscribe to Paranormality Magazine at https://weirddarkness.com/magazine. Paranormality Magazine is a collaborative endeavor driven by a deep passion for the mysterious, unexplained, and paranormal. We are captivated by the enigmatic realms and the individuals who shape this extraordinary community. Our mission is to delve into all things Fortean, embracing topics ranging from apparitions to extraterrestrial encounters, and exploring the diverse array of cryptid creatures in between. With a global team dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, we gather captivating stories, conduct insightful interviews, and provide up-to-date coverage on groundbreaking paranormal projects that are propelling our community forward. Curious to be a part of this extraordinary journey? Visit https://paranormalitymag.com/about-us/