1001 Ghost, Chiller & Lovecraft Stories

Jon R. Hagadorn
  • 4.7 (109)
  • FICTION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A spine-chilling collection of classic stories and tales from the other side featuring classics from a wide variety of writers that include H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Algernon Blackwood, M.R. James, and many others. Radio dramas (suspense, horror, and gothic) will also be featured.

  1. THE SHADOW Episode 6: The Death Triangle

    5H AGO

    THE SHADOW Episode 6: The Death Triangle

    This episode is famously cited by historians as a stylistic dry run for one of the most significant events in broadcasting history. Episode Overview Title: "The Death Triangle" First Aired: December 12, 1937 Network: Mutual Broadcasting System Sponsor: Blue Coal Cast & Voice Actors The Shadow / Lamont Cranston: Orson Welles Margot Lane: Agnes Moorehead Announcer: Ken Roberts Dr. James Evans: Supporting cast member Organist: Elsie Thompson Episode Summary The story begins with a harrowing scene from the past: the brutal lashing of a prisoner named Pierre Martin on the notorious Devil's Island. Martin vows to find and destroy the devil who betrayed him. Years later, the "Death Triangle" comes to life. The episode takes a dramatic and confusing turn when a simulated news bulletin interrupts the program. The announcer reports that a wounded man claiming to be The Shadow has forced his way into the clinic of Dr. James Evans, a world-famous surgeon, at gunpoint. Dr. Evans is coerced into removing a bullet, and the stranger reveals he is the legendary crime-fighter before vanishing. As the police and public scramble to identify the vigilante, Lamont Cranston must navigate a web of betrayal involving former inmates of Devil's Island and protect a man whose past has finally caught up with him. Trivia & Fun Facts The "War of the Worlds" Blueprint: This episode is a landmark in radio technique. It used the fake news flash device to blur the lines between fiction and reality. Orson Welles would later refine this exact technique for his 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast, which famously caused a national panic. The Vulnerable Shadow: This is one of the rare instances where the Shadow is portrayed as physically vulnerable—specifically, being shot and requiring medical attention. This added a layer of realism to a character usually seen as an untouchable phantom. Devil's Island Influence: The French penal colony of Devil's Island was a popular trope in 1930s pulp and film (notably inspiring Papillon decades later). This episode tapped into the public's fascination with the island's reputation for cruelty and impossible escapes. The Confusing Script: Old Time Radio historians often describe the plot of "The Death Triangle" as particularly dense or confusing, even by the standards of the genre, due to its rapid transitions and the nested story of the Devil's Island escapees. Credits Host and Producer Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" The Shadow sourced by AcousticMonster on Internet Archive Follow us on Social Media Instagram: 1001_ghost_stories Facebook: 1001 Ghost, Chiller, and Lovecraft Stories Reddit: 1001 Ghost, Chiller & Lovecraft Stories LinkedIn: 1001 Ghost, Chiller, and Lovecraft Stories

    31 min
  2. THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES Chapter 13: Alice Pyncheon

    2D AGO

    THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES Chapter 13: Alice Pyncheon

    Today we dive into one of the most atmospheric chapters of Nathanial Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables.  Chapter 13 is a fascinating story within a story that highlights Hawthorne's obsession with ancestral guilt and the supernatural. The Legend of Alice Pyncheon In this episode, we step away from the present-day tension of the Gables as Holgrave reads an original manuscript to Phoebe. We are transported back three generations to meet Alice Pyncheon, the beautiful and haughty daughter of Gervayse Pyncheon. Gervayse, driven by the family's signature greed, seeks a missing deed to a vast territory in Maine. To find it, he strikes a deal with the wizard's grandson, Matthew Maule. But the price of the Pyncheon ambition is higher than Gervayse ever imagined. Credits Host and Producer Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" LibriVox recording read by: Mark F. Smith Follow us on Social Media Instagram: 1001_ghost_stories Facebook: 1001 Ghost, Chiller, and Lovecraft Stories Reddit: 1001 Ghost, Chiller & Lovecraft Stories LinkedIn: 1001 Ghost, Chiller, and Lovecraft Stories

    56 min
  3. THE SHADOW Episode 5: The Circle of Death

    3D AGO

    THE SHADOW Episode 5: The Circle of Death

    This episode is a high-stakes urban thriller that finds the Shadow tackling a modern terror: a serial bomber. It is one of the surviving recordings from the legendary first season. Episode Overview Title: "The Circle of Death" First Aired: November 28, 1937 Network: Mutual Broadcasting System Sponsor: Blue Coal Cast & Voice Actors The Shadow / Lamont Cranston: Orson Welles Margot Lane: Agnes Moorehead Commissioner Weston: Traditionally played by Dwight Weist or Ray Collins during this era. Announcer: Ken Roberts Episode Summary The city is gripped by a wave of terror as a madman begins setting off a series of devastating explosions in crowded public spaces. After each blast, the killer leaves a chilling note with the simple, nihilistic motive: "I hate crowds." With fifteen citizens dead in the most recent blast, the public is in a frenzy and the police are powerless. Commissioner Weston, under immense political pressure, is forced to entertain a suggestion from Margot Lane: calling upon the mysterious Shadow. The Shadow accepts the challenge and engages in a psychological duel with The Masked Killer.  Using his invisible presence to infiltrate the bomber's lair, the Shadow must race against time to stop the next explosion before the "Circle of Death" widens to claim more lives. Trivia & Fun Facts Predicting "War of the Worlds": This episode utilizes news bulletins that interrupt the narrative to report on the bombings. This immersive technique was a precursor to the style Orson Welles would use to cause a national panic with his War of the Worlds broadcast just eleven months later. The 10th Episode: This was the tenth episode of the new format where the Shadow was the hero. By this point, the chemistry between Welles and Moorehead was perfected, and the show had become a Sunday night ritual for millions. Pulp vs. Radio: A Shadow pulp magazine story titled "The Circle of Death" was published in 1934, but the plots are entirely different. The radio show often borrowed titles from the magazines while crafting original scripts better suited for audio. Creepy Performance: Historians often note that Welles's performance in this specific episode is particularly brutal and creepy, as he drops the socialite charm of Cranston to become a truly menacing force when confronting the bomber. Credits Host and Producer Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" The Shadow sourced by AcousticMonster on Internet Archive

    31 min
  4. THE SHADOW Episode 4 - The Three Ghosts

    4D AGO

    THE SHADOW Episode 4 - The Three Ghosts

    This episode is a quintessential Halloween classic, leaning heavily into the "ghostly" reputation of the Shadow to stop a psychological crime. Episode Overview Title: "The Three Ghosts" First Aired: October 31, 1937 (Halloween Night) Network: Mutual Broadcasting System Sponsor: Blue Coal Cast & Voice Actors The Shadow / Lamont Cranston: Orson Welles Margot Lane: Agnes Moorehead Announcer: Arthur Whiteside (stepping in for the usual Ken Roberts in some listings) Organist: Elsie Thompson Commercial Spokesman: Thomas Coffin Cooke Episode Summary In this atmospheric holiday broadcast, a wicked criminal attempts to drive a wealthy woman to her death by convincing her that she is being haunted by three vengeful spirits. The goal is to literally frighten her into a fatal heart attack to claim her fortune. The Shadow becomes a literal conscience in the dark. Utilizing his own ghostly presence and hypnotic voice, he turns the tables on the conspirators. By the episode's end, the Shadow ensures that the only ones truly terrified are the criminals themselves, as he uses the very haunting they invented to force a confession. It is a brilliant example of how the Shadow doesn't just fight crime with fists, but with psychological warfare. Trivia & Fun Facts The Ultimate Halloween Episode: Aired on October 31, 1937, this was the show's first-ever Halloween broadcast. The producers leaned into the holiday spirit by making the plot centered on ghosts and hauntings. Organ Bridges: This episode is frequently cited by sound historians for its "beautiful organ bridges" performed by Elsie Thompson. The music was used to create a seamless, unsettling transition between the world of the living and the "supernatural." The Conscience Motif: Unlike earlier episodes where the Shadow is a more physical threat, this story highlights him as a psychological force—acting as the "conscience" that the criminals lack. Surviving Broadcast: While many early episodes of The Shadow are "lost," this Halloween classic was preserved in excellent audio quality, allowing modern listeners to hear the original 1937 performance. Credits Host and Producer Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" The Shadow sourced by AcousticMonster on Internet Archive

    35 min
  5. THE SHADOW Episode 3: The Temple Bells of Neban

    JAN 26

    THE SHADOW Episode 3: The Temple Bells of Neban

    This episode is widely considered one of the most exotic and atmospheric of the Orson Welles era, leaning heavily into the "Eastern mysticism" that provided the foundation for The Shadow's powers. Episode Overview Title: "The Temple Bells of Neban" First Aired: October 24, 1937 Network: Mutual Broadcasting System Sponsor: Blue Coal Credits Host and Producer Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" The Shadow sourced by AcousticMonster on Internet Archive Cast & Voice Actors The Shadow / Lamont Cranston: Orson Welles Margot Lane: Agnes Moorehead Announcer: Ken Roberts Supporting Cast: Likely included OTR staples like Ray Collins or Dwight Weist, who often voiced the more "exotic" or villainous roles in the Welles period. Episode Summary The plot takes Lamont Cranston and Margot Lane far from the streets of New York to the mysterious Orient. The story revolves around the "Temple Bells of Neban," ancient artifacts rumored to have a deadly, supernatural curse.  When an American explorer attempts to steal the bells to bring them back to the West, he triggers a series of mysterious deaths. The Shadow must intervene to prevent a bloodbath and return the sacred relics to their rightful place. This episode serves as a rare bridge between Cranston's life as a wealthy socialite and his secret past in the Far East, where he originally learned the "hypnotic power to cloud men's minds." Trivia & Fun Facts Exploring the Origin: While the radio show rarely spent time on "origin stories," this episode is a rare nod to the character's training in the Himalayas/Orient. It reinforces the idea that The Shadow's powers aren't just a trick, but a spiritual discipline. Sound Design Masterclass: This episode is famous among radio historians for its use of foley (sound effects). The resonance of the "temple bells" had to be carefully engineered to sound both beautiful and ominous, creating a sense of dread every time they rang over the airwaves. The "Orientalism" Trope: Typical of 1930s media, the episode utilizes the "Mysterious East" trope popular in pulps like Flash Gordon or The Spider. It highlights the era's fascination with hidden temples and ancient curses. The Welles/Moorehead Dynamic: This episode features heavy dialogue between Lamont and Margot, showcasing the incredible chemistry between Orson Welles and Agnes Moorehead. Moorehead was a member of Welles's Mercury Theatre troupe, and their professional shorthand is evident in the pacing of this script.

    31 min
  6. THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES Chapter 12 The Daguerreotypist

    JAN 24

    THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES Chapter 12 The Daguerreotypist

    Tonight we peel back the moss-grown layers of Nathaniel Hawthorne's gothic masterpiece, The House of the Seven Gables, to examine a most peculiar resident in Chapter 12, "The Daguerreotypist."  While the shattered Clifford seeks rest, dreaming of a childhood long lost, Phœbe finds herself drawn into the company of the enigmatic Holgrave—a man whose past is a kaleidoscope of identities, ranging from a traveling peddler of cologne-water to a public lecturer on Mesmerism. Though he speaks of a bright future, Holgrave is obsessed with the odious and abominable Past, which he likens to a giant's dead body weighing upon the living and freezing the heart with its white, immitigable face. He gazes upon the Pyncheon legacy with the cold eye of a surgeon, suggesting that the very walls of the house, crystallized with the discontent and anguish of generations, should be purified with fire until only ashes remain. As the late sunbeams gild the seven gables, the artist prepares to reveal a family legend he has penned, leaving us to wonder: is this young man a friend to the household, or a visionary seeking to finally bury the dead?. Credits Narration and Production by Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" LibriVox recording read by: Mark F. Smith

    36 min
  7. THE SHADOW Episode 2: Murder by the Dead

    JAN 23

    THE SHADOW Episode 2: Murder by the Dead

    This episode is a haunting early entry in the series that plays with the boundary between the natural and the supernatural. It is one of the "lost" episodes of the original run, meaning no original recording survives, though scripts and modern recreations exist. The story centers on a series of impossible murders where the victims appear to have been killed by individuals who are already dead. A wealthy recluse dies under mysterious circumstances, and the evidence at the scene points directly to a "dead man's hand." Title: "Murder by the Dead" First Aired: October 17, 1937 Network: Mutual Broadcasting System Sponsor: Blue Coal Credits Narration and Production by Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" The Shadow sourced by AcousticMonster on Internet Archive Cast & Voice Actors The Shadow / Lamont Cranston: Orson Welles Margot Lane: Agnes Moorehead Announcer: Ken Roberts The Blue Coal Commercial Spokesman: Thomas Coffin Cooke (often as "John Barclay") Organist: Elsie Thompson

    33 min
  8. THE SHADOW Episode 1: Death House Rescue

    JAN 21

    THE SHADOW Episode 1: Death House Rescue

    Episode Summary The story follows Paul Gordon, an innocent man who is hours away from execution for a murder he didn't commit. Gordon's only "crime" was being desperate for work and unknowingly accepting a job as a getaway driver for a pair of bank robbers, Red Sloan and Lefty. During the robbery, a policeman was killed, and Gordon was framed as the triggerman.   As the clock ticks toward 11:00 PM—the time of the execution—Lamont Cranston visits the "Death House" in disguise as a prison guard. Using his hypnotic power to "cloud men's minds," The Shadow infiltrates the prison to interview Gordon. Convinced of the man's innocence, The Shadow races against time to track down the real killers and extract a confession. The climax involves a tense confrontation where the Shadow uses his "invisible" presence to terrify the guilty parties into admitting the truth just as the switch is about to be thrown. Trivia & Fun Facts A Series Premiere: This was the very first episode of the "new" Shadow series where the character became the protagonist rather than just the host of a detective anthology. The Birth of Invisibility: In the original pulp novels, The Shadow was a master of disguise and stealth but not literally invisible. The "power to cloud men's minds" was invented for the radio show because it was easier (and cheaper) to explain why the characters couldn't see the Shadow than it was to describe elaborate hiding places every week. Orson Welles' Debut: A 22-year-old Orson Welles made his debut as Lamont Cranston in this episode. His success here helped pave the way for his "Mercury Theatre on the Air" and his infamous War of the Worlds broadcast just a year later. Introduction of Margot Lane: This episode marks the first appearance of Margot Lane. Interestingly, she was created specifically for the radio show to give Lamont Cranston someone to talk to (avoiding long, awkward monologues), though she was eventually added to the pulp novels later. Credits Narration and Production by Gizelle Erickson Executive Producer Jon Hagadorn Music: Thanks to Sound Gallery By Dmitry Taras "Scary Horror Music" The Shadow sourced by AcousticMonster on Internet Archive Cast & Voice Actors The Shadow / Lamont Cranston: Orson Welles Margot Lane: Agnes Moorehead Announcer: Ken Roberts Opening/Closing Voice: Frank Readick Jr. (The iconic "Who knows what evil lurks..." voice) The Warden / Bank Robber: Various supporting cast members often including Bill Johnstone (who would later take over the title role)

    33 min
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4.7
out of 5
109 Ratings

About

A spine-chilling collection of classic stories and tales from the other side featuring classics from a wide variety of writers that include H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Algernon Blackwood, M.R. James, and many others. Radio dramas (suspense, horror, and gothic) will also be featured.

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