Horror Radio: A Forgotten Source of Serious Scares

In the time before television, home entertainment for most people around the world meant radio. From the national news to soap operas, the radio was in the early half of the 20th century what television would later become. Among the offerings for the listeners’ listening pleasure were horror shows. Most people are familiar with Orson Welles’ Halloween night broadcast of The War of the Worlds in 1939, which (supposedly) sent a large segment of America into a panic. But that was just one episode of Welle’s radio show Mercury Theatre, which, along with shows like Lux Radio Theatre produced radio plays in various genres. Welles did have a penchant for thrillers, but some radio series were one hundred percent dedicated to scaring their listeners out of their wits. Writers and producers like Arch Oboler, Wyllis Cooper, and the prolific writer Lucille Fletcher filled the airwaves with tales of murder and the supernatural on shows with names like Lights Out, Beyond Midnight, The Witch’s Tale, and The Weird Circle.

The majority of scripted radio shows were made between the early 1930s and late 1950s, though some shows continued to be produced for years later. But even in the old days when movies were heavily censored by Hollywood code, horror radio could go surprisingly far when it came to violence and gore, either by suggestion, dialogue, or sound effects. And best of all, most of these shows are in the public domain, so they are easy to find and free to listen to.

Here are a just few of the most outstanding examples of horror radio.

Lights Out

Writer and host Arch Oboler was the second genius behind the Lights Out horror radio show. The show was originally created by Wyllis Cooper and began airing in 1934. Cooper left the show in 1936, handing over the reins to the ambitious young Oboler. All Cooper episodes appear to be lost, but some of his scripts were adapted by Oboler in later years. Oboler’s first episode, called Burial Service, is also lost, which is unfortunate for horror fans. The episode about a paralyzed girl who is buried alive was so shocking, radio stations that aired it received complaints from traumatized listeners. But that didn’t stop Oboler from carrying on, and by 1938 it was clear that he had no intention of toning it down.

It Happened (aka Her Name was Jean; It Happened to Jean)

May 11, 1938

This multi-titled story is not Oboler’s best, but it is one of the most gruesome. It’s really two stories in one. First, we hear a spoiled rich young woman complaining about her boredom in Paris. But things get interesting for her when she wanders off and gets abducted by person or persons unknown. She manages to escape through the infamous Paris sewers, but then the second — and far more disturbing — act begins when she meets someone else.

Valse Triste

December 29, 1942

First broadcast in the 1930s and starring Boris Karloff, this “remake” episode from 1942 is the only version that still survives. The actor in the only male role is unknown, but he’s perfectly creepy, and perhaps the episode is all the more terrifying without the well-known voice of Karloff playing the bad guy.

The gist of the episode is this: Two young women get lost and meet up with a violin-playing backwoods man who believes strongly in fate. So he decides that a coin toss will decide his fate and the fate of the women — one will become his bride, and the other will die.

Murder in the Script Department

May 11, 1943

Lights Out was so popular at this point that Oboler decided to poke fun at himself a bit in this episode. It’s about two radio script typists who get spooked while working late and typing up, — what else — scripts for Lights Out. A few in-jokes about the show early on give way to a deadly serious tone as the typists being to hear strange noises in the office. One of the typists is played by Mercedes McCambridge, who would, years later, voice Linda Blair’s possessed Regan in The Exorcist.

Suspense

If a mystery or horror story was ever published before 1962, chances are, there is a Suspense episode of it. One of the most popular and successful shows on radio, running on CBS for 20 years, from 1942 through 1962, most of the series’ episodes featured Hollywood stars in leading roles. An attempt to bring the show to television was made, but the TV version was never as popular as its radio predecessor.

The House in Cypress Canyon

December 5, 1946

The House in Cypress Canyon was an original story written for the series, and it is considered by many to be one of the most frightening radio shows ever broadcast.

Written by Robert L. Richards, the story features the fictional detective Sam Spade, played by Howard Duff, but stars Robert Taylor as the male lead and narrator. The plot involves a married couple who moves into a rental house and discovers something terrifying living in one of its closets.

On a Country Road

November 16, 1950

Another original episode written for the series, On a Country Road stars Cary Grant stars as a man who takes his wife (Cathy Lewis) for a drive in the country and gets lost. A storm comes up, the car breaks down, and as if that wasn’t enough, the radio news reports that a serial killer is on the loose in the area.

The Waxwork

May 1, 1956

Written by A.M. Burrage and first published in 1931, The Waxwork is a classic “dare to spend a night in a spooky place” story. It’s been adapted for radio and television many times, and chances are, you’ve heard the story or some variation of it: A man asks the manager of a wax museum if he can stay overnight in the museum’s “murderers’ row” among the wax figures of notorious killers. His purpose is to write an article about the experience and how he “survived” the night.

One of the most faithful adaptations of Burrage’s original short story was presented in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and starred Barry Nelson as the bold journalist. But nobody did it better than radio’s Suspense when it cast William Conrad in the lead role. Conrad became famous on television for starring in two crime dramas, Cannon and Jake and the Fatman. But years prior to that, his voice was one of the most familiar on radio. In The Waxwork, Conrad plays all the parts. The best part of this one-man show is Conrad’s increasingly nervous journalist trying to get through what he thought would be an easy night.

Quiet, Please

Created by Wyllis Cooper more than ten years after he left Lights Out in the hands of Arch Oboler, Quiet, Please was a little less wild, but just as weird. While some episodes of the series were more drama than horror, like the Christmas episode Berlin, 1945, most were weird horror or science fiction tales.

The Thing on the Fourble Board

August 9, 1948

Boasting one of the weirdest titles in all of horror radio history, The Thing on the Fourble Board is a perfect example of how far Wyllis Cooper’s imagination could venture into the realm of the bizarre. Episodes of Quiet, Please begin with a haunting piano melody and a voice introduction by the host Ernest Chappell. Chappell also takes the lead role in most episodes. In this episode, which is considered by most to be the quintessential Quiet Please entry, Chappell plays an oil rig worker who relates a tale to a friend about a most remarkable discovery he made on the fourble board of an oil derrick.

Hall of Fantasy

First aired locally in Salt Lake City and then later in Chicago in the 1940s, Hall of Fantasy went into national syndication in 1952. Known for its helpless characters and bleak endings, each episode begins with a booming kettle drum and an echoing announcer inviting listeners to tune in.

The Shadow People

September 5, 1952

It’s difficult to describe The Shadow People without giving things away. It’s an excellent horror story because it provides a very good reason to be afraid of the dark — and then gives its monsters the ability to take away the light. And just for fun, after listening to this episode, you can read the script.

Originally Published on scream.blog