The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

The Weird Circle brought a little something to our holiday party, the supernatural tale of a Christmas descent into desperation with a man named “Markheim!” Based on the short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, this Christmas classic features a young man confronting the dark impulses of his own dark reflection. Will his misdeeds come back to haunt him? Can he free himself from the malicious voice that pushes him toward evil? Just how did stocks work back in the 19th century? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

He knows when you've been bad or good and he knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men! The Shadow has brought the Society “A Gift of Murder!” Lamont Cranston and Margo Lane show up to a holiday party with a murderer on the guest list! Will Christmas be ruined? Was anyone else invited to this party? If this gift doesn't work, can it be exchanged? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

(UPDATE! One of our astute listeners (thank you, Mike!) noticed that we have misidentified the origin of this recording! This is in fact from the 1955 run of The Clock, recorded in Australia. Our humblest apologies for the error.) The Society finally has finally turned their attention to The Clock! Howard Williams has moved to a small town, where everyone seems considerate and happy to help a neighbor, but chance and coincidence have conspired to turn a friendly favor into a death sentence in this episode entitled, “A Helping Hand!” What's the worst that could happen when you help a stranger? Is the perfect murder truly possible or will there always be a slip up? Who would write a story about a pile of potatoes? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

Our thanks to Scott for suggesting “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” from Mystery Playhouse! The series, hosted by Peter Lorre, re-purposed other radio series (in this case Molle Mystery Theater) for the Armed Forces Network. This particular episode was an adaptation of a short story by Robert Bloch about a hunt for London’s notorious killer in 1945 Chicago! Could Jack the Ripper still be claiming victims over fifty years after his (or her!) reign of terror in London? Can this bloodthirsty killer ever be caught? What dark magic grants Joshua the time management powers to read short stories? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

Once again, it’s later than the we think and we are listening to Lights Out! This time, we indulge in “Revolt of the Worms,” an episode from the Arch Oboler era of the series. In the face of a war-torn world, brilliant scientist Charles Prentice retreats to develop the perfect rose. But even in his far-off laboratory there is something monstrous in the earth. Based on the title, can you guess what happens? How long is too long for a death scene? Is this really less gruesome than Murder Castle? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

We may not know much about the 1984 BBC series, Spine Chillers, but that won't stop the Society from checking out “Dracula in White” by Peter Redgrove. A journalist investigates strange stories of prisoners disappearing from a prison, but soon finds herself caught by the man known as Dracula in White! Do the missing inmates have anything to do with the delicious canned meat produced within the prison? Can a story have too many details? How does this relate to The Food of the Gods? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

Monster Month concludes with Mercury Theatre on the Air’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula! Orson Welles was only 23 years old when his version of this classic tale was broadcast, featuring himself in the title role. A mysterious Transylvanian noble comes to England, and everywhere he goes, death follows. Can those victims transformed into undead things be saved? Will this adaptation’s adherence to the original novel elevate it above other versions of Dracula? Will we once again forget to discuss the remarkable musical direction of Bernard Hermann? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

He's no werewolf or mummy, but Edgar Allen Poe certainly deserves his spot in our Monster Month! This week, we're listening to Boris Karloff in Inner Sanctum Mysteries' adaptation of “The Tell-Tale Heart!” Two peculiar strangers share a home until madness drives one of them to deadly extremes. How will Inner Sanctum's outlandish style transform Poe's famous short story? Can the restoration of particular senses make a person inherently good or evil? What would a podcast for time in the bathroom sound like? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

This week we’re listening to “W is for Werewolf” from Dark Fantasy as part of our Monster Month! The story depicts a visit to a remote island where a troubled man’s only surviving son seems to be suffering from a strange condition. As a treat for theater fans in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region, the production features a performance by the Twin Cities’ own Don Stolz! Can this father find a cure for what ails his son? Will this story live up to the high standards set by Spawn of the Sub-Human? Does anyone know what monsters the other 25 letters stand for? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

Monster Month continues this week and the Society is listening to an adaptation of “Frankenstein” from Suspense! This version of Mary Shelley's classic novel features the obsessed doctor confiding in a priest about his obsessive quest to conquer death. Can spiritual guidance provide a measure of redemption for the scientist? Can this story be crammed into half an hour? Is Johnny Plug Check the true horror? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

The Society starts out a whole month of shows themed around classic movie monsters. We begin with the Mummy, represented by this Quiet, Please episode entitled “Whence Came You?” The story features an archaeologist who finds himself being observed by a mysterious beautiful woman with a strange connection to the ruins he is excavating. What destiny awaits our hero beneath the sands? How much richer is the listening experience for someone who has tuned into the Whence Came You podcast? Can Joshua just enjoy something without being a big nerd about it? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

CBS Mystery Theater adapted Jacques Futrelle's short story, “The Problem of Cell 13,” for this week’s episode entitled “The Great Brain”! A brilliant mind hopes to prove the limitless potential of human intellect by allowing himself to be locked in a prison with a week to escape. Can he free himself from his cell in this short time or will his ego be his undoing? Why has the prisoner above him begun to rave like a lunatic? Could the name “CBS Mystery Theater” be improved wit a little work-shopping? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

Columbia Workshop presents Lucille Fletcher’s adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella “Carmilla”! A father takes in a young abandoned girl who befriends his daughter, but soon discovers that Carmilla is much more than she seems. Will a parent's desire to make his child happy prove to be his family's undoing? Could he possibly have known what evil lurked in Carmilla’s heart? Are Canadians secretly brood parasites, sneaking their kids into American families? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

This week, The Mysterious Traveler takes the Society “Behind the Locked Door!” Two archeologists set out on an expedition into the Vermilion Cliffs but only one returns. Why does he want his fiancé to leave him forever? What has he locked away in his bedroom? What’s the maximum speed of a burro? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think:

It’s our 50th episode and to celebrate, the Society is listening to this beloved episode of Quiet, Please! An oil-drilling roughneck encounters a terrifying mystery after his team digs up something unexpected from deep beneath the Earth’s surface. What greater horror lurks beneath the telling of this tale? How can Cecil Roy make such disturbing noises? How many pork chops can this guy eat? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think: