The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

We return to Escape for "Conqueror's Isle," an adaptation of the short story by Nelson Bond! The story features a Navy pilot who, after a three year absence, returns with a strange tale of landing on an island inhabited by a group that seems superior to humanity in almost every way. What ultimate goal is this group of superior beings pursuing? What does the pilot believe to be their one weakness? Will Tim get both a comic book reference and a Lovecraft reference in the post-show discussion? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

This episode of Lights Out comes from our Listener Library based on a recommendation from our mysterious listener, Zachary! Thanks, Zachary! This particular story, entitled "Death Robbery," is one of the few surviving episodes to feature a script written by the creator Wyllis Cooper, and even these extant recordings are all revivals of Cooper's writing broadcast after he left the show. The tale features Boris Karloff as an ambitious scientist who believes he has perfected the means to bring the dead back to life. Who will be the first human subject of this unorthodox procedure? Does the experiment take absolutely everything into account? What could sponsors possibly object to in this script? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

This is the second of two episodes recorded live in front of an audience at Open Eye Theatre, featuring special guest, Shanan Custer! Our audience joined us listening to "If a Body Need a Body Just Call Burke and Hare" from Crime Classics! In the poorest parts of mid-19th century Edinburgh, William Burke and William Hare find a path to quick money by providing medical schools with fresh cadavers. Based on true events, this story details the exploits of two characters who have a special place in the secret origin of the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society! How do two unassuming men become such notorious villains? Is free shoe cobbling worth the risk? Would this story be more terrifying if they were floating next to a large ship? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

This episode is the first of two recorded live in front of an audience at Open Eye Theatre, featuring special guest, Shanan Custer! We started the evening with the legendary Ethel Merman starring in "Never Follow a Banjo Act" from Suspense! In this story, Merman plays an "mature" singer hired to share the stage with a young heartthrob whose last co-star suffered an unfortunate accident. Will she meet the same fate as her predecessor? What will come of her torrid romance with a cowboy played by Paul Frees? Is this what show business is really like? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

We're late, but that won't stop us from celebrating Father's Day! To mark the occasion, we're heading down to the Listener Library for a dad-themed episode of Night Beat entitled "Expectant Father." Our thanks to Diana for recommending the story! Your usual hosts are joined this time by our summer intern (and Joshua's son) Aaron! We're listening to the story of journalist Randy Stone and the night he spent with a panicked man on the brink of fatherhood. Will his booze-soaked reminiscing end in a happy family? Is Stone helping the situation or making it worse? Will Godzilla appear at any point during this story? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

We're headed back to the Old West, this time listening to an episode of Frontier Gentleman, entitled "The Honky Tonkers!" In this story, the titular British journalist finds himself passing the night in a rough-and-tumble saloon where a drunken argument breaks out. Guns are drawn, blood is spilled, and the true natures of the assembled crowd are revealed. How will these lawless souls handle the consequences of violence? What value do they place on life? Were we referring to the cartoon characters, the exotic dancers, or the furniture? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

Our thanks to our mysterious listener Joe, whose extraordinary effort convinced us to visit a corner of the Listener Library we've been known to avoid, the CBS Radio Mystery Theater section! Based on Joe's recommendation, we're listening to an episode entitled, "The Chess Master," featuring a performance by Fred Gwynn! The story features a man who has recently lost his job sitting down for a game of chess with a stranger. Although the stakes seem innocuous at first, it soon becomes apparent that a much deeper game is being played! Can this man out-maneuver his opponent? Where's E.G. Marshall and who is this Tammy Grimes person? How much does the Muzio Gambit have to do with the drunk horsies? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

What's on the other side of the world's squeakiest door? Another episode of Inner Sanctum Mystery of course! This installment, entitled "The Voice on the Wire," features a young widow who is being apparently haunted by the ghosts of her late husband and their dog. She hears his voice on the phone threatening her imminent death! Is it possible that one of the visitors she is entertaining is really to blame? What caused the death of her husband (and their dog)? What grocery store item is the perfect metaphor for this story? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

Who's that singing in the Listener Library? Richard Diamond Private Detective, of course! Our thanks to our mysterious listener Matt for recommending "The House of Mystery Case!" A client has called on our musical protagonist to help her uncover the secrets behind her supposedly haunted house. If she doesn't have the nerve to remain, she will lose her inheritance, but staying put could prove fatal! Is something truly supernatural happening? If not, who would want to drive her from the house? Will your hosts enjoy this episode and, if so, will they enjoy it the right way? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

It's been more than five years since the last time we checked out an episode of Macabre. This week, we return for a story titled “Final Resting Place!” This installment of the series recorded by members of the Far East Network features a pair of young newlyweds who take up a bizarre challenge at a small-town carnival that could potentially prove fatal! Can hypnotism sustain life for a week? Does this stunt have anything to do with the escaped lunatic in the area? Why might you want to bring a Mountain Dew bottle to South Dakota? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

Our Mysterious Listener Anna has sent us to the Listener Library for "Clarissa," an episode of Quiet Please! Thanks, Anna! This story features a young mathematician who befriends the elderly man who rents a room to him. Soon, the younger man begins to hear the singing of an unseen child. The landlord claims that it is his daughter, but he prefer to keep her out of sight. Why does he insist on this seclusion? Is this house haunted? Where do your hosts stand on the issue of goats versus sheep? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

This week features Appointment with Fear’s adaptation of a classic tale of torment and despair by Edgar Allen Poe! “The Pit and the Pendulum” tells the story of a soldier in Napoleon's army who is captured and then sentenced by the Spanish Inquisition to a horrific fate. What torture awaits him in this diabolical prison? Does he have any hope of survival or rescue? What series did Eric start exploring that eventually led him to Appointment with Fear? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

We've had many requests for this particular installment from the Listener Library, "Specialty of the House" from The Price of Fear! As was always the case with the series, Vincent Price stars as a fictionalized version of himself, relating diabolical tales from his adventures as a globe-trotting gourmand. This particular script is actually an adaptation of a short story by Stanley Ellin about a small obscure restaurant that caters to a limited but devoted clientele. Yet behind the delicious cuisine and eccentric quirks, something sinister seems to be happening in the kitchen. How long will it be before the restaurant has its famed house special back? Is there any amount of sinister subtext that will get Vincent Price to abandon a good meal? Does this soup taste a little bland to you? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

This week we go way back for an episode of The Witch's Tale, “The Statue of Thor”! The story features a hedonistic sculptor who constantly ridicules the brawny model posing for him. As the artist grows more cruel and self-indulgent, he may incur the wrath of the gods! Will the the model catch on to the artist's true intentions? What will the statue look like when it is complete? Can we remember the details of any of our past episodes? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

Our thanks to our mysterious listener Jessica for sending us back to our Listener Library for "Never Pester Chester" from Gunsmoke! This episode features Marshal Dillon on the trail of two cruel men who made the mistake of attacking his friend Chester. But given Dillon's anger and sense of responsibility, it isn't clear if he intends to deliver justice or revenge! How will he track these men down? Will his feelings overpower his obligations as a lawman? Would our discussion afterward be better if we had beers and steak? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!