Welcome, our good friend Raymond is here to greet us and open the squeaking door that welcomes us into the Inner Sanctum. This program aired from 1941 to 1952. The anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense, and its tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast to shows like Suspense and The Whistler. The early 1940's programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as "Your host, Raymond" in a mockingly sardonic voice. A spooky melodramatic organ score (played by Lew White) punctuated Raymond's many morbid jokes and playful puns.

This is one of my favorite old time radio series... and I hope you will enjoy your stay in the Inner Sanctum!

My Favorite Husband aired on CBS Radio in July of 1948 and ran to March 31, 1951. The show portrayed the "Coopers" - Liz (Lucille Ball) and George (Richard Denning)... two people who live together and LIKE it! The Coopers were a typical middle class family with George working at a local bank and Liz a stay-at-home wife who managed to get herself into all sorts of hilarious situations with George trying to help solve them. Gale Gordon (Mr. Conklin in Our Miss Brooks), plays George's boss, Rudolph Atterbury and Bea Benederet plays his wife, Iris. The show eventually became the prototype to the television hit series "I Love Lucy" but with Lucille Ball's real life husband, Ricky Ricardo, taking the role of her on-air husband. Gordon and Benederet were offered the role of Fred and Ethel Mertz, but contractual issues prevented them from doing the roles on television. This sitcom stands up quite well, even today. However, if you have ever seen "I Love Lucy" you know that Lucille Ball was at her best when doing her comedy visually before a live audience.

Our second track of the Armed Forces Radio "Yank Swing Session" with host Bob Crosby broadcasting the most requested music from our troops overseas during WW II. Performers include: Woody Herman Orch,; Golden Gate Quartet, Sonny Dunham Orch., Scatman Crothers and the Scatmen; Tommy Dorsey Orch.; Stan Kenton Orch.; Dinah Shore and Danny Kaye; Raymond Scott Orch.; Bob Crosby and the Bobcats; and the Harry James Orch.. Your toes are going to tap listening to this track! Enjoy.

With an outstanding supporting cast including Gale Gordon, Richard Crenna, Jeff Chandler, Jane Morgan, Gloria McMillan, and Leonard Smith... Eve Arden had a hit radio show "Our Miss Brooks" that ran from 1948 to 1957 on radio and then 1952-56 on television. No one could do the "slow burn" like Mr. Conklin... or had a squeaky, nasal voice like Walter Denton... or played the clueless Biology teacher, Mr. Boynton. The combination makes for a joyful listening experience of "Weekend at Crystal Lake"..

Created by comedy writer Philip Rapp... even today the Bickersons (Don Ameche as John and Frances Langford as Blanche) have become synonymous with wrangling spouses. This is not Ozzie and Harriet or Father Knows Best... the show dared reveal the down and dirty underbelly of married life... verbal warfare- that was also hilarious. As part of "The Drene Show" -(Drene was a popular shampoo of the 1940's) this episode aired in 1947 - the comedy features Danny Thomas as Blanche's brother Amos. Two skits are at the end of the show with the remainder of the program including some comedy routines with Danny Thomas and a song by Frances Langford. One skit is entitled "John Needs His Tonsils Out" and the other "Blanche Learns To Drive A Car" - Listen to the dialog... it is very cleverly written and very funny.

The Shadow returns with a thrilling mystery entitled "Chill of Death" ... Evil lurks in the hearts of men in this episode and The Shadow... Lamont Cranston and his girlfriend Margo Lane solve the mystery of the disappearing maids! Aired January 4, 1948.

The "Price of Fear" was a Horror/Mystery Radio serial that was produced by BBC radio during the 1970's... a relatively "new" Old Time Radio Show! The host of the series and the star of the show was Mr. Vincent Price. He was an American actor who is most remembered for the dulcet tones of his voice and his serio-comic acting in a number of well known horror films... many of them based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe. He was 6'4" tall and his polished delivery of lines made him the American counterpart to the older Boris Karloff, who of course was English. The show on this track is from September 15, 1973. Incidentally, the "Cats Cradle" was adapted from a story written by Bram Stoker.. the author of "Dracula".

A protective mother is murdered by her sons girlfriend but her ghost keeps haunting whenever her son is at home.. “Lights Out brings you stories of the supernatural and the supernormal dramatizing the fantasies and the mysteries of the unknown. We tell you this frankly so if you wish to avoid the excitement and tension of these imaginative plays we urge you, calmly but sincerely to turn off your radio now…" The series was heard originally heard on NBC in the early 1930's with Wyllis Cooper doing the writing... In 1936 Arch Oboler took over the reins... this is one of Oboler's stories. The series went back and forth between NBC and CBS finishing its run on NBC in 1947. The show on this track was aired on CBS. This is a great horror story... Turn out the lights.

One of our favorite series...a Docudrama entitled "Crime Classics" is back again with an episode from Nov. 11. 1953. Narrated by Thomas Hyland (Lou Merrill) and Produced/Directed by Elliot Lewis... this program was historically accurate in the story, sound effects, music, dialects.. but our narrator made what were some of the most horrendous crimes ever committed ... a little easier to take with his wry sense of humor. Crime Classics was aired over CBS from June 15, 1953, to June 30, 1954.

The series originated from Lewis' personal interest in famous murder cases and took a documentary-like approach to the subject, carefully recreating the facts, personages and feel of the time period.

From May 28, 1953 Crime Classics presents "John Hayes - His Head and How They Were Parted" Elliot Lewis was the multi-talented creator of this series that focused on actual crimes committed as early as the 1600's. He did extensive research to make the facts as accurate as possible and even included the dialog, social behaviors, etc. of the times in which the crimes occurred ... which led to a very authentic listening experience. Lou Merrill played the narrator, Thomas Hyland... and he was so good at it... most people thought "Thomas Hyland" was playing himself! Excellent series... one of our favorites for the use of subtle humor in what was generally a situation that did not invite humor!