In Boston, a man has a horrifying tale to tel. The man, a medical doctor, has a box that contains the head of another man.

He goes to a tatoo salon to seek help. He is apparently a friend of the shop owner, and relates through flashback, his recent adventure. A talking bird lands on his open window sill. He has been overworked, and stressed, when a man introduces himself offering help. He’s the owner of the talking bird, but who is he? What’s the deal with that bird? He keeps saying the tag line to the radio show, Lights Out, “It’s later than you think.” OK, and Edgar Allen Poe.

The odd visitor only adds mystery to the confused doctors life. People he refers to are soon dead. Is the stranger the murder? If you’ve listened close, you’ll have figured out that he is death. But, how could the doctor had beheaded him? Will it help keep doom from his own fate? That’s the bitg question that will be answered in the suspenseful, and horrifying conclusion.

With Lum and Abner spending so much time working at the hotel, grandpap had been keeping the store. Today the gents settle up on what to pay grandpap for his services. Will Lum be forced to pay the salary he agreed on, or will grandpap settle for less?>

Grandpap is stubborn enough to stick up for the deal that was made to him. Lum is looking at sharing half the profits, but Abner tries to hold him to expenses, damages, and repairs that happened under grandpap’s watch.

Will grandpap agree to the reduxed wage? Grandpap can play that game too, and has his own list of contributions he has made out of his own pocket that Lum owes him for. The new balance puts it right back up and more when the old guy includes his legal fees he anticipates when he sues for his salary.

Note: Chet Lauck has trouble keeping a straight face during grqandpap’s reading of his expenses.

The classic Christmas tale, featuring everyone’s favorite Scrooge, Lionel Barrymore.

After giving his tardy employee a hard time, Scrooge leaves Bob Cratchet and is found in the waerehouse. Even his nephew Fred can’t wwhip the old man into a Christmas spirit. Can’t he find it in his heart to help his fellow man? At least join the family for a dinner and party. Scrooge even sends collectors for charity running.

Returning to his home that he has lived in alone since the death of his business partner last year, Scrooge hears voices. A clatter of chains. Is it old Marley, or just indigested food? Wanting to see his friend change his ways, Jacob Marley warns of visiting spirits.

The ghost of Christmas past revisits Scrooge’s boyhood home and boarding school. Christmas is impoertant to a child, but isn’t it still important? Visiting his apprenticeship, Scrooge is still surrounded by friends who were filled by Christmas spirit. His old boss Fezziwig, and a love interest. What changed to drive a wedge in the love affair?

Home again, the ghost of Christmas present shows Scrooge a few of his friends and their celebrations. Even the pennilessCratchet’s find cheer, despite not having money, or the best of health. His rejection doesn’t stop their celebration, or that of his nephew’s. The dark phantom of Christmas yet to come offers silent foreboding. If the cheer of others won’t change him, Will the somber silence of the grave do it?

Retracing the steps of their honeymoon, John and his bride revisit a quaint old curio shop in Chinatown. A after 20 years it looks virtually unchanged. What should they pick up as a souvenir? A rose crystal bell seems to be the thing, and the warning of a ccurse it has on it only drives the sale.

To prevent evil, the old shop owner had removed the clapper of the bell, so only a flat tone ever comes from

it. Will the bride fix it up to make the bell ring properly? How bad can that little old evil curse be?

As John returns to his practice as a brain surgeon, death seems to mysteriously be near when the bell rings. Does the bell really have the power to determine who is cured, or comes back from a near death situation? How will the evil in the bell be appeased, to stop its reign of the deadly curse?

Arnold is a man who is contemplating leaving his wife. He helps around the house, and responds to his talkative wife’s every request. Evelyn is more heartbroken over her broken dishes than paying attention to the needs of her husband. Evelyn is a nice person, but it’s a classic situation of a couple who has one person having their love tank filled, while the other is desperately empty. It’s enough to find Arnold planning a murder.

Has the perfect crime been committed? Will Arnold be able to play it off as the distraught husband, and have a perfect alibi? The waiting game that Arnold has put himself through is a recipe for suspense. The clock ticks, the pressure grows, the emotional strain is pushed to the brink. Nerves frazzle, paranoia sets in.

All Arnold has to do is keep his cool until the body is found. Has someone discovered Arnold’s murderous plan? Justice comes. Will Arnold tip his hand? Will a more explosive twist ending bring about a more satisfying end to our killer?

Features Elliot Lewis as Arnold.

Reporting on how American troops are making Christmas brighter for the kids in London. Homesick soldiers from big sergeants on down, sharing the hope of the season.

Gildersleeve enjoys a nice stroll after the Sunday church service. His troubles over adopting the baby still face him though. State law says he needs to be married and although Adeline drops hints, Gildy gets panicky and makes a break for it.

Gildersleeve has a rival neighbor, Rumson Bullard, played by Gale Gordon. Suggestions are made that he and his wife may want to adopt the baby, which result in reactions from the baby that parallel those of Gildersleeve feelings. The stress of it all has Throckmorton having nightmares, and experiencing paranoia. Troubles pile up for him when LeRoy wants a dog, and the neighbor boy, Craig Bullard gives Gildy a hard time. It pushes him to the brink, and he is resigned to self sacrifice for the sake of the baby.

Note: Hey, how would you like to win a prize? Among them are lots of cash prizes, and a brand new car! Here’s all you need to do! go back in time to 1948 and submit your entry to the Name the Baby contest. I’m fresh out of brand new cars and prizes to give to anybody.

Gildersleeve faces the hard reality, still he visits Peavey for advice. With all the enthusiasm of a man walking to the end of death row, he sets out to Adeline’s. As Gildy struggles to pop the question, listeners are clued into what the two are thinking about. Gildy should be happy, but he’s just too much a bachelor at heart.

Grandpap talks with Abner about the statue that the town wants to erect for Lum’s exploits in capturing the jewel thieves. Abner tells that it’s actually the hotel shareholders who are behind the statue. Either way, it doesn’t impress grandpap. Lum can conceal his pride in the matter, and has prepared a lengthy inscription that he wants put on the statue.

Will the shareholders enshrine Lum as magnificently as he imagines? What’s the book that Lum has with him? The three old gents discuss a variety of famous statues, and wonder about such critters as centaurs, and figures of the ancient world.

Who is the Thinker, and why doesn’t he have any clothes? A phone call seems to deflate Lum’s ego. The stockholders have reviewed his record all right, and they want a new manager

This is an audio track of the famous late night TV show. Steve talks about singer Tex BENEKE, and Hop Along Cassidy. After a break to play a few bars on his piano, Steve gets to the high point of the program.

Al Jolson adlibs and talks with the late night crowd about his kids, and things in general. Al is on the ball when he uses a few of Steves jokes from early on as a running gag. Through the fluid interaction with both the audience, and Steve, Al works in several songs until his time is up, and the show wraps up with a few moments in the Snake Pit. What’s the Snake Pit? Just Steve bringing on guests from the audience for a moment in the limelight.

Note: The Steve Allen show is the fore runner of the Tonight Show, and had many of the same features: monolog, audience interaction, guest interviews, features and stunts where the host did crazy things, and more. Steve Allen played piano, but at times started the show with an amphibious assault with the Marines, rode a horse on to the set, went on the street to ask passerbys to help him change clothes in a phone booth, and had a cult following of fans that returned from night to night to take part in his studio audience.

The track for this show is nearly an hour, but the casual interchange with the legend, Al Jolson moves by so fast, it makes me wish it could be longer. The out of work celebrity would be in his 60’s at this timeand shows he can still perform well.

I don’t have it, and didn’t look for it, but I wouldn’t be surprised to know this episode might be found on youtube.com. If someone finds it let me know, and I’ll link to it.

After being lazy all summer, Fibber breaks through his crusty lawn to plant new seed. Molly is impressed at his knowledge of botany. The Old Timer visits, and tells about his farming career in Mississippi. The Kingsmem sing, Lavender Blue.

To speed things along, Fibber rents a tractor. Is this going to be overkill on tthe McGee’s little lawn? . Gamble arrives to bicker and marvel at the difficult job Fibber has set before himself. Might Fibber have some dirt on the good doctor? With Fibber busily bouncing on the tractor, Molly explains to Harlowe Wilcox about the gardening project. Of course, Fibber takes a break for the sponsor message.

Wallace Wimple visits to tell about reading together with his big old wife, Sweetie Face. Will he be impressed with Fibbers pprowess with the tractor? Billy Muills plays The 12th Street Rahg.

Despite damage to the water main, and crushed shrubbery, Fivver admires his handiwork. Mayor Latrivia arrives to confuse the McGee’s about playing oppussum. After a slow burn by the mayor, Wallace Wimple returns with a secret about the lawn.