We’re joined this week by researcher Karl Schadow to take a look at the remarkable career of writer Robert Bloch, best known today as the author of Psycho, but whose work in radio deserves a look. Bloch got his start writing for the pulp magazines, including Weird Tales, where he developed his style of horror influenced by H. P. Lovecraft. In this episode, we hear a radio adaptation of Bloch's "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper," which brings the legendary murderer into the modern world. We also hear "Almost Human," a story about a robot that appears to possess a mind of its own. Together, these broadcasts show just how versatile Bloch could be, moving between horror, mystery, and science fiction long before artificial intelligence became part of everyday conversation.

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Once again John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb are here to continue our 10-part series featuring the popular radio series, The Whistler. Today we are featuring a story about a man who has built a comfortable life through deception and is now working with a blackmailer to take advantage of his wealthy wife. But when Mr. Penny threatens to reveal secrets from his past, the partnership quickly turns into a dangerous game. John and Joe discuss the talented writers behind the episode and the challenges of identifying many of radio’s uncredited performers.

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Finally we come to the broadcast we've been building toward: Jack Benny's 1949 Ford Theater radio adaptation of The Horn Blows at Midnight. After spending the past few weeks hearing the incredible build-up to this broadcast on his own show, we finally get to hear the story itself. Benny stars as Nathaniel, an inexperienced angel sent to Earth with a very serious assignment: blow his trumpet at midnight and signal the destruction of the world. But after meeting a few ordinary people and seeing both their struggles and their capacity for kindness, Nathaniel begins to wonder whether humanity deserves another chance. Claude Rains co-stars in this unusual fantasy-comedy, which turns one of the most famous "failures" of Benny's film career into a warm story about peace, compassion, and the possibility of redemption.

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This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our 10-week Whistler series. We’re in  1948 today with a story that follows a gifted violinist whose obsession with owning a rare instrument drives him to commit an unthinkable crime. But while week after week people tuned into Lights Out! to hear villains getting their gruesome comeuppance, The Whistler reminded listeners that getting what you want always comes at a price, dealt by our old friend, "the fickle finger of fate." John and Joe take a look behind the scenes at one of the more unusual chapters in Whistler history. They explain how sponsor Household Finance Corporation requested a toned-down version of the series, resulting in a second production of the same script with a different cast, a softer narrator, and a less cynical feel.

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We are continuing our run of The Jack Benny Program as we get even closer to Jack's much-anticipated radio adaptation of The Horn Blows at Midnight. In this February 1949 episode, Jack is taking violin lessons. Guest Claude Rains shows up. He is locked into the contract to play opposite Benny in The Ford Theater adaptation, and naturally, it’s a last ditch plea to get Jack to “throw” the program. This is a hilarious show, well-written, a well-established weekly tradition for American radio listening fun on Sunday evenings, and still holds up great today.

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This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a story about Clyde (no, this has nothing to do with the Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show). He is a jealous ballroom dancer who believes his young wife is about to leave him for her new dance partner, Ricky. Determined to stop them, he puts together “the perfect plan” to commit murder and pin the crime on his unsuspecting rival. But, as the trademark of this series goes, one small detail threatens to bring the entire scheme crashing down. John and Joe discuss the career of radio actor Marvin Miller and share some behind-the-scenes insights into the way these programs were written, including how scripts were sometimes adjusted on the fly during live broadcasts.

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We continue our run of The Jack Benny Program as we get closer to Jack's much-anticipated radio adaptation of The Horn Blows at Midnight. In this episode, Jack gets pressure to call off the show, first from the producer of The Ford Theater, Fletcher Markle, and then the powerful studio executive Jack Warner (one of the legendary Warner Brothers). Jack Benny, known behind-the-scenes for his strict adherence to the script, has a rare extended adlib as Jack Warner loses his place and the show goes off the rails. It was live radio after all. The cast is delightful, as usual, and includes Rochester (Eddie Anderson), Phil Harris, and Mary Livingstone. This is a sharp, extremely well-written radio comedy, and the Jack Benny Program at the absolute top of its game.

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Today John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a clever 1946 episode s set in the romantic world of the golden age of radio studio. An announcer, played by Joseph Kearns, believes he's devised the perfect murder with an airtight alibi. But as always with The Whistler, even the most carefully constructed scheme can come undone in the most unexpected way (as Jack Benny’s satires on these types of programs put it, “the fickle finger of fate”). John and Joe dig into the production history of the episode, discussing the cast, the writers, and a few interesting details about radio broadcasting in the 1940s.

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This week, John Tefteller continues our short run of The Jack Benny Program with another 1949 episode leading up to Jack's much-loved radio sendup of The Horn Blows at Midnight. The show picks up with Jack still trying to force announcer Don Wilson to sign his new contract. From there, Jack attempts to land a starring role in a radio production, competing with Vincent Price during a rehearsal at Claudette Colbert's home. Also on this episode is the producer of the Ford Theater, Fletcher Markle. 

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This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a 1946 sustaining broadcast titled "The Broken Chain." The story follows Arnold Stanton, a man convinced the only way out of his unhappy marriage is murder. After carefully staging what appears to be a tragic accident, strange encounters and unsettling clues begin to make him question everything he thought he knew. John and Joe discuss the differences between the sponsored and sustaining versions of The Whistler, explore some of the production techniques that gave the series its distinctive sound, and talk about why these classic suspense stories remain so enjoyable nearly eighty years later.

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