The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

Our Patreon supporter James suggested that we listen to “The Blind Beggar Dies” from The Shadow! In this story, the enigmatic vigilante seeks justice for the murder of a blind man and fights to protect the city’s poor. But even the power to cloud men’s minds may not be enough to save him if the enemy knows his plan! How will the Shadow bring these vicious killers to justice? What requirements must a person meet to stand on the corner and ask for money? If fighting crime doesn't work out, does the Shadow have any skills that would allow him to succeed as a live entertainer? Listen for yourself and find out!

Many thanks to our Patreon supporter Chris for suggesting we take up the challenge of this Theatre 10:30 episode, “Trespassers Will Be Experimented Upon!” written by Anthony Lee Flanders. This strange narrative features a brilliant scientist and his acclaimed sex-symbol wife racing through a storm to a castle in Saskatchewan. There, they will come face to face with…the Baron! Their battle of wits will not only determine who possesses the superior mind, but also reveal the source of the scientist’s genius. Where do the loyalties of the Baron’s split-tongued servant lie? How dark and/or bizarre can this story get? How should one translate, "Glllyggh...Uhlyygg"? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our thanks to our Patreon supporter Jules for suggesting this episode of Lights Out, “Subbasement!” The story features a husband grudgingly granting his wife a tour of his subterranean workplace. Beneath the city’s department stores, the buildings are connected by a dark tunnel that seems to be abandoned as the couple make their way through the darkness. Why has chosen this evening to provide his wife with this tour? What unexpected surprise does Arch Oboler have waiting for them? Will Eric be forced to pay Tim & Joshua $100? Listen for yourself and find out!

We’re beginning 2022 with a little enticement to join our Patreon page! When our patrons checked out their monthly bonus content in August of last year, they got an installment of the members-only series, Secrets of the Mysterious Old Radio, which featured “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz,” from Escape! And as it happens, they voted to declare this episode the second best from 2021! Now we’re sharing it with everyone as a little taste of all the great stuff that comes with membership. Please have a listen and consider joining the amazing community of MORLS fans whose support keeps this podcast going!

Happy New Year! We are celebrating every last drop of the holiday season, ending the year with our traditional presentation of different adaptations of Charles Dickens’ other famous ghost story, “The Signal-Man.” The first time we did this, we listened to the 1956 Suspense version featuring Sarah Churchill. This time around, we return to Suspense in 1959 featuring Ellen Drew. As before, this story depicts a curious stranger who encounters a rail worker beset by visions. Why does he seem to be receiving some otherworldly warning? How will this version compare to those we have already heard? What would have happened if we had listened to this version first instead of the 1956 production? Listen for yourself and find out!

Merry Christmas! It’s time for another visit from our favorite fat man, Nero Wolfe! Legendary actor Sydney Greenstreet brought Rex Stout’s famous detective to life throughout The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe! In this episode, “The Case of the Slaughtered Santas,” Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin are called upon to solve a series of murders in which all the victims share a distinctive occupation! Why would someone want to kill a series of Saint Nicks? Is this the work of a madman or is it laying the groundwork for a bank robbery? How can you tell if a person is a "theatrical"? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our holiday celebration continues! Tim is again offering a gift episode to his co-hosts! This time, his selection is a present for Joshua, “Murder on the Train” from The Adventures of Leonidas Witherall! The series is based on a run of detective novels by Alice Tilton, a pen name used by Phoebe Atwood Taylor! The episode features the titular detective travelling by rail with his housekeeper, Mrs. Mollett. But when a dead body turns up, its time for Witherall to track down the killer! How will he identify the murderer? Which two Shakespeare plays has Benny seen? Has Joshua already heard this before? Listen for yourself and find out!

To celebrate he holidays, Tim is offering gift episodes to his co-hosts! The first offering is a present for Eric, “The Locomotive Ghost” from The Mysterious Traveler! In this story, two men engineer a train wreck in order to steal the fortune on board. But a strange old man warns them that trains are living things and that there are consequences for taking such a life. Is there really a pantheon of supernatural trains? Can these thieves escape their fate? Will Eric like it? Listen for yourself and find out!

For this episode, we are joined by our esteemed Patreon supporter, Atticus! Atticus has brought us an episode of CBS Radio Workshop, “A Pride of Carrots!” Written and narrated by the novelist Robert Nathan, the story concerns the first astronauts to reach Venus and the fantastical creatures they find there. Will the Earthmen be able to escape the absurd machinations of the Venusians? Does the political satire still hold up after all this time? Did Atticus just sneak an episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle into our podcast? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week we’re listening to “The House of Death,” an episode of The Mysterious Traveler recommended to us by to esteemed Patreon supporter, Patricia! Thanks, Patricia! The story features two elderly sisters whose extended visit with their nephew and niece seems to have become permanent captivity or worse, a death sentence! But despite their failing health, they’ll make every attempt to get help or to escape! Why are they being kept in the house? Will these two and their cats survive this ordeal? Is our understanding of debtors’ prisons and poorhouses at all accurate? Listen for yourself and find out!