The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

We’re listening to another episode of Escape featuring Vincent Price! This time it’s “Present Tense,” the story of a man on the way to his execution after being convicted of murdering his wife. But before being put to death, he will go to any lengths to avoid his predicament. Is his wife truly dead? Can a man elude the law using only his skills as a poet? How did Paul Frees get so much radio work? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!

Happy New Year! As the holiday season comes to a close, it’s time for our annual visit to the diligent man who lives by the rails. This is our fourth year sharing an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ other famous ghost story, “The Signal-Man.” We listen to the Lights Out adaptation this year and 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 is the secret meaning of the Lights Out gong? Listen for yourself and find out!

Not only is this the conclusion of our Suspense-o-rama, a whole bunch of episodes from the classic series, it’s also our 200th episode! We are celebrating this momentous landmark by listening to a story written by the esteemed Lucille Fletcher and performed by the one-and-only Orson Welles, a tale entitled, “The Hitchhiker!” Welles plays a motorist whose cross-country trip becomes something more mysterious after he sees a seemingly innocuous man by the side of the road. Where will this strange journey lead? How did Suspense distinguish itself from other scary shows of the time? Where does Mr. Spock live? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our Suspense-o-rama continues, featuring a whole bunch of episodes from the classic series that were recommended by our listeners! Our fifth installment in the series is “Bells,” the story of a young couple whose search for a new house seems to get some mysterious assistance. Once they move in, supernatural forces seem to descend upon the new tenants! Are there really powers from beyond luring this husband and wife to their doom? Can this couple retain their wits despite the terrors they face? Is it possible to buy insurance for this sort of thing? Listen for yourself and find out!

Welcome to our fourth installment of our Suspense-o-rama, a whole bunch of episodes from the classic series that were recommended by our listeners! This time we are listening to “Murder in G-Flat,” featuring a performance by Jack Benny. Benny plays a keen-eared piano tuner who finds himself inadvertently in possession of $25,000. But this money comes with Is the murder and mystery attached! Where did the windfall come from? Will trying to keep it cost this piano-tuner his life? Does this police department host a lot of parties? Listen for yourself and find out!

Ray Bradbury authored this episode of Suspense, the third installment in our Suspense-o-rama, a whole bunch of episodes from the classic series that were recommended by our listeners! While investigating a murder, a detective finds that a ventriloquist might be his prime suspect. But the only one who’s willing to talk is the performer’s strikingly beautiful dummy! June Havoc provides narration for the episode under the name Armana Fargey. Visit the Breaking Walls podcast for a great snippet of an interview with June Havoc and William Spier! Is the doll speaking on her own behalf or is just saying what she’s told? Will the detective actually question a dummy? Can everyone agree on how to pronounce Riabouchinska? Listen for yourself and find out!

Lucille Ball stars in “Dime a Dance” from Suspense! This week we’re listening to the second installment in our Suspense-o-rama, a whole bunch of episodes from the classic series that were recommended by our listeners! In this story, a series of grisly murders targeting taxi dancers baffles the police and Ginger may be the next victim! Can the police protect her? What would drive someone to such a disturbing crime? How much crotch-kicking can one expect in the sequel? Listen for yourself and find out!

We’ve collected quite a backlog of Suspense episodes recommended to us by our mysterious listeners, so it’s time for a Suspense-o-rama! We begin with “The Dark Tower,” an episode that features Orson Welles in a theatrical, perhaps self-parodying role. In the story (based on a play), a larger-than-life actor spins a tale about an alleged murder. In this case, the alleged killer cannot remember whether or not she committed the crime! Is this script an adaptation of a play or a story about an adaptation of a play? Is Welles' performance parodying his own reputation or just living up to it? Was this episode a prequel to this commercial for the Dark Tower board game? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week’s episode corresponds to our first Mysterious Old Radio Watching Society episode! After listening to “Wear the Dead Man’s Coat,” from Quiet Please, head over to our YouTube page to watch the adaptation of the story that was presented as part of the Lights Out television series! This audio version features a hard-luck resident of Chicago who decides to help a local grifter find a coat for the evening. What supernatural legend is associated with a dead man’s coat? How will this story compare to the televised version? Does anyone have a lukewarm reaction to sushi? Listen for yourself and find out!

Welcome to the second half of our Mysterious Old Radio Double-Header! If you missed last week’s episode, you may want to check it out first. For this Double-Header, Joshua and Tim each chose a story from Dark Fantasy to redeem the series in your hosts’ opinions. For the second half, we listen to “The Headless Dead,” chosen by Joshua. The story features a visitor at the Tower of London whose tour includes grisly ghost stories and an opportunity to play the chapel’s organ. What business do the dead have with this sleepy tourist? Can one’s destiny be rescheduled to a more convenient evening? Are we going to have to listen to a third consecutive Dark Fantasy episode? Listen for yourself and find out!