The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

We continue to explore our Listener Library! This time, we listen to “Valse Triste,” an episode of Lights Out recommended to us by Lionel. Thanks, Lionel!  Two young women stumble upon a mysterious hermit who commits their fate to the outcome of a coin toss. Can anything be done to escape the deadly consequences? How does the famed composition Valse Triste relate to the themes of this story? What could “Make mine vanilla with onions” possibly mean? Listen for yourself and find out!

It’s another week of catching up on our Listener Library! This time, thanks to a recommendation from Holly, we are listening to “The Thing in the Cave,” from CBS Radio Mystery Theater. A group of speleologists find themselves trapped in a cave reputed to be inhabited by a monstrous creature. Can they overcome their own shortcomings to survive? Is there really a monster that dwells in this subterranean world? Is proper letter-writing etiquette really that important? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our thanks to Jeff for suggesting we listen to “The Ravine” from Bradbury 13!  Based on acclaimed writer Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Whole Town’s Sleeping,” this episode tells the story of a dark night in a small town. Despite a murderer being on the loose, three young women brave a trip to the movies. Will they dare pass through the ravine where the killer lurks? Why is Lavinia so determined to face this threat? How many peppermint chews can you get for a nickel? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week, esoteric scholarship leads to…Murder at Midnight! In this episode, “The Kabbalah,” a professor of the occult suddenly comes into possession of a strange, ancient book. Inside he discovers a forgotten version of the Kabbalah, and uses this system of transforming words into numbers to reveal hidden truths of the universe. It not only answers questions about the future, but also seems to grant wishes. What dark price does this book require for its secrets? Is this just the sort of thing that happens in a college towns? How many obscure references can we cram into one discussion? Listen for yourself and find out!

UPDATE: Our guess for the episode’s initial broadcast is incorrect! That was a rebroadcast of an episode aired on August 22, 1952. Our thanks to Will for recommending this Hall of Fantasy episode, “The Castle of Lavoca!” Or maybe it’s “The Castle of Drago.” Or it may be “The Legend of Drago.” Regardless of the proper name, the story depicts two American tourists who visit a small Eastern European town in the shadow of an old castle. Is there truth to the stories about the baron who once called this castle home? Do these tourists dare risk visiting the castle and becoming part of it’s sinister legend? Are Satan’s dogs truly evil or just poorly trained? Listen for yourself and find out!

Wyllis Cooper and Ernest Chappell have invited the Society down to “Beezer’s Cellar” for this story from the celebrated series Quiet, Please. Three thieves decide to hide their loot in the supposedly haunted cellar of a remote, unfinished house. What dark powers await them in that underground room? How much terror will they endure for $82,000? Would you buy a warm and dangerous blanket? Listen for yourself and find out!

(UPDATE! As one of our listeners astutely pointed out in the comments: “This episode is actually from the Australian run of the series, not the American and Miriam Wolfe is not in this episode.” Thank you, Jeff, for catching the mistake! Our apologies for the error.) This week, the Society revisits Alonzo Deen Cole’s landmark series The Witch’s Tale! “The Firing Squad” presents the story of a World War I soldier whose fear of death drives him to desperate choices. Will he pay the ultimate price for his mistakes? How different would this story be if it had been presented a year later? Can we get through an episode without mentioning the Shadow?  Listen for yourself and find out!

Bela Lugosi beckons us to enter The Mystery House!  This recording, “The Thirsty Death,” is a considerable mystery unto itself. The story features Lugosi and John Carradine in a mad tale of love, suspicion, and rabies in the jungle. What terrible revenge has Lugosi’s character concocted for his revenge? How did this episode get made in the first place? Why would someone move to a city being terrorized by rabid dogs? Listen for yourself and find out!

The Society looks to the stars with “Cold Equations,” an episode of X Minus One! Based on a short story by Tom Godwin, this is the tale of a pilot on the frontiers of space who suddenly finds a young woman stowed away, forcing him into a moral quandary. What mechanical computational process will determine her fate? Is there any way to save her? Why is Eric judging people’s DVD purchases? Listen for yourself and find out!