The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

We continue with our Listener Library series, catching up on recommendations from our listeners! This week, we check out “The Wardrobe Trunk” from NBC’s Radio City Playhouse, suggested to us by Jake! A small-time criminal finds himself in over his head and scrutinized by a threatening traveling companion. Can this desperate criminal elude the law? Does anything draw attention to yourself like not wanting to draw attention to yourself? What were dolls like back then? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our thanks to Keara who recommended this story from the series, Escape! This unusual tale is based on a short story by Robert Smythe Hichens and the production features the singular talents of the Man of a Thousand Voices, Paul Frees as the parrot. After a psychologist strikes up an unlikely friendship with a priest, the doctor finds himself being tormented by a strange invisible creature, which plagues him with a sickening, repugnant love! What is the true nature of this shadowy creature? Can a parrot sense the spiritual world? How hard was it to find a dinner date back then? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week the Society listens to a suggestion from Abby, who told us about an episode of Crime Classics! This series blends dark comedy and historical tales of true crime. In this episode, a German ne’er-do-well finds himself accused of four murders and he may not want to prove himself innocent. During the discussion afterwards, Tim makes a ridiculous claim that he found a link to the actual story that was the basis for this production. There is no such link. However, here’s a couple other bits of useful information: Bad Luck Schleprock and schlemiel and schlimazel. What is the odd bit of trivia regarding this show? Why are people so fond of Baumler when death and destruction seem to follow in his wake? Is Bruno an appropriate name for a dog? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our Summer Serial concludes with the shocking resolution to “The Thing That Cries in the Night” from I Love a Mystery! (Coming late to the series? Listen to Parts 1–3, Parts 4–6, Parts 7–9, and then Parts 10–12!) Jack claims to know who is responsible for terrorizing the Martin family, but he won’t reveal what he suspects until he has undeniable proof. Can you figure out the solution before the final episode? Is anyone actually listening when Jack speaks out loud to an empty room? How many of us have friends that can cry like babies (not including actual babies)? Listen for yourself and find out!

Things are looking dire for the Martin Family as the Society races toward the climax of “The Thing That Cries in the Night” from I Love a Mystery! Join us for the penultimate episode of our Summer Serial! (Coming late to the series? Listen to Parts 1–3, Parts 4–6, and then Parts 7–9!) After a second murder Jack, Reggie, and Doc continue their investigation into the inexplicable deaths! Who was the mysterious figure that threatened to throw Cherry into the furnace? Why is Jack suddenly asking about Pauline West? What words would Doc put in those radio ladies’ mouths? Listen for yourself and find out!

It’s time for the next installment of our Summer Serial! Join us as we follow Jack, Reggie, and Doc into the heart of “The Thing That Cries in the Night” from I Love a Mystery! (Coming late to the series? Listen to Parts 1–3 and then Parts 4–6!) ! The Martin family are under siege by seemingly supernatural forces, and Jack gathers everyone for a shocking revelation! Why does grandma insist on arranging the chairs so meticulously? How many times are we going to slash Cherry? Is there some discreet service for single ladies to hire men of adventure? Listen for yourself and find out!

“The Thing That Cries in the Night” continues! The Society’s Summer Serial is underway with these episodes from I Love a Mystery! (Coming late to the series? Listen to Parts 1–3!) Jack, Reggie, and Doc meet the rest of the Martin family and soon they again hear the strange cry of an infant, even though there is no baby in the house! Why would anyone think the burning personal letters in the middle of the night might be suspicious? Who is on this baby’s list of enemies? Is there a curse word that takes ten minutes to say? Listen for yourself and find out!

The Society returns from our break to launch our Summer Serial, as we investigate all 15 episode of “The Thing That Cries in the Night” from Carleton E. Morse’s I Love a Mystery! Jack, Reggie, and Doc fly into Burbank only to be swept up into another mystery involving an aristocratic family plagued by a creeping, unhealthy menace. What threat lurks in the home of the Martin family? Who is slashing Cherry? Was Fay actually allowed to say “horsefeathers” on the radio? Listen for yourself and find out!

Put your seats in the upright and locked position because the Society is ready to take off with this week’s installment, an episode of Dark Fantasy entitle “Spawn of the Sub Human!” A famed singer finds her flight haunted by memories of the past. Her ultimate destination will prove to be completely unexpected. Is her journey a powerful metaphor for anxiety? Is this episode more bizarre than Northern Lights? Has the mind’s innate obedience ever been more ridiculous? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week, the Society discovers the original found footage horror story, “Ghost Hunt,” recommended to us in an iTunes review! Our thanks to Filmbuf104! This episode of Suspense features Ralph Edwards, the creator of such classic shows as “Truth or Consequences” and “This is Your Life.” In the story, DJ Smiley Smith dares to record a night spent in a house known as the Deathtrap. Will he find actual proof of ghosts?  What would it take to make him stop recording? What sorts of advancements have been made in naming pets since 1949? Listen for yourself and find out!