The Shiver Show

This week on The Shiver Show, we take you to the world of insurance fraud, shady dealings, and one very slippery string of pearls with The Kranesburg Matter, a classic tale from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. First broadcast in 1949, this episode features the inimitable Bob Bailey in his signature role as “the man with the action-packed expense account.”

Johnny Dollar, hardboiled but never humorless, is sent to investigate a stolen pearl necklace that carries a hefty insurance claim. What looks like a simple case of theft quickly twists into something darker and more devious. At the center of it all are a rogues’ gallery of characters: the sly Smiley Pro, the calculating Finneus Krane, and the enigmatic Melba Krane. Each one has something to hide, and Johnny has to decide who’s telling the truth and who’s just stringing him along.

Greg and Mary talk about the witty and crisp writing of Les Crutchfield that made Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar such a standout in the field of old time radio dramas.  Add to this some terrific foley work—footsteps, smokey bars, doors slamming, phones ringing—and a moody music score, and you’ve got a perfect slice of vintage crime noir. 

While The Kranesburg Matter was originally broadcast in six, fifteen-minute episodes, we have remastered the series and brought it to you in two parts. So make sure you join us next week for the second part of The Kranesburg Matter. Now sit back, curl up and listen as we bring you this gripping case of missing pearls, crooked suspects, and a tough insurance investigator who never quits. 

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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This week on The Shiver Show, we bring you the second part and the finale of The Kranesburg Matter, from the series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (1949).  

Johnny Dollar, is still on the case of the stolen pink pearl necklace with a hefty insurance claim. With dubious characters, double-crosses and maybe even triple- crosses, The Kranesburg Matter is a satisfying noir crime thriller. 

Join us and find out "who done it" and why.  

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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This week The Shiver Show brings you The Killers, a 1949 episode from NBC Theatre / Screen Directors’ Playhouse.

Based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway, and directed for radio by Robert Siodmak, this production features Burt Lancaster reprising his film role, Shelley Winters as femme fatale, Kitty, and William Conrad as crime boss, Jim Colefax. 

Tense and raw with moral ambiguity, The Killers tells the story of two hit men sent to execute a prizefighter known as “the Swede” who chooses not to run—and the consequences of that choice. With Hemingway's economical style and Siodmak’s direction, The Killers is a stark, noir drama.

So put on your snap-brim fedora, pour yourself a whiskey, and let The Shiver Show take you down a long, dark alley with The Killers. 

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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This week on The Shiver Show, we tune to Drive-In, a standout 1946 episode from the Suspense series.

In this taut drama, the legendary Judy Garland steps away from her familiar world of musicals and light romcoms to deliver a rare and powerful dramatic performance. She plays a young waitress closing up a Southern California drive-in restaurant for the night—just one more customer to serve before she can head home. But when that final order is placed, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary customer.

That sinister patron is brought to life by Elliott Lewis, a gifted performer who goes on to become one of the most influential figures in radio as an actor, producer, director, and writer. Lewis lends his voice a chilling calm, perfectly balancing Garland’s vulnerability and tension. 

After you listen to the remastered recording of Drive-in, stick around and hear Mary and Greg talk about Drive-In's tight pacing, excellent sound effects, and Judy Garland's masterful voice acting. Nearly eighty years on, Drive-in still grips the listener. 

So dim the lights, settle in, and join us as we bring you Judy Garland in Suspense’s unforgettable Drive-In on The Shiver Show.

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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Lend us your ears and listen to this Old Time Radio horror classic, Death Robbery. Originally broadcast on July 16, 1947, this unforgettable tale comes to the Shiver Show from the Lights Out radio series.

Written and directed by Arch Oboler, and adapted for the airwaves with his signature flair for the macabre, Death Robbery explores the dangerous intersection of love, grief, and scientific ambition. When a scientist dares to tamper with the boundary between life and death, he unleashes terrifying consequences. At its core, the story is not just about reanimation and the human soul, but about the hubris of man—and the horror that waits when we push too far.

The broadcast features the commanding presence of Boris Karloff, whose resonant voice transforms this already haunting script into a chilling drama. Supporting Karloff’s performance is the eerie and evocative music score by Gordon Jenkins. 

Mary and Greg talk about Karloff's interesting career and why Death Robbery still resonates today. 

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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Long before Silicon Valley, TikTok, or the age of algorithms, a pulp sci-fi writer named Murray Leinster imagined a world where machines got a little too smart. In 1947 he wrote A Logic Named Joe—a story so ahead of its time it feels uncanny even now. Just a few years later, the tale came crackling to life on the radio anthology Dimension X in 1950.

In this episode of The Shiver Show, Mary and Greg dive into this eerie slice of old-time radio, talking about the sharp performances by Joseph Julian and Roger DeKoven, the inventive sound design, and yes—that delightfully kooky theme music. But at its heart, the story raises a chilling question that never gets old: what happens when our inventions outthink—and maybe outmaneuver—us?

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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This week, the Shiver Show goes deep into the strange and twisted mind of H.P. Lovecraft with The Dunwich Horror.  This episode first aired on the terrific old time radio series, Suspense, in 1945. 

H.P Lovecraft is know as one of the masters of creepy tales and The Dunwich Horror does not disappoint.  Some might say the story is intriguing; others say that it's perplexing. You be the judge!

Ronald Coleman and Brett Morrison give strong performances in the lead roles supported by a cast of uncredited voice actors. 

Greg and Mary discuss H.P. Lovecraft's scary monsters, his inner demons and what rating The Dunwich Horror gets on the patented Shiver Show 'Scream-o-meter'.  Join us!

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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This week, The Shiver Show crackles to life with telekinetic intensity in this 1950 sci-fi episode from the Suspense series, Report on the Barnhouse Effect.  This episode is a daring dive into the paranormal from the first published short story by Kurt Vonnegut  Jr.

Before Slaughterhouse-Five, before Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. exploded onto the world stage with this mind-bending tale of mental might and military madness. Imagine an ordinary professor who discovers he can control objects with the force of his thoughts. Professor Barnhouse knows that his powers could heal the world, feed the hungry, and do good things. But in a Cold War world, addicted to arms and military response, will his government harness his power for good?

It’s suspense. It’s science fiction. It’s satire with a heartbeat. Co-hosts Mary and Greg talk about this well-paced thriller, their experiences with Vonnegut's writing, and the terrific production values in Report on the Barnhouse Effect. Join us and listen now. 

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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Step into Cold War Vienna with this 1951 radio drama, The Third Man. Brought to us by the Lux Radio Theatre, this episode features Joseph Cotton as Holly Martin and Evelyn Keyes as Anna Schmidt.  Based on an adaptation of Graeme Greene's novella of the same name, the Third Man is treat for old time radio fans, as well as fans of noir film.  

We have remastered the audio file and have taken out the rather lengthy Lux soap advertisements to bring you the essence of the drama. 

Mary Labrie and Greg Flynn talk about the award-winning noir film, the terrific voice actors, and the wonderful zither theme music by Anton Karas.  Tune in to the The Third Man, and prepare to immerse yourself in the intrigue of post-war Vienna in this old time radio crime classic!

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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Put on your snap-brim fedora, cinch up a trench coat, and get ready to immerse yourself in a noir-drenched mystery with our Old Time Radio classic, The Lady in the Lake. Originally airing in 1949 on the Lux Radio Theatre, this thrilling adaptation brings Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled detective, Philip Marlowe, to life in a gripping drama that you won’t want to miss.

Based on Chandler’s celebrated 1943 novel, The Lady in the Lake, this old time radio classic takes listeners into a world of deception, murder, and intrigue. Hollywood icon Robert Montgomery reprises his role as the cool, sharp-tongued Marlowe, from the 1947 film of the same name. Lending sophistication and allure to radio drama is Audrey Totter, as the enigmatic femme fatale at the heart of the mystery.

Known for its live productions and star-studded casts, Lux Radio Theatre delivers a suspenseful adaptation that captures the essence of Chandler’s hard-edged prose. With snappy dialogue, and a story full of unexpected twists, this episode is a puzzling whodunit.

Co-hosts Mary and Greg, contrast the film and the radio drama, and talk about the writing style of Raymond Chandler. Was $10 a day (plus expenses) a good fee for a private detective in 1949?  You be the judge!

Tune in now and let The Lady in the Lake submerge you in its dark, reflective depths. 

Thank you for listening!   If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

Watch us on YouTube:
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Follow The Shiver Show 
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or check out our website at  https://www.timewarpstudios.com

Other podcast platforms: https://linktr.ee/theshivershow