Lights Out | Thriller | Old Time Radio Downloads

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"This is the witching hour! It is an hour when dogs howl, and evil things are let loose on a sleeping world. Want to hear about it? Then turn out your lights!"

Lights Out debuted in 1934 and was radio's premier horror series. Director and writer, Wyllis Cooper's writing was characterized by grisly stories always matched with the appropriate acting and sound effects, he conceived in 1933 the idea of writing a dramatic midnight mystery serial catchy enough to the listeners' attention at a time when the competition was mostly airing music. It was however dropped in favor of an anthology emphasizing crime thrillers and the supernatural. He stayed with this program until June 1936 when another Chicago writer, Arch Oboler, took over. By the time Cooper left, the series had inspired about 600 fan clubs.

Arch Oboler was eccentric and ambitious when he took over and picked up where Cooper left off, following the latter's general example but investing the scripts with his own concerns using streams of conscious narration and sometimes social and political themes that reflected his commitment to anti-fascist liberalism. Although Lights Out would be closely associated with Oboler later on, he would always credit Wyllis Cooper as the series' creator and spoke highly of him as "the unsung pioneer of radio dramatic techniques" and the first person he knew who understood that radio drama is an art form.

"Burial Service", Oboler's first script in 1936, was initially flooded with outraged response but was followed with the more accepted and frequently repeated "Catwife" and Caligula-inspired "The Dictator". This set the pattern for Oboler's run of two horror episodes followed by a drama on more serious subjects dealing with moral, social and political issues Click here to read more about Lights Out

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Please enjoy these 91 old time radio episodes:

Air Date	Title	Synopsis
03.09.1943	ball paris macabre	Two party-going men find themselves in a strange Parisian party..
03.16.1943	the dream
03.23.1943	the flame	Two conversationalists discusses fire comparing it to a living organism. The first man takes out an ...
03.30.1943	money money money	"Money, Money, Money". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene. Tony the diver doesn't stop at murde...
04.06.1943	super feature	A guy travels with his assistant guy showing movies to interested audiences. When an audience clamor...
04.13.1943	archer	A girl finds a tool which saves her from the gangsters who are hiding her away.. + “Lights Out br...
04.20.1943	kill	"Kill". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene Shoe White. A story told through the thoughts of the...
04.27.1943	execution	During WWII, a German Officer reports being fired upon by a woman in a French village. In retaliatio...
05.04.1943	heavenly jeep	When the jeep the soldiers are riding is blown up by a landmine, the soldiers realize they are event...
05.11.1943	murder in the script department	Two office clerk-typists become trapped in office after working hours. They notice that equipments a...
05.18.1943	spider	In a treasure hunting expedition in the jungle, the hunters catch spider which has been silently sta...
05.25.1943	little old lady	In a treasure hunting expedition in the jungle, the hunters catch spider which has been silently sta...
06.01.1943	ugliest man in the world	In a treasure hunting expedition in the jungle, the hunters catch spider which has been silently sta...
06.08.1943	organ vacation with death	+ They are happy when they find a mansion to spend the next two months of their vacation in for only...
06.15.1943	prelude to murder	Listeners hear the thoughts of a Dracula-inspired man is jealous of his wife's new male friend.. + A...
06.22.1943	nature study
06.29.1943	bathysphere	+ His Excellency is set to break the record for diving over half a mile to the bottom of the ocean i...
07.13.1943	visitor from hades	A couple who is terminally ill suddenly receives a macabre visit from someone whom is invisible to o...
07.20.1943	profits unlimited	An heiress is taken to an island where she inherits a factory from her grandfather. She soon finds o...
07.27.1943	the little people	"The Little People". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene Shoe White. The eternal triangle seems ...
08.03.1943	murder castle	"Murder Castle". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene. A kindly gentleman murders young ladies fo...
08.10.1943	sakhalin	A megalomaniac murderer roams Russia..
08.17.1943	state executioner	A wife leaves her husband after she finds out that he is an executioner. Later, the man goes crazy a...
08.24.1943	sub basement	Something horric occurs when a girlfriend and boyfriend are stuck in their office building basement.
08.31.1943	immortal gentleman	A man is born to live a normal life from among the immortal and genius Adavars, so the gods wished t...

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"Lights out" is (I think) my favorite OTR show. The first OTR I heard (after War Of The Worlds) of course was "The Dark" by Lights out. I was at my cabin, everybody we're asleep and I was listening to it with my headphones in my bed. 7 minutes that I always remember!!

Daniel

My favorite Lights Out of all! And my favorite show too!!

Daniel

REALLY scary show!! Death Robbery is one of my top ten creepiest OTR shows of all time!

Bob

Always good to hear Mr. Karloff.

Daniel

That is a great one!

Susan

This horror drama was broadcast by WENR- Chicago (1934-1935), then CBS, NBC and ABC from 1936 to 1947.

LIGHTS OUT

I've been listening to Lights Out and heard for the umpteenth time, the ad for Ironized Yeast. It seems as if this was just simply vitamins. But the ad specifically promised that it would help women PUT ON weight.

Dan

Today we celebrate the 1934 premiere of Lights Out! Devoted to tales of terror and the supernatural, Lights Out was one of the first horror programs to come to radio (even before classic programs like Suspense and Inner Sanctum made their debut). Writer Arch Oboler became famous for his work on the series.

Mike