"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 | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07.21.1945 | reunion after death |
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| 10.13.1942 | revolt of the worms |
An experiment backfires as a man and his assistant used human hormones and worms to make roses grow ... | |
| 09.20.1945 | rocket from manhattan |
+ Rocket from Manhattan is set in the future some 55 years hence; the date is 20th September in the ... | |
| 03.03.1937 | sakhalin |
A megalomaniac murderer roams Russia.. | |
| 08.10.1943 | sakhalin |
A megalomaniac murderer roams Russia.. | |
| 12.08.1942 | scoop |
An investor buys a loosing newspaper and decides to cut on manpower by dismissing staff members abov... | |
| 02.17.1941 | special to hollywood |
+ The story is a familiar one. Hollywood celebrities fly to a town for the premier of their new pic... | |
| 06.08.1938 | spider |
"The Spider". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene Shoe White. Mr. Oboler mentions that this stor... | |
| 05.18.1943 | spider |
In a treasure hunting expedition in the jungle, the hunters catch spider which has been silently sta... | |
| 03.17.1937 | state executioner |
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| 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... | |
| 12.01.1942 | story of mr maggs |
From an auction, a man buys an evil trunk.. + Harold Maggs buys an old unclaimed oak travelling trun... | |
| 08.24.1943 | sub basement |
Something horric occurs when a girlfriend and boyfriend are stuck in their office building basement. | |
| 03.16.1938 | super feature |
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| 04.06.1943 | super feature |
A guy travels with his assistant guy showing movies to interested audiences. When an audience clamor... | |
| 07.13.1946 | the coffin in studio b |
While participants are rehearsing for the "Lights Out" show, a coffin salesman enters promoting his ... | |
| 12.29.1937 | the dark |
A prankster calls an ambulance which promptly responds by arriving on the scene to find a dark house... | |
| 09.01.1945 | the day the sun exploded | ||
| 04.26.1939 | the devils due |
A man who aware of the operation of the two thieves approaches them for the possibility of joining t... | |
| 03.23.1938 | the dream |
A murderer who never had experiences a dream suddenly falls into one during his sentencing trial.. T... | |
| 03.16.1943 | the dream | ||
| 10.14.1936 | the fast one |
Also known as "Speed", this old time radio broadcast tells a story about two men who have the supern... | |
| 03.23.1943 | the flame |
Two conversationalists discusses fire comparing it to a living organism. The first man takes out an ... | |
| 04.14.1937 | the little people |
+ Weird and heavily accented guy is eventually left by his gallivanting wife to finally join her bo... | |
| 07.27.1943 | the little people |
"The Little People". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene Shoe White. The eternal triangle seems ... |
Daniel
Daniel
Bob
Daniel
Susan
LIGHTS OUT
Dan
Mike
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