"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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02.09.1943 | we dug it up | ||
| 07.13.1943 | visitor from hades |
A couple who is terminally ill suddenly receives a macabre visit from someone whom is invisible to o... | |
| 12.29.1942 | valse triste |
Two girls on a camping trip, and while rowing docks their boat on an island to pick some flowers whe... | |
| 03.30.1938 | valse triste |
Two girls on a camping trip, and while rowing docks their boat on an island to pick some flowers whe... | |
| 02.02.1943 | until dead |
A murdered girlfriend’s voice torments her boyfriend as if asking for justice. Her boyfriend sets ... | |
| 05.26.1937 | until dead |
A man nearing his execution date escapes from prison and swears revenge on the man who framed him fo... | |
| 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... | |
| 02.23.1943 | they met at dorset |
Unsure of his location, the German rescue mission tries to free Rudolf Hess from his English captors... | |
| 09.14.1943 | the word |
Two honeymooners climbs to the 100th floor of a tower to watch the city skyline and simply forget th... | |
| 08.24.1946 | the signal man |
A old train signalman is interviewed by a reporter. He says he saw a signaling figure just before th... | |
| 03.02.1943 | the sea |
+ Sharing her miserable confession with Father Donahue on her deathbed the mother told of her two so... | |
| 09.16.1936 | the sea |
A story told by an old dying lady about her two sons, one good and the other a villain. The good son... | |
| 07.28.1945 | the rocket ship |
In the year 2000, a crewman returns from the moon and notes moon craters being similar to atom bomb ... | |
| 08.03.1946 | the revenge of india |
An influential Indian gets kidnapped by gangsters and hidden in the trunk of their car. Unknowingly,... | |
| 12.22.1942 | the meteor man |
A meteorite is found by a stargazing couple. Opening it, they find it is made of flesh and transform... | |
| 06.16.1937 | the meteor man |
A meteorite is found by a stargazing couple. Opening it, they find it is made of flesh and transform... | |
| 07.27.1943 | the little people |
"The Little People". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene Shoe White. The eternal triangle seems ... | |
| 04.14.1937 | the little people |
+ Weird and heavily accented guy is eventually left by his gallivanting wife to finally join her bo... | |
| 03.23.1943 | the flame |
Two conversationalists discusses fire comparing it to a living organism. The first man takes out an ... | |
| 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... | |
| 03.16.1943 | the dream | ||
| 03.23.1938 | the dream |
A murderer who never had experiences a dream suddenly falls into one during his sentencing trial.. T... | |
| 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... | |
| 09.01.1945 | the day the sun exploded | ||
| 12.29.1937 | the dark |
A prankster calls an ambulance which promptly responds by arriving on the scene to find a dark house... |
Daniel
Daniel
Bob
Daniel
Susan
LIGHTS OUT
Dan
Mike
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