Thursday March 15th, 2007

Mystery Radio from The Internet Archives

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Before the Internet, before television, there was radio, and radio theater. Mystery radio theater to be exact. Suspense. The supernatural. Science fiction.

My introduction to the format came on a long drive during spring break in 1974. My cousin was driving a tractor-trailer, I was riding shotgun, and we were on our way up Highway 101, going to Arroyo Grande. It was very late at night and we'd just passed through the Gaviota tunnel going inland and The Zero Hour came on, flat and distant sounding on the AM radio.

I tell you, there is nothing like driving along these coastal backroads after nightfall; two-lanes, no traffic, rolling hills, clawing oaks, stars carpeting the sky, and only your headlamps lighting the way. The dash throws a dim light in your lap and the radio delivers a sharp story about a lost man wandering the highway on foot in a state of amnesia and he reaches a diner and finds bodies in the back and finally realizes there's dried blood on his hands and you and the driver are sitting in silence, listening, listening, and listening some more, and suddenly it dawns on you that the road ahead looks like the opening sequence in Psycho and after 50 miles of this you start to wonder, is that really your cousin at the wheel? and is he really taking you to where he says he's taking you? He hasn't said anything in a long long time... not since you left Santa Barbara... he looks grim... like he's planning something unpleasant...

That is the power of radio theater.

Alas, those nights are gone--the shows have been off the air for years and it seems there are no longer any empty two-lane roads in California. The stars look different too. And who knows where that cousin is now.

But not all is lost. You can download the old radio programs and listen up whenever you feel like it.

Here's a selection to get you started. Enjoy.

These are some of the best from a variety of radio programs hosted at the Internet Archive--the premiere online source for cultural artifacts and ephemera. If you click on the small icon to the right of a title, a new window will open directly to the program archive, where you may browse, download, and listen to many more episodes. All these materials are free and believed to be in the public domain.

Below is a little background information on each program and selected episode. Eventually I'll put together separate sections for each radio program.

Hats off to the Internet Archive and the collectors of mystery radio theater for preserving and delivering this stuff.

Suspense! - December 5, 1945 - "The House in Cypress Canyon"

Typical L.A. story... young couple from out of town rents a bungalow and all hell breaks loose. Happens all the time. They should've rented west of Sepulveda Blvd...

Five Minute Mysteries - Date Unknown - "Death Calls At Dinner"

Extremely short mystery plots. Five Minute Mysteries were designed to sell advertising space to local merchants. The producers inserted extended musical interludes which left time for a hometown announcer to introduce the episode, present the advertiser's message and wrap things up with a local pitch. So if you're wondering why they seem to like organ music so much--that's why. An announcer would use the space to sell toothpaste or tires or tombstones...

Quiet, Please - August 9, 1948 - "The Thing On The Fourble Board"

Wyllis Cooper--writer and producer--was a genius. This episode is reportedly the best of the series and a benchmark for the other programs to meet. I dunno about that, but it is pretty good... especially the ending...

Lights Out, Everybody - December 16, 1936 - "Poltergeist"

Lights Out, Everybody was known for being the first or the best at a few things; among them, the use of sound effects to get an image across. Sometimes a little over the top...

Escape - December 24, 1947 - "Back For Christmas"

A classic.

The Zero Hour - May 23rd, 1974 - "There's A Man in 211"

The Zero Hour is one of my personal favorites--the 1970s production values can't be beat. Also features Rod Serling as host. There's not much of a web presence for this program for some reason. Hmm...

Suspense! - May 31, 1945 - "August Heat"

Quiet, Please - October 13, 1947 - "Camera Obscura"

A story from my hometown. I know where all these places are... quite well...

Suspense! - September 2, 1942 - "The Hitchhiker" with Orson Wells

One of the best from Suspense, done shortly after the premiere by Alfred Hitchcock. You will recognize this story from The Twilight Zone... a lot of OTR stories made it onto television...