CREEPS BY NIGHT

OLD TIME RADIO - 1 CD - 6 mp3 - Total Playtime: 2:46:36

This series was introduced by several hosts. The West coast (Hollywood) was hosted by the series star, Boris Karloff. The East coast (New York) was hosted by an anonymous voice known as "Dr. X" (Dunning, 183), which some attribute to multiple talents (Digital Deli). Other stars occasionally appeared, including Peter Lorre, Bela Lugosi, Raymond Massey, and Basil Rathbone. But it was Karloff who regular listeners expected to hear as host to the proceedings. It was about the only part of the show that was predictable. Episodes like "The Hunt" featured typical horror gimmicks like werewolves, but with a twist ending that provided a new dimension to an otherwise common theme. As Karloff himself said, "There is no greater mystery than the mystery of the mind." True to his word, many of the shows dealt with psychological, rather than literal, horror. In the werewolf story, we're never quite certain if the monster was real or just a blood-thirsty persona the killer assumed. (It's a classic example of the sort of story that was perfect for radio and couldn't be realized as effectively in film or TV.) In another story, "The Final Reckoning," a victim turns the tables on a thug and plans to kill him. He (Karloff) actually manages to take the place of a barber who is giving the thug a shave. The audience waits on the edge of their seats as Karloff carefully circumnavigates the long, straight-edge razor around his victim's relaxed and extended throat. Just thinking about it now gives me the creeps (even by day).

The print ads for this series certainly go all out on the hyperbole. One reads: "WARNING! Persons suffering from heart trouble and those whose blood has a tendency to curdle and hair to uncurl under the stress of great excitement are urged NOT to listen... The station disclaims all responsibility for the health of those who insist on hearing this thriller." Well, at least you can't say you weren't warned!

Creeps By Night promised all this and more. They told listeners to expect Karloff each week, along with other well-known Hollywood stars. They also promised new, original stories that were going to be written by the leading writers in the industry. However, according to Digital Deli, the new Blue Network didn't' advertise properly and started failing to deliver on its goals. Neither the upcoming stories nor the upcoming stars were advertised in advance. To make matters worse, the writers didn't receive any on-air credit, either. Karloff stopped hosting after the 12th episode, and the unknown "Dr. X" hosted the final four episodes (voiced by at least two different people). It all unraveled from there. Yet the surviving episodes are quite solid and make fans regret the loss of such a promising series. It's a sober reminder that success in the entertainment business takes more than good scripts and good actors-- it also takes good promotion and a good deal of luck.

SHOWS LIST

Creeps By Night 44-05-02 The Final Reckoning
Creeps By Night 44-05-09 12 The Hunt
Creeps By Night 44-05-16 13 Walking Dead
Creeps by Night 44-05-23 (17)  The Strange Burial of Alexander Jordan
Creeps by Night 44-06-20 (xx)  Those Who Walk in Darkness
Creeps By Night 44-07-11 Six Who Did Not Die

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