OLD TIME RADIO - 6 CD - 227 mp3 - Total Time: 95 Hours
Inner Sanctum Mysteries, a popular old-time radio program that aired from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952, was created by producer Himan Brown. A total of 526 episodes were broadcast.
Horror hosts
The anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense, and its tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast to shows like Suspense and The Whistler. The early 1940s programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as, "Your host, Raymond," in a mocking sardonic voice. A spooky melodramatic organ score (played by Lew White) punctuated Raymond's many morbid jokes and playful puns. Raymond's closing was an elongated "Pleasant dreeeeaams, hmmmmm?" His tongue-in-cheek style and ghoulish relish of his own tales became the standard for many such horror narrators to follow, from fellow radio hosts like Ernest Chappell (on Wyllis Cooper's later series, Quiet, Please) and Maurice Tarplin (on The Mysterious Traveler).
When Johnson left the series in May 1945 to serve in the Army, he was replaced by Paul McGrath, who did not keep the "Raymond" name and was known only as "Your Host" or "Mr. Host". (Berry Kroeger had substituted earlier for a total of four episodes). McGrath was a Broadway actor who turned to radio for a regular income. Beginning in 1945, Lipton Tea sponsored the series, pairing first Raymond and then McGrath with cheery commercial spokeswoman Mary Bennett (aka the "Tea Lady"), whose blithesome pitches for Lipton Tea contrasted sharply with the macabre themes of the stories. She primly chided the host for his trademark dark humor and creepy manner.
The creaking door
The program's familiar and famed audio trademark was the eerie creaking door which opened and closed the broadcasts. Himan Brown got the idea from a door in the basement that "squeaked like Hell." The door sound was actually made by a rusty desk chair. The program did originally intend to use a door, but on its first use, the door did not creak. Undaunted, Brown grabbed a nearby chair, sat in it and turned, causing a hair-raising squeak. The chair was used from then on as the sound prop. On at least one memorable occasion, a staffer innocently repaired and oiled the chair, thus forcing the sound man to mimic the squeak orally.
Guest stars
Its campy comedy notwithstanding, the stories were usually effective little chillers, mixing horror and humor in equal doses. Memorable episodes included "Terror by Night" (September 18, 1945) and an adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart" (August 3, 1941). The latter starred Boris Karloff, who was heard regularly in the first season, starring in more than 15 episodes and returning sporadically thereafter.
Other established stars in the early years included Mary Astor, Helen Hayes, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas, Claude Rains, Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles. Most of the lead and supporting players were stalwarts of New York radio, including Larry Haines, Stefan Schnabel, Berry Kroeger and a few who would go on to greater fame in film or television, such as Richard Widmark, Everett Sloane and Burgess Meredith.
Of more than 500 programs broadcast, only about 200 remain in circulation, sometimes minus dates or titles.
Program opening
Sound effect: A door with squeaky hinges is slowly opened. Organ begins to play.
Raymond: Good evening friends of the Inner Sanctum. This is Raymond, your host. I'm glad you came tonight, because we have a very special guest of horror with us. I'd like you meet the late Johnny Gravestone. The most celebrated member of the Inner Sanctum Ghost Society. He's the best haunter of the all. Johnny's the tall figure in the white sheet wearing the blue ribbon. He's haunted everything from a palace to a telephone booth. And uh, if you're very nice to him, he'll be glad to consider giving your house the once over. Who knows? He might even haunt you? Ha-ha-ha-ha!
Raymond: Well, we're about to begin our story. Oh, I forgot to warn you about the Tremblins. They're those pesky, invisible cousins of the gremlins. They uh, saddle up to you, give quick little shoves, and give the false impression that you're trembling. If you're being troubled by a Tremblin, just grab him by his invisible little horns and stick him into the nearest pin cushion.
EPISODES LIST
Inner Sanctum 41-01-07 001 Amazing Death Of Mrs Putnam
Inner Sanctum 41-02-11 006 Mystery of the Howling Dog (Low Quality)
Inner Sanctum 41-04-20 016 Fog - Boris Karloff
Inner Sanctum 41-05-18 020 Dead Freight
Inner Sanctum 41-05-25 021 Death Is a Joker
Inner Sanctum 41-08-03 031 The Tell-Tale Heart
Inner Sanctum 41-08-10 032 The Death Ship
Inner Sanctum 41-09-07 036 Hunter from Beyond
Inner Sanctum 41-10-19 042 Hell Is Where You Find It
Inner Sanctum 41-12-07 049 Island of Death
Inner Sanctum 41-12-21 051 The Man from Yesterday
Inner Sanctum 41-12-28 052 Death Has Claws
Inner Sanctum 42-01-18 055 Dead Reckoning
Inner Sanctum 42-04-19 068 Blackstone
Inner Sanctum 42-05-03 070 Study for Murder
Inner Sanctum 42-05-24 073 The Cone - Boris Karloff
Inner Sanctum 42-06-14 076 Terrible Vengeance
Inner Sanctum 42-07-05 079 Terror Is a Double-Edged Sword
Inner Sanctum 42-08-09 084 Death Has Four Faces (Low Quality)
Inner Sanctum 42-08-23 086 Dead Mans Magic
Inner Sanctum 42-09-20 090 The Dead Walk at Night
Inner Sanctum 42-11-15 098 Return from the Unknown
Inner Sanctum 42-11-22 099 The Cat and the Killer
Inner Sanctum 42-12-13 102 The Man Who Returned from the Dead
Inner Sanctum 43-01-10 106 The Killer Pleads Guilty
Inner Sanctum 43-03-07 114 Black Sea Gull
Inner Sanctum 43-03-21 116 Death on Merle Street
Inner Sanctum 43-06-06 127 The House Where Death Lived
Inner Sanctum 43-06-27 130 The House by the Sea
Inner Sanctum 43-07-11 132 Mr De Capello
Inner Sanctum 43-08-01 135 The Horla
Inner Sanctum 43-08-22 138 The Bog-Oak Necklace
Inner Sanctum 43-09-18 142 Return To Death
Inner Sanctum 43-10-02 144 The Man Who Died Twice
Inner Sanctum 44-01-08 158 The Death Laugh
Inner Sanctum 44-04-15 172 The Skull That Walked
Inner Sanctum 44-04-22 173 The Melody of Death
Inner Sanctum 44-05-13 176 The Silent Hands
Inner Sanctum 44-06-10 180 Death Is a Joker
Inner Sanctum 44-10-07 196 Dead Man's Vengeance
Inner Sanctum 44-11-22 203 The Living Dead
Inner Sanctum 44-11-29 204 The Voice on the Wire
Inner Sanctum 44-12-06 205 The Color Blind Formula
Inner Sanctum 45-01-09 210 Desert Death
Inner Sanctum 45-01-23 212 Death Is an Artist
Inner Sanctum 45-02-06 214 Death in the Depths
Inner Sanctum 45-02-20 216 No Coffin for the Dead
Inner Sanctum 45-03-06 218 The Lost Refrain
Inner Sanctum 45-03-13 219 Island of the Dead
Inner Sanctum 45-04-03 222 The Meek Die Slowly
Inner Sanctum 45-04-10 223 The Bog-Oak Necklace
Inner Sanctum 45-04-17 224 The Judas Clock
Inner Sanctum 45-04-24 225 Song of the Slasher
Inner Sanctum 45-05-01 226 The Girl and the Gallows
Inner Sanctum 45-05-15 227 The Black Art
Inner Sanctum 45-05-22 228 Dead to Rights
Inner Sanctum 45-05-29 229 Musical Score
Inner Sanctum 45-06-05 230 Death Across the Board
Inner Sanctum 45-06-12 231 Portrait of Death
Inner Sanctum 45-06-19 232 Dead Man's Holiday
Inner Sanctum 45-06-26 233 Dead Man's Debt
Inner Sanctum 45-08-28 234 Dead Man's Deal
Inner Sanctum 45-09-04 235 The Murder Prophet
Inner Sanctum 45-09-11 236 The Last Story
Inner Sanctum 45-09-18 237 Terror by Night - Anne Shephard
Inner Sanctum 45-09-25 238 The Lonely Sleep
Inner Sanctum 45-10-02 239 The Shadow of Death
Inner Sanctum 45-10-09 240 Death by Scripture
Inner Sanctum 45-10-16 241 Till Death Do Us Part
Inner Sanctum 45-10-23 242 The Corridor of Doom
Inner Sanctum 45-10-30 243 The Man Who Couldnt Die
Inner Sanctum 45-11-06 244 The Wailing Wall
Inner Sanctum 45-11-20 246 Boomerang
Inner Sanctum 45-12-11 249 The Dark Chamber
Inner Sanctum 45-12-18 250 The Undead
Inner Sanctum 46-01-08 253 The Creeping Wall
Inner Sanctum 46-01-15 254 The Edge of Death
Inner Sanctum 46-01-22 255 The Confession
Inner Sanctum 46-01-29 256 Blood of Cain
Inner Sanctum 46-02-05 257 Skeleton Bay
Inner Sanctum 46-02-12 258 The Man Who Couldn't Die
Inner Sanctum 46-02-26 260 I Walk in the Night
Inner Sanctum 46-03-12 262 Strands of Death
Inner Sanctum 46-03-26 264 Death Is a Double-Crosser
Inner Sanctum 46-04-02 265 The Night Is My Shroud (Low Quality)
Inner Sanctum 46-04-09 266 Lady with a Plan
Inner Sanctum 46-04-23 268 Make Ready My Grave
Inner Sanctum 46-05-07 270 You Could Die Laughing
Inner Sanctum 46-05-21 272 Detour to Terror
Inner Sanctum 46-06-04 274 Eight Steps to Murder
Inner Sanctum 46-06-18 276 I Want to Report a Murder
Inner Sanctum 46-08-19 280 Spectre of the Rose
Inner Sanctum 46-09-09 283 Murder Comes at Midnight
Inner Sanctum 46-09-23 285 The Dead Laugh
Inner Sanctum 46-10-07 287 The Listener
Inner Sanctum 46-11-04 291 Death's Old Sweet Song
Inner Sanctum 46-11-25 294 No Rest for the Dead
Inner Sanctum 47-01-06 300 Death Pays the Freight
Inner Sanctum 47-02-03 304 Death Bound
Inner Sanctum 47-02-10 305 The Ghost in the Garden
Inner Sanctum 47-03-03 308 Corpse that nobody loved
Inner Sanctum 47-05-05 317 Don't Dance on My Grave
Inner Sanctum 47-05-19 319 Terror by Night - Anne Shephard
Inner Sanctum 47-06-23 324 Over My Dead Body
Inner Sanctum 47-06-30 325 Man and the Knife
Inner Sanctum 47-10-27 342 Till Death Do Us Part
Inner Sanctum 47-12-29 351 Death out of Mind
Inner Sanctum 48-01-12 353 Tempo in Blood
Inner Sanctum 48-01-26 355 The Doomed
Inner Sanctum 48-02-16 358 The Black Art
Inner Sanctum 48-03-08 361 The Magic Tile
Inner Sanctum 48-03-29 364 Lady Killer
Inner Sanctum 48-06-28 377 The Corpse Laughs Last
Inner Sanctum 48-07-05 378 Death Demon
Inner Sanctum 48-07-19 380 The Eyes of My Murderer
Inner Sanctum 48-07-26 381 Murder Takes a Honeymoon
Inner Sanctum 48-08-02 382 The Murder Ship
Inner Sanctum 48-08-09 383 House of Doom
Inner Sanctum 48-08-30 386 Next Time I Live
Inner Sanctum 48-09-06 387 Death Rides a Riptide
Inner Sanctum 48-09-13 388 The Murder Carousel
Inner Sanctum 48-09-20 389 Hangman's Island
Inner Sanctum 48-09-27 390 Murder by Prophecy
Inner Sanctum 48-10-18 392 Death of a Doll
Inner Sanctum 48-11-15 396 Deathwatch in Boston
Inner Sanctum 48-12-06 399 Cause of Death
Inner Sanctum 48-12-13 400 Murder Faces East
Inner Sanctum 48-12-20 401 Between Two Worlds
Inner Sanctum 49-01-03 403 Fearful Voyage
Inner Sanctum 49-01-10 404 Murder Comes to Life
Inner Sanctum 49-01-17 405 Mark My Grave
Inner Sanctum 49-01-24 406 The Deadly Dummy
Inner Sanctum 49-01-31 407 The Devil's Fortune
Inner Sanctum 49-02-07 408 Death Demon
Inner Sanctum 49-02-14 409 Birdsong for a Murderer
Inner Sanctum 49-02-21 410 Flame of Death
Inner Sanctum 49-03-21 414 Only the Dead Die Twice
Inner Sanctum 49-03-28 415 Appointment with Death
Inner Sanctum 49-04-04 416 Death Wears a Lonely Smile
Inner Sanctum 49-04-11 417 Murder off the Record
Inner Sanctum 49-04-18 418 The Death Deal
Inner Sanctum 49-05-09 421 Corpse on the Town
Inner Sanctum 49-05-16 422 The Unburied Dead
Inner Sanctum 49-05-23 423 Strange Passenger
Inner Sanctum 49-05-30 424 The Corpse Is Lonely
Inner Sanctum 49-06-06 425 Death on the Highway
Inner Sanctum 49-06-20 427 Corpse Without a Conscience
Inner Sanctum 49-07-04 429 Pattern for Fear
Inner Sanctum 49-07-18 431 Deadly Fare
Inner Sanctum 49-08-15 435 Dead Heat
Inner Sanctum 49-08-22 436 Mind Over Murder
Inner Sanctum 49-08-29 437 Death's Little Brother
Inner Sanctum 49-09-05 438 Murder Rides the Carousel
Inner Sanctum 49-09-12 439 The Vengeful Corpse
Inner Sanctum 49-09-19 440 Honeymoon with Death
Inner Sanctum 49-10-03 442 Catch a Killer
Inner Sanctum 49-10-10 443 The Devil's Workshop
Inner Sanctum 49-10-17 444 Image of Death
Inner Sanctum 49-10-24 445 Night Is My Shroud
Inner Sanctum 49-10-31 446 Corpse for Halloween
Inner Sanctum 49-11-14 448 Wish to Kill
Inner Sanctum 49-12-19 453 Beyond the Grave
Inner Sanctum 49-12-26 454 The Enchanted Ghost
Inner Sanctum 50-01-09 456 Killer at Large
Inner Sanctum 50-01-16 457 The Scream
Inner Sanctum 50-01-23 458 The Hitch-Hiking Corpse
Inner Sanctum 50-01-30 459 Skeleton Bay
Inner Sanctum 50-03-20 466 Corpse in the Parlor
Inner Sanctum 50-03-27 467 Murder Mansion
Inner Sanctum 50-04-17 470 Beneficiary -- Death
Inner Sanctum 50-09-04 471 No Rest For The Dead
Inner Sanctum 50-11-06 479 Twice Dead
Inner Sanctum 50-12-04 483 Beyond the Grave
Inner Sanctum 51-02-05 492 Snow-White Scarf
Inner Sanctum 51-02-19 494 The Smile of Death (First Half Only)
Inner Sanctum 51-02-26 495 Man from the Grave (First Half Only)
Inner Sanctum 51-05-28 508 The Unforgiving Corpse
Inner Sanctum 51-06-04 509 A Corpse There Was
Inner Sanctum 52-06-22 512 Birdsong for a Murderer
Inner Sanctum 52-06-29 513 Terror by Night - Agnes Moorehead
Inner Sanctum 52-07-06 514 Death Pays the Freight
Inner Sanctum 52-07-13 515 Death for Sale
Inner Sanctum 52-07-20 516 The Listener
Inner Sanctum 52-07-27 517 The Murder Prophet
Inner Sanctum 52-08-03 518 Murder off the Record
Inner Sanctum 52-08-10 519 The Magic Tile
Inner Sanctum 52-08-17 520 The Corpse Laughs Last
Inner Sanctum 52-08-24 521 No Rest for the Dead
Inner Sanctum 52-08-31 522 Strange Passenger
Inner Sanctum 52-09-07 523 The Meek Die Slowly
Inner Sanctum 52-09-14 524 Till Death Do Us Part
Inner Sanctum 52-09-21 525 The Corpse Nobody Loved
Inner Sanctum 52-09-28 526 The Dead Walk at Night
Inner Sanctum 52-10-05 527 Death Pays the Freight
EXTRAS
Inner Sanctum (Australian) 006 House Of Death
Inner Sanctum (Australian) 013 Worried By The Wolf
Inner Sanctum (Australian) 52 Terrible Vengeance (US Episode 76 Story)
Inner Sanctum (Australian) 52-02-18 Tomorrow is a Two Edged Sword
Inner Sanctum (Australian) 52-03-10 Fear Points The Way
Inner Sanctum (Australian) 52-03-17 Mysterious Stranger
Inner Sanctum (Australian) Strange Career Of Julian James
Inner Sanctum 45-10-09 240 Death by Scripture (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 45-10-16 241 Till Death Do Us Part (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 45-12-11 249 The Dark Chamber (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 45-12-18 250 The Undead (AFRTS)
Inner Sanctum 46-01-22 255 The Confession (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 46-02-26 260 I Walk in the Night (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 46-03-26 264 Death Is a Double-Crosser (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 46-04-23 268 Make Ready My Grave (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 46-06-18 276 I Want to Report a Murder (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 48-08-30 386 Next Time I Live (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 52-08-24 251 No Rest for the Dead (AFRS)
Inner Sanctum 98-10-10 Hyman Brown Discusses Creation Of Inner Sanctum
Inner Sanctum Mister Macabre (Low Quality)
Inner Sanctum The Midnight Horseman (Unknow Source)
Inner Sanctum Waxwork (Unknow Source)
Radio Mystery Theater 1975-08-01 The Onyx Eye
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This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 29 January, 2023.