The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

Once again the Society strolls down the Hall of Fantasy for this adaptation of E. Nesbit’s “ Man Size in Marble .” A young couple moves into a small village and encounters two ominous statues in the local church. Is there any truth to the grim legend surrounding these sculptures? Do two people really need a maid so badly? What does it sound like when Minnesotans disagree with each other? Listen fo...

Thank you to Lionel for recommending “The Man Who Sold His Soul” from the South African series Beyond Midnight ! This story explains the strange stain eight feet off the ground on the wall of an abandoned ruin in an Irish countryside. It is the tale of Sir Dominic, a wastrel nobleman who strikes a diabolical bargain. Is there any hope for his redemption? Will your pants fly off at midnight? Do you...

Lucille Ball is keeping the Society in Suspense ! Before her career as the zany Queen of Comedy, she played a cold, ambitious manipulator in “A Shroud for Sarah.” Will her plotting backfire? How simple does a crime have to be before the police are willing to investigate it? How many times does a husband need to be shot by his wife before considering couples counseling? Listen for yourself and find...

The society attends a masquerade with this episode of The Haunting Hour entitled “Murder Wears a Strange Mask”! A costume party turns into a murder mystery and everyone is a suspect. At midnight the masks come off and the culprit will be discovered! Can you figure out who the killer is before the police arrive? Why does everyone insist on poking at all the evidence and trying to solve the crime be...

According to the Society’s clock, it’s time for CBS Radio Mystery Theater ! Host E. G. Marshall presents “Hickory Dickory Doom,” the disturbing tale of an antique timepiece that holds a monstrous secret! Why is the air inside the clock always cold? How many psychics and occult specialists can this family fit in their house? What should you do if a random stranger barges into your home and climbs i...

This week, The Mysterious Traveler left the Society squirming with a disturbing tale entitled “The Good Die Young.” A malevolent child takes her jealous attempts to sabotage her new mother to dangerous extremes. Will the girl’s father see what’s happening before it’s too late? How old does a person have to be to use the word “shan’t”? Why would anyone keep carbolic acid in their medicine cabinet?...

Macabre wasn’t one of the best known series from the golden age of radio, but its odd origins contribute to some remarkable results. This week the Society has a chance to reflect on “The Man in the Mirror,” in which a man strikes a supernatural deal to escape death. Just how the heck are you supposed to pronounce “macabre”? What can an amateur show accomplish that professionals wouldn’t even think...

The Society returns to the Inner Sanctum for an episode requested by one of our listeners! Song of the Slasher features a hard-boiled detective hunting for a killer who whistles a unique tune. How many twist can they cram into this story? Do creepy threats of violence put you in the mood for some Lipton Tea? Are there any actual puns in this episode? Listen for yourself and find out!

Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re feeling a little tingle running through your skin, it could be love. Or it could be ants. This week we are happy to welcome Joshua’s wife, Adrienne English Scrimshaw, as our special guest. She’s brought us an episode of Escape entitled “Leiningen Versus the Ants,” based on the short story by Carl Stephenson . Can the power of William Conrad’s voice withstand an uns...

The Arch Oboler Plays show serves up a doozy and the Society has a lot to say about “The Day Sinatra Got Fat”! Obloer’s macabre sense of humor indulges in a truly bizarre tale of aliens, pigs, and a strange green powder. Does the callous rich couple in the story deserve their terrible fate? Is there such a thing as a pig cave? Would you like to visit Utah? Listen for yourself and find out!

Join the Society for a dark, cold night spent with BBC’s Fear on Four story entitled “The Horn”! It’s not the Golden Age of Radio by a long shot, but it’s the perfect story for spending a winter’s night hiding under the covers. What can the English teach us about the etiquette for addressing the dead? Just how many connections to Doctor Who does this episode have? What is that tapping noise that w...

Doctor X brings us The Strange Burial Of Alexander Jordan from the short-lived series Creeps by Night . A wealthy man’s fear of being buried alive leads to a security system to alert the living should he awake. What is the the true history of premature burial? If you’re going to murder someone, why wait until the last minute? Why couldn’t any of us remember the name of Michael Crichton’s novel, Ti...

This week the Society is entertained by The Hostess ! The classic sci-fi series X Minus One presents Isaac Asimov’s chilling tale of alien etiquette and intrigue. How comfortable would you be to welcome something truly alien into your life? Would the story benefit from more lasers and car chases? Are aliens compelling us to create a spin off podcast about Dungeons & Dragons? Listen for yoursel...

Join the Society for an exercise in Strange Judgment! This week we have stepped into the Weird Circle for this adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s short story Un Drame au bord de la Mer . A mother and father are forced to decide the fate of their self-serving son. How well does this version capture the themes of the classic 19th century tale of responsibility and consequences? Are we going to get ang...

The Shadow has returned to ring in the new year with this insidious tale! A diabolical madman has a plot to stop the clock for good. Can the future be saved? Will Eric go on a vindictive killing spree if he gets diagnosed with a terminal illness? Are you from Missouri? We want to know!

The Society has returned to Suspense for a deadly journey with Joseph Cotten to the top of the world! Inspired by a true story of a rescue mission sent to track down ships lost in the Arctic Circle , this is the perfect tale to make you too terrified to venture into the ice and snow this holiday season. Is it possible to turn a story of frozen death into a thrilling adventure? Will anyone survive?...

The Whistler is coming and he knows if you’ve been bad or you’ve been good! In this episode, an ex-criminal faces losing his new life when the company that employs him finds $10,000 missing. Will this threat drive him back to his felonious ways? If it wasn’t him, who did steal the money? Can we ever redeem ourselves after being so wrong about the date of D-Day (June 6, 1944)? Listen for yourself a...

We’d love to tell you all about this story entitled “Northern Lights,” but we have been to told in no uncertain terms to remain Quiet, Please . Suffice to say that you’d never imagine a story about a cigarette lighter, caterpillars, and vowel sounds could be so creepy. Can a lush, elaborate description of aurora borealis contribute to a scary story? How is it that these scientists’ work on a time...

Inspired by the true story of serial killer H.H. Holmes , Lights Out presents the Society with a production entitled “Murder Castle!” A series of women are lured into a home filled with deadly traps to become the victims of a sadistic madman. Can you endure the grisly terror without flipping the tape over? How can fresh cement be so disturbing? Why would you ever go into a building called the Murd...

This week, we’re down at the Hermit’s Cave listening to the story of The Nameless! An anonymous corpse appears to have been the victim of a perfect murder, but the dead man will have his vengeance! Would you be willing to kill for a Wilgen Unit? Can you listen to this weeeeeird story and not think of the Beatles? What can Eric do with slippery, slimy gopher guts? Listen for yourself and find out!

Witchcraft and intrigue combine for a one-of-a-kind tale from the classic series, Escape ! A medieval scholar has been targeted by a deadly curse, leaving him with only three months to find a solution and save his own life. How scary can a story about passing notes and falling out of trees actually be? Is this an appropriate response to critical feedback? Is it really that easy to send the Society...

The Society has wandered into the creepy forest known as Dark Fantasy and come face to face with…The Demon Tree! In this story, a group of decadent English(-ish) travelers abandon the dull monotony of high-stakes gambling for a pulse-pounding walk in a forest! Does being a tree undermine the horror of a giant murderous monster? Is quicksand a problem in England? Do the English typically narrate th...

Celebrate Halloween with the Society and Inner Sanctum Mystery ! This week we listen to A Corpse for Halloween, a twisted tale of bizarre psychological horror. It features the shameless puns and sardonic style of Paul McGrath (in the spirit of his predecessor, Raymond Edward Johnson). Is having a severed head delivered to you ever not scary? Why would you accept a tiger cub offered to you by a str...

The Shadow People have emerged from the Hall of Fantasy and the Society has a lot to say about it! In this chilling tale, a woman and her family are terrorized by strange beings that live side by side with humanity, watching and waiting from the darkness. Does she have any hope of survival? Will you recognize the reference to the Horla ? Does the show retain shadow cred or has it gone to the dead...

This week, the Society crosses paths with The Shadow and there’s a lot of excitement over the mysterious crimefighter! This episode features a script written by Alonzo Deen Cole, creator of The Witch’s Tale . Is the story worth all the Shadow nerd love or have our minds been clouded? Is gibbering inherently scary? Monkeys? In New Hampshire? Listen for yourself and find out!