The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

BUHN DA-DUHN DUHN! It’s Dragnet! This week, we’ve gone back to our Listener Library for an episode of the iconic series recommended to us by our Patreon member Jack. Thanks, Jack! The story, entitled “The Big Thank You,” features Joe Friday’s investigation into a paroled murdereress with some irregularities regarding her paperwork. The more he investigates, the more suspicious she seems! Is she th...

When the days grow short and the air grows cold, it’s time for Fear on Four! This week we’re listening their adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “The Judge’s House”! The story features a student moving into a rat-infested home as he prepares for upcoming exam. But something worse than rats is waiting for him in the night! Why has this house sat empty for so long? What secret lies within the dust-covered p...

It’s time for us to place our bets with The Croupier as we listen to the series’ only surviving episode, “The Roman,” starring Vincent Price! The story features a husband and wife whose marriage is struggling when they suddenly find themselves lost at sea. Once there, their fate becomes strangely entwined with a mysterious Roman centurion! What does this somber Roman want? Can these disparate stor...

We’re paying our first visit to the South African series, High Adventure! This episode, entitled “Keeper of the Tomb,” features a team of scientists who set out to explore the bottom of a pit on a South African farm, where an impossible archeological tomb awaits them. How could this ancient civilization have existed in such an odd location? Once there, what terrible bargain will these explorers ma...

This time we’re listening to a chilling installment of Escape entitled “Taboo”! Based on a story by Geoffrey Household, this episode features a man returning to his ancestral homeland in the rural forests of Eastern Europe where he befriends a couple who are also visiting. But their vacation takes a dark turn when some of the villagers go missing and whispers of a werewolf begin to spread. Is ther...

We celebrated Halloween season with The Shadow! In this episode, “The Mark of the Bat,” Lamont and Margo investigate a mysterious death, possibly the result of a vampire attack! The victim’s daughter looks to Margo to help her escape from a mad scientist with access to a bat-filled grotto! Can The Shadow bring this criminal to justice? What sort of obstacle will it take to interrupt The Shadow’s r...

We’ve finally reached the finale of “Bury Your Dead, Arizona,” from I Love a Mystery! In these last three episodes, a grave is disturbed and the time to leave this tiny town has come. It’s time to discover what’s actually happening! What is in the coffin that Jack, Doc, and Reggie buried? How has the Maestro achieved all of his apparent miracles? Now that we’ve spent seven episodes on this series,...

It’s out penultimate episode dedicated to “Bury Your Dead, Arizona,” from I Love a Mystery! In parts 11 and 12, a body has been buried and we now know the real crime motivating all these mysteries. For the moment no one can leave this strange little town, but for Jack, Doc, and Reggie, time is running out to find out who is responsible for everything that has happened! Can the Maestro summon girls...

This week, we’ve traveled deep into enigma that is “Bury Your Dead, Arizona,” from I Love a Mystery! In parts 9 and 10, Doc and Reggie reunite with Jack after several events that took place sometime between the end of the last episode and the beginning of this one. After reviewing all the facts, Jack leaves his two partners behind so they can keep an eye on the Maestro. Should they do as he asked...

We’re halfway through our ongoing exploration of “Bury Your Dead, Arizona,” from I Love a Mystery! In parts 7 and 8 Jack, Reggie, and Doc are searching the Arizona desert at night, despite the sounds of screams, wolves, and gunshots! And we finally get to meet Jumpin’ Dick’s daughter! Is she lying about him or is her father the liar? What does the Maestro have planned for the next night? Will some...

Our exploration of “Bury Your Dead, Arizona” from I Love a Mystery continues! In parts 5 and 6 Jack, Reggie, and Doc make their way to Dry Gulch Mary’s boarding house and arrange room and board for themselves as well as The Maestro and Nasha! Soon they discover that Mary herself can be very intrusive and the Maestro still plans on calling forth wolves to carry out the curse he placed on the town!...

We continue our journey through “Bury Your Dead, Arizona,” from I Love a Mystery ! In parts 3 and 4 Jack, Reggie, and Doc are still travelling by box car and undergoing strange and inexplicable experiences, all apparently orchestrated by the strange man known as “The Maestro”! But even as bodies disappear and reappear, things grow even more bizarre when they find themselves abandoned in the middle...

Our Mysterious Patron Mark suggested we dive into “Bury Your Dead, Arizona,” one of two stories that survive in their entirety from I Love a Mystery . And we are up for the challenge! The series begins with Jack, Reggie, and Doc hopping a train to avoid both the police and thugs who want the trio’s $25,000! But on the train the discover an even stranger mystery in the form of “The Maestro” and his...

It’s time for us to listen to “The Judas Clock” from Inner Sanctum Mystery ! It’s the story of a man hunting for a cursed clock, an Italian antique that only runs when the silver coins of Judas are placed inside. But his own obsession with this relic is more than historic interest, it is a quest for revenge! Why does the history of this clock include so many deaths? What is the secret of its inner...

We’re paying our first visit to Casey, Crime Photographer with “The Twenty Minute Alibi”! The story features a man who apparently shot himself while on the phone with his insurance provider, confirming that his policy had not yet expired. But when Casey arrives to photograph the body, he suspects that the victim may have been murdered. If it was homicide, who was responsible? How will Casey explai...

Our Mysterious Listener Mark recommended we check out the X Minus One adaptation of William Tenn’s short story, “ The Discovery of Morniel Mathaway “! A struggling poet tells the story of his unscrupulous friend, a terrible visual artist named Morniel Mathaway. But unexpectedly, a stranger arrives hoping to meet the famous and influential icon named Morniel Mathaway! Why would this stranger be so...

We’re taking a little summer break, but we want to share a sneak peek at what awaits listeners when they become one of our Patreon supporters! Here is a pilot for a potential Columbo podcast called A Podcast Named Dog. If you’re not familiar with Columbo , it’s a beloved 1970s (and late 80s, early 90s) television mystery series starring the great Peter Falk. One of Columbo’s many quirks was his be...

We’re taking a little summer break, but we want to share a sneak peek at what awaits listeners when they become one of our Patreon supporters! Here is a pilot for a new pod to add to the Patreon rotation:  MORLS on Movies . It’s an opportunity to discuss how movies have adapted, reimagined, or been influenced by radio’s legacy. We begin with an obvious but hopefully entertaining choice, Russell Mu...

This week we are joined by our Patreon supporter Jeff who has brought us a story of wartime espionage from Escape entitled “The Thirteenth Truck”! A group of soldiers has been assigned to infiltrate a convoy and sabotage an enemy airfield. And even if they succeed, they will still need to escape with their lives! How can they sneak a truck past the watchful eyes of the Germans? What strange circum...

According to The Suspense Project , Joan Crawford’s “mic fright” meant that “The Ten Years” needed to be created unlike any previous episode of Suspense ! The story features Crawford as Clara who promised to stay with her sister after they were both orphaned as children. But once she grows up and finds a husband, her sister Adele feels betrayed. What will Adele do to return Clara to her childhood...

Once again we’re checking out a series we’ve never featured before, Dr. Tim, Detective ! We’re listening to two 15 minute episodes, “The Mystery of the Dog That Did and Didn’t” & “The Mystery of the Guest in Number Two,” both of which feature the educational adventures of Dr. Tim and his two young companions, Jill and Sandy. How does someone catch Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in November? What...

Escape presents “ She ,” an adaptation of H. Rider Haggard’s iconic adventure novel set in a lost world in the African interior. After his father passed away, a son inherits an ancient artifact suggesting the location of a mythic city and the god-like figure known as “She Who Must Be Obeyed” who rules over the land. For reasons the young man cannot explain, the story seems familiar to him and he f...

Our Patreon supporter Simon recommended we check out the debut episode of Nightfall , “Love and the Lonely One”! A young surgical student uses a cadaver in a grisly prank. Shortly afterwards, he finds himself caught up in a troubling romance. How will he react when he finds out the truth about his new flame? How well does this episode represent the future of Nightfall? Could we do a whole podcast...

The Mysterious Traveler has stopped by to share the story of “The Accusing Corpse”! The story features a jealous husband who shoots his unfaithful wife with the help of her brother. But not all is as it seems. What sinister plot is happening behind the scenes? How can a corpse accuse its killer? Which room is the most convenient for bitter arguments with your spouse? Listen for yourself and find o...

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz star in this week’s episode, “The Red-Headed Woman” from Suspense! The story features a young woman who commits an impulsive crime and then crosses paths with a potentially dangerous man on the run. Does she have the nerve and the wits to get away with her crime? Who will get the better of whom in this cat-and-mouse game? Is there any job more enticing and menacing than...