Inner Sanctum Mysteries aired from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952

Inner Sanctum Mysteries, one of the many suspense and mystery Old Time Radio (OTR) shows playing on Dark Arts Horror Radio, aired on the Blue Network from  January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952 and 526 episodes were broadcast.  The program’s familiar and famed audio trademark was the eerie creaking door which opened and closed the broadcasts. The creator and producer Himan Brown got the idea from a door in the basement that “squeaked like Hell.”

From the beginning until 1945 each episode 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?”

When Johnson left to join the army in May 1945 he was replaced by Broadway actor Paul McGrath who was known only as “Your Host” or “Mr Host”. Beginning in 1945  the series was sponsored by Lipton Tea 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.

Tune in and listen now to Dark Arts Horror Radio playing non-stop classic ghost stories, spine-tingling tales of terror and supernatural suspense mingled with a macabre medley of morose music for your melancholic meditation.

Dark Arts Horror Radio broadcasting from beyond the grave … hmmmmmmmm …