Tag Archives: old time radio

Mercedes McCambridge (1916-2004) the voice of Pazuzu

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Pazuzu Today marks the anniversary of the death of Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (1916-2004) Actress of radio, stage, film and television, Carlotta Mercedes Agnes McCambridge was titled “the world’s greatest living radio actress” by none other than the mighty Orson Welles. She began her career as a radio actor during the 1930s while also performing on Broadway and continued through … Continue reading →

Lights Out Old Time Radio show (1934 – 1947)

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Lights Out Old Time Radio show (1934 – 1947)

Lights Out AdAdhesive tape, stuck together and pulled apart, simulated the sound of a man’s or woman’s skin being ripped off. Pulling the leg off a frozen chicken gave the illusion of an arm being torn out of its socket. A raw egg dropped on a plate stood in for an eye being gouged; poured corn syrup for flowing blood; cleavered cabbages and cantalopes for beheadings; snapped pencils and spareribs for broken fingers and bones. The sound of a hand crushed? A lemon, laid on an anvil, smashed with a hammer.

Predating Suspense and Inner Sanctum, versions of Lights Out aired on different networks, at various times, from January 1934 to the summer of 1947 and the series eventually made the transition to television. Radio’s premier horror series, Lights Out was created by writer/director Wyllis Cooper who later scripted Boris Wyllis CooperKarloff’s 1939 classic Son of Frankenstein.  An innovative writer for the medium of radio, Wyllis Cooper worked on other notable shows such as The Empire Builders, Quiet Please, Campbell’s Playhouse, The Army Hour, and Whitehall 1212.  One of the first old time radio shows to  develop the medium of radio with distinct sound effects and dramas, Lights Out truly set the bar for other radio dramas of the time due entirely to its gore and strangeness.

Among the many young actors employed on the series was Leslie Nielsen who appeared in several episodes including “The Lost Will of Dr. Rant,” based on “The Tractate Middoth”, an M. R. James story. Other notable guest stars included Ann Bancroft, Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb, Anthony Quinn, Jessica Tandy, Veronica Lake, John Forsythe, Boris Karloff, Beatrice Straight, Eli Wallach, Vincent Price, Jane Wyatt, and Jack Palance.

Steven Dark
Host of dARk arTS Horror Radio – Broadcasting From Beyond the Grave 24/7/365 Vintage Old Time Radio Horror, Mystery and Suspense.
https://darkentertainments.com
http://horror.radio

Horror and Suspense Old Time Radio

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Horror and suspense The horror genre was very effective on radio because of the gruesome and frightening images that could be suggested by purely aural means. One of the earliest radio horrors was The Witch’s Tale, which debuted in May 1931 over WOR in New York and ran on the Mutual network starting in 1934. In that same year Lights … Continue reading →

What is Old Time Radio?

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Old time radio often called “otr” refers to radio shows from the early days of radio broadcasting. The term usually applies to dramas, comedies, mystery shows, westerns and variety shows that were acted out by professional actors and sent out over the airwaves. In the golden age of radio families would sit around their radio listening to the exciting shows … Continue reading →