INNER SANCTUM OLD TIME RADIO - 2 CD - 195 mp3 - Total Playtime: 88:48:40 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. SHOWS LIST 410107 1 Amazing Death Of Mrs Putnam 410211 6 Mystery of the Howling Dog 410420 16 Fog 410518 20 Dead Freight 410525 21 Death Is a Joker 410803 31 The Tell-Tale Heart 410810 32 The Death Ship 410907 36 Hunter from Beyond (5 min ONLY) 411207 49 Island of Death 411221 51 The Man from Yesterday 411228 52 Death Has Claws 420118 55 Dead Reckoning 420419 68 Blackstone 420503 70 Study for Murder 420524 73 The Cone 420614 76 Terrible Vengeance 420705 79 Terror Is a Double-Edged Sword 420809 84 Death Has Four Faces 420920 90 The Dead Walk at Night 421115 98 Return from the Unknown 421122 99 The Cat and the Killer 421213 102 The Man Who Returned from the Dead 430110 106 The Killer Pleads Guilty 430307 114 Black Sea Gull 430321 116 Death on Merle Street 430606 127 The House Where Death Lived 430627 130 The House by the Sea 430711 132 Mr De Capello 430801 135 The Horla 430822 138 The Bog-Oak Necklace 430918 142 Return to Death 431002 144 The Man Who Died Twice 440108 158 The Death Laugh 440415 172 The Skull That Walked 440422 173 The Melody of Death 440513 176 The Silent Hands 440610 180 Death Is a Joker 441007 196 Dead Man's Vengeance 441122 203 The Living Dead 441129 204 The Voice on the Wire 441206 205 The Color Blind Formula 450109 210 Desert Death 450123 212 Death Is an Artist 450206 214 Death in the Depths 450220 216 No Coffin for the Dead 450306 218 The Lost Refrain 450313 219 Island of the Dead 450410 223 The Bog-Oak Necklace 450417 224 The Judas Clock 450424 225 Song of the Slasher 450501 226 The Girl and the Gallows 450515 227 The Black Art 450522 228 Dead to Rights 450529 229 Musical Score 450605 230 Death Across the Board 450612 231 Portrait of Death 450619 232 Dead Man's Holiday 450626 233 Dead Man's Debt 450828 234 Dead Mans Deal 450904 235 The Murder Prophet 450911 236 The Last Story 450918 237 Terror by Night 450925 238 The Lonely Sleep 451002 239 The Shadow of Death 451009 240 Death by Scripture 451016 241 Till Death Do Us Part 451023 242 The Corridor of Doom 451030 243 The Man Who Couldn't Die 451106 244 The Wailing Wall 451120 246 Boomerang 451211 249 The Dark Chamber 451218 250 The Undead 460108 253 The Creeping Wall 460115 254 The Edge of Death 460122 255 The Confession 460129 256 Blood of Cain 460205 257 Skeleton Bay 460212 258 The Man Who Couldn't Die 460226 260 I Walk in the Night 460312 262 Strands of Death 460326 264 Death Is a Double-Crosser 460402 265 The Night Is My Shroud 460409 266 Lady with a Plan 460423 268 Make Ready My Grave 460507 270 You Could Die Laughing 460521 272 Detour to Terror 460604 274 Eight Steps to Murder 460618 276 I Want to Report a Murder 460819 280 Spectre of the Rose 460909 283 Murder Comes at Midnight 460923 285 The Dead Laugh 461007 287 The Listener 461104 291 Death's Old Sweet Song 461125 294 No Rest for the Dead 461209 296 Invisible Demon 470106 300 Death Pays the Freight 470203 304 Death Bound 470210 305 The Ghost in the Garden 470303 308 Corpse that nobody loved 470505 317 Don't Dance on My Grave 470519 319 Terror by Night 470623 324 Over My Dead Body 470630 325 Man and the Knife 471027 342 Till Death Do Us Part 471229 351 Death out of Mind 480112 353 Tempo in Blood 480126 355 The Doomed (Crackly) 480216 358 The Black Art 480308 361 The Magic Tile 480329 364 Lady Killer 480628 377 The Corpse Laughs Last 480705 378 Death Demon 480726 381 Murder Takes a Honeymoon 480802 382 The Murder Ship 480809 383 House of Doom 480906 387 Death Rides a Riptide 480913 388 The Murder Carousel 480920 389 Hangman's Island 480927 390 Murder by Prophecy 481018 392 Death of a Doll 481115 396 Deathwatch in Boston 481206 399 Cause of Death 481213 400 Murder Faces East 481220 401 Between Two Worlds 490103 403 Fearful Voyage 490110 404 Murder Comes to Life 490117 405 Mark My Grave 490124 406 The Deadly Dummy 490131 407 The Devil's Fortune 490207 408 Death Demon 490214 409 Birdsong for a Murderer 490221 410 Flame of Death 490321 414 Only the Dead Die Twice 490328 415 Appointment with Death 490404 416 Death Wears a Lonely Smile 490411 417 Murder off the Record 490418 418 The Death Deal 490509 421 Corpse on the Town 490516 422 The Unburied Dead 490523 423 Strange Passenger 490606 425 Death on the Highway 490620 427 Corpse Without a Conscience 490704 429 Pattern for Fear 490718 431 Deadly Fare 490815 435 Dead Heat 490822 436 Mind over Murder 490829 437 Death's Little Brother 490905 438 Murder Rides the Carousel 490912 439 The Vengeful Corpse 490919 440 Honeymoon with Death 491003 442 Catch a Killer 491010 443 The Devil's Workshop 491017 444 Image of Death 491024 445 Night Is My Shroud 491031 446 Corpse for Halloween 491114 448 Wish to Kill 491219 453 Beyond the Grave 500109 456 Killer at Large 500116 457 The Scream 500123 458 Hitch-Hiking Corpse 500130 459 Skeleton Bay 500320 466 Corpse in the Parlor 500327 467 Murder Mansion 500417 470 Beneficiary - Death 500918 473 Dead Man's Holiday 501106 479 Twice Dead 501204 483 Beyond the Grave 510205 492 Snow-White Scarf 510219 494 The Smile of Death (First Half Only) 510226 495 Man from the Grave (2nd Half Only) 510528 508 The Unforgiving Corpse 510604 509 A Corpse There Was 520622 512 Birdsong for a Murderer 520629 513 Terror by Night 520706 514 Death Pays the Freight 520713 515 Death for Sale 520720 516 The Listener 520727 517 The Murder Prophet 520803 518 Murder off the Record 520810 519 The Magic Tile 520817 520 The Corpse Laughs Last 520824 521 No Rest for the Dead 520831 522 Strange Passenger aka The Corpse In The Taxi 520907 523 The Meek Die Slowly 520914 524 Till Death Do Us Part 520921 525 The Corpse Nobody Loved 520928 526 The Dead Walk at Night 521005 527 Death Pays the Freight 981010 - Hyman Brown Discusses Creation Of Innes Inner Sanctum - Death In The Limelight Inner Sanctum - Homicidal Maniac Inner Sanctum - Man Without A Country Inner Sanctum - Secret Of The Mausoleum Inner Sanctum - Waxwork Inner Sanctum - Weight Machine Be Aware: MP3 CD WILL NOT PLAY IN REGULAR CD PLAYERS. Mp3 CD will play in mp3 CD players and car mp3 CD players. You can, also, upload the mp3 files to your ipod or itunes. Will, also, play in your computer, some regular DVD players and all Blu Ray Players. PUBLIC DOMAIN NOTE This item is the public domain and was created between January 1, 1923 and December 31, 1971 This item is in the public domain due to failure to comply with required formalities After a careful search of the Library of Congress and the United States Trademark and Patent Office, it has been determined that the programs listed for sale here are in the Public Domain. They are being offered with the understanding that no valid or active copyright, trademark, and/or patent exist for them. These recordings are sold for private home listening and use only. No broadcast rights are stated, implied, or given. I assume no responsibility for unauthorized use of these programs. They are listed in accordance with current policies concerning selling Public Domain materials. 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