Lights Out Month Day 31: "The Author and the Thing"

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's the end of October and All Hallow's Eve! I'm concluding this month-long look at Arch Oboler's Lights Out, with, appropriately, Oboler's final episode "The Author and the Thing" (September 28, 1943). This is another venture into meta-fiction as the story features Arch Oboler himself as the star, trying desperately to create a monster for an episode of Lights Out but succeeding a little too well! Lights Out would return after this broadcast but only to air a few recycled Wyllis Cooper scripts.

You can stream or download this episode from the Internet Archive here.

I hope you have enjoyed this year's Halloween feature. Have a safe Halloween!

Lights.

Out.

Everybody.

Lights Out Month Day 30: "The Immortal Gentlemen"

Today's episode of Lights Out by Arch Oboler is "The Immortal Gentlemen" (August 31, 1943) is a science fiction yarn which feels a little like H. G. Wells' The Sleeper Awakens at the outset. A man finds himself in the far future where immortality is a virtual guarantee for all; unfortunately, this means mankind has stagnated as new people with new ideas are unable to replace the old ones. This is one of the best science fiction tales of 1940s radio!

You can stream or download this episode from the Internet Archive here.

Tomorrow is Halloween!

Lights Out Month Day 29: "Sub-Basement"

On today's episode of Arch Oboler's Lights Out we bring in dinosaurs! This one is "Sub-Basement" (from August 24, 1943) and features a husband and wife who journey into a building's sub-basement and find something prehistoric is alive down there.

You can stream or download this episode from the Internet Archive here.

Lights Out Month Day 28: "Murder Castle"

Today's episode of Lights Out by Arch Oboler brings to mind a real world criminal - H. H. Holmes, who was the subject of Erik Larson's book The Devil in the White City. Like Holmes, the villain of this episode, "Murder Castle" (August 3, 1943), has built a house full of death-traps which he unleashes against his guests. Of course, this story might just as well be said to be inspired by Bluebeard (I did so in a college paper). It's quite the revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.

You can stream or download this episode from the Internet Archive here.

Lights Out Month Day 27: "Profits Unlimited"

Arch Oboler leaned pretty far to the left; it got him into a little bit of trouble post-war when he was wrapped up in the USA's anti-communist hysteria. Perhaps no episode of Lights Out is a more on-the-nose exploration of left-wing politics than "Profits Unlimited" from July 20, 1943. A woman learns she is the heir to an island factory maintained by staff who are essentially slaves, having had all willpower conditioned out of them after centuries of servitude. The woman is intent on giving the factory workers back their humanity, but that might be a step they're unable to accept.

You can stream or download this episode from the Internet Archive here.

Lights Out Month Day 26: "The Visitor from Hades"

Today's episode of Lights Out is "The Visitor from Hades" which was first broadcast on July 13, 1943. This episode concerns a couple whose apartment is invaded by a creature whom only they can see. I think Arch Oboler's script falters a little in that beyond the monster looking terrible we don't get a good sense of why the couple are so distraught at seeing him, but the final reveal is good.

You can stream or download this episode from the Internet Archive here.

Lights Out Month Day 25: "Nature Study"

I've alluded in earlier posts about Lights Out this month to how writer Arch Oboler had a particular set of principles and in his stories would punish people depending on how they stacked up. In "Nature Study" (June 22, 1943) we have perhaps the ultimate example of Oboler in 'divine punishment' mode. This story concerns the internal evils carried by its cast and who should be punished for them. It's pretty bleak -- and has no subtext to speak of!

You can stream or download this episode from the Internet Archive here.