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.

Lights Out Month Day 24: "Prelude to Murder"

Today's episode of Lights Out is an Arch Oboler classic; "Prelude to Murder" (June 15, 1943) provides access to the protagonist's thoughts, leading to long stream-of-consciousness dialogue, the type of which Oboler was a master of writing. This episode is particularly good because as the audience can hear the protagonist's thoughts, they're contrasted against what is spoken aloud. In this case, the show being what it is, the protagonist is a jealous husband who is slowly making up his mind to committ murder.

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

Lights Out Month Day 23: "The Ugliest Man in the World"

"The Ugliest Man in the World" (June 1, 1943) is a Lights Out episode, but very much in the spirit of Arch Oboler's other program, Arch Oboler's Plays. As the title indicates, our point-of-view character is a very ugly man as we learn of his heartbreak and how he's driven to his own destruction.

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

Lights Out Month Day 22: "Little Old Lady"

Lights Out could really commit to supernatural horror. It was usually pretty light on explanations for how its supernatural transpirings came to pass, but Arch Oboler had no problem going into weird, inexplicable events. Such a story is "Little Old Lady" (May 25, 1943), in which a young woman goes to visit her aunt Harriet with a college classmate. But it seems Aunt Harriet has a pet cat - a very big cat. Enjoy the ride!

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

Lights Out Month Day 21: "The Spider"

Today I'm featuring one of my personal favourite episodes of Lights Out. "The Spider" from May 18, 1943 concerns two men in the jungle trying to make money by capturing and selling rare insects. Then they see a very large spider and get some unhealthy ideas about capturing it. The last quarter of this play is a long, rambling stream-of-consciousness reading, the sort of writing Arch Oboler had mastered.

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

Lights Out Month Day 20: "Murder in the Script Department"

Lights Out would, occasionally, get meta. Today's episode, "Murder in the Script Department" (May 11, 1943) is set in the offices where Arch Oboler's Lights Out is produced as two women in the script department have a very bad night. One of those women is played by Mercedes McCambridge, so you know you're in for a great performance!

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

Lights Out Month Day 19: "The Archer"

Lights Out was always an unusual show, but this one is a little offbeat by their standards. "The Archer" from April 13, 1943 (we'll assume 'Archer' was one of Arch Oboler's nicknames) opens with a woman being held hostage by kidnappers. A mysterious figure comes to her rescue, wielding a bow and arrows. But this ain't no comic book so there's no chance it's the Green Arrow...

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

Lights Out Month Day 19: "Execution"

As I've mentioned before, Arch Oboler frequently used his radio series Lights Out to comment on the contemporary rise of fascism, particularly in Germany. Such an episode is "Execution" (broadcast April 27, 1943). In this episode, a German takes relish in ordering a woman's execution - yet the same woman keeps appearing before him, proving he is the one who has been condemned!

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

Lights Out Month Day 17: "Superfeature"

Today's I'm looking at Arch Oboler's Lights Out episode "Superfeature" from April 6, 1943. We like to think of 3-D movies as a phenomenon of the 1950s - one which Oboler himself inagurated with his movie Bwana Devil. But here's a story which anticipates the craze; what should happen if the monster on a movie screen should just happen to step out of the projection?

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

Lights Out Month Day 16: "The Flame"

Today I'm looking at the Lights Out episode "The Flame" from March 23, 1943 by writer Arch Oboler. This episode concerns a man who likes fire; unfortunately, the spirit of the flame likes him too and has a, uh, dangerous way of demonstrating her affections.

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

Lights Out Month Day 15: "The Ball"

Today's episode of Lights Out is "The Ball" from March 9, 1943. There are many episodes of Lights Out with very simple titles ("The Dream"; "The Flame"; "The Word"). This one concerns a ball - that is, a fancy dress ball being held in Paris. Two soldiers on furlough wander into the ball and find they're not exactly among the living. This is another episode where Arch Oboler's inflicts terrible things on subjects who really didn't deserve it.

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

Lights Out Month Day 14: "They Met at Dorset"

A few times now this month I've featured episodes of Lights Out in which Arch Oboler took at fascism - particularly that of the Nazis - by way of a proxy. Well, this time there are no proxies. "They Met at Dorset" (February 23, 1943) is quite simply a story of two Nazis. But rather than being the ones who inflict horror on others, this episode subjects them to a special kind of horror.

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

Lights Out Month Day 13: "The Projective Mr. Drogan"

Arch Oboler held strong feelings against the rise of fascism and many episodes of Lights Out reflect his beliefs. Such an episode is "The Projective Mr. Drogan" from January 26, 1943. This episode features a man who discovers he can do virtually anything by willing it to happen with his mind. But this doesn't lead to hijinks as in H. G. Wells' The Man Who Could Work Miracles -- this is a horror show, after all. Like other Oboler villains, this man sees himself as superior to others. But who could overcome his increidble psychic powers?

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

Lights Out Month Day 12: "The Fast One"

Today's episode of Lights Out dips into science fiction but only as a means for Arch Oboler to explore a different kind of horror. "The Fast One" from January 5, 1943 concerns a man who has the power to move at superhuman speed. Unfortunately there's a flaw with this ability which he discovers just a little too late...

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

Lights Out Month Day 11: "Valse Triste"

Today's I'm featuring the Lights Out episode "Valse Triste" from December 29, 1942. This is a story about chance - about 50/50 odds and just how badly they can pan out. The plot concerns two women who are lost in the woods. They meet a recluse who is on the hunt for a bride and wants one of them to fit that part; but first, one of them must kill the other. It's a harsh story - cruel even - but certainly in the best tradition of radio horror and very much an Arch Oboler triumph.

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

Lights Out Month Day 10: "Meteor Man"

Some episodes of Lights Out have deep themes about subjects personal to Arch Oboler, especially those about man's cruelty towards man. But sometimes Oboler just liked writing a gruesome monster story, and such a tale is "Meteor Man" from December 22, 1942. This is the story of a meteor and the thing that crawled out from inside it.

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

This episode was also adapted into comic book format, which I wrote about here!

Lights Out Month Day 9: "Knock at the Door"

Today's episode of Arch Oboler's Lights Out is a nasty piece of work called "Knock at the Door" from December 15, 1942. This episode concerns a wife who murders her annoying mother-in-law, but the woman doesn't seem to stay dead... I say seem as what has come back is less of a person and more an instrument of vengeance.

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

Lights Out Month Day 8: "Come to the Bank"

Today I'm looking at the Lights Out episode "Come to the Bank" from November 17, 1942. It has a pretty simple yet far-out premise: a man wills himself to walk through a solid wall. Unfortunately, now he's trapped inside the wall. But it's not really his story, it's the story of his assistant trying desperately to rescue him and growing more and more frantic as the story progresses. This is Virginia Gregg at her best with the sort of stream of consciousness writing which Arch Oboler did so well!

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

This episode was also adapted into comic book format, which I wrote about here!

Lights Out Month Day 7: "Across the Gap"

Today's episode of Lights Out is "Across the Gap" from November 3, 1942. Three people find themselves transported back in time and face-to-face with a neanderthal. It turns out neanderthals aren't reasonable people, go figure.

I wrote about this story before on my blog where I discussed the theme of the episode and what each person represents. As I stated there, I don't think Arch Oboler's cast was quite right for the message he presented here, which is ultimately an anti-fascism message.

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

Lights Out Month Day 6: "Mungahra"

For today's episode of Lights Out I bring you "Mungahra" from October 27, 1942. It's a pretty familiar set up - man murders someone then sees his face everywhere. It definitely puts one to mind of H. G. Wells' "Pollack and the Poorah Man." But this program works because of the manner in which Arch Oboler tells it - the strong audio devices which get across how haunted the protagonist is. It also succeeds thanks to a great performance by Elliott Lewis, who was not one of Oboler's usual stars (his wife Cathy Lewis also appears briefly).

Strangely, this story was adapted for television twice but Arch Oboler wasn't credited. The first adaptation was in 1952 on Chevron Theatre and the second time in 1954 for the Pepsi-Cola Playhouse. The scripts for these programs were credited to "Peter Ogden." I wonder if this was an alias of Arch Oboler; it's well-known that Oboler didn't like television. Perhaps he had a substitute name so that his own wouldn't appear in the medium he disliked.

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

Lights Out Month Day 5: "Poltergeist"

Today's episode of Lights Out is easily one of Arch Oboler's most gruesome scripts. "Poltergeist" from October 20, 1942 is perhaps the most disproportionate of all cases of retributive justice heard on the series - and there's quite a few. A girl accidentally dances on a grave. As consequence, she and her friends must die. Arguably the most nihilistic episode of the series.

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

Lights Out Month Day 4: "Revolt of the Worms"

Today's episode of Lights Out is "Revolt of the Worms" from October 13, 1942. There are quite a few episodes by Arch Oboler wherein something becomes extremely large and menaces all life; this time out, it's earthworms. As usual, Lights Out's sound effects artists rise to the challenge!

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

Lights Out Month Day 3: "The Devil's Due"

I said this month I'd be looking at Arch Oboler's Lights Out, although this episode is an outlier. "The Devil's Due" (April 26, 1939) won a contest where fans competed to write their own Lights Out story. Although this is from the Arch Oboler era it was written by Fred France and adapted by Hobart Donovan.

You can tell this isn't Oboler before the credits run; it has plenty of gore as two hardened criminals review their history with their "silent partner." That makes up most of the program and it certainly fits the sort of audio gore which Oboler made famous, but the identity of the "silent partner" is a little more obvious than Oboler would have treated such a reveal; I mean, heck, his name's in the title! It's good radio horror, although it lacks that extra terror which Oboler brought to his scripts.

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

Lights Out Month Day 2: "It Happened"

Welcome to another look at the radio horror program Lights Out! "It Happened" (May 11, 1938) represents the series and author Arch Oboler at its peak. A young woman in Paris flees a kidnapper into the sewers -- and meets a man who invites her to join his business. He carves jewelry out of human bones. Lights Out had a reputation for how it employed sound effects to ghoulish ends and the noises in this episode are certainly in that tradition!

A friend of mine enjoyed this so much that he participated in a filmed version of the story, using the audio from the radio program for all the dialogue and sound effects. It was an interesting effect!

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

Lights Out Month Day 1: "Cat Wife"

As I often do, I will spend October on this blog with a daily retrospective of a great old-time radio horror program. This year I've chosen the series Lights Out which was originated by Wyllis Cooper. However, as we have precious little of Cooper's stories still in existence, all of the episodes I'll be featuring will be those written by Arch Oboler.

The series began in 1934 under Cooper's direction, but has been supplanted by Oboler's lengthy run from 1936-1943. Most of what still exists comes from the 1942-43 run -- but many popular scripts were re-enacted so we have a pretty good idea of what the contents of Oboler's Lights Out were. The series looms so large that it tends to overshadow the rest of Oboler's work; I've frequently seen fans list episodes of Arch Oboler's Plays as episodes of Lights Out.

We're beginning with "Cat Wife" (April 6, 1938). I've discussed this one on the blog before; a husband is horrified when his wife transforms into an enormous cat. You might find this too silly -- after all, that's a ridiculous concept. However, I find this episode works because it's so unsettling and because Boris Karloff rendered a very fine performance as the husband. I don't think this is Oboler at his best, but it's a strong example of radio horror.

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