The Amazing Death of Mrs. Putnam

Greetings and condolences. First up if you haven't read Fridays post yet (or Thursday's for that matter) Go back and do so now, I'll wait.











Oh, your back. Good lets continue shall we?
Well I must admit that did indeed seem to work out well. You Barely had time to enjoy "The Wailing Wall" before I got this sorted out. (And if you haven't listened to "The Wailing Wall" yet go back and do so, I posted it just for you, so it's the least you could do to listen to it. Really now what were you doing all the while I was waiting there? Or on the other hand if you haven't listened to it yet, you could listen to this first and then return to the "Wailing Wall" as it is a vastly superior performance of everything that made ISM great. Yes perhaps that is best.)

As promised here is the premiere episode of Inner Sanctum Mysteries aired January 7, 1941.

the Amazing Death of Mrs. Putnam


Gary D. Macabre

Oh there you are. I was afraid for a moment you had forgotten our appointment.

Well there you have it friends, simply passing on from the land of the living does not grant one with the omniscience of the ages. Here I stand before you admitting my error. It appears I was, dare I say it... Dead wrong.

In my previous post regarding the Inner Sanctum I passed on the information that "Death For Sale" was Inner Sanctum's pilot episode (this is how the time stamps have been reported elsewhere on the web and on the version I have in my personal collection). With a bit of light research I found a conflicting account that in fact the premiere episode was called "the Amazing Death of Mrs. Putnam" . And low an behold I actually found a broadcast of it online. Unfortunately it is the second half of a radio broadcast which I will have to do some work on to separate the two shows that were broadcast together. Believe me when I tell you that I will post it here once I have done so.

Upon hearing this episode there is no doubt that the Mrs, Putnam episode predates the rest of the series. Raymond's introduction is a complete departure from the one we have become so familiar with, lacking the familiar dark and sadistic wit the character would come to be known for. Using the phrase "Oh there you are. I was afraid for a moment you had forgotten our appointment...", Raymond first introduces us to the Inner Sanctum, here sponsored by Carter's Liver Pills. The introduction and in fact the entire episode plays more like an episode of the Shadow. The tale follows two police officers investigating the reported death of an old lady (Mrs. Putnam) and the bizarre inconsistencies surrounding her apparent demise. Unlike the later and infinitely superior episodes with murder and death abound this tale plays out as a relatively uninspired detective story. Even the organ music used throughout the show has the air of being stolen from an episode of the Shadow. All said it is a rather disappointing performance by everyone involved. however much like the original Star Trek series pilot "The Cage", the Star Wars Holiday Special or the Muppets' "End to Sex and Violence", the legacy of the series certainly makes ample amends, for one small shows shortcomings, and similarly relegates this episode to "must-have" status simply for the sake of posterity.

My error aside, I must admit to being completely satisfied that I first aired such an enjoyable episode as "Death For Sale" for anyone not familiar with the Inner Sanctum, if only to whet your appetite for the show which I doubt this episode would have done.

As a side note Oct. 30 1945 appears to be the original broadcast date for "Death For Sale". By that date this would be one of the first shows with Paul McGrath as the host. Somehow this seems wrong to me thus I'll have to look a bit deeper.

May your dreams be wrought with anxious nightmares, but not on account of this episode, as I will make it available as soon as possible.

To make it up to you I will share another, later Broadcast of Inner Sanctum for you, this time a later recording featuring Paul McGrath as "Mr. Host" along with Mary "the Lipton Tea Lady". This one is another of my favourite episodes, again featuring the King of Creeps Boris Karloff.
Could there be anything better than The Inner Sanctum, Boris Karloff and a tale based largely on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat". Reportedly aired 11/06/1945...

The Wailing Wall

Gary D. Macabre

Again Link provided from OTR.net

Good evening friends of the creeking door...

So begins one of the greatest horror themed radio programs of all times, INNER SANCTUM MYSTERIES. Airing from January 1941 through October 1952 this twisted crimson jewel shared with its audience a disturbing mix of dark tales of terror; from murder and depravity to supernatural evils and vengeful spirits. Not only were the stories consistently horrifying in nature, they were served up in a dark and creepy mood dripping with a thick rich sauce of eerie organ (eeew organ sauce) music and superbly performed sound effects, which themselves were used to tell much of the story. Along with that the talented performers always effectively portrayed the suspense, fears and desperations of their characters under the direction of one of the most accomplished radio directors of all time, Himan Brown. The series also boasted an impressive cast of guest stars such as horror legends Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Claude Raines to name but a few.

One of the most notable features of this program was its hosts. The original host of the series, Raymond Edward Johnson, simply referred to as "Raymond" laid the ground work for practically every horror host that has ever followed. While himself not the first to host a horror or suspense program, it was his innovative character which provided a creepy yet humourous twist to the program. His evil yet gleeful interaction with the audience relishing in death and the macabre was littered with puns and and morbid jokes. After Johnson's departure from the series in 1945 (for military service) the mantle was taken up by Paul McGrath who kept the stylistic nature of Raymond's character, but respectfully did not take the name only being referred to as "Mr. Host".

In 1945 the show took on the Lipton Tea Company as it's primary sponsor and the show rounded a new corner with the addition of Mary Bennett to the cast. A proper and always excessively cheerful housewife to act as Mr. Host's sidekick. With her unflappable sunny disposition despite the macabre subject matter she became the shows Gracie Allen, and in my opinion played off of Mr. Host's dark wit beautifully. Although there are many fans of the series who don't enjoy her near as much as I do, it must be acknowledged that Mary's role as sidekick and foil to the shows host was another innovative and significant addition in horror host history, particularly evident on modern horror host programs.

Sadly of the 535 episodes originally broadcast, fewer than 170 are still known to exist. But for those that remain I am dearly grateful.

Here is the pilot episode of Inner Sanctum Mysteries originally Aired January 7, 1941 (re-aired July 13, 1952) starring the the one and only Boris Karloff.

Death For Sale

Link provided from OTR.net if you are a fan of Old Time Radio this site is a must for your personal links.

Gary D. Macabre