Episode 2: Poltergeist

[00:00:16] Speaker A: The mysterious old Radio Listening Society Society. [00:00:19] Speaker B: Podcast. [00:00:27] Speaker A: Welcome to the mysterious old Radio Listening Society, a podcast dedicated to suspense and horror stories from the golden age of Radio. I'm Eric. [00:00:35] Speaker C: I'm Tim. [00:00:35] Speaker D: I'm Joshua. [00:00:37] Speaker C: We love scary old time radio stories. There's nothing quite like a disembodied voice telling a genuinely disturbing tale. But maybe that's just us. Maybe these stories don't actually hold up after all this time. So we are revisiting these old shows to put the terror on trial. Do they still work in the 21st century, or are we being deceived by nostalgia? Are these stories blood chilling or butt numbing? [00:01:01] Speaker A: For tonight's episode, it's my choice, and I chose an episode of Lights out called Poltergeist. It aired on October of 1942. Lights out was one of the earliest radio horror programs, and lights out aired on different networks at various times from about January 3 and 1934 to the summer of 1947. It was hosted by Arch Obler, who wrote seemingly for every single radio show ever. Obler met the demand of this by adopting an unusual scripting procedure. What he would do is he would lie in bed at night, and he would smoke cigarettes and improvise the scripts into a dictaphone, acting out every line of the play. In this way, he was able to complete a script quickly, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes. [00:01:45] Speaker D: We could spend all night sharing nerdy facts about lights out. For example, Obler's first script for lights out was burial service, about a paralyzed girl who is buried alive. NBC was flooded with outraged letters in response because it turns out burying a paralyzed little girl is always too soon. [00:02:04] Speaker A: Too soon. I can't find anywhere, by the way, a listing of who the actors are, which has been really bugging me. I don't understand why everything isn't on the Internet. I thought everything was on the Internet. But not only is this episode spine tingling, but the editing of the live ads for ironized yeast create an unintentional hilarity. So listen for that as well. [00:02:26] Speaker C: Forget the petty distractions around you. Forget what you think you know. Forget everything but what you hear. Right now it's late at night and a chill has set in. You're alone and the only light you see is coming from an antique radio. Listen to the sounds coming from the speaker. Listen to the music and listen to the voices. [00:02:51] Speaker B: Oh. [00:02:56] Speaker E: It is later than you think. [00:03:11] Speaker F: This is Arch Obeler bringing you another in our series of stories of the unusual. And once again, we caution you, these lights out stories are definitely not for the timid soul. So we tell you calmly and very sincerely if you frighten easily, turn off your radio now. But if you're fascinated by the mysterious, the fantastic, the unearthly then anticipate chills in our story of poltergeist. [00:03:46] Speaker B: Jingle bells, jingle bells jingle all the way oh, what fun it is to. [00:03:52] Speaker G: Ride in a one north open sleigh hey, that was swell. Now let's go to town St. Louis. [00:03:59] Speaker B: Woman with her diamond ring kicking that man around. [00:04:06] Speaker G: No, stop that, Kay. [00:04:07] Speaker A: What's the matter? [00:04:08] Speaker G: Am I scaring the horse? [00:04:10] Speaker H: Seems like a sacrilege singing a song like that out here. This beautiful, clean snow and blue sky. [00:04:17] Speaker G: Well, what's wrong with a hot song to keep us warm? If you think the St. Louis blues is going to dirty up the snow you ought to hear Frankie and Johnny the way I sing it. [00:04:26] Speaker H: Oh, stop it, Kay. You're not funny at all. Why can't you enjoy the fresh air without that cabaret sort of thing? [00:04:34] Speaker G: Just an old fashioned gal, eh, Florence? How about you, Edna? Don't you like my songs, either? You haven't said anything for the last five minutes. [00:04:42] Speaker H: Well, I haven't been listening to you. To tell the truth, I love to watch the snow sort of flow along under the sleigh. [00:04:50] Speaker G: When you say that, gal, smile. Gosh, do you ever see more snow in your life? [00:04:54] Speaker H: The man at the hotel said had been snowing on and off up here for two weeks. [00:04:58] Speaker B: I think coming out here to the country is the best thing we three have done since we started rooming together. [00:05:03] Speaker H: Hiking in the snow is terribly healthy. [00:05:05] Speaker G: Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. The healthier I get, the worse I feel. [00:05:10] Speaker B: Crazy idiot. She does say the funniest things, doesn't she? I always say that. Chaotic. [00:05:16] Speaker G: Hallelujah. [00:05:18] Speaker H: We're here. Is this as far as we go, driver? [00:05:20] Speaker I: That's right, miss. Can't go no further down this road. [00:05:23] Speaker F: To counter the drift. [00:05:24] Speaker H: Oh, my goodness. The drifts are too deep for a horse. How can we walk through them? [00:05:28] Speaker G: I second the motion. [00:05:30] Speaker I: Well, you young ladies don't have to worry none so long as you keep going down the valley over there. Snow ain't piled up that way all the way to Jenkins. [00:05:38] Speaker H: Oh, well, that's marvelous. Come on, girls, let's get started. [00:05:42] Speaker I: So long. Take care of yourselves, girls. [00:05:45] Speaker B: Come on. Goodbye, Miss Rinkel. [00:05:48] Speaker G: Well, listen to the snow talking at us. [00:05:52] Speaker H: It's very dry snow. Our feet rub particles of it together and the friction makes a sound. It's kind of scary, isn't it? Why? [00:06:01] Speaker B: Well, I don't know. [00:06:03] Speaker H: It's just as if the snow was sort of trying to talk to us. I mean, as if it was angry at our trespassing. [00:06:08] Speaker G: Hey, don't tell me we're trespassing. I don't want any country squire taking any potshots at my constitutional amendment. With rock salt? No, thank you. [00:06:18] Speaker H: Oh, don't talk nonsense, Kay. We're not trespassing. Why, this pass through the valley here, over to Mrs. Jenkins'house is the favorite hike of everyone who comes up this way during the winter. [00:06:27] Speaker G: What's Mrs. Jenkins got anyway that makes people walk their feet off? [00:06:31] Speaker H: Wait till you taste her cooking. [00:06:33] Speaker A: Eat. [00:06:33] Speaker G: Oh, boy. Let's go. [00:06:35] Speaker H: It's awfully quiet out here, isn't it? Oh, that's the glory of it. I've had the roar of the subway in my ears so long. Okay, don't walk so fast. Come on. [00:06:46] Speaker G: Look what I found. [00:06:47] Speaker H: Oh, come on, Edna. [00:06:48] Speaker B: Oh, please, let me take your arm. [00:06:50] Speaker G: I'm getting out of breath. [00:06:51] Speaker H: But take it easy. There's no hurry. Well, what is it, Kay? Look through the circle of trees here. [00:06:58] Speaker G: Look what I discovered. [00:07:00] Speaker H: Well, isn't that interesting? It's a sort of a natural amphitheater. Sure. Say, who was this guy? Daniel Boone? What's an amphitheater? Well, that means an oval circling place with rising tiers of seats. It's, you know, like that place we went to for the horse show. Oh, back in the times of the Greeks, they had Outdoor theaters. Listen to the use of places just like this where the ground sloped up and made a sort of a natural arena or stage below. [00:07:28] Speaker G: Theater. That's an idea. Sit down, gals, and I'll give you a special performance of the K Follies. [00:07:33] Speaker H: It's awful snowy here, isn't it? [00:07:35] Speaker G: I'll trample it down with my spring dance. [00:07:38] Speaker B: Welcome. [00:07:39] Speaker H: Sweet, isn't she? Not dancing in the snow. If I had that girl's energy. [00:07:44] Speaker B: She's really grateful, isn't she? I'll bet if she went on the stage. [00:07:50] Speaker H: Kay, did you hurt yourself? [00:07:52] Speaker G: Oh, did I land on my dignity? Here, give me a hand. [00:07:56] Speaker H: Here, I'll help you. [00:07:58] Speaker B: There you are. [00:07:59] Speaker G: Did I take a flop? [00:08:01] Speaker B: Did you hurt yourself badly? [00:08:02] Speaker G: I'll live. What in the world did I trip over? [00:08:05] Speaker H: Oh, no wonder. [00:08:07] Speaker G: Look at that rock under the snow. [00:08:09] Speaker B: No wonder. [00:08:09] Speaker G: I did a nosedive. [00:08:11] Speaker H: Oh, my goodness. [00:08:12] Speaker B: There are rocks like that all over. A person could break their neck if they. [00:08:16] Speaker H: Girls, what's the matter? What is it, Kay? The rock you tripped over. It's not a rock? [00:08:22] Speaker G: What are you talking about? Of course it's a rock. [00:08:25] Speaker H: Well, yes, but it's something more than that. It's a tombstone. Tombstone? [00:08:32] Speaker G: Oh, no. [00:08:32] Speaker H: It can't be it for yourself. It says here lies buried the remains of one who, restless in life. [00:08:40] Speaker B: Stop. Don't read anymore. [00:08:42] Speaker G: Stop. And all these other stones laying flat on the ground. [00:08:46] Speaker H: They're tombstones too. Yes. [00:08:49] Speaker G: What a place to fix a dance. [00:08:51] Speaker H: What's the matter, Edna? [00:08:52] Speaker G: What did you scream for? [00:08:54] Speaker B: Hey. You danced on the grave. [00:08:57] Speaker H: What? [00:08:58] Speaker B: You danced on the grave. I saw you. I saw you do it. You danced on the grave. [00:09:02] Speaker H: Okay, Edna, stop it. [00:09:04] Speaker B: Stop it. [00:09:05] Speaker G: What's coming to her? Edna, stop asking. [00:09:06] Speaker B: Edna, stop. [00:09:07] Speaker H: For heaven's sake, control yourself. [00:09:09] Speaker B: Okay. I'm so sorry for you. You danced on a grave. [00:09:13] Speaker G: For heaven's sake, stop talking like that. Sure, I danced on a. [00:09:16] Speaker H: Yes, of course she did. It was perfectly accidental. [00:09:18] Speaker G: And what if it was? What of it? [00:09:21] Speaker B: The poltergeist. [00:09:22] Speaker G: The what? [00:09:23] Speaker H: Edna Hansen, what are you talking about? What's that word you just used? [00:09:28] Speaker B: Poltergeist. Okay. What have you done? [00:09:31] Speaker G: You superstitious little fool. If you don't stop talking that way, I'm gonna slap your face. What's the matter with you? I didn't do anything. [00:09:37] Speaker B: You walked on the grave. You danced on the grave. [00:09:40] Speaker H: Edna, be sensible. We all walked on graves, but it was purely accidental. Yeah. We had no intention of desecrating them. [00:09:46] Speaker B: It doesn't matter. I tell you. It doesn't matter. The poltergeist will come. I know he will. [00:09:50] Speaker G: Oh, what for you? She's crazy. [00:09:52] Speaker H: Edna, what are you talking about? What's a poltergeist? What are you so frightened about? [00:09:57] Speaker B: My father. He told me if you walk on a grave, if you dance on a grave, the poltergeist. [00:10:02] Speaker H: Poltergeist? What? What is a poltergeist? [00:10:05] Speaker B: An evil spirit. It comes out of the grave. It kills. It destroys. It'll kill us. It'll kill us all. Stop it. Please. [00:10:13] Speaker G: Lay off. [00:10:15] Speaker B: But it won't get me. Edna, come back here. She's gone insane. [00:10:19] Speaker G: I'll get her. [00:10:20] Speaker B: Edna. Kay, catch her. Edna. Edna, don't run away. Nothing will hurt you. Nothing. Oh, Edna, look out. Kay. [00:10:27] Speaker H: Kay, what happened? [00:10:28] Speaker B: That stone, it hit Edna. [00:10:31] Speaker G: Edna. Edna, open your eyes. [00:10:33] Speaker B: Blood. Blood all over her face. Kay, who threw that stone? Who threw it? [00:10:39] Speaker H: I don't know. [00:10:42] Speaker G: It came from the graveyard. [00:10:59] Speaker E: Now, girls, take it easy. Take it easy. [00:11:01] Speaker B: Oh, doctor, she won't die. Tell me she won't die. [00:11:05] Speaker E: No, of course not. [00:11:07] Speaker G: And you're sure that her skull isn't fractured? [00:11:09] Speaker E: Oh, absolutely not. Maybe a little concussion, that's all. [00:11:13] Speaker B: Well, it's almost five. [00:11:16] Speaker H: Our train. Can we get someone to help us carry her down to the station so we can get her on board? [00:11:21] Speaker E: Bored? I'm telling you, that little friend of yours shouldn't be moved out of bed for a week. If you do well, it might be just too bad. [00:11:29] Speaker B: Oh, Flo, what'll we do? [00:11:32] Speaker H: You go home, Kate. I'll stay with her. [00:11:35] Speaker G: Oh, no, you won't. I'm not leaving you here alone in this God forsaken place. If you stay, I stay too. [00:11:41] Speaker H: Kay, please be sensible. Why should we all lose our jobs when you. [00:11:44] Speaker E: If you'll excuse me, you ladies, I've got to be on my way. [00:11:47] Speaker H: Oh, yes, of course, doctor. [00:11:49] Speaker G: Is there anything more you can do for Edna, doctor? Any medicine or something? [00:11:52] Speaker E: Nope. I've done all I can do. She's sleeping. Comfortable, uh, miss? [00:11:58] Speaker G: Yes, doctor? [00:11:59] Speaker E: The constable's sick too, you know, and he's sort of dependent on me to keep things straight. Now, just how did you say that little friend of yours got hurt? [00:12:09] Speaker G: Well, it was just the way we explained, doctor. That rock came flying. [00:12:14] Speaker E: Yes, yes, I know, but who threw the rock? [00:12:18] Speaker I: We don't know what. [00:12:20] Speaker H: That's true, doctor. We don't know. [00:12:23] Speaker E: But somebody threw it. You can't change facts. Somebody threw the rock that cracked her head. [00:12:27] Speaker G: For heaven's sakes, old man, you don't think we did it? [00:12:30] Speaker E: No, miss, I did. [00:12:31] Speaker H: Excited. Doctor, you've got to believe us. It happened just the way we said. All at once, that rock came flying through the air from the direction of the graveyard. It struck Aetna, and we just didn't see who threw it. [00:12:44] Speaker E: All right, if that's your story, you better stay in your rooms. Here. I mean, you better not believe it until the constable's on his feet and has a chance to talk with you. I'll be back in a few hours and see how the girl is. [00:13:00] Speaker H: He doesn't believe us. [00:13:01] Speaker G: What difference does it make? We know what we saw. [00:13:05] Speaker H: But what did we see? [00:13:07] Speaker G: She was running. She fell. [00:13:11] Speaker H: Kay. Well, let's not fool ourselves. There was no one there to throw that rock. There must have been, but there wasn't. [00:13:22] Speaker G: Stop saying that. [00:13:23] Speaker H: Aren't you brave enough to face. Thanks. There wasn't any place for anyone to hide. I saw that stone. It seemed to come down out of the air so slowly. [00:13:35] Speaker G: Florence, if you don't stop talking like that. [00:13:37] Speaker H: Remember what Edna said. It throws things. [00:13:42] Speaker G: Stop looking at me like that. You're giving me the jitters. [00:13:46] Speaker H: She said the poltergeist throws things. Spirit of evil. [00:13:50] Speaker G: Florence Rob. Have you gone crazy too? [00:13:52] Speaker H: Should we laugh at things like that? What right have we got to laugh? How do we know there aren't powers we can't see or understand? Powers of evil. That revenge an insult. Just like an evil man. Kay, how do we know? [00:14:06] Speaker G: What are you talking like that for? What are you trying to scare me for? You're supposed to be the most intelligent one of us all. You with your college degrees. Sure, sure, I danced on the grave. But the dead are dead and they can't revenge a thing. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of anything I tell you. [00:14:25] Speaker B: Come on, Edna, we're coming to you. Don't be afraid. We're coming. Open the door, Florence. [00:14:30] Speaker G: It's not locked. [00:14:31] Speaker B: Don't get woken. [00:14:32] Speaker G: Let me. [00:14:33] Speaker B: Edna. What is it? What head. Now what on your head. [00:14:48] Speaker H: Oh. [00:14:57] Speaker I: Hey, what's going on here? I run a decent place and I don't want you. [00:15:04] Speaker H: Oh. [00:15:08] Speaker I: The girl on the bed. Her head. It's crushed flat in by a rock. God in heaven. It's not a rock. It's a tombstone. [00:15:46] Speaker G: I wish I could cry, but I haven't got any more. [00:16:07] Speaker B: I was the one who got her out here. She didn't want to go. She hates the country. But I made her come. I made her. [00:16:19] Speaker G: No, you're not the one to blame. I am. I danced on the grave. [00:16:27] Speaker B: But she was so good, so sweet. Oh, why does it have to be Edna? Why? [00:16:37] Speaker G: You're right. It wasn't right for it to be her, was it? I did it. Not her. I did it. I danced on the grave. I danced on the grave. [00:16:55] Speaker E: You can't deny what you see with your own eyes. [00:16:57] Speaker I: But I tell you, doc, nobody could have carried that tombstone up the steps without me seeing him, could they? [00:17:02] Speaker E: But there it is, ain't it? [00:17:04] Speaker I: Yeah, there it is either. [00:17:08] Speaker E: Somebody's playing a terrible joke. [00:17:13] Speaker I: You don't have to say it, doc. I know. [00:17:16] Speaker E: It's just the trouble. You don't know and I don't know. And nobody knows. [00:17:20] Speaker I: Yeah, and that tombstone. [00:17:24] Speaker E: Well, what about the tombstone? [00:17:27] Speaker I: I ain't quite sure. But that's a tombstone out of the old Burian grounds up at the bend. [00:17:33] Speaker F: You're crazy. [00:17:34] Speaker I: No, I ain't either. [00:17:35] Speaker E: Well, that place is a good 3 miles from here. [00:17:37] Speaker I: Yeah, I know. [00:17:40] Speaker E: Who could have carted a heavy stone like that for 3 miles? [00:17:43] Speaker I: Yeah, who? [00:17:45] Speaker E: Stop looking like that, you flappiered old fool. Human hands carried that stone in here and killed that girl. Sure, the constituent will find out who did it the minute he's on his feet again. You wait and see. [00:17:58] Speaker I: No, he won't, doc. You're smarter than me and all that, but this time you're wrong. There ain't nobody that takes in breath and leaves out breath like you and me. Or the constable's gonna find out who killed that girl. You know that, doc. [00:18:12] Speaker E: Oh, stop talking. I wish the constable was here and this night was over. It's been a terrible night. Terrible. [00:18:27] Speaker B: Terrible. Clock. [00:18:29] Speaker H: Ticket. Ticket. [00:18:32] Speaker G: Yeah, I know. I've been sitting here listening to it. [00:18:37] Speaker H: I can't stand it anymore. [00:18:39] Speaker G: I'll stop it. Why bother with it? [00:18:43] Speaker H: Come on to bed, Kay, please. There's no use sitting there. It won't help her. [00:18:50] Speaker G: Yeah, nothing can help her. But maybe I can help you. [00:18:57] Speaker H: Me? [00:18:58] Speaker G: It was my fault. Mine. I was the reason it happened. It killed her. And it'll kill you and me too, unless I stop. [00:19:06] Speaker H: No, don't say that. [00:19:08] Speaker G: It's true. But why should you be hurt? I'm the blame, not you. Listen, Flo. I'll go out there. [00:19:18] Speaker H: There. [00:19:18] Speaker G: Out there to the graveyard. [00:19:20] Speaker B: What? [00:19:20] Speaker G: I'll talk to. I'll tell it. I didn't mean to do it, but I didn't know where I was dancing. Maybe somehow it'll hear. Listen to me and then it won't hurt you. [00:19:29] Speaker B: No. I won't let you go out there. It'll kill you too, Florence. No. No. I'll hold you. You can't go. [00:19:35] Speaker H: You can't. [00:19:38] Speaker G: All right. [00:19:39] Speaker B: Come on to bed. [00:19:40] Speaker H: Kate, please. In the morning. [00:19:43] Speaker B: In the morning things will be different. [00:19:45] Speaker H: But it won't hurt us. And then they're right outside the door. [00:19:48] Speaker B: They won't let anything get at us. Oh, please, Kate. Please come to bed. [00:19:54] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:19:57] Speaker H: We'Ll pray. [00:19:59] Speaker G: Pray? I don't exactly know how. [00:20:04] Speaker H: Just say anything. Anything like this. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake. [00:20:26] Speaker G: I pray the Lord my soul to take. [00:20:43] Speaker H: Are you asleep? I can't sleep anymore, Kay. Tomorrow. I mean, when it gets light and everything. Do you think people will believe us? Do you think so, Kay? I'm not quite sure what happened. I always used to be so sure about things. And now. [00:21:08] Speaker G: Kay. [00:21:09] Speaker H: Where are you, Kay? [00:21:11] Speaker B: Where? The window. [00:21:15] Speaker H: She went out the window. She's gone out there to the graveyard. [00:21:23] Speaker G: To talk to it. [00:21:26] Speaker B: Okay. Why did you go? Why did you go? [00:21:30] Speaker H: I'll go out there too. Or she'll be so frightened out there alone. [00:21:35] Speaker B: I'll go, too. I'll go, too. [00:21:42] Speaker H: Oh, so cold, my hands, snow, so sharp, cutting my legs. Oh, why did you go out there, Kay? [00:21:54] Speaker B: Why did you? I've got to find you. [00:22:01] Speaker H: Wind. Why doesn't the wind stop? Blow, blow, thou winter wind. Thou art not so unkind. [00:22:17] Speaker B: I've got to find you, kid. I've got to find you. It's snowing. I love snow. Edna didn't like snow. Where are you, Kay? Where are you? I've lost my way. I've lost the road. Where are you, Kay? Kay, where are you? I heard you, Kay. I heard you. I'm coming to you, Kay. We'll talk to it. We'll talk to it together. We'll say that we didn't mean any harm, won't we, Kay? Won't we? Poor Edna. We can't help her, Kay. We can't help Edna. But I'm coming to help you, Kay. I'm coming. I'm coming here. Yes, I hear you. I hear you. I'm coming, darling. I'm coming to help. I'm coming to help you. I'm coming. I'm coming. I hear you. I hear you calling my name. I hear you. This way. Yes, I hear you. I hear you. Where are you? Where are you? This way. No. [00:24:00] Speaker E: This way, Hooper. They must have come this way. [00:24:03] Speaker I: Climbing out the window like that in the middle of the night. They must have gone crazy, the both of them. [00:24:09] Speaker E: Let's not worry about that now. We've got to find them. Here, give me that banner. [00:24:14] Speaker I: What is it, Doc? What have you found? [00:24:15] Speaker E: A shoe. One of the girl shoes. [00:24:18] Speaker I: My gosh. Stuck in the snow. We're going the right way. [00:24:21] Speaker E: Come on, move fast. We've got to get to them. [00:24:24] Speaker I: Doc, look at this. What is it? Over there. Ain't these. [00:24:29] Speaker E: Yes, yes, that's right. Footprints. [00:24:35] Speaker B: Hello, up ahead. Hello. [00:24:43] Speaker I: Doc. We're getting pretty close to the old burying grounds. Well, maybe. Look here, Doc. Let's not be fools. Let's wait till morning. [00:24:55] Speaker E: What? Let those frightened girls freeze to death? Get along. [00:25:00] Speaker I: But, Doc. [00:25:01] Speaker E: You come with me, or the whole town will know. What a yellow livered, no good right. [00:25:07] Speaker I: All right. You don't have to get so sore, Doc. [00:25:14] Speaker B: Hello. [00:25:18] Speaker E: Anybody up there? [00:25:21] Speaker B: Hello, Doc. [00:25:25] Speaker I: Doc, look. [00:25:26] Speaker E: What? [00:25:27] Speaker I: There they are up ahead. [00:25:29] Speaker E: Glory P. They're alive, the both of them. Come on, Doc. [00:25:34] Speaker I: Doc, look at them. That's the burying ground up there. And they're dancing. Dancing on the graves. [00:25:42] Speaker E: What? They must be out of their heads. Come on. We've got to stop. [00:25:49] Speaker I: Doc. Doc. Wait for me. Oh, Doc. It's Doc again. Where are they, Doc? Where are the girls? Have they stopped dancing? [00:26:10] Speaker E: Yes, they've stopped dancing. Did they ever dance? [00:26:18] Speaker I: What are you talking about, doc? We saw him. We saw him dancing in this place with our own eyes. [00:26:26] Speaker E: Did we? The moonlight. Here it comes again. See with your eyes again. [00:26:37] Speaker B: Oh, no. [00:26:44] Speaker E: Both of the girls froze stiff to the ground, each with their head crushed by a tombstone strobler. [00:27:14] Speaker F: Would you mind telling us, me whether there actually are such things as poltergeists? All I can tell you is this. There are authenticated records in existence that in the city of London on the 27th day of April, 1872, from four in the afternoon on a Thursday, until 11:30 at night, a certain room in a certain house was deluged by stones thrown from no apparent source. The London police surrounded the house, but they found no trace of whoever or whatever was throwing those stones with a murderous, um. I see. So much for poltergeist. [00:27:55] Speaker E: But what about next week? [00:27:56] Speaker F: Well, anything can happen. But specifically next week. Mungara. A strange title and a strange story. A power of suggestion. The dictators have shown us to what evil purposes that power can be used. Well, next week, a man who. But that, as usual, is next week. [00:28:15] Speaker A: Yes. [00:28:16] Speaker F: Lights out, written and directed by Arch Obeler, will come to you again next Tuesday. At the same time, be sure to listen for the amazing story of Mungara. [00:28:35] Speaker E: Than you think you're listening to mysterious. [00:28:41] Speaker A: Old radio listening Society. Society podcast. I'm Eric. [00:28:44] Speaker C: I'm Tim. [00:28:45] Speaker D: I'm Joshua. [00:28:46] Speaker A: This week, we. Or I should say, I. It was my choice. This week, I chose poltergeist, which you just heard. That was from October of 1942, from the show lights out, and, of course, hosted and written by Arch Obler. So there you have it, gentlemen. That was the one I selected as we head into the jury part of our program to figure out, does it stand the test of time? Is it scary? What's your first thoughts, Joshua? [00:29:13] Speaker D: I think it's definitely still scary. It's a little more antiquated, I think, even for the time. It was intentionally supposed to be an old story, right? They were in a horse drawn carriage at the beginning and walking through the woods to visit some old lady in the woods who's a good cook, who apparently, in old timey days, you just knock on the door and hear. [00:29:33] Speaker A: We hear you're a good cook in. [00:29:35] Speaker C: A city that consists of about two people. [00:29:38] Speaker A: I don't know what you're laughing about that is exactly how the world used to be. And I miss it. I wasn't alive then, but you could walk up and go, I hear you're a good cook and get a meal. [00:29:47] Speaker D: This has some elements that I love about Arch obler, and that is he does a lot of character work. He loves to have sort of banter between people that is sort of mundane, sometimes maybe a little ridiculous, but he quickly creates these know right away, you know, that Florence is the smart one, college educated, from the city. She explains why snow makes noise. [00:30:17] Speaker A: I need a college education for that. [00:30:20] Speaker C: I thought that might have been a little aside for audiences who have never experienced snow before. That's what the noise you're hearing is. [00:30:26] Speaker D: Oh, he was explaining the sound effect. Right. [00:30:29] Speaker A: Well, yeah, maybe for those of you in southern Florida listening, why are they. [00:30:33] Speaker D: Walking through Rice Krispies on styrofoam? And then, of course, k is a body. A body lady. [00:30:42] Speaker A: We don't use that word enough anymore. Body. [00:30:45] Speaker D: Yeah. And then we have the very meek, timid, but sweet Edna. So he sets those characters with just a very little bit of dialogue right away. And I think that now we have that image of him lying in bed with a dictaphone playing all three of these. Extra hilarious. [00:31:03] Speaker A: Extra hilarious, yeah. I think that it's absolutely essential in radio drama to establish distinct personalities because not only does it drive your story and help with the story because then everybody's going to have a different reaction to all the things that are going on, but I think it makes it easier for the listener to discern between the characters. Not that their voices aren't different, but if one's talking a certain way, another one's talking a certain. One's smart and one's dumb and one's scared and one's body, then it's easier to discern that. And I think that that's not just arch, I think arch because that's what those of us who are buddies with him called good old arch. But everybody who wrote for that, it's immediately very distinct, extremely distinct characters and personality traits to differentiate them. And, yeah, he sets it up really quick. Yes. [00:32:01] Speaker C: I loved how the quaintness and the sort of Christmas postcard aspect of the start is in contrast to the brutal, visceral things that happened late. Just gut wrenching, horrible. [00:32:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:16] Speaker C: Crushed heads that came up fast, that very sudden. [00:32:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:22] Speaker D: There's really no plot to this. I don't even mean that in a negative way. [00:32:31] Speaker A: They are going through the woods. [00:32:33] Speaker D: They dance on a grave. [00:32:35] Speaker A: By accident. [00:32:36] Speaker D: By accident. [00:32:37] Speaker A: Right. Yeah. And then they don't go, hey, there's. [00:32:40] Speaker D: A grave, let's dance on it. [00:32:41] Speaker A: Then they ended up in the house and then they got theirs. [00:32:46] Speaker D: And Edna, the one who is the weakest link, who did no dancing on any graves, is the first one to have her head crushed. [00:32:57] Speaker A: Okay. I will give you this by the tombstone, the throwing of the 3 miles away or whatever it was, lugged a tombstone floating through the air and crushed her head. [00:33:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:08] Speaker A: Okay. It's a good point. Why her? She didn't do anything wrong. But that's actually a really good question. [00:33:14] Speaker C: About the order these things happened in. I was trying to put a little sense of that, of Edna as the first one who sort of acknowledged what this is and ran and sort of instantly paid a price. And it's only after, because kay is the one who leaves first. Is that right? Am I getting that right? [00:33:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:32] Speaker C: After she has acknowledged that this really is a horrible monster thing and praised. [00:33:37] Speaker A: Yes. [00:33:38] Speaker C: And sort of when she buys into it, she becomes marked. Maybe I'm working too hard on that. [00:33:43] Speaker A: But no, it's interesting though, again, how much is intentional, how much is I'm going to kill this one off. Who knows? The actress might have know somewhere to be kill her first. [00:33:55] Speaker D: See, the other thing that Ober does to great effect is sort of extending things for a little too long. It's very uncomfortable. Like when Kate disappears into the woods and Florence goes after her and when she's calling out to her where it's like, here I am, Florence and it just goes on and on. And then there's a really creepy subtle change that goes on a little too long and she moves from here I am, Florence to here we are. [00:34:27] Speaker A: Yeah. Right. So that I found her following into the woods and follow me and come get me and all that. I found that terrifying. The prayer Tim brought up the prayer is that moment that it may be my favorite moment of writing in this. And it's what we referred to last week when we referred to we did house in Cypress Canyon and I was talking just, it kind of makes me crazy when people in any entertainment form, movies or this or whatever, don't react like how I think normal people would react in a situation like this, that they're thrown into a little too much bravado or a little too much thinking instead of just running in a circle and peeing your pants. The prayer is an example of why I love that moment so much because she says, all right, we're going to pray. And it just seemed really real to me. Like, this is so weird and things have gotten so crazy out of hand. [00:35:23] Speaker D: I don't understand. [00:35:24] Speaker A: And I don't understand what's going on. Let's pray. And not very much a praying person either. And then the other one chips in, like, comes in and. All right, what else is there to do? We'll start praying. So I love that moment, which I also found really terrifying because of the truthfulness of that. It's very. Nothing much happening, by the way. I want to go back. So there is a plot. They dance in the grave. [00:35:50] Speaker D: Yes. [00:35:51] Speaker A: Then the ghost gets mad, kills him. That's a plot. Okay, fair enough. That is. [00:35:58] Speaker D: It's linear. [00:35:59] Speaker A: Do we discuss yet the idea of the guy driving the horse? Why he didn't drive him all the way up to the house. He just stops. [00:36:06] Speaker C: Well, didn't he say that the drifts were too big for the horse? [00:36:08] Speaker A: Is that what it was? So you're going to walk from here. [00:36:12] Speaker D: If the drifts are too big for a horse. Hey, ladies, pull up your old timey skirts and wade through the snow. Presumably this food don't dance on the Grave. [00:36:23] Speaker C: Well, a detail I caught this time, because I've listened to this more than once on this last listening was before. They acknowledge it's, realize that it's a graveyard. They call it an amphitheater. They sort of mistake it for being this ancient pagan theater space. [00:36:41] Speaker D: Interesting detail, which is what inspires Kay to dance. [00:36:46] Speaker A: Yeah. That is. I've glossed over that three times, like, never really thought, why. Wonder why it looks like an amphitheater? [00:36:54] Speaker D: Florence used her college degree to explain what an amphitheater is. [00:36:59] Speaker A: Yeah, but, I mean, I never really glommed onto that. [00:37:02] Speaker D: And then when the deputy and the doctor see them at the end, their first glance of them, they see all three of them dancing again in this sort of amphitheater, and then they're dead. [00:37:13] Speaker A: And their heads are crushed again. And then everybody had to pay $12. [00:37:19] Speaker D: There's going to be a cover charge. [00:37:20] Speaker A: Let's go. [00:37:21] Speaker C: This might be one of those realms where writing this script in 30 minutes made it seem very deliberately ambiguous. [00:37:28] Speaker A: Here's some other of my notes from this. The death scene where she does get her head broke, skull broken. I found that unbelievably gruesome. I found it. Regardless, if you think, why is there a headstone? And where did it come from? And why did the ghost lug that? There had to be something closer, nearby. It doesn't matter. The actress. The actress dying did a fantastic job of scaring the bleep out of me in her death scene. [00:37:59] Speaker D: Yeah, the weird size. And it was unclear what was the death rattle from her and what was the gasping response from the people looking at her. [00:38:09] Speaker C: And they didn't acknowledge what had happened until another character still comes into the room. [00:38:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I kept imagining her on a mic going, okay, you're dying. And instead of doing. There was a lot more to it. She died, man. It was really great. The prayer I mentioned and the ghost calling her out is, I think, the pinnacle of the scary of this. Following that out of the house, the unintentional edited commercial was accidentally hilarious. We only got part of the ironized bees. I believe that you told me, Joshua, that you beat me to it. And you went and looked up ironized yeast. [00:38:59] Speaker I: Yes. [00:38:59] Speaker D: It was a diet fad in the late thirty s to early 40s. Not to lose weight, but to gain it. Yeast apparently promotes weight gain and vitamin B increases appetite. So if you were a woman and you were lacking or. [00:39:14] Speaker A: Joshua. [00:39:14] Speaker D: Full curvaceous. [00:39:16] Speaker H: Yes. [00:39:18] Speaker D: But if you were a man, it would make you strong and ripped, apparently just by having some ironized yeast. In fact, I found an ad and had some hilarious words to go with this ad. Good news for thousands of girls who have no sex appeal. And no sex appeal is all in capital letters. Thousands gain ten to 25 pounds quickly with ironized yeast. Or there's also an ad featuring a tiny little man oggling a voluptuous lady while thinking, a skinny man hasn't a chance. I wish I could gain flesh. [00:39:53] Speaker A: Gain flesh. And that was another one. Arch obla wrote, gain flesh. That was one of them, yes. That is so interesting. Isn't it, about gaining weight? [00:40:06] Speaker D: Yeah, well, not a concern. [00:40:08] Speaker A: Getting out of the depression, and there wasn't a lot of food, and then whatever there is too much of is not what we want to see anymore. Does that make sense? [00:40:18] Speaker C: Do you have any unized. [00:40:21] Speaker A: So it was the supplement of the day, kind of like. [00:40:26] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:40:26] Speaker D: 1930S whole foods sold it. [00:40:28] Speaker A: Right. What do they call powder? Some kind of powder at one of them powder stores. I don't know. You know what I'm talking about. Weightlifter guy stores. And they drink powder and everything and then. Right. So much powder. [00:40:45] Speaker C: We don't often go into those stores. [00:40:47] Speaker A: No, I've walked by them and thought, nah, no, it's astronaut food. I'm not interested. [00:40:55] Speaker C: We may have wandered off topic. [00:40:57] Speaker A: No, we're right there. [00:40:58] Speaker D: Ironized yeast. [00:41:01] Speaker A: Your conclusions, does it stand the test of time? [00:41:05] Speaker D: I would say it is still a very scary piece of old radio. [00:41:10] Speaker A: You said listening to it twice that you came to a second opinion. First time you listened to it was. [00:41:15] Speaker D: First time I listened to it. I listened to it in traffic, driving in the car, and I didn't pick up on some of the subtle things and things aren't as scary in traffic, in a car. And so I do think listeners should listen to these old radio shows alone in the dark. Well, maybe with a loved one that's fine, but my second listening, what should they be wearing? Josh, I'm not going to dictate that much. Maybe later in a later podcast I'll tell you what to wear. But yeah, I think it's definitely scary. It's a little more antiquated. It does ask you to make some leaps as a modern listener. The setting and the visiting Maude Jenkins for her complimentary food in the woods. [00:42:01] Speaker A: I find that charming. I can get past that easily. And I loved also there was some Christmas to it. I like all of it, but yeah, which is also, I would say. So you're saying it does a second. [00:42:14] Speaker D: Time eerie ghost story and listening to it in the right frame of mind without distraction, it's stand the test of time. [00:42:24] Speaker A: Setup of Christmas, singing, good friends, going to visit the cook in the woods, all of the quaintness of it that goes terribly, horribly wrong very quickly is one of the reasons I find it terrifying. I find the writing terrifying. And above all else, I find the acting superbly terrifying. That's why I found it to stand the test of time. [00:42:48] Speaker C: Tim, I'm similar to Joshua that a slightly qualified. Yes, definitely. The first time I heard it, the opening sort of quaint holiday singing. Not to sound like I have a horrible life, but that sounded really alien. I think they were really happy. That's weird. But it very quickly became a story I could definitely invest myself into and paid off. So I think once you get past that initial, this is kind of a little corny, dare I say? I did. I said corny a little bit, yeah. [00:43:23] Speaker D: Once you get past that, like lines, like, why can't you enjoy the fresh air without that cabaret sort of thing? [00:43:30] Speaker A: Well, why can't she? That's a really good question, Joshua. Why does she have to be cabareting about? Just enjoy the horse ride. It'll soon become a waist deep trek through drifts in your dress, but afterwards. [00:43:46] Speaker C: There'S some borscht that's going to knock your socks off. [00:43:52] Speaker A: All right, well, that's going to have to do it for this week. Thank you so much for listening. This is the mysterious old time listening society mysterious old radio listening society podcast. There. I got it right the second time. And I'm Eric. [00:44:04] Speaker C: I'm Tim. [00:44:05] Speaker D: I'm Joshua. [00:44:06] Speaker A: And again, thanks for joining us. And the name of the show again was from lights out called Poltergeist. And if you want to learn more about us or the show or relisten to this or even links to other cool stuff in old time radio land. [00:44:20] Speaker C: You can go to ghoulishdelights.com. [00:44:23] Speaker A: Ghoulishdelights.com. And if you're not there already, and if you are there, start clicking around and, I don't know, send some money. All right, until next time, remember, look out.