Episode 356: Little Old Lady

[00:00:17] Speaker A: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Podcast welcome to the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Society, a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Eric. [00:00:36] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:00:37] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:00:38] Speaker B: We love mysterious old time radio stories, but do they stand the test of time? That's what we're here to find out. [00:00:43] Speaker C: Today we present a request from our Patreon supporter, Lance Little Old lady from Lights Out. [00:00:51] Speaker A: Lights out was a horror series created by writer Willis Cooper in 1934. Originally broadcast on Chicago area NBC station we are on Wednesday night at midnight. Cooper's late night Grand Gun was a local hit and in April 1935, NBC began broadcasting it nationally, growing the program's fan base coast to coast. [00:01:14] Speaker C: After terrifying listeners for more than a year, Willis Cooper left Lights out to pursue a career in Hollywood. His credits include several films in the Mr. Moto series starring Peter Lor, as well as the third installment in the Universal Studios Frankenstein series, Son of Frankenstein. Cooper eventually returned to radio where he created another iconic anthology series, Quiet, please. [00:01:40] Speaker A: After Cooper's departure, NBC hired a young writer director named Arch Obler to take over Lights Out. Obler's bold story choices and innovative production techniques took the program to new heights of popularity. Lights out ended in 1938, but the show was revived several times during the 1940s. These later series are the source of most of today's surviving light Lights out recordings, including the performance you're about to hear. [00:02:06] Speaker B: And now let's listen to Little Old lady, also known as Mrs. Kingsley's report from Arch Obler's Lights out, Originally broadcast on May 25, 1943. [00:02:16] Speaker C: 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 Arch Oblers. [00:02:35] Speaker D: Lights out, everybody. It is later than you think. This is Arch Obler 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. [00:03:26] Speaker E: Alice, do you think we're still in the United States? I'm beginning to doubt it. Are you sure you got the right address? Of course. Don't be so dogmatic. You have made mistakes. Sounds as if you're starting to get annoyed. Well, I am. You've been driving so long, my back feels as if somebody were doing a big Apple on it. Oh, we'll be there soon enough. You know, Alice, sometimes that calm nature of yours makes me good and tired. You sound as if you want to quarrel. Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that, well, I looked forward to this vacation for weeks and now that it's happening, well, it isn't so much fun. Oh, wait till you get to my Aunt Harriet. You can curl up in the alfalfa and sleep for days. Sleep? Oh, that's a lovely word. Just imagine sleeping as long as you want without having to worry about making an 8:00 class. Perfect. But are you sure you know where your Aunt Harriet lives? I've run out of synonyms for. Of course I do. I'd just like to reassure myself. I certainly hope she has off beds. Oh, and that reminds me. You did send her that letter that we're coming. No. Say that again. No, I didn't send the letter. You mean to say that she doesn't even know that we're coming to stay with her? Well, I decided it would be more fun if we sort of surprised her. Well, of all the brainstorms. Walking in on somebody you haven't seen for 10 years and expecting her to welcome you. She's my only aunt, isn't she? But. But maybe she won't have room for it. Don't be silly. I told you Aunt Harriet lives alone and likes it. Well, maybe she won't like it if we barge in on her. Don't be silly. Of course we'll be welcome. From what I've heard, she's a little old darling. When you were 8, she was a darling. For all you know, she's taken the welcome mat in years ago. Wait a minute. Didn't you say we were supposed to go down Camden Road three miles? Yes. Then you are lost. That sign back there. This isn't Camden Road. You're still. I saw it with my own eyes. It said Pigsnackle Road. Oh, see that? Pigsnackle Road. You are wrong. Pig Snackle Road. That's too good to be true. Are you crazy? Laughing at a name of a place when you haven't got any idea where you are in my. Oh, don't be silly. I'm sure we'll find. Hey, there. There it is. There's what? Oh, no. The crossroad. The entrance to Aunt Harriet's place ought to be just a little bit beyond it. That's what you say. Yes, there it is. Here. Here we turn here. Turn. [00:05:26] Speaker A: Hey. [00:05:27] Speaker E: Hey, wait a minute. What are you trying to do? Turn Over. It won't be long now. You're telling me this is no road? It's a cow path. Aunt Harriet likes privacy. I remember dad and Mother used to say that. Another hundred feet on this road and I won't need a bed. I'll need a stretcher. Come on, slow down. I knew it. What a road. Even the tires couldn't take it. What a week. Here, Aunt Harriet's place, just a little ways down. We'll walk. You mean leave the car right here in the middle of the road? It's Aunt Harriet's own private road. No one will bother it. Oh, come on. Take your bag. Let's get out of here. Oh, all right. I'm just astoo. Come on, let's go. We'll just be in time for dinner. That's what you think. What do you mean? I mean, maybe your Aunt Harriet doesn't like guests who walk in just like that. Hey, Alice. Now what are you stopping for? I just noticed. Noticed what? How dark it's getting. So what? Come on. When the sun starts setting, it gets dark. I learned that in Physical Science 101. Yeah, but back there on the road it was so light, and here it's so dark and gloomy. What's the matter with you? Are you going to take your suitcase and come on? Or are you going to stand there being afraid of the dark? I'm all right. So many trees around here. No wonder it's dark. If that Aunt Harriet of yours wants privacy, she sure got it. And I hope when we get there, I'll have the same. Now what? Look at that mist coming up through the trees. Yeah, like long, white, curling fingers. Oh, stop that, will you? It's just that it's getting late. Colder moisture's condensing. Oh, will we ever get there, riding and walking. Have you actually got an Aunt Harriet? Come on, let's go back. Wait. Lona. There it is. Huh? Hallelujah. It is a house. Well, it's about time. It's about time. Not Carter. Alice. Knock. Carter. I can't. It hurts my knuckles. Oh, let me. She must be home. There's a light upstairs. And you were going to surprise her, eh? But she never leaves this place. Oh, go on. You don't even know that she lives here. Fine business car with a flat stuck in the middle of nowhere. Nobody home in this godforsaken place. Me so tired I could sleep standing on my head. But she must be home. You're repeating yourself. Oh, this is a vacation. Wait a minute. Wait, wait. There's Someone at the door. Oh, yes, yes. Oh, what are you? I'm. I'm looking for. I mean, are you Ms. Sauget? Yes, yes. What do you want? Well, then you are Aunt Harriet. Hallelujah. Who's calling me, Aunt Harriet? Who? I say, who are you? I'm Alice. Alice Preston. Alice? Oh, yes, yes. Bless my soul. I know you. Come in, Come in. Hallelujah. We're here. Come in. Come in and close the door. Aunt Harriet, you don't know how glad I am to see you. Did we have a time getting here? Yes. Come right in here. Right in here. There, Lona. I told you we'd be welcome. She didn't even ask who I was. I'll put few things down here and sit down and make yourself comfortable. Thanks. Aunt Harriet, this is my girlfriend, Lona Stevens. We roomed together at the university and I asked her to come along with me. All right, my child. It's all right. Anyone's welcome. Anyone at all. Oh, that's very kind of you, Aunt Harriet. I hope you won't mind my calling you that. But Alice always. It's all right. Her name's a name. Now, sit here and be comfortable. I'll get some tea. Oh, no, really, Aunt Harriet. Well, apparently your Aunt Harriet does what she wants to do, doesn't she? Oh, well, as long as we're here. Like something out of a museum. And what a house furnishings. Look at the chairs. And that sofa. Are they prehistoric or are they prehistoric? Yeah, I. I didn't think she was so old. Oh. Oh, you mean your aunt. Yes. Oh, well, after all, in 10 years living alone out in this godforsaken place, I sort of think she's nice. Do you? Taking us right in and not asking us all sorts of silly questions. That's the kind of relative to have. You know, if I were to go barging in on any of mine, first they'd give me a third degree on how come I was away, and then they'd give me another third degree on how long I was going to stay. What's the matter back there in the shadows? What? What is. I don't. It's something moving. Why, it's a dog. Oh, I know. It's. It's a cat. Cat. It is a cat. A cat. Not a cat. Look at the size of it. Tiger. Well, now what do we do? Don't move. If we do, it'll. Now, here's your tea, young ladies. Nice warm tea. Just what you need. And here he is. The matter? What? Oh, he frightened you? What? What is it? You got eyes, haven't you? Yes, but it's so dark in that corner, we can't hardly tell. It's not a tiger, is it? Don't talk none. What is it? He shouldn't be here at all. It's much too early for him. Aunt Harriet, didn't you hear me? I asked you what it is. Oh. What do you think he is? It can't be a cat. Why, he's as big as a police aunt. All right, come upstairs. I'll show you to your room. Now, this way, Aunt Harriet. I don't see. Come along, I say. Oh, come along upstairs. Come on, Alice. Come on. We better do what she says. All right. You must be tired. You too. But Aunt Harriet, how could it be Aunt? Talk no more about snow. We'll talk about that tomorrow morning. In here, my dear. Come on, Alan. But why doesn't she answer me? There, you see? A very comfortable room for both of you to rest. Nice wide bed, everything clean. But, Aunt Harriet, Wait just a minute. I want to find out something about this. Forget it, Alice. Whatever it is, you can find out in the morning. What? That cat. Oh, cat. Cat. Can't you say anything? But cat was so huge. Huge, nothing. We just imagined it, that's all. I mean, there in the shadows, it looked monstrous. You heard it? It sounded just like an ordinary tomcat. But I. You didn't see any more than I saw. And I think it was just a long shadow that got us full, that's all. Yes, that could be it. Goodness. Of course, you remember in Psych 101 class, old pudgy Wudgie told us about the tricks your eyes play in bad light when it comes to judging signs. Yeah, I remember. Local signs they called Christ. Well, that's the way it was with that cat. I'll bet you your Aunt Harriet thinks we're both a little screwy. That's why she got us up here to bed in a hurry. Oh, bed. Isn't that a wonderful word? And will we sleep? I. I hope so. Alice. What? You're not sleeping either, are you? No, I. I wanted to talk to you for hours, but I wasn't sure. I thought you were asleep somehow. I. I can't. Me neither. I can't understand why I'm the one who was crying. How tired I was. That's so comfortable. The house is quiet enough. The house, huh. Maybe that's why we can't sleep. What do you mean? Well, there's something about the house. What? Something oppressive that won't Let us sleep. Oh, you're crazy. No, I'm not. Just that. Well, that we're too tired to sleep, that's all. Yes, that's it. Too tired. Nerves on edge. I've been lying here for hours trying to figure it out. No, I know. Will you stop talking like that? Don't you feel it, Lola? Don't you? Well, I. Tell the truth. You do feel. It's something heavy in the air, pressing down on us. I'm awfully frightened. Walnut. Awful. Well, you're not going to frighten me. Why, this is your own Aunt Harriet's house. She's down there sleeping and she. Wow. Death. That cat. Yeah, it sounds huge, doesn't it? That's because it's so quiet in the house. Rona, there's another one. I tell you, there's two of them. Rona, listen to them. They're not ordinary cats. Listen to them. They can't be cats. I'll call Aunt Harriet. She'll tell me. She'll make them stop. Alex, wait. Don't go out there. You little fool. Aunt Harriet. I've got away from that door and listen to those things down there. Listen. No. No. I can't stand anymore. Aunt Harriet. Aunt Harriet. Make them stop. Aunt Harriet. They've. They've gone. What? What were they? Could two cats make all that noise? Aunt Harriet, why don't you come in here? No. No, Alice, don't open that door. But, Aunt Harriet, why doesn't she answer me? She must know what it's all about. Why doesn't she? Wait. What? Listen. Someone's coming up the stairs. Yes. My. My. Aunt Harriet. It's. It's not quite like footsteps. Forget. Maybe the door. Cats can't open doors. It's right outside the door. I can hear, can't I? Is it a cat? Of course it is. You don't think so either, do you? It's just sitting there. Yes, let it sit there. I'm so afraid. When morning comes, we'll get out of here. Aunt Harriet. Aunt Harriet, why don't you answer me? Oh, stop that. There's something outside of our door, Aunt Harriet. We don't know what it is. What's the use of calling if she won't answer you? Why do you say that? Because she hasn't answered us, and she won't. But she's in the house. She must know. Wait. Trying to get in? As long as the door shut, we're safe enough. Aunt Harriet. Oh, please wake up. Aunt Harriet. No. What? Look. Door. Knock. It's turning Alice. Cat can't open doors. You mean Aunt Harriet? Yes. Yes, it must be Aunt Harriet. She's ill and she's trying to open the door. I'll open it for her. No, Lona, stay away from that door. I'm afraid. Oh, don't come right in, Aunt Harriet. No pain. I've got to. Wood so thick. I'm lost. I'm lost and I. I got to get help. Someone got to help. I'll get help for you. I'll get the help. It's getting bright. It's dawn. If I can. Help me find the bath. A rose. She's tearing my clothes. Why do you tear my clothes? I just want to get help for Lona. I'll get help for you, Lona. I will. I will. Road. Road. An automobile. Help. Help. Stop. You've got to stop. Help me. Please help me. [00:19:08] Speaker D: What is it, Fisher? What's the matter? Who are you? [00:19:11] Speaker E: Help me. Come with me right now. [00:19:13] Speaker D: Now, take it easy. Take it easy. I'll help you. Sure, I'll help you. I'm sheriff of this county. [00:19:19] Speaker E: Hurry. You must help me. [00:19:21] Speaker D: Now, wait a minute. Are you with the girls who left that car on the side road back in the woods? [00:19:25] Speaker E: The car. Car. Yes, yes, we left our car there. Don't worry. Please help me. My friend. Lona. [00:19:32] Speaker D: Joel, these are the girls. We found your car in the woods and we've been looking for you for hours. [00:19:38] Speaker E: Please don't stand there talking. Hurry. We've got to help her. [00:19:44] Speaker D: Killing her joke. Did you hear what she says? [00:19:47] Speaker E: Oh, dog. Hurry. Hurry and come with me. Hurry, please. Please, hurry. I beg of you. [00:20:03] Speaker D: All right, all right. Now, take it easy, sister. This is the house, ain't it? [00:20:07] Speaker E: Yes. Oh, yes, this is the place. [00:20:09] Speaker D: The old Sargass house. Yeah. Try the door, Joe. It's open, Sheriff. Let's go upstairs. [00:20:15] Speaker E: She's upstairs. [00:20:16] Speaker D: Nobody down here, sir. All right, let's get up there. I don't know what this is all about, but I'm soon going to find out. [00:20:23] Speaker E: Mona. We're coming for you. Mona. We're coming. [00:20:26] Speaker D: Hey, what room is it, Sheriff? [00:20:28] Speaker E: Right here. That room. That room right there. Hurry. It's killing her. [00:20:32] Speaker D: Get your gun out, Joe. Door partly open. Okay, kick it open. Watch yourself. Careful, Joe. You stay here. There's nobody in this room, huh? Look for yourself. Well, now what? [00:20:46] Speaker E: Where are you? [00:20:47] Speaker D: Now, wait a minute, sister. Are you sure that. [00:20:51] Speaker E: Right here. It came in the door and jumped at her. I turned, I ran. I jumped out of the window. [00:21:02] Speaker D: Hey, this window ain't broke. [00:21:04] Speaker E: But I tell you, I went through it. See my arms. [00:21:09] Speaker D: Yeah, but. But there's no one in here. The bed. Why, it ain't even messed up. Did you say you two were sleeping? Sister. [00:21:19] Speaker E: Where are you? What has it done with you? Aunt Harriet. She'll know. Or has it killed her, too? Sure. [00:21:30] Speaker D: Come quick. Come quick. [00:21:31] Speaker E: Bring the girl. [00:21:32] Speaker D: Come along, sister. Joe, what is it? Look in there. [00:21:34] Speaker E: Aunt Harriet. [00:21:36] Speaker D: Old lady sitting in the rocker and knitting. [00:21:38] Speaker E: Oh, Aunt Harriet. Lona, where is she? What happened? Oh, Aunt Harriet, please tell me. [00:21:44] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, tell us all. [00:21:45] Speaker E: And might I ask what this is all about? Aunt Harriet, what's the matter? Didn't you hear anything? Mona? That horrible cat thing. What did it do to her? Answer me. What did it do? Would you gentlemen tell me who is this hysterical young girl? [00:22:04] Speaker D: Aunt Harriet, now look here. Don't you know who this girl is? [00:22:08] Speaker E: Certainly do not. But, Aunt Harriet, I'm Alice. I came here with Lona. Don't you remember? You must be Miss Patron. I've been alone all night. [00:22:18] Speaker D: You hear that, Joan? [00:22:19] Speaker E: No, no. I was here. Lona and I did come here. It's a horrible joke, that's what it is. Aunt Harriet, please, please tell him you're just joking. Lona. Where is she? I don't know what you're talking about. I never saw you before in all my life. No. Oh, no, that. That's not true, Aunt Harriet. [00:22:43] Speaker D: Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. I've had about enough of this out of you, Sister. Chasing up here with all that bunkum about calves and killings and all that. [00:22:52] Speaker E: No, everything. [00:22:53] Speaker D: You. You better come along with us. [00:22:55] Speaker E: Everything I said to you was true. It was true. [00:22:58] Speaker D: Don't take her other. [00:22:59] Speaker E: No. No. Let go. [00:23:01] Speaker D: Come on now. [00:23:02] Speaker E: Don't let them take me away. Horrible cat thing, I tell you. There were two of them here. [00:23:08] Speaker D: Oh, come on. Come on. [00:23:09] Speaker E: Don't let them take me. [00:23:10] Speaker D: Don't mind her, old lady. We'll take care of her. [00:23:13] Speaker E: Yes, take good care of her. Cracked little thing. [00:23:17] Speaker D: Now, come on, sister. [00:23:19] Speaker E: No, wait. Look at her teeth as she laughs. Look. That hurt. [00:23:27] Speaker D: Mother in heaven. [00:23:28] Speaker E: They're. [00:23:29] Speaker D: They're cat's teeth. And their hands, their claws. [00:23:34] Speaker E: No. No. Stay away from me. [00:23:39] Speaker D: Rabbito. Stop. [00:23:41] Speaker E: You. Let me go. Let me go. [00:23:47] Speaker D: She. Oh, dear. [00:24:03] Speaker E: Oh. Oh, Aunt Harriet. [00:24:07] Speaker D: She's no aunt of anything human, I can tell you that. Look at her. [00:24:13] Speaker E: But my Aunt Harriet and Harriet Saugus. [00:24:18] Speaker D: Saugus. You hear that, Sheriff? Yeah. So you. You came here thinking she was Mrs. Saugus, did you, girl? [00:24:27] Speaker E: Yes. Yes. Lona. And I. And Lona must. Must be dead now. How could my aunt do what she did? How could she? [00:24:43] Speaker D: This thing is no aunt of yours, child. Your Aunt Harriet saw this, died in this house three years ago. And she left two cats. [00:25:00] Speaker A: That was little old lady from Lights out here on the mysterious old Radio Listening Society podcast once again. I'm Eric. [00:25:07] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:25:08] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:25:09] Speaker A: That is a request from our Patreon supporter, Lance, who brought that to our attention and asked us to listen to that and review it, which is what we're about to do. So let's do that. [00:25:25] Speaker C: Cat on cat. Aunt. [00:25:27] Speaker A: Yes. Right. The first thing that pops when I was done listening to this, first thing that was in my head was, boy, I didn't like either one of those women. I wish they both would have died. There was nothing to like about either. [00:25:46] Speaker C: Seriously. [00:25:47] Speaker A: Yeah, they were. [00:25:47] Speaker C: What was offensive about these two women? They were just university students who. [00:25:52] Speaker B: They're young. Is that it? [00:25:54] Speaker C: Who were going to go stay with. [00:25:56] Speaker B: Life Aunt Happy to be places. [00:25:59] Speaker A: So the first one does not call ahead. Does not do anything normal at all to reserve this date. The forcefulness of just showing up at someone's house makes me crazy. Like, she's just. We're just going. We're just going to go. We're just going to show up. And the other one doesn't demand. No, absolutely not. And so those two things. The other thing that happened then about halfway through, before the one got killed. [00:26:27] Speaker C: I'm imagining this rewrite of yours. Is that, like, it's five minutes long? Lana says, well, I'm not going. And she goes, okay. And they turn around the car and it's over. There's no conflict. [00:26:37] Speaker B: Call ahead, like, hey, we're on our way. And here. Meow. [00:26:41] Speaker C: The end. [00:26:43] Speaker A: It got very easily confusing as to which one was which. They became interchangeable and the only marker for that was which one was calling her aunt Auntie Harriet. Harriet. And she said, oh, that's the niece. Then they both started calling her Auntie Harriet, and I was lost. But it didn't matter. It doesn't. It's like, not imperative to the plot. One of them gets killed and the other one ends up on a road looking for help. So it doesn't really matter, I think. What? To answer your question, the rudeness and the nonchalance and the I don't care. We're just showing up made me hate them both. [00:27:25] Speaker C: I understand the anxiety of showing up to someone's house unannounced. They needed no supernatural Element to create tension and the anxiety it creates with. [00:27:39] Speaker A: The person you're bringing. Yeah, that's mean. [00:27:42] Speaker C: That's in real life for a story. I think that's a great idea. I understand. If you're actually thinking of visiting your own aunt you haven't seen in 10 years, I would advise against it. [00:27:54] Speaker B: This is arguably a morality like this is a fable where the moral is, call ahead. [00:27:59] Speaker A: Right? Don't just show up. I guess if they would have planned this trip, you're right. It would have never happened because she was dead. And then they would have found that out. [00:28:10] Speaker B: Unless this cat lady could answer the phone. [00:28:12] Speaker A: How about this? How about this? Quick rewrite, really easy one. They're driving somewhere for a little vacation and she says, you know what? My aunt lives nearby. Let's pop in now. I'm okay, but I think what it is. I think it. You hate this word, but I think it triggered me because I hate that so much. And so I hated it. [00:28:31] Speaker C: Eric, you've been triggered. Can I just tell you that I hate it? You've reacted strongly to this plot point. And that's fair. That's totally fair. That's what stories are meant to evoke, an emotional response. And it did. And that is a fair one. I mean, you're crazy, don't get me wrong. [00:28:47] Speaker A: But fair warning to both of you. He ain't just dropping by and knocking on my door. At least text from the driveway so I can get my pants on. [00:28:57] Speaker B: What if at some point she had sung to them? Come on, knock on my door. Take a step. That is new. Would that make it better? [00:29:06] Speaker A: Only if the kisses were hers and hers and his. [00:29:14] Speaker C: I was just seeing how much of the Three's Company theme you guys could go through. [00:29:18] Speaker A: All of it, unfortunately. Now, let me ask you a question. [00:29:24] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:29:25] Speaker A: When I said, oh, I just didn't like either one of them. I don't care if they got killed. Right. But you got very defensive in the. You like them or you'd think that there was nothing to dislike about either one of them. [00:29:36] Speaker C: I think it seemed like a strong response to these two characters. That was my response to you. Also. I'm listening to this in the context of other Arch Obler stories, and they seem to me to be muted versions of familiar Arch Obler female double acts. [00:29:54] Speaker B: This immediately made me think of Poltergeist. [00:29:56] Speaker C: Yes, it's very much. This is Arch Obler's mix and match book of scary plays. This is a little Poltergeist. It's a little knock as well. And definitely for new listeners, cat Wife. [00:30:08] Speaker A: Right. For new listeners, we're not talking about the movie Poltergeist. [00:30:12] Speaker C: Yes, we are an old episode of talking about Lights Out. But they are relatively subdued characters. They just seem like university kids and they're laughing, they're making fun of the pig Snackle Road. To me they seemed very authentic by Arch Obler standards. I mean, he writes slightly heightened characters, but they felt real and they felt like they were just looking to have a little break from school and to not have anyone tell them to do their homework. And they seem very natural and fun to me. [00:30:49] Speaker B: Yeah, the usual consequences of I have a relative, I'm going to stop by unannounced are it's maybe rude, but presuming they know this aunt at least some degree, even if they haven't been in touch for a while, it might be met with like, hey, next time call ahead. That's the stakes. [00:31:09] Speaker C: Yeah. Not I ate your friend. [00:31:12] Speaker A: I think Tim is right. I just hate young people. [00:31:16] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:31:18] Speaker A: I think that now I'm boiling this down and yeah, fair. [00:31:22] Speaker B: No argument. [00:31:22] Speaker A: That could be what's wrong. [00:31:24] Speaker C: Yeah, they have that classic Obler double act of it's the one who's slightly more responsible, a little more concerned about being proper and adapting to social norms, and the other one is more laissez faire, more fun loving. But it's interesting then they switch because once they arrive, I know you couldn't figure out who is who, but once they arrive at the aunt's house, Alice, who's related to Harriet, she starts to get uneasy. And that's where I think Obler layers in some nice creepy things where we hear from Alice, like, she shouldn't be this old. [00:32:03] Speaker A: Right. [00:32:04] Speaker C: But there's no other explanation. It's just a throwaway line like that. [00:32:07] Speaker A: She shouldn't have that many hairballs. [00:32:11] Speaker C: And so she starts to become anxious about the environment, about the fog. And then it's Lana who was uptight about showing up without any notice, who's now like, eh, your aunt seems fine. Look at her funny old furniture. Let's stay and have fun. [00:32:26] Speaker A: There was another one that bothered me. I love old furniture. [00:32:30] Speaker B: There's only one thing in this whole script that bothered me, which is I can believe that a werecat or cat were technically, I think the cat become a human anyways, can operate doors and sort of pass itself off as human conversation. But replacing a pane of glass that quickly seemed like that's a lot for a. For a creature. [00:32:53] Speaker A: For a cat person. Yeah, it's a lot for me. [00:32:56] Speaker C: I took it all as supernatural. I thought it was this strange erasing of everything. [00:33:01] Speaker A: I'm gonna go with that. That clears it up. [00:33:04] Speaker B: Yes. That is more plausible than. All right. I gotta really quickly get this out of here, some new molding and cock this in. [00:33:11] Speaker A: Here's my weird claw that's halfway up my arm. [00:33:15] Speaker B: Dew claw. [00:33:17] Speaker C: Did anyone else. When they find the old lady at the end knitting in the rocking chair, think of the little old bunny la. Who says hush. From the children's book Goodnight Moon. [00:33:29] Speaker B: No. [00:33:31] Speaker A: Never read it. [00:33:32] Speaker C: Even as a kid. [00:33:33] Speaker A: No, I don't. I've heard of Goodnight Moon. [00:33:35] Speaker C: Yeah, Goodnight Moon creeped me out. So that's probably why it made me think of it. Because it's this humanoid rabbits who own animal cats. That always bothers me when the. [00:33:45] Speaker A: Oh, I am out. [00:33:46] Speaker C: Animal people own animals who are really animals and they kind of live in a house that looks like something out of the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks. It's a terrifying children's book. And she just sits there and says hush in the rocking chair. So, yeah. [00:34:00] Speaker A: Animals owning. [00:34:02] Speaker B: Some cross between granny from the Addams Family and Norman Bates. [00:34:06] Speaker A: Norman Bates popped into my head. The mom. Yeah. Animals owning rabbit. Right. [00:34:12] Speaker C: But also a cat. [00:34:14] Speaker A: Animals owning animals ranks up there with the Cinnamon toast crunch creatures eating other cinnamon toast crust creatures. No one questions that commercial. It's gross. It's gross. They eat each other and then we eat them in a bowl. Moving on. [00:34:32] Speaker C: This might be one of our most academic discussions we've had. [00:34:36] Speaker B: Come on, Come on. [00:34:42] Speaker C: Now. Dean Martin is singing. [00:34:45] Speaker A: Right. [00:34:46] Speaker B: Come on. We've got to get to the Regal Beagle. [00:34:50] Speaker C: I had to look up what a Big Apple was because she said while she was driving Alice that it felt like somebody had done a Big Apple on her back. [00:34:59] Speaker B: What was it? [00:35:00] Speaker C: It was a dance. I assumed it had to be a dance. I don't know why I assumed that. But I was right. It is basically a square dance version of the jitterbug. Which sounds painful. Huh? [00:35:10] Speaker A: Wow. [00:35:11] Speaker C: Just thought I'd share that in case you guys couldn't sleep trying to figure out what a Big Apple was. [00:35:18] Speaker B: Child terms for individual kind of pain inflicting like a rattlesnake bite that I just assumed it was some sort of. [00:35:26] Speaker C: Where someone takes someone's back and twists it in two different directions and it's called the Big Apple. [00:35:31] Speaker B: Or they just take a piece of fruit and put it in your back and twist it around. That would really hurt. [00:35:36] Speaker C: I think we're finding out About Tim's childhood. [00:35:40] Speaker A: Put fruit on your back and twist it around. [00:35:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it hurts more than you think. [00:35:55] Speaker A: Which fruit hurt the most? [00:35:58] Speaker B: Well, the banana, of course. [00:35:59] Speaker A: Yes. [00:36:01] Speaker C: This is a strange bit of Arch Obler because it is so familiar. It uses so many of Obler's familiar tropes. And I think I would have been spooked by it more if it had been the first Arch Obler play I ever heard. [00:36:16] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:36:17] Speaker C: Because honestly, I've never heard this one before. This is my first time hearing it. And because it's so much like Poltergeist and obviously Catwife and the other ones we've already rattled off, that I think its familiarity took some of the shock away. So what I responded to mostly in this one were just Obler's little touches. And Obler's not known for his little touches. They're mainly big touches. [00:36:43] Speaker B: You know, he's like a big apple on your back. [00:36:46] Speaker C: Big apple on your back. I love the line when the girls point out the cat to Aunt Harriet and she's, oh, it's just a cat. And she goes, oh, it's much too early for him. He shouldn't be here. And just throws that line away. And it's just this cryptic, mysterious line that has a little more meaning possibly once everything is revealed, but not really. It has a little whiff of Mr. James about it. Feels more like a ghost story than a monster story. Which is probably why I thought there was some supernatural reason that the girl's existence had essentially been erased from the house by the time they came back. There was no blood, the window was fixed, the beds had not been slept in. Although I do like the idea of the old lady just rushing around covering her tracks. [00:37:40] Speaker B: I loved in the sort of mythology of what this story implies, because these were her cats that after she had been gone for a little amount of time and decided one of us should turn into her, but like an older version of her. [00:37:53] Speaker C: Yeah, like, that's weird. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Like, I'm just gonna morph into the human that used to feed me. [00:38:00] Speaker C: Yes. Because there is some sort of cat fight that happens outside their door. And is that perhaps two actual cats? Are those the real two cats that were left by her aunt? Or is that one cat and then cat aunt fighting outside there? There's just so many questions to ask. Did these cats belong to some other supernatural creature that took over the house once? The. Were they familiars to some cat witch woman? What is a pig Snackle? There are so many unanswered questions here. [00:38:35] Speaker B: Well, that's when a kid holds you down and then rubs a pig on. [00:38:39] Speaker C: You right in the snack. [00:38:42] Speaker B: Oh, my. I couldn't walk straight for days. [00:38:48] Speaker A: Wouldn't it be nice if the writer of this had answered any of those questions? That would have been nice for me. [00:38:56] Speaker B: That that's in the category. These are questions I'm having a good time playing with. [00:38:59] Speaker A: And I know what you're about to say. You like open ended. But those aren't. [00:39:03] Speaker B: I like open ended. Done well. [00:39:05] Speaker C: Yeah. I think this is basically your campfire style of ghost story that Obler, I think excels at that has those missing pieces that are just all these spooky moments and has the big surprise. That was never your aunt. She died three years ago and just. [00:39:22] Speaker A: Left two cats and one of them became her. [00:39:25] Speaker B: It's like Red Dwarf. You know, the T. You guys don't know Red. [00:39:29] Speaker C: I mean, I imagine I know the TV show. I don't see the connection between Red Dwarf, the BBC sci fi comedy on. [00:39:37] Speaker B: The ship who evolved into human cat. Cat guy. [00:39:42] Speaker C: Yes. [00:39:43] Speaker B: Called him cat. [00:39:48] Speaker A: There's also Catwoman who became a cat. [00:39:52] Speaker B: And married Bruce Wayne. [00:39:54] Speaker A: Yes. I sound like Kevin from the office right now. [00:40:00] Speaker C: What I will say is the most effective scene in here. I'm trying to focus and give our listeners a little old time radio analysis is after the cats have had some sort of squabble outside the door, which terrifies me for far more domestic reasons because my cats do the same thing. But when talk to him. [00:40:19] Speaker E: No, you go. I'm not going. [00:40:20] Speaker B: I went last time. You go. [00:40:23] Speaker C: But when there's something outside the door that they can't identify. [00:40:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:27] Speaker C: And that is just never not creepy. And Obler and the performers, I think capture that moment so well because you are a listener to a radio drama, so you only have what clues you are given. But the characters are on the other side of the door, so they can't give you much of anything. And it's mostly silence. You can only use the character's fear to imagine what's on the other side of the door. And it's just a nice tense moment and them in bed not being able to sleep. That whole section has some real haunting of Hill House vibes to it. And I think it's probably the most effective passage. And it does reflect Obler's strengths as a director and writer are just those really strong utilizations of the medium for spine chilling horror. But then they have to go down to cops shooting a cat aunt. [00:41:24] Speaker A: Right. [00:41:26] Speaker B: I remember in the discussion we had about Poltergeist Something I responded to that I liked a lot that I think is in here as well. Is this supernatural justice that Arch Obler often taps into that is way out of proportion with what the actual transgression was. [00:41:43] Speaker A: Right? [00:41:44] Speaker B: Like you did something a little wrong and something really bad is going to happen to me. [00:41:48] Speaker C: The implication is that Lana was just devoured. She's nowhere to be seen or was sent to hell. I don't know. But she does not exist. I think it's fair to say she's gone. [00:41:59] Speaker B: Lana Pillow. [00:42:00] Speaker A: So that Lana morphed into the sheriff. [00:42:05] Speaker C: It's cat Lana. Sheriff. [00:42:07] Speaker A: It's Morph town. [00:42:10] Speaker B: She's the sheriff. [00:42:11] Speaker A: Speaking of. [00:42:11] Speaker B: With Suzanne Somers. [00:42:13] Speaker A: Oh, come and knock on my door. And scene. Wait, here's another one. Cop finds her on the road. He says you're not one of those two girls that left that car. How do you know two girls left that car? You. All you found was an abandoned car and you guys are out looking for two girls and have been for hours. Based on what? How did you even know who was in that car? Made me nuts. [00:42:46] Speaker B: I don't even have a smart answer for that. [00:42:48] Speaker C: I'm sure Farmer Bob saw them get out of the car and walk into the fog. [00:42:52] Speaker A: That's all I'm asking for. A little back, right? Yeah, that's all I need. Thank you. So Farmer Bob saw them sitting on. [00:42:58] Speaker C: His porch eating some pig snackle. Wonder where them girls are going. [00:43:03] Speaker A: Eating some cinnamon toast crunch against their will. The cops reaction every step of the way. It's just so who reacts that way. But then again, I guess this entire premise is people. This is the horror. Welcome to a world where people are not going to respond correctly to anything. [00:43:26] Speaker B: Yeah, it does imply that this town has a lot of weird stuff going on that the sheriff just. Yeah, yeah, this happens sometimes. [00:43:33] Speaker A: Everything they did, and I don't want to go through piece by piece, but everything that she said he did, how he reacted was weird. But it goes further back than that. She's showing up uninvited. These aren't. [00:43:46] Speaker C: I think nailed it at the beginning of our discussion. That is the moral transgression here. And they pay a heavy price for it. [00:43:53] Speaker A: I'm going to go with that she's a jerk face for doing this in the first place. The price for that is to be devoured by a cat woman. Okay, I love this story now that it's all rewritten. Yeah, I'm good. [00:44:08] Speaker C: You should just write a series of horror stories where they're just Terrible consequences for the most mundane mistakes. I'm sorry, honey, I forgot to buy toilet paper. Beheaded right there on the spot. [00:44:24] Speaker A: Not moving your shopping cart over to one side or the other to let people pass. Not picking up your pace when you're in the intersection where you're walking past cars and they're waiting for you, pick up the pace. See, I got a whole bunch of them. You're right. I'm angry. [00:44:40] Speaker C: Wow. [00:44:41] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:44:41] Speaker C: I await your manifesto written in tiny lettering. [00:44:48] Speaker A: I don't have time for that. I gotta record too many of these things. [00:44:53] Speaker C: Well, I think we should vote. [00:44:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:44:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:44:56] Speaker A: You know, I'll go first just to pull the band aid off. Oh, sorry, Tim, but it's been on there for months and Joshua and I have been meaning. [00:45:06] Speaker C: I'll put all the dried puss on it. Come on, man. [00:45:09] Speaker A: I hate this when it's a Patreon suggestion. And I never know if the Patreons are suggesting things because they love them and they mean something to them or I want to see how they react to this piece of, like, I don't know what their end game is. So it's tricky. So I'm sorry if I'm going to offend Lance, but I really did not like this. It could be for the reasons Joshua stated. We've seen it, done it, been there before. There's nothing new or interesting about it. I don't know. I just did. Nothing really did anything for me. And so I don't like it. [00:45:52] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm going to say this is formulaic oblur. It's a perfectly serviceable campfire ghost story. And I think that's the way it's intended. I think that's the way a lot of Lights out are intended is to just capture you in that frightened moment in the dark. I think more than almost anything we listen to in this podcast, it's literally in the title. Lights out needs to be listened to late at night with the lights out and with the rational mind, if not turned off, at least somewhat dulled, whether that be by sleep or alcohol or old age, I don't know what. But. And so that's two of three. I enter these stories in. That being said, I think it is by the numbers, and I think Obler has other plays that utilize this formula better. [00:46:47] Speaker A: Right. [00:46:47] Speaker C: So I definitely don't think it's a classic, but it's a backhanded compliment. But it definitely puts me in the mood to listen to a few of my more favorite Oblers. Again, whether that's Poltergeist or knock or yes, Catwife, which I will still defend. [00:47:04] Speaker B: Yeah, they say two catwives is a coincidence and three is enemy action. I'm getting that quote right. This is improved in my estimation by the reflected glow of better episodes. Poltergeist being one of them. Like, I love that one. And this one is. Makes me happy because the other one made me happy. It's not as good as these other ones, but it's. It's borrowing glory from them. [00:47:36] Speaker C: I think it's almost too subtle. That is weird to say about Obler. [00:47:41] Speaker A: Yeah, very nice. [00:47:42] Speaker C: I mean, Poltergeist literally just has tombstones that fly through the window and smash women's heads while they sleep. [00:47:48] Speaker A: Right, Right. [00:47:52] Speaker B: But I did not have the same reaction to trigger me as Eric did because I thought these girls were like, yeah, that's a dumb mistake. But it didn't bother me. So, yeah, actually voting, not classic. I have a hard time judging it in the absence of the other Archer Blue stories. I can't think of it as like, what if I'd never heard an Archer Blue story? Would I? Like this? Probably be fine. [00:48:15] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:15] Speaker A: But which one was your favorite? Chrissy. [00:48:18] Speaker B: Oh, don't make me choose from my Chrissy's. [00:48:22] Speaker A: I'm sure they all had different character names, but they're all my favorite. Yeah, they were all just Chrissy's and Chrissy substitutes. [00:48:28] Speaker B: I mean, Suzanne Summers. [00:48:30] Speaker A: Yeah, pretty much the original. [00:48:32] Speaker B: Yeah, it's the Orson Wells of Chrissy's. [00:48:38] Speaker A: That's a T shirt. [00:48:40] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:48:41] Speaker A: Suzanne Summers is the Orson Welles of Chrissy's. Yeah, Tim, tell him stuff. [00:48:47] Speaker B: Please go visit ghoulishdelights.com home with this podcast. You'll find all the other episodes of this podcast there. You can check them out. You can listen to Poltergeist. You haven't heard it. And if we. Cat wife, if we haven't ruined these things for you, and you can also visit our store, buy some swag, a Chrissy Orson Welles T shirt, if such a thing ever comes to exist. And you find a link to our Patreon page. [00:49:09] Speaker C: Yes, go to patreon.com themorals and become a hatron of the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society. You too can recommend an episode of Lights out that we have very little to say about. But do our best. Darn it. Thank you, Lance. In all seriousness, and thank you to everyone who already is a member of the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society. We have so much to offer. You can join our Discord server, which is a fun place to interact and hang out with other old time radio nerds and fans of the podcast. You get bonus podcasts. You get to join us for Zoom Happy Hour, Zoom Book Clubs. We are just amazing people and you should give us money and spend more time with us. [00:50:00] Speaker A: If you'd like to see us performing live, the mysterious old Radio Listening Society Theater Company performs on stage recreations of classic radio dramas and a lot of our own original work doing audio theater on stage. You can come see us do the performing somewhere monthly, sometimes more than once a month. But come see us by going to ghoulishdelights.com and that's where you'll see where we're performing, what we're performing, and how to get tickets. If you can make it's great because we'd love to see you. And we always perform somewhere where they have great meals and great food. So make it a night out. If you can't make it. Being a Patreon, we do record audio and or video and that gives you access to those audio and video recordings of those live performances by being a Patreon. What is coming up next? [00:50:52] Speaker C: Next we are going to be wrapping up my Ape related Shadow trilogy with the House of Horror. Until then, look out. [00:51:03] Speaker E: Oh boy, this does it. I mean, this really does it. Yeah. I never would have believed this of Jack. Oh Chrissy, why not? Look, it is about time you realize Jack is no saint. He's got the same desires as any normal male. Wow. What's that supposed to mean? He's an animal. [00:51:26] Speaker D: Three Discovery.