Every week, Inner Sanctum Mysteries told a story of ghosts, murderers, and lunatics. Taking its name from a popular series of mystery novels, Inner Sanctum Mysteries debuted over NBC radio’s Blue Network in January 1941 and featured one of the most memorable and atmospheric openings in radio history as an organist hit a dissonant chord, a doorknob turned, and a creaking door slowly began to open.
Inner Sanctum Mysteries was produced in New York, the cast usually consisting of veteran radio actors, with occasional guest appearances by such Hollywood stars as Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains. What made Inner Sanctum Mysteries unique among radio horror shows was its host, a slightly sinister sounding fellow originally known as “Raymond.” The host had a droll sense of humor and an appetite for ghoulish puns, and his influence can be seen among horror hosts everywhere, from the Crypt Keeper to Elvira. Raymond Edward Johnson was the show’s host until 1945; Paul McGrath took over as host until the show left the air in 1952. Producer Himan Brown would utilize the creaking door again in the 1970s, when he produced and directed The CBS Radio Mystery Theater.
In this collection are the following episodes and the date they aired on radio:
“Corridor of Doom” (23 Oct 45)
“The Wailing Wall” (6 Nov 45)
“Boomerang” (20 Nov 45)
“The Dark Chamber” (11 Dec 45)
“The Confession” (22 Jan 46)
“Death of a Doll” (18 Oct 48)
“The Devil’s Fortune” (31 Jan 49)
“The Unburied Dead” (16 May 49)
“The Corpse without a Conscience” (20 Jun 49)
“Beneficiary: Death” (17 Apr 50)
“No Rest for the Dead” (13 Jul 50)
“Twice Dead” (6 Nov 50)
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Hollywood 360 is a syndicated radio show heard every Saturday evening on radio stations throughout the United States. Hollywood 360 showcases a wide variety of audio entertainment, from the golden age of Hollywood to today’s most current headlines.
CBS Radio, Inc. is one of the largest major-market broadcast media operators in the United States and the undisputed leader in news and sports radio. Producing original audio and video content, live events, and exclusive programming broadcast via on-air, online, and mobile platforms, CBS Radio reaches more than 72 million consumers nationwide each week. As a part of CBS Corporation, the division owns and operates 117 radio stations in 26 markets.
CBS Radio, Inc. is one of the largest major-market broadcast media operators in the United States and the undisputed leader in news and sports radio. Producing original audio and video content, live events, and exclusive programming broadcast via on-air, online, and mobile platforms, CBS Radio reaches more than 72 million consumers nationwide each week. As a part of CBS Corporation, the division owns and operates 117 radio stations in 26 markets.
Boris Karloff (1887–1969), born William Henry Pratt in England, adopted the stage name of Boris Karloff when he joined a touring company in Canada. When he ended up short of cash in Hollywood, he secured acting work in silent films, beginning in 1920. He appeared in eighty films before his big break came in 1931 when cast as the monster in Universal Pictures’ production of Frankenstein. On Broadway, he appeared as the murderous Brewster brother in the hit Arsenic and Old Lace, and a decade later he enjoyed a long run in Peter Pan, perfectly cast as Captain Hook. He was an actor also known for his voice work. He was the biggest star to lend his voice to a sound effect: Universal added his anguished scream over the dead Ygor from Son of Frankenstein (1939) to its stock sound effects library and used it for subsequent films, including House of Frankenstein (1944) as the cry when Daniel the hunchback falls from the roof. He provided the voice of the Grinch in the original 1966 animated film version of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and his voice was the basis for Tony the Tiger commercials by Kellogg’s. He also narrated many successful recordings of children’s stories. He won the AudioFile Earphones Award for his reading of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, praised for his eloquent locution and full repertoire of creature voices delivered in his “inimitable style” And Library Journal says the stories are “read to perfection by Boris Karloff.”
Bleak December Inc. is a multimedia company founded by Canadian actor and filmmaker Anthony D.P. Mann.