30 minute horror/suspense show
If it was midnight Wednesday, the radio was tuned to NBC for Lights Out, a show that featured tales of the supernatural and the supernormal. It was the first of the horror/suspense radio shows, predating Inner Sanctum and Suspense.
At first, the show was first written by Wyllis Cooper, he emphasized great sound effects and gripping stories. In 1936 Arch Oboler took over the writing and he brought the show through its huge successes. Hit stories like Cat Wife and Chicken Heart (and if you get a chance, listen to Bill Cosby’s comedy routine on the Chicken Heart, that may be what really got me into old time radio programs) still evoke memories today. The stories called for all sorts of horror: breaking bones, blood dripping, heads being severed, and who can forget human flesh being eaten. The glory of the show was that they had a sound effects team up to the challenge. But rather than actually kill people for the show, they experimented and found out that a soaked rag thrown against a wall sounded like a body slamming against pavement, maple syrup sounded like blood, and so on and so on. The stories are also notable for the chances that Oboler took, he played with first person narratives, stream of consciousness. In short, he pushed the envelope of what radio could deliver.
The show had such a following that when NBC tried to cancel the show in 1937 fans protested in the hundreds and kept the show going. Similar to Star Trek in the 1960s.
Lights Out ran from 1934 through 1939. Then it went through several reboots, each less successful then the previous one. The last radio show aired in 1947. Then Lights Out was on television from 1949-1952.
It..is..later..than..you..think
Purchase as a download, purchase as CD(s), or listen for free
Purchase as CD $4.50
All of our Old Time Radio Programs are in MP3 format. You can play them on your computer, you can transfer them to MP3 players (like the IPod), but, by and large, you cannot play them on stereos, walkmen, or car radios.
The sound quality of Old Time Radio Programs can vary greatly. Some episodes are excellent, others you have to turn up the volume a little and ignore the static. All of the episodes can be listened to and enjoyed. You can listen to our free samples to get a feel for how the programs sound.
You may also like: Inner Sanctum
Episode List
lights-out_360916 The Sea.mp3
lights-out_361216 Nobody Died.mp3
lights-out_370303 Sakhalin.mp3
lights-out_370317 State Executioner.mp3
lights-out_371222 A Christmas Story.mp3
lights-out_371229 The Dark.mp3
lights-out_380126 Oxychloride X.mp3
lights-out_380216 Murder Castle.mp3
lights-out_380310 Chicken Heart.mp3
lights-out_380323 The Dream.mp3
lights-out_380330 Valse Trieste With B.mp3
lights-out_380511 It Happened.mp3
lights-out_390426 The Devil's Due.mp3
lights-out_390429 The Cliff.mp3
lights-out_390520 Crazy Town.mp3
lights-out_391216 Nobody Died.mp3
lights-out_410217 Special To Hollywood.mp3
lights-out_410806 Best Laid Plans.mp3
lights-out_421013 Revolt Of The Worms.mp3
lights-out_421020 Gravestone.mp3
lights-out_421020 Poltergeist.mp3
lights-out_421027 Mungahra.mp3
lights-out_421103 Neanderthal.mp3
lights-out_421117 Come To The Bank.mp3
lights-out_421201 The Story Of Mr Magg.mp3
lights-out_421215 A Knock At The Door.mp3
lights-out_421222 The Meteor Man.mp3
lights-out_421229 Valse Trieste.mp3
lights-out_430105 Speed.mp3
lights-out_430105 The Fast One (speed).mp3
lights-out_430119 Alley Cat.mp3
lights-out_430126 The Protective Mr Dr.mp3
lights-out_430202 Until Dead.mp3
lights-out_430216 Oxychloride X.mp3
lights-out_430302 The Sea.mp3
lights-out_430323 Flame.mp3
lights-out_430330 Money Money Money.mp3
lights-out_430406 Superfeature.mp3
lights-out_430420 Kill.mp3
lights-out_430427 Execution.mp3
lights-out_430511 Murder In The Script.mp3
lights-out_430518 Spider.mp3
lights-out_430525 Little Old Lady.mp3
lights-out_430601 The Freak.mp3
lights-out_430629 Bathysphere.mp3
lights-out_430713 Visitor From Hades.mp3
lights-out_430720 Profits Unlimited.mp3
lights-out_430727 The Little People.mp3
lights-out_430803 Murder Castle.mp3
lights-out_430817 State Executioner.mp3
lights-out_430824 Sub Basement.mp3
lights-out_430831 Immortal Gentleman.mp3
lights-out_430907 Lord Marley's Guest.mp3
lights-out_430914 The World.mp3
lights-out_430921 The Mirage.mp3
lights-out_430928 Author And The Thing.mp3
lights-out_450628 The Truth.mp3
lights-out_450728 The Rocket Ship.mp3
lights-out_450825 Man In The Middle.mp3
lights-out_450920 Rocket From Manhatta.mp3
lights-out_460713 The Coffin In Studio.mp3
lights-out_460720 Haunted Cell.mp3
lights-out_460727 Battle Of The Magici.mp3
lights-out_460803 The Revenge Of India.mp3
lights-out_460810 Ghost In The Newsree.mp3
lights-out_460824 The Signalman.mp3
lights-out_African Story.mp3
