Boo Broadcasts: Ghost Stories in Old Time Radio

Spooky, Mysterious Ghost Tales Compilation (1930s-1950s)

Although the genre is often written off as a form of "low-brow" entertainment, it seems as though everyone loves ghost stories. Every culture has its own ghost stories, tales of the unknown are a healthy way to deal with the unknown and unknowable element of death. As appealing and therapeutic as this seems, the real attraction of ghost stories is that they are just plain fun. 

Although we consider ourselves an enlightened and technologically advanced society, recent surveys reveal that just over fifty percent of Americans believe in ghosts, and we can assume that many more would be willing to concede the possibility of ghosts to enjoy a good story. However, the best ghost stories do not take their ghosts very seriously.

Whether or not we believe in ghosts, the spook is rarely the most important element of a ghost story. A certain amount of skepticism is needed to truly appreciate a ghost story. The vital factor in a ghost story's success comes down to how the one being haunted reacts to his or her particular spook. A popular and effective ghost story format has a skeptic presented with irrefutable evidence that he is being haunted, only to be able to uncover the truth that allows our hero to overcome the haunting.

One of our favorite reasons for enjoying Old Time Radio is that it is a medium that can be enjoyed anywhere, even when your hands and eyes are involved with other things. This is certainly true for ghost stories; however spooky tales are best enjoyed in the proper environment. We recommend listening to ghost stories in bed, the closer to midnight, the better. Although radio is an auditory rather than a visual experience, we find a benefit to being able to pull the sheets up over our head during the "scary parts". It is important to remember that we cannot be held responsible for the condition of those sheets if your older brother chooses this moment to grab your shoulder and yell "Boo!"

• Calling All Cars, January 1, 1936, CBS Pacific Net (Don Lee Network), "The Ghost House". There is a lonely, abandoned house in Los Angeles that the local kids consider haunted. Two boys think they spot a ghost in the window, and as Rio Grande Oil Junior Policemen, they decide to stake out the house. Meanwhile, a gang of safecrackers is working the area, moving around disguised as carpenters.
• The Challenge of the Yukon, August 28, 1945, "The Magnanimous Ghost". A pair of elderly tenderfeet from Kansas get swindled into buying an abandoned cabin that belonged to "Crazy Pete". The only supplies they have left are some cheap jewelry. In the middle of the night, a ghost seems to swap the old beads for gold nuggets.
• Inner Sanctum Mysteries, February 10, 1947, "Ghost in the Garden". Laura lives at Greenbower, her family estate, with her beloved Tony. When Tony is in town one day, Uncle Edward appears with plans to sell Greenbower, so Laura stabs him and buries the body under the rosebushes. Will Edward under the roses be the last boy in Laura's path?
• The Adventures of Champion, August 29, 1949, "The Ghost of Black Mountain". Ricky West is taking care of Gene Autry's pal, Champion, the World's Wonder Horse. Champ and Ricky are rounding up strays one afternoon when the approach Black Mountain. What Ricky doesn't know is that a gangster from back East is hiding out on Black Mountain. When he sees Ricky riding toward the mountain, he sends a henchman to scare the boy off with the story of a ghost.
• The CBS Radio Mystery Theatre, July 29, 1974, "Ghost At High Noon". Janet and Marian are driving through the desert in the blistering heat on a seemingly abandoned road when the car loses power. Out of nowhere, an "old-timer" in a covered wagon appears to take them to the village of Mirado. Mirado is a Ghost Town, and Janet and Marian seem fated to stay there forever.

Grab the nearest sheet and cut a couple holes for your eyes, because you are about to join 105 other ghosts in this chilly collection of Boo Broadcasts. This collection includes some of the best ghost tales from popular shows such as Weird Circle, Quiet Please, The Saint, Suspense and Superman. Throughout this collection, you'll experience mysterious phone calls, eerie gusts of wind, bumping furniture in the attic, and strange voices that echo-echo-echo. Pull that sheet tight, and get ready for the spookiest 41 hours and 10 minutes of your life!

For more great Halloween comedy and variety specials, see also: Halloween Variety Specials Collection.  For other fang-tastic scary compilations, you won't want to miss: Boo Broadcasts, Haunted House Collection, Halloween Scary Sampler, Horror Listener's Favorites, Monster Collection, Robots Collection, and Mystery Playhouse.