“HISTORY’S ODDEST INDIVIDUALS AND SINISTER PSYCHOPATHS” #WeirdDarkness

Get full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp eBooks, and old-time radio shows ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD by emailing WeirdDarkness@RadioArchives.com! Get the commercial-free version by joining the Darkness Syndicate at https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate! When the dramatic anthology series "Suspense" premiered over CBS Radio on June 17, 1942, it did so as both a summer series and as a sustaining program. The network had no idea how well the series would perform - its only previous showcase was as an hour-long audition on the 1940 series "Forecast" - so running out and getting a sponsor didn’t seem to be important at that particular stage. Besides, in the show’s salad days, the guest stars that did appear were of considerably low wattage. But as "Suspense" grew in popularity and began to attract a more upscale acting clientele anxious to participate in “radio’s outstanding theater of thrills,” finding someone to pick up the weekly tab became a top priority for CBS. Luckily, in December 2, 1943, the series found its 'angel' in the sponsorship of Roma Wines. "Suspense’s" long association with Roma (and co-branded Cresta Blanca) was good for both the series and the company; a bigger budget attracted bigger guest stars and, as the program began to climb in the ratings, the company began to enjoy substantial profits. This fruitful arrangement came to an end on November 20, 1947. Roma had been admittedly seeing other programs behind "Suspense’s" back and the bright array of top Hollywood talent began to dim a bit as many of the stars began to tire of the program. CBS rolled the dice and took one heck of a chance in keeping "Suspense" on the air; the network still felt that the series was popular with audiences and they agreed to sustain the program until another sponsor could be found. How serious was CBS about keeping its prestige show? Beginning January 3, 1948, "Suspense" was moved to Saturday nights and was broadcast from 8:00 to 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. That’s right: a full hour of “Suspense.” Hour-long dramatic shows were a gamble at best; many stars tended to shun these programs - a half-hour show was grueling enough to get through - and only a few, "The Lux Radio Theater" being the best example, managed to continue on the air for very long. But Lux had a sponsor all too willing to write checks on a weekly basis...while CBS, without a sponsor to back them up, was still the sole support of "Suspense." What's more, the network learned soon enough that by doubling the show from half-hour to hour-long status, they had to double the pay of the individuals working on the show as well. (Networks, as a rule, cringe at the thought of giving money away.) To jazz up "Suspense," CBS hired actor Robert Montgomery to be the host and occasional performer, figuring that on the weeks when they had to resort to a less-than "A" list of guest stars, at least Montgomery would be around to provide a certain degree of glitter. Montgomery, at it turned out, made appearances in quite a few of the hour-long shows, including both the premiere, “The Black Curtain”, and most notably in “Night Must Fall”, which allowed him to reprise the role he had created in the 1937 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture of the same name. "Suspense’s" hour-long experiment closed up shop on May 15, 1948 and the show moved back to Thursday night in its familiar half-hour form through September 1962. 00:00:00.000 = INTRODUCTION 00:01:54.350 = The Lucky Lady (February 14, 1946) 00:32:10.863 = Consequences (February 21, 1946) 01:02:27.676 = Black Path of Fear (March 07, 1946) 01:28:53.720 = No More Alice (March 14, 1946) 01:59:25.121 = The Lonely Road (March 21, 1946) 02:30:10.968 = Out Of Control (March 28, 1946)

IN THIS EPISODE: An extra-long DARKIVE episode from April, 2018! SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… “The Haunted Hotel Room” submitted by Keith R.: http://bit.ly/2GOo6KH “I Found a Black-Eyed Kid Selfie On My Phone” submitted by Matteo S.: http://bit.ly/2GNuNg1 “Something Haunts Oregon’s Caves” submitted by Bill C.: http://bit.ly/2GNuOk5 “Awakened By Ghostly Rapping On The Window” submitted anonymously: http://bit.ly/2GPPYhC “Battle With Evil On The Doorstep” submitted by Kamen: http://bit.ly/2GObEL0 “Halloween Nightmare” submitted by Black Cat: http://bit.ly/2GQQhsF “Empusa – Shape Shifting Evil Female Demon in Greek Myth and Folklore”: (link no longer available) “Willow Lake” submitted by Robert Comber: http://bit.ly/2GPkybf “Is South Carolina’s Poinsett Bridge Haunted?” used by permission from GhostsNGhouls.com (link to story no longer available) “The Mystery Of The Blinking Mummy Of Rosalia Lombardo” used by permission from Message to Eagle: http://ow.ly/o6Ej302m2z8 “Ordsall Hall” submitted by Alan Toner (from his book, “100 True Ghost Stories”): https://amzn.to/2GvHltY “The White Dog” submitted by Cindy Parmiter (from her book, “More Tales Too Strange To Be Fiction”): https://amzn.to/2JkF7LV “America’s Not-So Famous Haunted Houses” used by permission from Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/2XUQRv8 “The Frightening Edinburgh Vaults of the Dead” by Ellen Lloyd: http://bit.ly/2XStq5r “Ghost Tornado” (link no longer exists) “The Bizarre Disappearance of Keith Reinhard” by Les Hewitt: http://bit.ly/2XTsuOj “Paranormal Experiences Come From Another Dimension” by Matthew Loffhagen: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2wyjc86p “Mystery of the Deadly Double Dice” by Brent Swancer: http://bit.ly/2XYMEqj “The Chilling, Unsolved Dardeen Family Murders” by Orrin Grey: http://bit.ly/2XTWbPg “The Strange Haunting of the Pavilion Theatre on Cromer Pier”: http://bit.ly/2XO3R5w “The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing” by Troy Taylor from the book “Dead Men Do Tell Tales”: https://amzn.to/2JRCzFr Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = = (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially...

IN THIS EPISODE: A Darkive episode from 2016! *** “Night Time Visitor” *** “Mother’s Voice” *** “Battle With a Ouija Board Entity” *** “Graveyard Banshee Scream” *** “Our Pets Sensed It” *** “Florida Panhandler” *** “Held Down By a Ghost: A Terrifying Waking Experience” *** “A Disembodied Voice” *** “Could Your School Be Haunted?” *** “The Brewster Projects Poltergeist” *** “A Ghostly Truck Intimidates” *** “The Dark Presence” SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… “Night Time Visitor” submitted by Ollie: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/06/20/night-time-visitor/ “Mother’s Voice” submitted by Jennie: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/06/16/mothers-voice/ “Battle With a Ouija Board Entity” submitted by Greta: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/05/12/battle-ouija-board-entity/ “Graveyard Banshee Scream” submitted by Keith: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/06/17/graveyard-banshee-scream/ “Our Pets Sensed It” submitted by Thundr: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/05/19/our-pets-sensed-it/ “Florida Panhandler” submitted by Kip: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/05/11/florida-panhandler/ “Held Down By a Ghost: A Terrifying Waking Experience” submitted anonymously:http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/08/09/held-ghost-terrifying-waking-experience/ “A Disembodied Voice” submitted by Joan: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/08/04/a-disembodied-voice/ “Could Your School Be Haunted?” submitted by D.D.: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/07/27/school-haunted-experience-paranormal-teacher/ “The Brewster Projects Poltergeist” submitted by Alan D.: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/07/26/brewster-project-poltergeist-detroit-mi/ “A Ghostly Truck Intimidates” submitted by Joan: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/08/05/ghostly-truck-intimidates/ “The Dark Presence” submitted by Ira T.: http://www.myhauntedlifetoo.com/2016/07/29/dark-presence-true-paranormal-account-suburban-haunting/ Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = = (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a...

Tell your friends about Micro Terrors – and find more family-friendly frights and creepy games to play on our website - http://MicroTerrors.com! And be sure to subscribe to the podcast at https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrors! Visit our website: https://MicroTerrors.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/microterrors Other stories, novels, and more from author Scott Donnelly: https://amzn.to/3LymHaU Other narrations, podcasts, and audiobooks from voice artist Darren Marlar: https://WeirdDarkness.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Weird Darkness®, 2023. Weird Darkness©, 2024 “Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids”™ 2024 https://weirddarkness.com/it-was-the-slime/

IN THIS EPISODE: Victorian-era ghosts… they seem to haunt not only our imaginations, but also our Halloween wardrobes. Why were people in the mid-to-late 1800s so obsessed with the supernatural? And why are we so fascinated by Victorian ghost stories still today? (What’s The Deal With Victorian Ghosts?) *** The story of Queen Esther is chilling – full of an Iroquois warrior woman’s quest for vengeance, brutal warfare, haunting legends, ghostly wails, and a curse that many believe still has power even today. (The Curse of Queen Esther) *** No one can remember exactly when the ghost story began, but records show it dates back to at least 1926. The tale centers around the Administration Offices of Rockford School District 205 on South Madison Street, formerly Rockford High School. Built in 1885, the school gained a spooky reputation due to eerie events reported in its underground tunnels. After a tragic accident in the school’s swimming pool claimed the life of a student named Gosta Anderson, strange sightings and sounds fueled the legend of his restless spirit, haunting the very site where he died. (Gosta’s Ghost) *** Plumas County, California, holds a chilling mystery that dates back to 1978. On a winter night with a half-moon, five friends left a basketball game at California State University, Chico, and drove away, never to be seen again. Their car was found abandoned on a remote mountain road, leading to a series of eerie discoveries, unanswered questions, and clues that still baffle investigators today. (The 5 Boys Who Never Came Back) YOUTUBE TIME STAMPS… 00:00.00.000 = Introduction: “Lost Hearts” by M.R. James 00:24:47.662 = Show Open 00:27:58.719 = What’s The Deal With Victorian Ghosts? 00:38:16.387 = The Curse of Queen Esther 00:48:13.011 = The 5 Boys Who Never Came Back 01:09:13.096 = Gosta’s Ghost SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… Free Audiobook: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, narrated by Darren Marlar:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/AChristmasCarol Narration: “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens, narrated by Darren Marlar: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/TheSignalman “What’s The Deal With Victorian Ghosts?” source = Dan Nosowitz at Atlas Obscura: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p94894t “Lost Hearts” by M.R. James (public domain) “The Curse of Queen Esther” source = Creative History Stories: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3bn9kwe8 “Gosta’s Ghost” written by Kathi Kresol for Haunted Rockford: https://www.hauntedrockford.com/gostas-ghost/ “The 5 Boys Who Never Came Back” written by Cynthia Gorney in 1978 for the Washington Post:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8hkyef Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = = (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024,...