Flashback Radio: "Poltergeist"

For the month of October and the Halloween season, I thought it would be fun to revisit some classic Old-Time Radio horrors. My friend and former podcast co-commentator, Jason, was up for it. We started with "The Thing on the Fourble Board."

"Poltergeist" was the October 20, 1942, episode of the series Lights Out. The series was created by Wyllis Cooper (who we mentioned previously in regard to his later series Quiet Please) but was eventually taken over by Arch Oboler. Lights Out was one of the earliest radio horror shows and was perhaps the first to gain a large following. It ran from 1934 to 1947 and eventually transitioned to television.

In this episode, three young women discover that the dead expect a certain deference from the living and to transgress these limits can bring their vengeance down on you.

Trey: I think the opening to Lights Out is perhaps my favorite in old time radio: the foreboding drone, then the monotone voice, "It...is...later...than...you...think..." This episode feels more modern than some of the others we've heard. It could be translated into a horror film--but then I think seeing it on film would diminish the horror of the particularly visceral sound effect that accompanies the deaths. What did you think of the episode?

Jason: I very much enjoyed this surprisingly effective tale. I was skeptical at first, again owing to the condensed nature of the short form storytelling. As events began to unfold, one of the character's immediate and extreme reaction challenged my credulity, but everything that followed assuaged my concerns.

I agree with your thought about the possible diminishment of effect if this tale was presented visually. Could a talented director pull it off? It's possible, but as you suggest, and for me, the biggest strength of Poltergeist is the images it provokes in the mind of listener. 

I'm thinking of course of the sticky ends met by the characters, but particularly of the horrific moment at the very end, when listeners had every right to expect a denouement that ties things up in a nice bow. What is delivered instead is a description of a final, nightmarish image so effective that it stuck with me long after my morning commute listening time.

If I were a child listening back in the day, I would have had to contend with unpleasant and intrusive thoughts once consigned to bed!