RADIO REVIEW: Lights Out, "The Dark"

Lights Out. The first and last name in horror in its time. Today, the first and last word... in campy horror. Many of its episodes badly outdated and overtly "moralized", Lights Out is definitely not the horror show it once was. What, then, keeps us coming back for more of this blood-and-guts o'rama?

Maybe its episodes like "The Dark" that keep us coming back for more. "The Dark", which originally aired December 29, 1937, concerned the final exploit of two men who come to a supposedly deserted house. When inside, they encounter a strange woman who has a laugh like the evil witch from the Looney Tunes cartoons. As the pair scan the room for others, the policeman casts his light on the floor, where he sees...

Well, maybe you should listen to it:
http://www.archive.org/download/lightsouteverybody/Lights_Out-1937-12-29_The_Dark.mp3

The audio quality is good, and the acting of the two men as policeman and doctor are well done. The direction is also good, thanks to then freshman director and writer Arch Oobler. However, that being said, I cannot get away from the fact that "The Dark" is simply a bad story. You might be frightened by the story the first time, but after that, no emotion can register. Its just that forgettable.

FINAL RATING: There are other Lights Out episodes that I love to hear (like the fantastic "Man In The Middle", the peace-loving "Day The Sun Exploded", and the tense and exciting "Bathysphere"), but The Dark simply cannot bring itself out of a 2.5/10 rating.

You disagree? Let me know by commenting!

FUN FACT: The sound of bodies being turned inside-out on the Lights Out episode "The Dark" was achieved by turning a wet rubber glove inside-out while simultaneously crushing a berry basket in front of the microphone.
-from John Dunning's "On The Air: An Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio"

OTR Website Review: The Flashing Dial

The hobby of Old Time Radio and the practice of collecting it takes up many a dreary day for me. The thrill of the hunt, and the satisfied feeling I get after finding that elusive Norman Corwin or Wyllis Cooper-era Lights Out episode is inescapable.

However, that being said, there is an element of loneliness involved when you feel that you are the only collector on the face of the earth, as is the case here in my neck of the woods. There is no one (in my knowledge) within 40 miles of me that is as involved in the hobby of OTR as I am. And I don't like loneliness at all.
Thats why I discovered that there is a vibrant community online for all things OTR and OTR-related.

The Flashing Dial is a forum community for all things OTR and OTR-related. The setup is simple and the first requirement is easy: after your account is created, simply post at least two posts in the forum (one in the "Introduce Yourself" area and another wherever you want). After that, you can immerse yourself in the massive forum areas and browse the collections that other users post. Users come from all over the world to share and discuss on all things Old Time Radio, and the forum is refreshed daily with new posts and media.

FINAL RATING: 10 out of 10. Check out The Flashing Dial today but be warned: it, like OTR itself, can be VERY addictive!

http://theflashingdial.forumwise.com/