Boris Karloff Blogathon: your host, Boris Karloff

Given his frequent appearances in radio horror during the late 1930's and early 1940's, Boris Karloff must have seemed the obvious choice to host a new radio horror program, Creeps By Night. And what a program it promised to be. Boris Karloff would not only host, but would appear regularly in leading roles. Along with Bela Lugosi. Peter Lorre. Basil Rathbone. In chilling tales written by masters of the genre.

It sounded like a dream come true. How could such a program not succeed? But succeed it did not. And various reasons have been put forth. A newly-independent network's first attempt at a supernatural thriller. A poor time slot. Rampant disorganization in the network.




From the beginning, Creeps By Night seemed unsure of its identity, with descriptions ranging from a program so frightening that listeners with heart problems were "urged NOT to listen to Boris Karloff in Creeps By Night," to the much less terrifying "mysteries of the mind".

And although the program could boast of famous horror film actors and mystery writers, this inexplicably remained a well-kept secret from the public. The show's writers were uncredited and neither the actors nor their upcoming episodes were promoted to listeners. Not surprisingly, Boris Karloff left after only twelve episodes, to be replaced by the generic "Doctor X".

One of the few episodes of his that remain in existence is "Final Reckoning".



(via Internet Archive)

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