ARCH OBOLER’S PLAYS
[RADIO-SERIES]
Although not by any means a horror program per se, this series was what NBC gave in and ceded
to Oboler when he decided in the fall of 1938 not to return to Lights Out, which he had scripted
for the two previous years. Consisting of both new scripts and a smattering of stories from his
previous gig, it proves conclusively that although Oboler may have thought he was done with
horror, it was clear that horror was not done with him.
The main purpose of this entry is to straighten out, once and for all, which of Oboler’s scripts
appeared first on Lights Out and which appeared first on Arch Oboler’s Plays. Oboler started all
the confusion by re-using scripts from AOP on his 1942-43 revival of Lights Out. And he later
mixed recordings from both Lights Out and Arch Oboler’s Plays into his 1970 series The Devil
and Mr. O. Over the years nameless collectors have spliced Lights Out openings onto AOP shows
(even AOP shows like “Nobody Died” that were never redone on LO, and in the Nineties OTR
company Metacom, in cooperation with Oboler, did the same thing on a larger scale.
Another reason for this entry is to highlight the handful of scripts that are relevant to this book
but which were never repeated by Oboler on Lights Out or anywhere else: “Crazytown,” “Nobody
Died,” etc.
[Paul K. Damai, Hammond Times] “Oboler is overrated—or at least thus run our sentiments.
Occasionally he socks the carillon, but even when he clicks his writings have a monotony. A demi-
moribund air pervades too thickly not only the confines of his whole works but hangs heavy in the
subdivisions comprising the individual MSS. Such lack of versatility earns criticism.
“The first in this new series, ‘The Ugliest Man in the World,’ was one of Oboler’s better efforts.
Not only that, it had a happy ending which is surprising for a psychological study where a suicide
seemed to be the only hackneyed but expected solution. ‘Not romantic, but psychological,’ said
Author Arch after the play, describing the aims and modus operandi of the series. Oboler betrayed
an excellent mike delivery, and displayed that which gave us a vague notion that here might be
better actor than playwright.
“The series is of a very high type and decidedly an addition to the enrichment of the air, if the
present form is maintained.
“Oboler’s Play for this week is ‘The Mirage,’ a drama with only two characters…these will be
enacted by Joan Blaine (Mary Marlin) and Raymond Johnson (who played to the hilt last
Saturday’s ‘Ugliest Man’).”
[Lima News] “Boris Karloff, Frankenstein monster of the screen, was the inspiration for ‘The
Ugliest Man in the World,’ premiere production of Arch Oboler’s Plays, new series of original
dramas of the fantastic and of the imagination to be produced by NBC.
“Two years ago Karloff and Oboler were drawn together in NBC’s Midnight thrillers, ‘Lights
Out.’ Karloff was starring in the spinetingling productions and Oboler was then writing them. One
day the two sat down at lunch and discussed the many distorted-faced characters Karloff had
portrayed on the screen.
“ ‘That was the beginning of ‘The Ugliest Man in the World’,’ Oboler explained. ‘But don’t
misunderstand me. Boris himself is one of the handsomest men in the world in a virile way, but
these ugly monster roles set me thinking. What would happen to the man who was so ugly that
children would scream in fright when they saw him, who was such a shocking spectacle that even
his mother’s life became unbearably unhappy? How would such a man react to people and to
love? What childhood would he have?’”
They'll center on fantasy and
Imagination emotional conflict.
Not thrills and Romance.
ORIGINATION: WEAF, New York City, New York (NBC-RED).
DURATION: March 25, 1939-March 23, 1940.
PERSONNEL: Arch Oboler (scriptwriter), Edwin Whitney (director).
[CHRONOLOGY]
ARCH OBOLER’S PLAYS (WEAF, NEW YORK)
[Saturday—10:00-10:30 PM]
March 25, 1939 “The Ugliest Man in the World” [EXTANT RECORDING]
[First appearance of this script. Repeated on same series on July 22, and
redone on Lights Out on June 1, 1943. Re-broadcast on The Devil and
Mr. O as “Mr. Freak.”]
CAST: Raymond Edward Johnson, et al.
April 1, 1939 “Mirage” [EXTANT RECORDING]
[“…Arch Oboler will portray the entire action of a radio drama through
the medium of only two characters in ‘Mirage’… The two characters of the
novel drama are Linda and Carl, two society sophisticates, who desert a
party to stroll on a nearby beach. Linda’s only interest in life is society
and Carl’s is business. The viewpoints of both change completely,
however, after watching an old man writing in the sands on the beach.
The two difficult roles will be enacted by the popular stars, Joan Blaine
and Ray Johnson. These two actors are among the group of players
Edwin Whitney, production director, plans to use frequently to interpret
the highly imaginative Oboler dramas. Others in this group are Ann
Shepherd, Betty Caine, and Frank Lovejoy….”]
[First appearance of this script. Repeated on same series on November
25 (a abridged version), and redone on Lights Out on September 21,
1943.
CAST: Joan Blaine, Raymond Edward Johnson.
April 8, 1939 “The Truth”
[“…Ray Collins will be starred in the difficult role of a scientist who
endeavors to determine whether the universe has an independent,
material existence or whether it is just an idea in the mind of God…”]
[Repeated in the 1945 revival of Arch Oboler’s Plays. Never a Lights Out
broadcast, but certainly a “far-out” script. Man dreams of his soul flying
out and expanding into the universe; turns out it’s a dream leading into
the man’s actual death.]
CAST: Ray Collins, et al.
April 15, 1939 “The Ways of Men, Past, Present and [EXTANT RECORDING]
Future: Memoriam, Sole Survivors, The Laughing Man”
[“…Arch Oboler, who presented a psychological study, a fantasy and a
philosophical drama as the first three of his new series of plays over
WEAF will turn to stark realism for his fourth broadcast, with three short
sketches on the general theme of war and peace. The first, ‘Sole
Survivors,’ will have a contemporary setting. The second, called
‘Memoriam,’ is to treat of a past conflict. ‘Hail Victory,’ the third, will dip
far into the future in an endeavor to show where present trends may lead
the human race…”]
CAST: Curt Conway, Raymond Edward Johnson, et al.
April 22, 1939 “Mr. Important”
CAST: Martin Gabel, et al.
April 29, 1939 “The Cliff” [EXTANT RECORDING]
[First appearance of this script. Redone on Lights Out on July 6, 1943.]
CAST: Frank Lovejoy, et al.
May 6, 1939 “The Engulfed Cathedral” [EXTANT RECORDING]
[Must hear this: is it the same as “The Sea”???]
CAST: Raymond Edward Johnson, et al.
May 13, 1939 “Baby”
CAST: Ireene Wicker, et al.
May 20, 1939 “Crazytown” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Edmond O’Brien, Paul Stewart, et al.
May 27, 1939 “The Word”
[“…a stream-of-consciousness drama dealing with the strange obsession
of a woman… Under severe emotional strain, the woman begins to
believe that if she can hear the last words of persons passing from this
life she will be able to understand the mysteries of immortality. An
unusual psychological reaction brings about a surprising climax to the
drama…”]
June 3, 1939 “Dark World” / “Steel” / “Humbug”
[“…Three short works of widely contrasting character will be heard…
‘Steel’ and ‘Humbug’ will be heard with Raymond Edward Johnson in the
roles he originally made famous. The third, ‘Dark World,’ will star Joan
Blaine. ‘Steel’ is an impressionistic picture of the life of a metal worker.
‘Humbug’ is a fantasy in which a man of the year 21939 comes across a
history book written in the 20th century. ‘Dark World’ is a story of the
supernatural in which a woman who has just died attempts to reply to
remarks being made about her past by doctors and nurses in the
hospital…”]
June 10, 1939 “Nero’s Wife” [EXTANT RECORDING]
June 17, 1939 “The Immortal Gentleman” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Edmond O’Brien, et al.
June 24, 1939 “The Luck of Mark Street”
CAST: Raymond Edward Johnson.
July 1, 1939 “Visitor from Hades”
CAST: Frank Lovejoy, et al.
[Saturday—9:30-10:00 PM]
July 8, 1939 “The Ivory Tower” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Alla Nazimova, et al.
July 15, 1939 “The Shooting Star” / “Talisman” / “Eigerwund”
CAST: Raymond Edward Johnson, et al.
July 22, 1939 “The Ugliest Man in the World”
July 29, 1939 “Alter Ego” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Betty Garde, et al.
August 5, 1939 “Mr. Pip” / “Man to Hate” / “Rich Kid”
August 12, 1939 “History of a Mug”
August 19, 1939 “Efficiency Island”
[“…The industrial scene of the future will be treated in realistic dramatic
fashion… Betty Caine will have the leading role in the drama, which
attempts to forecast working conditions in the days when straightline
factory production methods will have been carried to perfection…”]
August 26, 1939 “This Lonely Heart”
CAST: Alla Nazimova, et al.
September 2, 1939 “Love Story Ltd.” / “The Trail” / “Mungahra”
[“Mungahra” is a shortened version of “Death Prayer,” which ran on
Lights Out on November 4, 1936. It was redone on Lights Out on October
27, 1942
CAST: Santos Ortega, et al.
September 9, 1939 “And Adam Begot”
September 16, 1939 “Suffer Little Children” / “Finale” / “I Do”
CAST: Frank Lovejoy, et al.
September 23, 1939 “Mr. Whiskers”
CAST: Morris Carnovsky, et al.
September 30, 1939 “Holiday 1939”
CAST: Raymond Edward Johnson, et al.
October 7, 1939 “The Machine” / “Happy Year” / “Autumn Flower”
October 14, 1939 “The Word”
CAST: Edmond O’Brien, et al.
October 21, 1939 “Perfect Party”
CAST: Lurene Tuttle, et al.
October 28, 1939 “Profits Unlimited”
November 4, 1939 “Young Mr. Trouble”
CAST: Billy Halop, et al.
November 11, 1939 “I’ll Tell My Husband”
CAST: Gale Sondergard, et al.
November 18, 1939 “Bathysphere”
CAST: George Zucco, et al.
November 25, 1939 “Mirage” / “Miss American” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Katharine Hepburn, Burgess Meredith, et al.
[2nd half (Miss American) only. Followed by 9 minute interview with
Arch Oboler commenting on the series.]
December 2, 1939 “State Executioner” / “Danse Macabre”
December 9, 1939 “Hometown” / “New World”
December 16, 1939 “Nobody Died” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Jay Novello, et al.
December 23, 1939 “These Are Your Brothers”
December 30, 1939 “This Precious Freedom” [EXTANT RECORDING]
January 6, 1940 “Money, Money, Money”
January 13, 1940 “The Truth” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Hans Conried, Lou Merrill, Lurene Tuttle.
January 20, 1940 “The Sensitive Mr. Ginsberg”
January 27, 1940 “Three Stories—With Tongue-in-Cheek: [EXTANT RECORDING]
Back to the Indians / The Day the Earth Exploded / Laughing
Man
February 3, 1940 “A Hollywood Special”
CAST: Geraldine Page, et al.
February 10, 1940 “Memoriam” / “Dark World”
February 17, 1940 “Genghis Khan”
February 24, 1940 “The Women Stayed at Home”
CAST: Elsa Lanchester, et al.
March 2, 1940 “Baby”
CAST: Joan Crawford, et al.
March 9, 1940 “Johnny Got His Gun” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: James Cagney, et al.
March 16, 1940 “The Most Dangerous Game” [EXTANT RECORDING]
CAST: Ronald Colman, et al.
March 23, 1940 “The Ivory Tower”
CAST: Alla Nazimova, et al.