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Inner Sanctum Mysteries was a popular old-time radio program
that aired from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952. Created by Himan
Brown, the anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and
suspense. The tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast
to shows like Suspense and The Whistler. A total of 526 episodes are
known to have been produced.
The
early 1940s programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing
himself as, "Your host, Raymond," in a mocking sardonic voice. A
spooky melodramatic organ score punctuated Raymond's many morbid
jokes and playful puns. Raymond's closing was an elongated "Pleasant
dreaaaaammmmssss!" His tongue-in-cheek style and ghoulish relish of
his own tales became the standard for many such horror narrators to
follow, from fellow radio hosts like The Mysterious Traveler to the
Crypt-Keeper in various incarnations of Tales from the Crypt.
When
Johnson left the series in 1945, he was replaced by Paul McGrath,
who did not keep the "Raymond" name and was known only as "your
host" or "Mr. Host." Beginning in 1945, Lipton Tea sponsored the
series, pairing first Raymond and then McGrath with its cheery
commercial spokeswoman, Mary Bennett, whose pitches for Lipton
contrasted sharply with the subject matter of the stories, and who
would primly chide the host for his dark humor and creepy manner.
Of more than 500 programs broadcast,
only about 100 remain in circulation, sometimes minus dates or
titles. The 1954 syndicated television series featured Paul McGrath
as the off-camera host/narrator. In the 1970s, with his CBS Radio
Mystery Theater series, Himan Brown recycled both the creaking door
opening, and to a lesser extent, the manner of Raymond, as that
show's hosts (including E. G. Marshall and Tammy Grimes. In later
repeats during the 1990s, Brown himself mimicked Raymond's "Pleasant
dreeeeaaammmssss!" for the familiar closing.
All 3 Inner Sanctum MP3
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