Sleep No More: old time radio tales of terror

Nelson Olmsted

Nelson Olmsted was one of the last great radio horror performers. Born Leroy Nelson Olmsted, Jr. on January 28, 1914 in Minnesota, he was raised in Texas, where he became an announcer for local radio stations. For the album notes on his Sleep No More album, he offered a bit of biography: “By the time I moved to WBAP in Ft. Worth... the announcer's life seemed endlessly sterile. What to do about it? Dramatic shows cost money and there were no budgets. The cheapest drama for radio I could think of was good literature, read aloud. Especially the work of that great dramatist who never wrote a play - Edgar Allan Poe. WBAP gave me some time with which to experiment. That was way back in 1939 - and it worked. By 1940 the storytelling show was on NBC for a 10 year run.” Olmsted's skill at narration, and in assuming the voices of each character as he told the tale, led to a variety of programs, such as Story for Today and World's Greatest Stories . In 1956 he starred in one of the last gasps of radio horror, NBC's Sleep No More , a half-hour that usually featured two dramatized short stories from Olmsted, with an introduction from host Ben Grauer. - From Horror Stars on Radio by Ronald L. Smith Of the 21 episodes of Sleep No More , here are the 18 (and a half) currently in circulation. Most are in high quality FLAC (lossless) and Mp3, pulled from good sources. Unfortunately a few only seem to be available in low quality sound, which I’ll replace if I find better versions. Plot descriptions thanks to Sean at Awake at Midnight . I’ve also posted episodes of Olmsted’s early series World's Greatest Short Stories (1940) , Nelson Olmsted’s Playhouse (1946), Story for Tonight (1947) and Nelson Olmsted’s Short Stories (1947). SLEEP NO MORE Ep. 3 Conqueror’s Isle (Nov 21, 1956)  Adapted from Nelson S. Bond. A Navy pilot recounts his last run, when his aircraft was damaged and blown off course to crash land on an uncharted island. There his crew encountered a race of Homo-Superior . They explain that just by natural processes they will inherit the Earth, but the troglodyte decides he doesn’t want to live like cattle and escapes! Will we all soon be displaced as an inferior race of mankind or will the pilot be seen as crazy?  Ep. 4 Mr. Mergenthurker’s Loblies & August Heat (Nov 28, 1956) “Mr. Mergenthurker’s Loblies” by Nelson S. Bond. A man walks into a newspaper office predicting a murder. He does it again, stating that his invisible ‘loblies’ told him. “August Heat” by W.F. Harvey. An artist who has on a whim, sketched a murderer, meets a tombstone carver on a sweltering summer day. The artist has drawn the carver, and the stone worker has somehow not only embossed the artist’s name on the gravestone, but guessed his correct birthday and predicted his death… today! Ep. 5 Over the Hill & The Man in the Black Hat (Dec 5, 1956)   “Over the Hill” by Michael Fessier. A story about a man who dreams he drove away into a world where his family and life were perfect, and returns to find days have passed! He goes back to work… where he finds a surprise! “The Man in the Black Hat” by Michael Fessier. A gambler is gifted a free car by a man with gray eyes. He turns it over into a fortune with a run of good luck. The odd man keeps popping up even after the gambler witnesses him commit murder and be sentenced to death! Who is the man in the black hat? I don’t want to know. Ep. 6 Three O’Clock (Dec 12, 1956)  Written by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich). A concussion leads a man to plot the demise of his wife when he grows suspicious of an affair. He builds a fertilizer bomb in the cellar and sets the timer for 3:00, but then gets jumped by robbers… who tie him up in the basement! All sorts of situations one after another bring him close to being saved, but not! The ending is perfect. Ep. 7 The Storm & Annabel Lee (Dec 19, 1956) “The Storm” by McKnight Malmar. This classic scare (adapted from a woman mystery writer) is so smoothly narrated you will easily lose yourself in the story. The best presentation yet, it clearly ties mysterious letters and the probability of adultery gone bad to the corpse in the basement! The sound of rain in the background won’t let you forget the tension of the storm itself framing the mystery: was he reaching out to hug her… or to strangle her?  “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe. A reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic poem about a man’s grief at the loss of his true love. It reflects the loss of Poe’s own wife. Ep. 8 Fishhead & The Death of Olivier Becaille (Dec 26, 1956) “Fishhead” by Irvin S. Cobb. A Lovecraftian short about a guy who looks like a deep one. Some country locals bully him and get slapped down. When they come for revenge, his dying cry sends out a call… “The Death of Olivier Becaille” by Émile Zola. A man finds himself paralyzed, and everyone thinks he’s dead! He is buried alive! Will he be able to escape? Even if he does, what life would await him if his wife has prepared to move on? Ep. 9 The Horsehair Trunk & A Friend to Alexander  (Jan 2, 1957) This full episode has been lost except for the story “The Horsehair Trunk” by Davis Grubb. A wealthy man learns astral projection and overhears his wife plotting to leave with another man. Determined to kill her lover, he teaches himself telekinesis, then books passage on the same ship just in the next cabin over…  The missing second half of the episode featured a performance of James Thurber's short story “A Friend to Alexander.” This partial episode is often mislabeled as “Marius.” Ep. 10 Waxwork & The Man and the Snake (Jan 9, 1957) “Waxwork” by A.M. Burrage. A reporter does a gimmick piece spending a night in a wax museum. One of the life-like creepy figures, a murderer, begins talking to him. Seems like the real McCoy happened to be in the neighborhood. “The Man and The Snake” by Ambrose Bierce. After reading a book about how snakes hypnotize their prey, a man’s mind begins to play tricks on him. He sees a snake under the bed! It’s not an absurd idea, he’s at a friends house, a scientist who keeps a menagerie of reptiles, and snakes often escape. The problem comes when he feels himself hypnotized to crawl on the floor like a snake himself. Followed by a great scream! Ep. 11 I Am Waiting & Browdean Farm (Jan 23, 1957)   “I Am Waiting” by Christopher Isherwood. Almost science fiction. A man has premonitions about the future that come true. Then he seems to travel in time and reads a bird fancy magazine. Too bad he couldn’t find the stock report page! But he’s ready for what will come next! “Browdean Farm” by A.M. Burrage. Two men discover the house they bought cheap had been the scene of a murder! A strange man taps at the windows… it appears to be the ghost of a hanged man. Does he have something to tell them, some horror to show them? (Poor sound quality.) Ep. 12 The Jilting of Granny Weatherall & Escape (Jan 30, 1957)   “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Ann Porter. On her deathbed, an old woman reminisces. Her final wish: to tell George that despite his leaving her at the altar, she went on to have a wonderful life and loving family. A sweet, teary tale. “Escape” by Paul Ernst. The man didn’t look insane. But Mr. Gannett is planning an escape from the asylum. He is delicately building a something that no one else can see. Despite the device’s invisibility, it allows him to disappear himself. Ep. 13 Banquo’s Chair & The Coward (Feb 6, 1957)   “Banquo’s Chair” by Rupert Croft-Cooke. A retired detective must solve his last case by befriending the suspect, then inviting him over for dinner where he expects to trick him into a confession by faking the appearance of the ghost of his victim. The scheme, borrowed from Shakespeare’s Macbeth , is successful… but the ghost actress never arrived! What was the apparition? “The Coward” by Guy de Maupassant. A psychological study in which a man grows so frightened of an impending duel that he shoots himself… before he can be shot. Ep. 14 To Build A Fire & Three Skeleton Key (Feb 27, 1957) “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. A slice-of-life story about a man traveling the far north where he gets caught alone in deadly temperatures. The dog doesn’t die! High tension in a situation of possible instantaneous death. “Three Skeleton Key” by George G. Toudouze. Probably the best horror short story ever. Not as good as the Suspense adaptation, but the image of a tall ship covered in thousands of starved rats is gut-churning all the same! Ep. 15 Thus I Refute Beelzy & The Book Shop (Mar 6, 1957) “Thus I Refute Beelzy” by John Collier. A young country lad tells stories about an imaginary friend who protects him from harm, but his dad is a pragmatic down-to-earth man who doesn’t appreciate imagination. When the son refuses to repent the truth about his friend, Dad takes him upstairs to tan his hide. The description of what his wife discovers on the landing is unforgettable! “The Book Shop” by Nelson S. Bond. An author finds his way to an obscure little book shop during a rainy day. There he discovers unknown works by renowned authors like Poe, Shakespeare, and Lovecraft! Then he finds his own unfinished manuscript… complete and perfect! When it clicks– he runs! Ep. 16 The Escape of Mr. Trimm (Mar 13, 1957) By Irvin S. Cobb. A white collar criminal escapes from a train wreck on his way to prison. The handcuffs, the grip of the law, may be his undoing. Good story about the little things having a great effect.  Ep. 17 The Woman in Gray & A Suspicious Gift (Mar 20, 1957) “The Woman in Gray” by Elizabeth Gaskell.  A made-up story about an invisible woman who takes revenge on anyone who a man hates takes on reality when people he name die! Too bad he’s a drunk… who ends up hating himself! “A Suspicious Gift” by Algernon Blackwood. A set-up. A visitor arrives offering a man ten grand not to ask any questions. To witness the receipt, he runs upstairs to find his neighbor… murdered! Returning back downstairs, evidence has been planted including blood stains that get on his hands. A knock at the door: The police. Ep. 18 The Bet & The Clerk’s Quest (April 3, 1957)   “The Bet” by Anton Checkov. A lawyer and a wealthy businessman make a deal after a heated debate over capital punishment. The lawyer will be imprisoned, willingly, for fifteen years. In return, he will be paid two million dollars. As the time of his release grows near, the rich man finds himself in a position where the loss of that amount would ruin him, so he decides to kill the lawyer. He gets a surprise when he arrives! “The Clerk’s Quest” by George Augustus Moore. An accountant encounters a perfume-scented check and becomes infatuated with the idea of the payer. He stalks her, becoming obsessed with his imagined perfect woman (and this is before Internet chat!) He becomes so distracted that he loses his job. But how can he he ever present himself to her if he is a homeless vagrant? Ep. 19 A Passenger to Bali (April 20, 1957) A drama adapted from the Broadway play by Ellis St. Joseph. A mysterious man buys passage on a ship to Bali. An imposing, charismatic, yet dangerous figure, he quickly gains the favor of the crew. Turns out he’s a political trouble-maker and no one in Bali or Shanghai, where they started, will allow him to land! Is the captain stuck with him forever? Will the stranger take control of the Roundabout ? Ep. 20 Homecoming & Aunt Cassie (April 27, 1957) “Homecoming” by Dorothy B. Hughes. A man plans to shoot the guy who stole his girl when he gets dumped for a war hero. There is a tension filled face-off in the girlfriend’s apartment. “Aunt Cassie” by Virginia Swain. Auntie freaks everyone out with her prudish comments… while she speaks to dead people. First Uncle Horace, then… Dad? Is she crazy?  Ep. 21 Evening & The Blossoming of the Strange Orchid (May 4, 1957) “Evening” by Zona Gale. A lonely man falls in love with his employers housekeeper, but can only send her letters. He imagines responses and allows his fantasy to consume his life. She never returns his real letters until she wishes to buy his desk. He can’t sell it. It reminds him too much… of her. “The Blossoming of the Strange Orchid” by H.G. Wells. A botanist pines for adventure and the final root obtained by his hero… a root that cost him his life! When it blossoms, it gives off a strange odor that knocks the plant lover unconscious… then begins to feed on him! Will his housekeeper save him, or be consumed as well?   Olmsted would go on to record several of these stories for a series of records released by Vanguard Records in the late 1950’s: Sleep No More! Famous Ghost and Horror Stories (VRS 9008), featuring six short stories (including "What Was It," by Fitz-James O'Brien, and a memorable version of "The Body Snatcher," by Robert Louis Stevenson, complete with sound effects and Olmsted expertly playing both Donald Fettes and Wolfe MacFarlane). Olmsted also recorded Edgar Allan Poe: Tales of Terror (Vanguard VRS 9007) and Poems and Stories by Edgar Allan Poe (Vanguard VRS 9046).  Olmsted’s full text the back of the Sleep No More album: "Now that I think of it, we had a sort of Golden Age of Drama down in Austin, Texas, during those depressed middle thirties. There was the Curtain Club of the University of Texas and Austin’s Little Theatre, and working between them were such aspirants as Zachary Scott, Elaine Anderson Scott, Eli Wallach, Walter Cronkite, Brooks West and Alma Holloway, whom I had sense enough to marry. Most of them came on to New York, fought the actor’s battle, and made it one way or another. I stayed behind with the security of a radio announcer’s job. By the time I moved to WBAP, in Fort Worth, this security was pulling, and the announcer’s life seemed endlessly sterile. What to do about it? Dramatic shows cost money and there were no budgets. The cheapest drama for radio I could think of was good literature, read aloud. Especially the work of that great dramatist who never wrote a play -- Edgar Allan Poe. WBAP gave me some time with which to experiment. That was way back in 1939 -- and it worked. By 1940, the storytelling show was on NBC for a ten-year run. There were a couple of years out for the Army, but even so I managed to tell stories over the Army radio network in Italy. Television brought rough competition to the industry. Rather than fight, I joined by adapting some of the best stories into plays, selling them to Fred Coe, and playing a part in them -- sometimes the lead. So -- in the long run -- I got to New York, too, and made it as an actor, literally by telling stories!"

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

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