A man nicknamed "The Rattlesnake Bandit", who is fast and prone to attack violently, takes great pleasure in beating his victims senseless before shooting them for no reason at all. Commentary on Robert "Rattlesnake" James who most likely was the loose inspiration for this story and left a trail of inventive, horrific murders.
Apr 22, 2025•37 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Superman subverts Uncle Ed’s small plane carrying the dry ice that forces rain clouds to empty before hitting Freeville and commands the pilots instead to fly to Abner’s cabin where, unbeknownst to Superman, Lois and Abner are about to be killed. Commentary on what makes a good serial and the one trait about villains you will always find.
Apr 21, 2025•18 min•Season 10Ep. 716
A difficult rehearsal for a murder scene in a Lights Out radio episode is interrupted by an eccentric old man peddling coffins just in case someone needed one in the near future . Commentary on guest actor Charles Eggleston as the coffin salesman who may be best remembered for his one appearance on the hit sitcom The Honeymooners.
Apr 20, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 60
A mummy's curse seems valid when a strange death ray kills those who enter an Egyptian exhibit at a museum.
Apr 19, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In Act 2 of Suspicion, as both Captain Finlay and Sgt. Keeley conduct their separate investigations of the murder in which Corporal Mitchell seems the likeliest suspect as he was last seen with the murder victim alive. Commentary on the original sublot of this story. Plus Robert Young's and Robert Mitchum's turbulent lives are explored.
Apr 18, 2025•40 min•Season 8Ep. 259
In Act 1 of Crossfire, a man is murdered, and a homicide detective and an Army sergeant conduct parallel investigations to figure out whodunnit. Commentary on connection in style to Dragnet.
Apr 18, 2025•36 min•Season 8Ep. 259
With Lois and Abner’s lives in peril, Superman is many miles away but makes a startling discovery that may solve this mystery once and for all. JR comments on why the writers chose a certain course of action from Superman instead of something more dramatic.
Apr 17, 2025•16 min•Season 10Ep. 715
Liz wants to hire the town's new interior decorator, Andrew, to redecorate her house, but George tells her she'll have to do the job all by herself. Commentary on the greatness of Gale Gordon.
Apr 16, 2025•28 min•Season 2Ep. 58
A wealthy businessman is thought to have committed suicide although murder has not been ruled out. Friday and Romero investigate the suspicious circumstances and make a startling discovery. Commentary tonight on the Dragnet pattern of determining the guilty party. Plus, we look at the possibility with present day technology how one can or cannot carry out the deed that one of our characters actually does in 1950 Los Angeles.
Apr 15, 2025•35 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Abner Sykes explains to Lois and Clark that he can prove how his machine has been manipulating the weather. JR comments on George Reeves' appearance on I Love Lucy.
Apr 14, 2025•19 min•Season 10Ep. 714
John Phillips is having an affair with his pretty secretary and he fears it won't be long before his wife finds out. With his secretary’s growing infatuation and Lucille heading down to the office that same day, John finds himself consumed by both passion and guilt and wondering how to get out of it. Commentary on inner conflict, passivity and how both can ultimately lead to suicide.
Apr 13, 2025•39 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Enemies of the United States have developed a germ that could wipe out the entire army, eventually leaving the U.S. open to invasion. The Shadow must hurry and find out who is behind it and if a cure is available.
Apr 12, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In Act 2 of Suspicion, with Mr. Mummery recovering from his poisoning attempt, he is determined to get to the truth of who wants him dead. Is it the escaped Mrs Andrews? Is Mrs Sutton really Mrs. Andrews? Or is there another possible motive? JR comments on the second acts shortcomings. Plus, star Sam Jaffe.
Apr 11, 2025•41 min•Season 8Ep. 258
In Act 1 of Suspicion, a man suspects his new cook is trying to poison his wife and him. Commentary on the coalminer's strike of 1948 per the newsflash at the head of the episode.
Apr 11, 2025•37 min•Season 8Ep. 258
After saving Abner Sykes, the telegrapher who had recently disappeared from the burning cabin, Superman in the guise of his alter ego Clark Kent phones Lois to tell her she needs to go out on the street and wait for a friend to pick her up and bring her to his location. JR comments on Lois and Superman's first solo meeting and flight.
Apr 10, 2025•15 min•Season 10Ep. 713
George talks Liz into teaching Wally, the son of the bank's newest director, Mr. Forsythe, how to dance the Samba, and Wally gets a crush on Liz. Commentary on the I Love Lucy adaptation of this episode called Young Fans that also includes a teenage Dick Crenna in both the radio and TV versions, Jim Backus channeling his inner Mr. Magoo, and listening to Lucy and Richard Denning break character at the end.
Apr 09, 2025•33 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Friday and Romero deal with a dangerous robber who sets out to prove no jail can hold him. Commentary on the real life copycat escape of three inmates at the Santa Ana jail in 2016.
Apr 08, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 72
Lois thinks she wrapped up the entire story with Uncle Ed’s un-American speech against the veterans. However, Clark believes there is much more to the story. The drought itself! JR comments on the reality of man-made weather!
Apr 07, 2025•17 min•Season 10Ep. 712
A 1945 frightening story of a trip to the moon and back, a nuclear bomb, and all taking place September 20, 2000. Commentary on the irony of this broadcast which was before the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. References made to the Trinity test in New Mexico which occurred just 12 days before this broadcast.
Apr 06, 2025•33 min•Season 2Ep. 58
During the performance of an opera, a premier tenor loses his voice. The audience think nothing wrong of this, until, a sandbag falls on another performer, killing him, when the same opera plays again. Each performance of the opera leads to another unfortunate occurrence and only the Shadow can solve the mystery.
Apr 05, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In Act 2, while Olivia, the niece, spies on Danny and discovers some suspicious information in his belongings, a dead body is also discovered on Mrs. Bramson’s estate. Commentary on how suspense and terror is created by a simple ticking clock. Plus, the story was adapted with two different endings. Why?
Apr 04, 2025•46 min•Season 8Ep. 257
In Act 1, An elderly woman takes in a new charming servant whom she treats as a son while the niece is suspicious and decides to dig into his past. JR speaks on how Robert Montgomery came to choose this story for Suspense.
Apr 04, 2025•28 min•Season 8Ep. 257
Lois and Jerry believe they are both in the clear walking through the woods to the highway, yet what they don’t know is that quicksand is mere steps ahead. JR comments on use of the word "Heaven" as opposed to "God" in these episodes. Plus, what is the big deal with "quicksand" in the 1940s?
Apr 03, 2025•21 min•Season 10Ep. 711
Liz and Iris tell George and Atterbury that if the boys won't take them to the Country Club Dance, then the girls will go anyway, with somebody else! Commentary on the similarities to an I Love Lucy episode although never adapted for television, the Essex Roadster the girls buy, and a young man in the guest cast who eventually grew up to command John Rambo.
Apr 02, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 56
A pair of phony talent scouts are targeting young girls with dreams of stardom in Hollywood. Commentary tonight on the tragedy of fame and fortune plus Jim shares a very personal tragic story about a close friend of his.
Apr 01, 2025•34 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Lois Lane and veteran Jerry Barton, who were secretly observing the controversial rally given by the ex-governor against the homesteaders, found themselves at the end of a couple of rifles. JR comments on the "Uncle Ed" character.
Mar 31, 2025•15 min•Season 10Ep. 710
Because he has thrown away a flower from her grave, a grief-stricken widower believes he has doomed his dead wife to haunt a darkened cemetery forever. Commentary on this new summer revival of the Wyllis Cooper scripts and why Arch Oboler felt taking over from Cooper was the best decision he ever made.
Mar 30, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Several kidnappings and burglaries have been committed by someone who has managed to evade the police and security guards, but there have been no ransom notes and no high-value items taken. After a friend of Margot's also vanishes,The Shadow investigates and discovers an abandoned sewer system in the area where the crimes have taken place. During a search, Margot falls through the floors of a rotting tunnel and ends up in a place filled with chained captors.
Mar 29, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 25
JR hosts this special hour-long podcast welcoming in Season 5 of the worldwide hit drama The Chosen based on the life and teachings of Jesus and the relationships with his followers. This podcast is The Chosen101 for the regular people who believe this is just another Jesus show. This is a must hear podcast you won't regret.
Mar 28, 2025•57 min
In Act 2, Vince and Cliff discover the broken safe and dried blood in the closet where Vince dragged the murdered body from his dream. Was it a dream? The clues say a murder was committed and Vince appears to know all about it. Commentary on the careers of Eddie Bracken and William Conrad.
Mar 28, 2025•44 min•Season 8Ep. 256