The 85th Anniversary of Inner Sanctum

It was 85 year ago today. on January 7, 2026, that the radio show Inner Sanctum Mystery, also known as Inner Sanctum Mysteries and Inner Sanctum, debuted on the NBC Blue Network. Inner Sanctum Mystery was an anthology series that featured tales of mystery, suspense, and horror. Inner Sanctum Mystery proved to be popular. While it would change networks over time (it moved to CBS in 1943, then to ABC in 1950, and then back to CBS for its final season in 1952), Inner Sanctum Mystery ran for eleven years. Indeed, not only was Inner Sanctum popular, but it also proved to be influential.

The origins of Inner Sanctum Mystery go back an imprint of books called "Inner Sanctum" first published by Simon & Schuster in 1930. Although the "Inner Sanctum" imprint was most closely associated with the mystery genre (published with green covers), it also featured books in the drama (published with blue covers) and romance (published with red covers) genres. Some well-known authors wrote for the "Inner Sanctum"imprint including Anthony Boucher, John Cowper Powys, J.P. McEvoy,  Patrick Quentin, Craig Rice, and even burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee. 

The "Inner Sanctum" imprint proved popular enough that NBC bought the radio show rights to the imprint. The format of Inner Sanctum Mystery was developed by Himan Brown, who was also responsible for such radio shows as The Adventures of the Thin Man, Dick Tracy, and later CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. The show would open with a creaking door, the idea for which Himan Brown got from a creaking door in his basement. Strangely enough, the sound of the door was not actually provided by a door. They tried to create the creaking sound with a door, to no avail. It was Himan Brown who learned they could get the creaking sound they wanted by a rusty desk chair in which he sat and turned. 

The creaking door would be immediately followed by the host's introduction. In the early days the host was Raymond Edward Johnson, who would introduce himself simply as "Your host, Raymond" in a mocking voice. It was Raymond Edward Johnson's idea to simply be called, 'Your host, Raymond." Raymond was a sharp contrast to earlier hosts on radio shows. His introductions were tongue-in-cheek an often filled with macabre puns and jokes that were punctuated by the organ that provided the show's score. Raymond would close the show with, "Pleasant dreeeeaams, hmmmmm," after which listeners would once more hear the creaking door.

Although Raymond remains the best known host of Inner Sanctum, he left the show in May 1945 to serve in the U.S. Army. He was replaced by Paul McGrath, who was the host of the show for the remainder of the run. Despite the fact that the named "Raymond" was so closely tied to the show, Paul McGrath did not use the name for his introductions and referred to himself simply as "Your host." 

Inner Sanctum Mystery was a mixture of mystery, thriller, and horror, and the episodes often boasted a sense of humour. Many of the most memorable episode fell in the horror and thriller genres. The first season saw an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Star" starring Boris Karloff and Everett Sloane. The 1945 episode "Terror By Night" featured a killer on the loose. The 1942 episode "Dead Reckoning" featured the loan survivor of an abandoned and possibly haunted ship. The 1945 episode "Corridor of Doom" centered on ill man trapped in a seemingly endless hallway of a hospital. Inner Sanctum also featured a number of notable guest stars, including Boris Karloff, Paul Lukas, Everett Sloane, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Martha Scott, Agnes Moorehead, Mercedes McCambridge, Wendy Barrie, and yet others.

The success of Inner Sanctum Mystery lead Universal Pictures to buy the film rights to the "Inner Sanctum" imprint from Simon & Schuster  in June 1943 to produce a movie series called "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries." The series was mostly produced by Ben Pivar, who had produced various Universal programmers and the "Mummy" movies (The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost, and The Mummy's Curse), although Weird Woman (1944) was co-produced with Oliver Drake, Dead Man's Eyes (1944) co-produced with Will Cowan, and The Frozen Ghost (1945) by Will Cowan alone. 

Lon Chaney Jr. starred in each of the "Inner Sanctum Mysteries" movies, although playing a different role each time. Gale Sondergaard was set to star as well, but dropped out before the first movie in the series, Calling Dr. Death (1943), went into production. Although it was the success of the radio show that led to the films and they used the name of the "Inner Sanctum" book imprint, "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries" adapted neither the radio plays from the radio show nor the novels published by the 'Inner Sanctum" book imprint. Despite being produced by Universal and starring Lon Chaney Jr., nearly all of "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries" movies were closer to mystery than horror, the exception being Weird Woman (1944), which was based on the classic horror novel Conjure Wife (1944) by Fritz Lieber. While the radio show was critically acclaimed, Universal's film series "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries" has largely been dismissed, again with the possible exception of Weird Woman (1944).

Inner Sanctum Mystery would make the transition to television as a series simply titled Inner Sanctum. The TV version was developed by Himan Brown and produced by Himan Brown and his brother Mende Brown. Paul McGrath from the radio show hosted the TV version early in its run, followed by House Johnson as its host. While the TV series featured its share of horror stories, it also featured more straightforward crime stories. The TV series Inner Sanctum debuted on January 9, 1954, in syndication and ran for only one season. 

Inner Sanctum Mystery would prove to be influential. The show's original host, Raymond, would have an immediate impact on the hosts of other radio shows, such as Maurice Taupin on The Mysterious Traveler, who included macabre humour in their introductions. The influence of Raymond as the host of Inner Sanctum would go beyond radio shows. EC Comics' use of hosts in its horror titles Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, and The Haunt of Fear, was largely inspired by Raymond on Inner Sanctum. It seems likely that television's original horror host, Vampira, could have also drawn inspiration from Raymond on Inner Sanctum. Even the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, may have been influenced by the Inner Sanctum with is humorous introductions to Alfred Hitchcock Presents/The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Himan Brown would draw upon Inner Sanctum for inspiration in creating CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. CBS Radio Mystery Theatre used the creaking door opening much as Inner Sanctum did. The introduction of the show's host for most of its run, E. G. Marshall, utilised humour similar to that of  the introductons on Inner Sanctum. Even E.G. Marshall's closing, "Until next time, pleasant… dreams?" drew inspiration form Raymond's "Pleasant dreeeeaams, hmmmmm?" 

Only around 200 out of the 511 episodes of Inner Sanctum Mystery survives, but it remains one of the most popular radios shows from the era of Old Time Radio. It certainly had a lasting impact that is still being felt to this day. Its influence may well still be felt 85 years from now. 

Announcing the 12th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon

It is January 2, which means it is time for me to announce the Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon. This will be the 12th one. For those of you unfamiliar with the Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon,  it is a blogathon in which bloggers write entries about their favourite episodes of their favourite classic television shows. This year it will take place March 20, 21, and 22.

Here are the ground rules:

1. Posts in the blogathon must be about an episode from a scripted drama. Episodes of reality shows, talk shows, game shows, and variety shows are ineligible. That having been said, posts can be on episodes from any genre of scripted dramas: animated shows, anthology shows, detective shows, police procedurals, science fiction shows, situation comedies, and so on. I also have to say that episodes can be from scripted dramas that aired at any time of day. They don't have to be from prime time alone. If one wanted to write about their favourite episode from their favourite Saturday morning cartoon or daytime soap opera, they could.

2. Because this blogathon is dedicated to classic television and I think a classic is something that must have stood the test of time, episodes must be from shows that are at least 25 years old. That means one cannot write posts on episodes from shows that debuted after 2001 (nothing from The New Adventures of Old Christine, let alone Abbott Elementary). Now here I want to point out that the episode itself does not have to be 25 years old, only the show on which it aired. Law & Order (the original, not the revival) debuted in 1990 and ran until 2010, so that its final season aired after 2001. Because Law & Order is over 25 years old, however, one could still write about an episode that aired in the 2009-2010 season.

3. Given my love of British television, it should come as no surprise that posts do not have to be about episodes from American shows alone. Posts can be about episodes from any show from any country as long as the show is a scripted drama and debuted over 25 years ago. If you want to write about your favourite episode of The Saint, The Little Hobo, Jaianto Robo, or Escrava Isaura, you can.

4.  I am asking that there please be no duplicates. That having been said, if someone has already chosen to cover "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" from The Twilight Zone, someone else could still write about another Twilight Zone episode.

5. In keeping with ground rule no. 4, I am asking that if you participated in the past years' blogathons that you write about a different episode from what you did the past years. That having been said, you could write about an episode from the same show.  If you wrote about the Star Trek episode "Amok Time" last year, then you could write about the Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" this year.

6. I am not going to schedule days for individual posts. All I ask is that the posts be made on or between March 20, March 21, or March 22, 2026.

7. On March 20, I will set up the page for the blogathon. I ask that you link your posts to that page. If you want you can use one of the graphics below or make your own!

If you want to participate in the Favourite Television Show Episode Blogathon, you can simply comment below or you can get a hold of me on BlueSky at mercurie80 or at my email:  mercurie80 at gmail.com.

Below is a roster of participants and the topics they are covering. Come March 20, I will make a post that will include all of the posts in the blogathon.

Realweegiemidget Reviews Films TV Books and more: The Return of the Saint (1979), Se1, Ep19, "The Murder Cartel"

A Shroud of Thoughts:  The Man From U.N.C.L.E: "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair"

Liberal England:  Shoestring (1980) - se2 ep10 "The Dangerous Game"

Smoke in the Library: Burke's Law, "Who Killed Mr. X" 

Below are some graphics you can use for the blogathon (or you can always make your own)!

Happy New Year 2026

For the past twelve years, I have begun the year the very same way, by posting classic New Year's pinups. this year is no different. 2025 proved to be a less than happy year, so here is hoping that 2026 will be much, much better!

Marjorie Riordan eagerly awaits the New Year atop a rather large clock!

Suzi Crandall also decided a clock was the best place to be come midnight!

Olga San Juan decided to go sailing for New Year's!

The lovely Nancy Carroll greets 1930 riding on a bubble.

Ida Lupino posing with a sailor and greeting 1944 during World War II.

And you can't have a happy New Year without Ann Miller!

Happy New Year!

Good Riddance to 2025

In some respects, 2025 has been a difficult year for me, particularly the past month. Our cat Socks, who was just a few months shy of being 14 years old, died on December 16, People who don't have pets may not understand this, but Socks truly was a member of our family and we still miss him terribly. To make things even sadder, an old neighbour died this month and then a close family friend died on Christmas day. Combine this with the deaths of many beloved celebrities, electronic devices (both a computer and a cell phone) giving out on me, and various other factors I will not discuss here, and 2025 has become a year that I am pretty much glad is coming to an end. 

I think for many fans of classic television, movies, and rock music. 2025 will be remembered for the death of many greats throughout the year. Among the greats from the worlds of film and television who died this year were director David Lynch, Gene Hackman, Richard Chamberlain, Val Kilmer, Jay North, Jean Marsh, Will Hutchhins, Cora Sue Collins, Ruth Buzzi, Joe Don Baker, Mara Corday, George Wendt, Loretta Swit, Pippa Scott, Michael Madsen, Gerald Harper, Loni Anderson,  Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Randy Boone, Pat Crowley, Grahame Greene, Polly Holliday, Robert Redford, Claudia Cardinale, Patrica Routledge, Diane Keaton, Samantha Eggar, Diane Ladd, Sally Kirkland, Rob Reiner, and many others. Among those connected to film and television were two friends of friends,, film distributor and archivist Michael Schlesinger, who died on January 9, and props collector and film archivist Bob Burns, who died on December 12. We lost several big names in the music world this year as well, including Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, Marianne Fiathfull, Roberta Flack, David Johansen, Joey Molland of Badfinger, Clem Burke of Blondie, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Sly Stone, Lou Christie, composer Lalo Schifrin, Connie Francis, Ozzy Osbourne, George Kooymans of Golden Earring, Mark Volman of The Turtles, Sonny Curtis of The Crickets, Chris Dreja of The Yardbirds, Ace Frehley, and yet others.

I have to confess that I don't pay too much attention to new television shows these days, even with as many of them are on streaming. I thoroughly enjoyed Daredevil: Born Again. I also liked Good Cop/Bad Cop, an Australian/American show that aired here on The CW. Unfortunately, it looks like it has not yet been renewed, which doesn't surprise me given the path The CW has decided to take of late. Other than those two shows, I pretty much stuck to the shows I have been watching for the past few years without adding anything new to the mix. I did actually watch some of the movies that came out recently. I particularly enjoyed Flow (2024), Companion (2025), Sinners (2025), The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024), Superman (2025), and The Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025).

My hope is that 2026 is a far better year than 2025. At the very least, I hope that I don't lose any close friends or pets this year, or that many beloved celebrities die this coming year. If anything, I hope that everyone has a prosperous and healthy new year. 

TCM Spotlight: Flashback Fridays in January 2026

Next month's TCM Spotlight is devoted to Flashback Fridays. That is, each Friday night, Turner Classic Movies will show movies in which flashbacks play a pivotal role. Over the course of the month, TCM will show such classic movies on Friday nights as Citizen Kane (1941), Rashomon (1950), Double Indemnity (1944), Stand by M\e (1986), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Below is a line up of the films Turner Classic Movies will be showing on Friday nights in January 2026. All times are Central.

January 2:
7:00 PM Citizen Kane (1941)
9:15 PM Rashomon (1950)
11:00 AM Sophie's Choice (1982)

January 3:
1:45 AM The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
4:00 AM Penny Serenade (1941)

January 9:
7:00 PM The Locket (1946)
9:00 PM Double Indemnity (1944)
11:00 PM The Killers (1946)

January 10:
1:00 AM Mildred Pierce (1945)
3:00 AM D.O.A. (1950)

January 16:
7:00 PM Cinema Paradiso (1988)
9:15 PM Stand by Me (1986)
11:00 PM The Prince of Tides (1991)

January 17:
1:30 AM I Remember Mama (1948)

January 23:
7:00 PM A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
9:00 PM Casablanca (1942)
11:00 PM Brief Encounter (1945)

January 24:
12:45 AM Kitty Foyle (1940)
2:45 AM The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954)

January 30:
7:00 PM Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955)
9:00 PM The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
11:15 PM The Great McGinty (1940)

January 31:
Mrs. Parkington (1944)
3:00 AM A Man to Remember (1938)

Gil Gerard Passes On

Gil Gerard, best known for playing the title character on the show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century., died on December 16, 2025, at the age of 82. The cause was cancer.

Gil Gerard was born on January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended Little Rock Catholic High School for Boys and then attended Arkansas State Teacher College for a time. He dropped out to move to New York City where he studied acting at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He appeared in several commercials (he estimated over 400) and made his film debut in Some of My Best Friends Are... in 1971. He made his television debut in an episode of the soap opera Another World, before appearing as a regular on the soap opera The Doctors from 1973 to 1976. He appeared in the movies Man on a Swing (1974), Airport '77 (1977), Hooch (1977), and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979). Although released as a feature film, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) was actually the pilot for the TV series. On television, he guest starred on the shows Baretta, Little House on the Prairie, Hawaii Five-O, and CHiPs. He starred on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, which ran for only 32 episodes from 1979 to 1981.

In the Eighties, Gil Gerard starred on the short-lived shows Sidekicks, Nightingales, and E.A.R.T.H Force. He guest starred on the shows The Disney Sunday Movie, and appeared in such TV movies as Help: Wanted Male, Hear No Evil, and International Airport. He appeared in the movie Fury to Freedom. In 1983, he appeared on Broadway in Amen Corner, a show he also produced. In the Nineties, he appeared on the soap opera Days of Our Lives and was the host of the show Code 3. He guest starred on the shows Brotherly Love, The Big Easy, and Pacific Blue. He appeared in the films Soldier's Fortune (1991) and Looking for Bruce (1996).

In the Naughts, Gil Gerard appeared in the movies Psycho Billy Cabin Massacre! (2007) and Dire Wolf (2009). He appeared in the TV movies Nuclear Hurricane (2007), Bone Eater (2007), Reptisaurus (2009), and Ghost Town (2009). In the Teens, he provided the voice of Megatronus on the TV cartoon Transformers: Robots in Disguise. He guest starred on the shows Star Trek: The New Voyages and Drop Dead Diva. He appeared in the TV movie The Lost Valentine. He appeared in the movies Blood Fare (2012), The Nice Guys (2016), Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel (2017), and Space Captain and Callista (2019).

Even as a kid I can't say I was a fan of the TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, although I really liked Gil Gerard in the role. He brought a sense of humanity to the role that one didn't always see in shows and movies about comic strip heroes at the time. I really wished he had been provided with better scripts. Mr. Gerard was also appealing on other shows, including the Disney Sunday Movie episode "The Last Electric Knight," the TV show Sidekicks, and the Tv show Code 3. And while Gil Gerard was best known for playing the heroic Buck Rogers, he could play other sorts of roles. He starred as a moonshiner in the movie Hooch, which he also produced.

I never got to meet Gil Gerard, but I know plenty of people who have and all of them have said that he was an all-around good guy. No one could be nicer and he was known for the respect and affection he had for his fans, as well as his enthusiasm for life. Indeed, he left a final message for his fans with his wife to be published following his death, which he ended with "Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos." Gil Gerard wasn't simply a well-known actor, but a truly nice guy. 

The Late Great Bob Burns

Props collector and film archivist Bob Burns III died on December 12, 2025, at the age of 90. He was known for his extensive collection of film props and memorabilia. Bob Burns also served as an advisor on several films and played various monsters and gorillas in film and TV shows. He was well-known for playing Tracy the Gorilla in the Saturday morning sitcom The Ghost Busters alongside Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch.

Bob Burns was born on May 12, 1935. He provided sound effects for the radio show Wild Bill Hickok. He provided uncredited special effects for Not of This Earth (1957). He also provided special effects for the horror television anthology Jeepers Creepers Theatre that aired on KCOP in the Sixties. He would later provide effects for such films as Scared to Death (1980), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), and even the Lord of the Rings trilogy (various prosthetics). Bob Burns also appeared in suits as various aliens, monsters, and gorillas in such movies as Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957), Rat Pfink a Boo Boo (1966), and The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters (1968). He regularly appeared on the locally produced Shock Theatre and Jeepers Creepers Theatre. As mentioned earlier, he played Tracy on The Ghost Busters. He also appeared on such shows as Mickey, The Lucy Show, My Three Sons, and Wonderbug. Bob Burns did not always appear in an alien, monster, or gorilla suit when acting. Such other acting credits included such movies as Drive (1997), Wish You Were Here (2000), The Vampire Hunters Club (2001), The Naked Monster (2005), The Lovely Bones (2009), and Fire City: End of Days (2015).

Of course, Bob Burns may have been best known for his collection of costumes, props, and memorabilia, estimated by some to be one of the most extensive collections in the world. Included in Bob Burns's collection were the last surviving 18-inch armature model used on King Kong (1933), the original Time Machine from George Pal's movie The Time Machine (1960), and other props from such movies as Aliens, An American Werewolf in London, Gremlins,  Star Wars, Terminator 2, and others. Bob Burns's private museum of movie memorabilia was known simply as "Bob's Basement." As an archivist, Bob Burns provided photos and videos for many documentaries over the years, as well as serving as a consultant for the TV show Monsterama.

Bob Burns was one of the greatest archivists and collectors of film material of all time. It was through his hard work that many precious artefacts of film history survived and continued to exist. What is more, Bob Burns was always eager to share his knowledge. Visitors to Bob's Basement would always leave with a wealth of stories about the times there related to them by Mr. Burns himself. Of course, here it must be pointed out that Bob Burns and his wife Kathy, who had pre-deceased him, were two of the nicest people one could ever meet. While I never to got meet or even interact with Bob Burns, I have plenty of friends who got to, as well a a lucky few friends who got to call Bob Burns a friend. All of them said that Bob Burns was one of the kindest, nicest persons one could hope to meet. Bob Burns wasn't just a great archivist and collector, he wasn't just Tracy on The Ghost Busters, he was a truly great gentleman.