Inner Sanctum

Inner Sanctum Mysteries was a popular old-time radio program that ran from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952. Its creator was Himan Brown, who later created the long-running CBS Radio Mystery Theater. It featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense told, in sharp contrast to shows like Suspense and The Whistler, with a broad tongue-in-cheek approach. A total of 526 episodes are known to have been produced, a great many of which are lost today.

The creaking door

Apart from the ghoulish host, the other trademark was the eerie creaking door, which opened and closed the broadcasts. On cue, the sound men would operate the door, with its rusty hinges, giving off a distinctive and painful squeak. On at least one memorable occasion, an innocent staffer repaired and oiled the door, forcing the sound man to mimic the squeak orally.

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