Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Behind the Creaking Door [Paperback]

Martin Grams (Author), Gregory Mank (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

From 1941 to 1952 INNER SANCTUM MYSTERY scared radio audiences with chilling tales of mystery and horror, using the top talent of Broadway and Hollywood. Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., Peter Lorre, Agnes Moorehead, Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles was among the many who played lead roles as a suspected murder, mad scientist and even vampires. INNER SANCTUM MYSTERY spawned a series of low-budget movies, a television series, a mystery magazine, saved a woman's life in Baton Rogue, was the inspiration of many other radio horrors, and is presently among the best-remembered radio series today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Grams has done us a service by putting together a definitive record of Inner Sanctum's long history. -- Rdoney Bowcock, Jr., October 2003 issue of Radiogram

If you are a fan of Inner Sanctum ... this is the book to read. -- Jerry Collins, Book Reviewer of The Illustrated Press

From the Publisher

This 280 page book documents the history of the radio program, along with an episode guide for both the radio series and television series with casts, plots, and writer credits. Fan mail sent to the broadcasting studios are reprinted. A chapter documenting the production of the Lon Chaney, Jr./Inner Sanctum movies is authored by film historian Gregory William Mank. A biography of Paul McGrath, Raymond Edward Johnson and Himan Brown is included. An unpublished interview with "Raymond, the Host" is included. Thre short stories, adapted from original radio scripts from 1942 are also reprinted, giving radio fans the opportunity to experience the terror of episodes not known to exist in recorded form. A list of the Simon & Schuster Inner Sanctum mystery novels is included. Fully indexed.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: O T R Publishing (March 1, 2003)
• ISBN-10: 0970331037
• ISBN-13: 978-0970331038
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #856,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martin Grams is the author and co-author of more than 20 books, and contributed numerous appendixes and chapters for other books. His book on THE TWILIGHT ZONE was the winner of the 2008 Rondo Award for "Best Book of the Year." His recent book on THE GREEN HORNET has been well-received by critics. Martin is an active member of SPERDVAC, research consultant for a major film magazine and volunteers his time to help the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention held annually in Maryland every September.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent work by Mr Grams, April 13, 2003

By 

Leonard Price "Paladin" (Ruther Glen, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Behind the Creaking Door (Paperback)

Martin Grams has taken one of the best known but least researched old time radio series and come up with the definitive word on Inner Sanctum.

Covering both the radio and the television series, Martin includes bios of both Raymond Edward Johnson and Paul McGrath *the hosts* as well as Himan Brown, the programs creator. He discusses behind the scenes stories of the programs creation and run.

The meat of the book is the detailed episode listings for the series. Inner Sanctum is a series that has erroneous shows credited to it...shows with altered names, etc. Martin has tracked these down...winnowed the false from the actual. Very few of the actual shows broadcast still exist. This is a shame, for the plots of some lost shows make one hunger to hear the story. For a lover of the show, or a lover of old time radio...this is a godsend.

Martin has a very readable style and the book is a very valuable reference tool as well as an interesting read. It is definitely a good buy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creaking Doors and Black Cats, September 25, 2008

By 

R. G. Bright - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Behind the Creaking Door (Paperback)

Hark! Someone wrote a book about my favorite radio horror. No disappointments. Biographies about Himan Brown, Paul McGrath, Lesley Woods, Raymond Edward Johnson and others. A look at the cultural history of radio horrors was fascinating. Short stories from 1940s radio/tv magazines adapted from radio episodes not known to exist in recorded form is a plus. The television series is covered in detail. A complete list of Simon & Schuster mystery novels. The episode guide is superior to the mistakes that are being reprinted numerous times all over web-sites. Makes me want to avoid the web-sites and stick with reference books like this.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the book is the section about the Universal Studios movies. The reason you see a head in the globe and not a creaking door was because the studio optioned to buy the screen rights from Himan Brown, the creator/producer/director of the radio program and when he wouldn't sell it to them without a huge ransom, they discovered that he did not even own the name. Brown made an agreement with Simon & Schuster for the use of the Inner Sanctum name, on condition that at the end of each month, the latest paperback novel using the Inner Sanctum name would be mentioned. The publishing company profited through this arrangement. So the studio got permission from S&S to use the Inner Sanctum name and instructed very specific in the press books to theater owners not to make any mention of the radio program to avoid lawsuits. Brown owned the rights to the creaking door and nothing else. Hence the reason why no creaking door in the beginning of each movie, and the on-screen credit to S&S.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Overview of a Mystery/Horror Classic, December 16, 2003

By 

Bob Madison (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Behind the Creaking Door (Paperback)

Inner Sanctum was one of the true classics of old time radio, and scholar Martin Grams has done a terrific job in unearthing a wealth of data on its production, history and legacy. For those who remember mystery/horror radio with a pleasurable shudder, Inner Sanctum Mysteries is for you!

Grams is ably assited by Greg Mank, author of many books on the classic horror films of Univeral. His insights into the world of Inner Sanctum are valuable and sound. A great effort all round, and a must for anyone who remembers that creaking door...!