Suspense - "The Dead Sleep Lightly" (03-30-43)

The Dead Sleep Lightly (Aired March 30, 1943)

It was Joseph Kearns who evolved into "The Man in Black" host in 1943. This mysterious all-knowing narrator was similar to The Whistler.. The character lasted for over 100 episodes until March of 1945. Kerns continued as host through 1947, and returned again in 1950, but "The Man in Black" role devolved back into a nameless announcer (Grams, 1997, 17).  Yet the series itself continued on as strong as ever. It attracted Hollywood's best actors because they were allowed to play roles different from their usual stereotypes. Comedians could play killers, or heroes could play victims. Jack Benny played a Martian. Ronald Reagan played a man on the run framed for a crime he didn't commit. Lucille Ball played a cold-blooded murderer. Frank Sinatra played a psychopath. All the while, audiences were kept wondering and waiting to see what the surprise ending would be. Show Notes From Radio Horror Hosts.

THIS EPISODE:

March 30, 1943. CBS network. "The Dead Sleep Lightly". Sustaining. A tingling ghost story about a rich old man and the ghost of his long forgotten wife. Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), John Dickson Carr (writer), John Dietz (director), Lee Bowman, Susan Hayward, Walter Hampden, William Spier (producer, director, editor), Joseph Kearns ("The Man In Black"). 29:16. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.