The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

We’re traveling boldly into our Listener Library for an episode of Escape recommended to us by Caden. Thanks, Caden! This story, “The Grove of Ashtaroth,” is adapted from a short story by John Buchan. It tells the story of two men who stumbled upon a strange grove of trees in Africa. One is so enchanted by the area, he decides to remain there and make it his new home. When the other returns three years later, he finds some unseen power is making his friend behave strangely. What mysterious force is behind this transformation? What cost might there be to save this friend? Did all of your hosts actually do some research for this episode? Listen for yourself and find out!

All rise for “The Incredible Trial of Laura D. Fair” from Crime Classics! We’re listening to this true crime tale of a woman who grows impatient waiting for a marriage proposal from her older gentleman caller. Why is this man hesitant to ask for her hand? How bizarre will her trial get? Why was there a post-shooting tooting? Listen for yourself and find out!

It’s time to listen to another episode of The Clock! This week we’re checking out an episode entitled “The Hitchhiker,” about a traveling salesman driving across Utah who agrees to help out a young woman looking for a ride. But along the way, unexpected complications may be putting one or both of them in deadly peril! Is either one of them hiding a secret from the other? What is waiting for them a little further down the road? Are they on their way to a Renaissance Festival? Listen for yourself and find out!

Orson Welles stars in the “The Marvelous Barastro,” an episode of Suspense about a carnival magician who marries a blind but ill-omened woman. He also plays the role of a rival magician who becomes a companion to the couple. How extreme will their rivalry go? Is Welles an acting genius or an indulgent ham? Who among the hosts will win the title of First Dumb? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week, our Patreon supporter Ryan has sent us down to our Listener Library for a series we’ve never checked out before, Tales of the Texas Rangers! Based (to some degree) on true cases, the series stars Joel McCrea as Texas Ranger Jace Pearson and in this episode, “Double Edge,” he’s assigned the case of a brazen pair of bank robbers. How much like Dragnet is this show? Can Pearson track down both of the robbers? What do they mean, “obvious reasons”? Listen for yourself and find out!