Turn Your Lights Out -- October 26, 2024

Oakland Tribune, 02-February-1972

Halloween is coming.

When I was a kid, Gene Nelson on KSFO played old radio shows at 10 pm on weeknights. I would be in bed by ten so I could listen every night unless the Giants' game ran late. I had to keep the radio's volume turned down very low because my dad was a light sleeper. 

Nelson often played episodes of great horror shows. Arch Oboler's Lights Out was hard to come by, but it had many wonderful stories including "The Chicken Heart" and "The Dark." 

When I took public speaking in high school, I reenacted Bill Cosby's routine about "The Chicken Heart." 

On this night, Nelson also played an episode of The Inner Sanctum, which was not as much fun as Lights Out, but which had one of the best openings of any radio show.

My wife and I both miss Dinner Jazz on KJAZ.