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The Black Mass

dark tales featuring adaptions by Virginia Woolf, Edgar Allen Poe, HP Lovecraft, and Gogol.

Black Mass

30 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 13 hours, 83 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
or
13 Audio CDs


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Play a sample episode from September 08, 1964:

"All Hallows"



... or click here to save the Mp3 file to your computer
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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Horror

Edgard Allen Poe WoodcarvingThe Black Mass is one of those strange treasures of Old Time Radio. The program came at the very end of the golden age of radio era, produced between 1963 and 1964. Most of the OTR programs we are used to hearing from OTR were from the commercial networks, and their ultimate purpose was to make money for the networks and the sponsors. The Black Mass was a production of KPFA Berkley and the Pacifica Network. Pacifica was the first "Listener Supported" radio network in the US.

Because the Pacifica Network is listener funded, the staff feels obligated to provide the best programing possible for the audience without commercial consideration. Often this leads to very artful programing. (Pacifica was founded in 1946 by pacifist Lewis Hill, dedicated to the preservation of Free Speech and the advocacy controversial programming. It should be pointed out that the network is a lot more notorious for its liberal political stance than note worthy for its quality programing.)

KFPA Drama & Literature Director Jack Nessel came up with the concept for The Black Mass and suggested it to Erik Bauersfeld, professor of aesthetics and philosophy at the California School of Fine Arts. Bauesrsfeld was already reading classic and modern literature over the air and was not immediately enthusiastic about The Black Mass concept. The idea of seeking out tales of the supernatural from authors who were not widely known for writing in that genre eventually won him over.

Nicholai GogolThe production was exceptionally well done with relatively primitive, for the time, technology. Bauersfeld first adapted the stories as radio plays; adapting them to a workable length and creating dialog in a dramatic form. KPFA Production Director John Whiting would record Bauersfeld, sometime, assisted by other actors, reading the scripts, and Bauersfeld then took the tapes for editing. After editing, the pair would secure what studio time they could, painstakingly adding music and effects to the voice track. Because they did not have access to multitrack recording equipment, this process could run late into the night.

The result deserves a place among the best of late-night horror radio shows like Quiet, Please, Hall of Fantasy, Mysterious Traveler, The Whistler, Lights Out, or Suspense.

The Black Mass featured adaptations of "Bartleby the Scrivener", Virginia Woolf's "Haunted House", Edgar Allen Poe's "Imp of the Perverse" and "The Tell Tale Heart", "The Outsider" and "The Rats in the Walls" by H.P. Lovecraft, and Gogol's "Diary of a Madman", among others.

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

  • Show Rating

    31
    26     5


    COMMENTS

    Re: Virginia Woolf ... They lived just up the road from our village. By all accounts she was pretty scary, but Leonard was a nice person. One of the older members of the village (when we moved here )as a young boy saw her being pulled out of the river.

    John Verified Purchase

    A great radio find.with great sound as well

    Anthony Verified Purchase

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    30 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 13 hours, 83 min
    30 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 13 hours, 83 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 30 shows – total playtime 13 hours, 1 minutes
    2. Black Mass 630900 All Hallows.mp3
    3. Black Mass 631218 Ash Tree.mp3
    4. Black Mass 640118 Nightmare.mp3
    5. Black Mass 640124 Squaw.mp3
    6. Black Mass 640212 Boarded Window.mp3
    7. Black Mass 640212 O Mirror Mirror.mp3
    8. Black Mass 640520 Death of Halpin Fraser.mp3
    9. Black Mass 640603 Proof Positive.mp3
    10. Black Mass 640620 A Predicament Tell Tale Heart.mp3
    11. Black Mass 640700 Rats In Walls.mp3
    12. Black Mass 640701 Disillusionment.mp3
    13. Black Mass 640701 Feeder.mp3
    14. Black Mass 640729 Imp Of Perverse Ms Found In A Bottle.mp3
    15. Black Mass 640814 A Country Doctor.mp3
    16. Black Mass 640900 Esme.mp3
    17. Black Mass 641010 Atrophy.mp3
    18. Black Mass 641031 An Evenings Entertainment.mp3
    19. Black Mass 641100 Jolly Corner.mp3
    20. Black Mass 641216 Diary of a Madman.mp3
    21. Black Mass 651000 Outsider.mp3
    22. Black Mass 651100 Moonlit Road.mp3
    23. Black Mass 691024 Fliespoor Quality.mp3
    24. Black Mass 691030 Evening Primrose -Pr Quality.mp3
    25. Black Mass 701113 Oil Of Dog Esme.mp3
    26. Black Mass Bartleby Scrivener.mp3
    27. Black Mass Haunted House.mp3
    28. Black Mass Judgement.mp3
    29. Black Mass Man In Crowd.mp3
    30. Black Mass Shidah And Kuziba.mp3
    31. Black Mass Tales By Lord Dunsany.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    30 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 13 hours, 83 min
    30 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    358 MB – total playtime 13 hours, 1 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 30 shows – 358 MB – total playtime 13 hours, 1 minutes
    2. Black Mass 630900 All Hallows.mp3
    3. Black Mass 631218 Ash Tree.mp3
    4. Black Mass 640118 Nightmare.mp3
    5. Black Mass 640124 Squaw.mp3
    6. Black Mass 640212 Boarded Window.mp3
    7. Black Mass 640212 O Mirror Mirror.mp3
    8. Black Mass 640520 Death of Halpin Fraser.mp3
    9. Black Mass 640603 Proof Positive.mp3
    10. Black Mass 640620 A Predicament Tell Tale Heart.mp3
    11. Black Mass 640700 Rats In Walls.mp3
    12. Black Mass 640701 Disillusionment.mp3
    13. Black Mass 640701 Feeder.mp3
    14. Black Mass 640729 Imp Of Perverse Ms Found In A Bottle.mp3
    15. Black Mass 640814 A Country Doctor.mp3
    16. Black Mass 640900 Esme.mp3
    17. Black Mass 641010 Atrophy.mp3
    18. Black Mass 641031 An Evenings Entertainment.mp3
    19. Black Mass 641100 Jolly Corner.mp3
    20. Black Mass 641216 Diary of a Madman.mp3
    21. Black Mass 651000 Outsider.mp3
    22. Black Mass 651100 Moonlit Road.mp3
    23. Black Mass 691024 Fliespoor Quality.mp3
    24. Black Mass 691030 Evening Primrose -Pr Quality.mp3
    25. Black Mass 701113 Oil Of Dog Esme.mp3
    26. Black Mass Bartleby Scrivener.mp3
    27. Black Mass Haunted House.mp3
    28. Black Mass Judgement.mp3
    29. Black Mass Man In Crowd.mp3
    30. Black Mass Shidah And Kuziba.mp3
    31. Black Mass Tales By Lord Dunsany.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    30 recordings on 13 Audio CDs. Total playtime 13 hours, 1 min
    30 recordings on 13 Audio CDs
    total playtime 13 hours, 1 min

    Black Mass Disc A001

    1. Black Mass Bartleby Scrivener
    2. Black Mass Haunted House
    3. Black Mass Judgement

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A002

    1. Black Mass Man In Crowd
    2. Black Mass Shidah And Kuziba
    3. Black Mass Tales By Lord Dunsany

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A003

    1. Black Mass 630900 All Hallows
    2. Black Mass 631218 Ash Tree

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A004

    1. Black Mass 640118 Nightmare
    2. Black Mass 640124 Squaw

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A005

    1. Black Mass 640212 Boarded Window
    2. Black Mass 640212 O Mirror Mirror

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A006

    1. Black Mass 640520 Death of Halpin Fraser
    2. Black Mass 640603 Proof Positive
    3. Black Mass 640620 A Predicament Tell Tale Heart

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A007

    1. Black Mass 640700 Rats In Walls
    2. Black Mass 640701 Disillusionment
    3. Black Mass 640701 Feeder

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A008

    1. Black Mass 640729 Imp Of Perverse Ms Found In A Bottle
    2. Black Mass 640814 A Country Doctor
    3. Black Mass 640900 Esme

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A009

    1. Black Mass 641010 Atrophy
    2. Black Mass 641031 An Evenings Entertainment

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A010

    1. Black Mass 641100 Jolly Corner

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A011

    1. Black Mass 641216 Diary of a Madman
    2. Black Mass 651000 Outsider

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A012

    1. Black Mass 651100 Moonlit Road
    2. Black Mass 691024 Fliespoor Quality

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Black Mass Disc A013

    1. Black Mass 691030 Evening Primrose -Pr Quality
    2. Black Mass 701113 Oil Of Dog Esme

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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