HORROR-LITE WHODUNITS
THE INNER SANCTUM MYSTERIES (1943-45)
Starring Lon Chaney Jr., Evelyn Ankers, Brenda Joyce, et al.
Directed by Reginald Le Borg, Harold Young, John Hoffman, et al.
Written by Dwight V. Babcock, Edward Dein, Bernard Schubert, et al.
Universal Pictures
Long before movie/CD/video game/comic book crossovers were the norm, Inner Sanctum was a rare example of a popular radio show and its themed novels making the transition to theatrical films. Beginning in 1941, the half-hour show (now widely available as MP3s) mixed horror, mystery and suspense, featuring an economical cast, narrator, organ music and ad breaks for Carter’s Liver Pills (“the laxative with the two-way action!”). Universal’s B-picture department didn’t attempt to transcend the format, and while all six films starred Lon Chaney, Jr., the horror elements associated with…
