Mysterious Traveler 1944-52

The eponymous host of “The Mysterious Traveler” knows a lot of good stories, but few have happy endings: murderers choose the wrong victim; the dead won’t stay buried; malign insects turn monstrous; a comet brings the end of the world. In one memorable episode, radio’s lack of visuals actually adds to the terror: much of “Behind the Locked Door” takes place in the dark as archeologists struggle with hidden forces in a cavern. It would be impossible to film in '49.

Oddly enough, our traveling companion doesn’t seem too disturbed by these tales—in fact, he always sounds like he’s savoring the prospects:

“This is the Mysterious Traveler, inviting you to join me on another journey into the strange and terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip ... that it will thrill you a little and chill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves, and be comfortable ... if you can.”

And so, trapped on a train with this unsettling gentleman, you let him go on for the half hour it’ll take to reach your destination. At which point—like one of the doomed characters in his stories—you might decide to stay on board.

Features
• Complete, locally stored episodes—no wireless connection needed to play
• Sleek and simple episode list and playback controls
• Full-width progress/seek bar to quickly jump to any spot
• Background audio support, for switching between apps
• 67 episodes, with running times from 24:11 to 30:23

It was common practice at the time to air episodes more than once. Rather than repeat those shows, this collection provides the recording with the best audio quality. Three episodes of “The Mysterious Traveler” were produced a second time with different actors and slightly different scripts. These reworked shows are listed with the second title in parentheses, so you can directly compare the two treatments.

As with nearly all the classic radio shows, these recordings are considered orphan works: copyrights have lapsed and assorted versions of mixed quality can be found in old-time radio collections.