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''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'' was a popular Old-time Radio program that aired from January 7 , 1941 to October 5 , 1952 . Created by Himan Brown , the anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense. The tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast to shows like '' Suspense '' and '' The Whistler ''. A total of 526 episodes are known to have been produced. The early 1940s programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as, "Your host, Raymond," in a mocking sardonic voice. A spooky melodramatic organ score punctuated Raymond's many morbid jokes and playful puns. Raymond's closing was an elongated "Pleasant dreaaaaammmmssss!" His tongue-in-cheek style and ghoulish relish of his own tales became the standard for many such horror narrators to follow, from fellow radio hosts like Ernest Chappell (on Cooper's later series, '' Quiet, Please '') and Maurice Taupin (on '' The Mysterious Traveler '') to the Crypt-Keeper in various incarnations of '' Tales From The Crypt ''. When Johnson left the series in 1945, he was replaced by Paul McGrath , who did not keep the "Raymond" name and was known only as "your host" or "Mr. Host." Beginning in 1945, Lipton Tea sponsored the series, pairing first Raymond and then McGrath with its cheery commercial spokeswoman, Mary Bennett, whose pitches for Lipton contrasted sharply with the subject matter of the stories, and who would primly chide the host for his dark humor and creepy manner. THE CREAKING DOOR Apart from the ghoulish host, the other trademark was the eerie creaking door, which opened and closed the broadcasts. Commonly unknown is the fact that the door sound was actually made by a rusty desk chair. The program did originally intend to use a door, but on first use the door did not squeal. Undaunted, Brown grabbed a nearby chair, sat in it and turned, causing a hair raising squeak. The chair was used from then on as the sound prop. On at least one memorable occasion, an innocent staffer repaired and oiled the chair, forcing the sound man to mimic the squeak orally. PLOTS AND GUEST STARS Its campy comedy notwithstanding, the stories were often effective little chillers, mixing horror and humor in equal doses. Memorable episodes included "Terror by Night" (9/18/45) and an adaptation of " The Tell-Tale Heart " (8/3/41). The latter starred Boris Karloff , who was heard regularly in the first season, starring in more than 15 episodes and returning sporadically thereafter. Other established stars in the early years included Peter Lorre , Mary Astor , Helen Hayes , Claude Rains , Paul Lukas , Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles . Most of the lead and supporting players were stalwarts of New York radio, including Larry Haines , Stefan Schnabel , Berry Kroeger and a few who would go on to greater fame in film or television, such as Richard Widmark , Everett Sloane and Burgess Meredith . LEGACY Of more than 500 programs broadcast, only about 100 remain in circulation, sometimes minus dates or titles. The 1954 syndicated Television series featured Paul McGrath as the off-camera host/narrator. In the 1970s , with his '' CBS Radio Mystery Theater '' series, Himan Brown recycled both the creaking door opening, and to a lesser extent, the manner of Raymond, as that show's hosts (including E. G. Marshall and Tammy Grimes . In later repeats during the 1990s , Brown himself mimicked Raymond's "Pleasant dreeeeaaammmssss!" for the familiar closing. LISTEN TO EXTERNAL LINKS
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