Inner Sanctum Mysteries was an anthology radio series that featured stories of mystery, terror, and suspense. With its tongue-in-cheek introductions, the show's format stood in sharp contrast to programs like Suspense and The Whistler. The early 1940s broadcasts opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as "Your host, Raymond," in a sardonic voice, accompanied by a spooky melodramatic organ score played by Lew White. The program's familiar audio trademark was the eerie creaking door which opened and closed the broadcasts, and the show often mixed horror and humor in equal doses. Memorable episodes included "Terror by Night" and an adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart." Established stars such as Boris Karloff, Mary Astor, Helen Hayes, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas, Claude Rains, Frank Sinatra, and Orson Welles lent their talents to the series.

Inner Sanctum Mystery aired from January 7, 1941, to October 5, 1952, with a total of 511 episodes broadcast. The show was first aired on the Blue Network and later moved to CBS in fall 1943. Lipton Tea sponsored the series from 1945, with cheery commercial spokeswoman Mary Bennett, aka the "Tea Lady," contrasting sharply with the macabre themes of the stories. Of more than 500 programs aired, only about 200 remain in circulation today. The series featured guest stars including Boris Karloff, who starred in over 15 episodes and occasionally returned afterward. Various leading actors and supporting players such as Santos Ortega, Mercedes McCambridge, Berry Kroeger, and Lawson Zerbe were also part of New York radio.

Sources: archive.org, wikipedia.org, otrcat.com