Dark Fantasy
1941 -1942
Keith Paynton was the announcer (Photo above advertised the series)
"Dark Fantasy was syndicated around the nation after just 8 weeks of local broadcasts. Scott Bishop continued to be the sole writer for Dark Fantasy creating every chilling episode... The show was quite popular but only remained on the air long enough to produce 31 episodes." - OTRCat.com
Ed. Note: Dark Fantasy is not one of my favorite series, although the stories themselves are pretty good. What is lacking most is any sort of series persona. There's no host, really, just an announcer (Keith Paynton) who repeats the title of the series in a menacing voice. But even that is kind of fun because it implies the producer thought this series was so scary, that just the mere mention of the name would be enough to get people nervous and in the right (spooked) mood. Dark Fantasy aired late on Friday night, well past the bedtimes of the little ones, which probably encouraged liberties with the dark nature of the story lines. Murder, drugs, thievery, being buried alive... these were all themes found in just a single episode. You can imagine what the rest had to offer.
This series was short lived, however, probably because of the lack of bookends (a popular host to introduce and conclude the series). After all, without a recurring narrator, every week was basically filled with strangers (new characters, a different setting, and an unexpected plot). So there was nothing familiar for a regular audience to identity with.
It's a pity, because the stories themselves were enjoyable. They were usually horror stories but there were also a few sci-fi themes. It just goes to show how much anticipation a popular host could provide, plus the continuity they also added. The writer, Scott Bishop, was certainly a capable author. He was also responsible for The Mysterious Traveler, The Sealed Book and The Strange Dr. Karnac.
The Standard Intro:
(Music: foreboding.)
Narrator: "Dark.... Fantasy..."
An Opening Narration:
(Excerpt from the play is played as a teaser.)
Hear An Actual Episode!
(Courtesy of Relic Radio.com )
The Headless Dead - (The show begins after the modern introduction from Relic Radio) A tourist gets locked in the Tower of London overnight by accident. At midnight, he witnesses a unbelievable ceremony of the dead, and is forced to swear upon heaven that he will return the following night.
I Am Your Brother - (The show begins after the modern introduction from Relic Radio) A surgeon saves the brain of his best friend to preserve the amazing knowledge it contains. He was born capable of speech and predicting the future, but feigned retardation for protection.
Pennsylvania Turnpike - (The show begins after the modern introduction from Relic Radio)
The Thing From the Darkness - (The show begins after the modern introduction from Relic Radio) A pilot-for-hire crash-lands in the desert. He is confronted by an ancient race of leopard worshippers who demand his death for witnessing the beauty of their princess.
Resolution 1841 - (Courtesty of OTRcat.com)
Hear more episodes courtesy of Archive.org
Below: A photo-story board of an episode from the May 16, 1942 issue of Movie-Radio Guide (plus another article) reproduced by Digital Deli Too.
rev. 1.9.10 ©2010Monsterwax Sci-Fi & Horror Monster Cards
