The Gory, Glory Days of Radio
Art from the OTR trading card set, Tune In For Terror © 1992
The violence and gore of 1930s through 50s radio horror was unsurpassed in its time. It was way too strong to show on movie screens or comic book pages. But horror drama flourished on radio because it occurred in the mind. Officially, the National Association of Broadcasters revised their code of ethics in 1947 to forbid (1.) Excessive horror in slaying, (2.) Kidnapping or beating of children, or (3.) Third degree methods by the police. However, compliance was voluntary and it tyically fired at least 80 programs of horror and blood curdling aventures at its audience every week-- especially on Sunday. (Grams, 34). Morever, the guidelines were subject to interpretation. What read on the script as "he stabs her, she dies" might look acceptable on paper, but it could become truely terrifying with the right sound effects and convincing actress. If there was a complaint, in most cases there was never a recording and the script was the only record. The printed word often looked mild compared to what the audience actually heard. The sheer brutality and terror of the scene was often enhanced by the performers, the musicians, the sound men, and most of all-- the listener's imagination.
This made it very difficult for the bureaucrats to regulate radio the same way they eventually did with the Hayes Commission controlling Hollywood, or the Comic Book Code telling comic book publishers what they could and couldn't print. Unfortunately, there was a more menacing threat that lurked in the shadows, waiting to decimate radio. Its initials were T.V.. Once Americans started buying them in mass, Hollywood was hungry for better weekly programs and they paid more to lure the best writers and performers to the new medium. This not only robbed radio of many of its best best writers, actors, and series, it also took away most of radio's audience. Radio has attempted a few revivals, but today's talent follows the gold, and for that reason alone, radio's Golden Age seems gone forever.
Thank goodness that several far seeing collectors had the wisdom to squirrel away a fragment of the best programs for future generations. A priceless art form would have otherwise been completely destroyed.
rev. 2/21/05