Podcast Summary

Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Beyond Midnight – All At Sea
Date: March 13, 2026
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Original Story by: Michael McKay

Overview

This episode of "Harold's Old Time Radio" presents a chilling story from the classic radio series "Beyond Midnight," titled “All At Sea.” The tale unfolds aboard the ocean liner Kamchatka, delving into the terrors and supernatural phenomena rumored to haunt cabin 105. The story is told from the perspective of an experienced sailor, Mr. Brisbane, who finds himself entangled in the unexplainable events that have claimed the lives of previous occupants.

Key Discussion Points & Story Progression

1. Setting the Scene: The Mysterious Kamchatka

• [01:12] The narrator, a veteran Atlantic traveler, introduces the Kamchatka as his once-preferred ship, now shunned due to a haunting experience.
• Quote: “She emphatically and no longer is... I won’t cross that duck pond in her again. Why? You’ll find out. You’ll find out the terror that was curtained in the upper berth...” (A, 01:29)

2. Introduction to Cabin 105

• [04:10] The steward’s nervousness is noted as he brings the narrator to cabin 105, which hints at the cabin’s ill repute.
• The narrator is displeased to find he’ll be sharing the cabin.

3. First Night – An Eerie Encounter

• [05:50] The narrator’s roommate is described as odd, pale, and unsettling. The narrator decides to avoid him when possible.
• [07:40] An inexplicable chill and dampness are present, and the roommate leaves mysteriously during the night.

4. Meeting the Doctor—Rumored Deaths

• [10:45] At breakfast, the ship’s doctor warns Brisbane of the dangerous reputation of cabin 105: three men in a row have disappeared from that cabin on previous trips.
• Quote: “Just because on the last three trips the people who have slept there actually have gone overboard.” (Doctor, 13:51)
• The doctor encourages Brisbane to move cabins, hinting at superstitions among the crew.

5. News of Disappearance

• [14:25] The Captain informs Brisbane that his roommate has vanished—he’s believed to have gone overboard, making him the fourth such case.
• [15:32] Brisbane recounts his experience; the Captain says the events mirrored those recounted by other cabin mates before.
• The Captain pleads with Brisbane to stay in a different room, but Brisbane refuses, requesting improvements and an investigation.

6. The Persistent Porthole

• [19:35] The steward asserts that nobody can keep the porthole in cabin 105 closed. Brisbane bets that if it opens by itself, he’ll pay the steward five pounds.
• Quote: “There’s nobody on board as can keep that porthole shut. You can try it yourself, sir.” (Steward, 19:47)

7. Second Night – Direct Confrontation with the Uncanny

• [21:10] Despite securing the porthole, Brisbane awakens to a cold draft; the porthole is again open.
• He investigates the upper berth and touches something that feels like a wet, icy arm. A struggle ensues, and the creature flees, leaving behind a smell of seawater.
• [23:40] The doctor refuses to join Brisbane in the investigation, stating that ships bring out superstitions for good reason.
• Quote: “It’s my business to cure passengers’ ailments, not monkey about with ghosts and things.” (Doctor, 25:40)

8. Investigation with the Captain

• [27:05] Brisbane enlists the skeptical Captain to help; the cabin is thoroughly examined by the crew, to no avail.
• The steward suggests barring the cabin permanently.
• [29:37] Brisbane insists on spending another night in 105, this time with the Captain as a witness.

9. Final Night – The Supernatural Revealed

• [32:00] As they wait, the porthole opens by itself. The upper berth exudes the smell of seawater; their lantern suddenly extinguishes.
• Brisbane seizes a “horrible, ghostly thing,” described as the drowned corpse of a man, which wrestles with him and escapes through the porthole.
• Quote: “I was wrestling with a dead thing. It wound its corpse’s arms around my neck. The living death that was overpowering me.” (Brisbane, 35:20)

10. Aftermath and Lasting Mystery

• [36:03] The cabin is locked for good, permanently out of use—“engaged by something that’s dead.”
• The Captain never sails again; the narrator refuses to travel on the Kamchatka. The presumed explanation is a haunting by the spirit of a lunatic who first perished from the berth, condemned to replay his death.
• Quote: “If ever you take a passage on the Kamshatzka, you may ask for berth in that cabin. You’ll be told that it is engaged. It is engaged. By something that’s dead.” (Brisbane, 37:10)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• The Doctor on Seafaring Superstition:
  “We’re not superstitious in our profession, sir. But the sea makes people so.” (Doctor, 12:32)

• The Captain on the Cabin’s Curse:
  “You shall have the choice of the officers’ cabins, including mine, for the rest of the trip. Is that a bargain?” (Captain, 16:08)

• After the Ghostly Encounter:
  “I believe that somehow that poor wretch who flung himself overboard, the first one, the lunatic. I believe he’s concerned. Condemned until that ship sailed the Atlantic for the last time.” (Brisbane, 38:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|:-------------:| | Mysterious reputation of the Kamchatka | 01:12 | | Arrival at cabin 105 | 04:10 | | Description of the odd roommate | 05:50 | | Doctor warns of cabin’s past | 10:45 | | Fourth disappearance revealed | 14:25 | | The porthole’s mystery | 19:35 | | Encounter with the supernatural | 21:10 | | Doctor’s refusal to help | 23:40 | | Captain joins the investigation | 27:05 | | Showdown with the ghost | 32:00 | | Fate of cabin 105 sealed | 36:03 |

Tone and Language

• The narrative is steeped in classic ghost story atmosphere: formal, detailed, laced with dry wit and understated terror.
• The dialogue between characters retains a “stiff upper lip” British demeanor, skeptical but curious, and never sensationalist.
• Notable is the respect for supernatural folklore among ship’s crew, balanced with scientific rationalism by the doctor and the methodical approach by the captain.

Conclusion

“All At Sea” is a quintessential Golden Age radio horror episode: moody, methodical, and subtly terrifying. The story delivers building suspense, culminating in a memorably creepy confrontation that leaves the mystery just tantalizingly out of the listener’s grasp. For fans of classic supernatural mysteries, this is a must-listen—fright delivered with a sailor’s stoicism and the chilling inevitability of the sea.