Podcast Summary: Beyond Midnight – The House was a Sphinx

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Airdate: March 13, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode is a classic radio drama from the "Beyond Midnight" series, titled The House was a Sphinx. The story evokes the tension, mystery, and melodrama characteristic of radio plays from the Golden Age, centering on a haunted family home, a forbidden romance, the secrets behind locked doors, and the tragic consequences of love, suspicion, and misunderstanding.

Main Theme and Purpose

The episode explores the allure and foreboding nature of old family secrets, set against the backdrop of a sprawling, empty, mysterious estate (“the house was a sphinx”). Through the troubled romance of Bonnie Daniels and Davy Snowden, the drama unfurls themes of class, suspicion, the legacy of family, and the dangers of manipulation—culminating in a tragic consequence that reveals the house's metaphorical riddle.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

1. Atmosphere and Setting

• [02:19] Narrator: Describes the deserted, imposing house:
  “The house was a sphinx squatting on the hillside. It had the dark, sullen look of all empty houses, but its size also made it seem tragic…”
• The young couple, Bonnie Daniels and Davy Snowden, arrive and reminisce about the history of the house:
  • Family’s loss, memories of childhood, the house always being rented out, and the mysterious locked room [03:43].

2. The Locked Door Mystery

• [05:46] Davy finds a door that won’t open; Bonnie reveals it's always been locked, forbidden by her father.
  • “No, no, it isn't stuck. It's locked. It's always been locked.” – Bonnie Daniels [05:54]
• Davy jokes about family secrets:
  • “Maybe it's full of hanging women, like Bluebeard's castle. Or I tell you what, maybe it's where the family jewels are hidden.” [06:33]
• Bonnie is fearful; she wants to leave the door alone.

3. Romantic Defiance and Family Confrontation

• Bonnie and Davy are discovered together by Bonnie’s mother, Mrs. Daniels [08:11].
  • Classic confrontation: mother fears for her daughter’s reputation and inheritance, suspects Davy’s motives.
• The couple reveal they have secretly married:
  • “We were married in Elton this afternoon.” – Bonnie Daniels [08:59]
• Mrs. Daniels determined to annul the marriage, believing Davy is after money [10:27–10:31].

4. Young Love and Insecurity

• Bonnie struggles with self-image and Davy’s motives.
  • “Do you think I'm plain?... Tell me the truth, Davey.” – Bonnie Daniels [12:08]
  • Davy reassures her: “I think you're beautiful.” [12:08]

5. Desperation and the Mock Suicide Plot

• Legal threats: Davy consults lawyers, learns that Mrs. Daniels may undo the marriage [14:39–15:14].
• To prove their love, Davy concocts a plan: Bonnie will fake a suicide attempt to shock her mother into accepting the marriage [16:00–17:13].
  • “What would your mother think if she thought you were really serious about killing yourself? Wouldn't that make her change her mind in a hurry?” – Davy [16:23]
• Bonnie is hesitant, but Davy convinces her to act [17:03–17:49].

6. Tragic Consequence

• Bonnie takes sleeping pills as part of the ruse, but she does not wake up as planned [19:08–21:00].
• The plan goes awry, and a terrible secret is revealed:
  • “Not with Bonnie's heart… she's had rheumatic fever when she was [a child]. Her heart's been weak ever since.” – Mrs. Daniels [23:01]
• Bonnie's death is the unintended result of the deception and her underlying illness.

7. Aftermath and Final Revelation

• Mrs. Daniels handles Bonnie’s estate, clarifying Davy inherits nothing—Bonnie’s inheritance reverts to her mother [24:24].
• In a gesture of cold resolution, Mrs. Daniels gives Davy the old house:
  • “Anyway, it's yours, Mr. Snowden. You have complete possession of the land, the house and everything in it.” [25:16–25:40]
• Davy is given the keys; he finally opens the locked room [26:29–26:33].
• The final twist:
  • The locked room contains nothing but rotten floorboards—a deadly trap overlooked by Bonnie’s miserly father [28:00–28:19].
  • “I knew there was nothing behind that door except rotten floorboards… someone might fall through that terrible overhang and be dashed to pieces…” – Mrs. Daniels [28:12]

8. Coda

• The metaphor of the house as a sphinx is realized: it held danger, secrets, and loss, with the tragedy springing from what was hidden—both in rooms and in people’s hearts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the House
  • “The house was a sphinx squatting on the hillside. It had the dark, sullen look of all empty houses…” — Narrator [02:19]
• On Forbidden Secrets
  • “It's locked. It's always been locked… Daddy once told me never to go near this room…” — Bonnie Daniels [05:54–06:11]
• On Young Love
  • “I love Bonnie, Mrs. Daniels.” — Davy Snowden [09:45]
  • “Tell me the truth, Davey. Do you think I'm plain?” — Bonnie Daniels [12:08]
  • “I think you're beautiful.” — Davy Snowden [12:08]
• On Manipulation and Desperation
  • “What would your mother think if she thought you were really serious about killing yourself? Wouldn't that make her change her mind in a hurry…” — Davy Snowden [16:23]
• On Tragedy
  • “Not with Bonnie’s heart…she’s had rheumatic fever…Her heart’s been weak ever since.” — Mrs. Daniels [23:01]
• On The House’s Real Secret
  • “I knew there was nothing behind that door except rotten floorboards…someone might fall through that terrible overhang and be dashed to pieces…” — Mrs. Daniels [28:12]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:19 – Description of the house as a “sphinx”; set-up of the episode’s central mystery
• 05:46–06:33 – Discovery and discussion of the locked room
• 08:11–11:08 – Confrontation between Bonnie, Davy, and Mrs. Daniels (marriage revelation)
• 14:39–15:19 – Davy seeks legal counsel; desperation sets in
• 16:00–17:49 – Davy devises the fake suicide plan
• 19:07–21:00 – Bonnie takes the pills; plan starts to unravel
• 23:01 – Mrs. Daniels’ reveals Bonnie’s heart condition; the true danger
• 24:24–25:51 – Mrs. Daniels gives Davy the house, revealing her motives and closure
• 26:29–28:19 – Davy finally enters the locked room; the house’s secret is revealed

Tone and Presentation

• The episode maintains an ominous, suspenseful, and melodramatic tone throughout, echoing the style of mid-century radio mysteries:
  • Narration is descriptive and atmospheric.
  • Dialogue is emotionally charged, with youthful passion and parental suspicion.
  • The ending carries a somber, moralistic weight, reflecting on hidden dangers—both literal and figurative.

Summary Insight

A Gothic radio drama that uses the motif of a locked room to explore generational secrets, tragic love, and the heavy cost of manipulation. The “sphinx” house is a metaphor for the questions and dangers families hide, with the ultimate tragedy revealing the peril in both what’s concealed and what’s left unresolved.

If you missed the episode, this summary covers all key narrative developments, themes, and memorable lines—without needing to hear the show itself.