Podcast Summary: “Dark Fantasy 42-01-23 (10) The Headless Dead (1)”

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: October 9, 2025
Original Airdate (Show within Episode): January 23, 1942
Episode Focus: "The Headless Dead" from the radio series Dark Fantasy

Overview

This episode features a dramatized supernatural tale from the Golden Age of Radio, called “The Headless Dead,” originally aired as part of the Dark Fantasy series. The plot centers on Frederick J. Holman’s eerie visit to London’s Tower and the haunted Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, exploring ghostly legends, skepticism versus belief, and a chilling encounter with the titular headless dead. The episode is an archetype of classic horror-radio, rich with atmospheric suspense and unnerving twists.

Key Discussion Points and Story Highlights

Visiting the Tower of London

• Setting the Scene: Frederick J. Holman is guided by Mr. Swift (spelled with an 'e'), as he tours the Tower of London and exchanges banter about famous ghostly legends.
• Skepticism vs. Belief: Holman laughs off stories, like the gambling spook of Wycketh Hall and the pig-faced specter of the rectory. Swift counters with somber, matter-of-fact belief in the uncanny.
  • Quote:
    • Ben Morris as Holman: “Don't tell me Mr. Swift with an e. Don't tell me you believe in such things as ghosts and haunts.” (01:30)
    • Fred Wayne as Swift: “But I believe, sir, I believe.” (01:43)

The Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula

• Entering the Chapel: Holman is fascinated as Swift explains the buried dead beneath the flagstones, including English royalty such as Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.
  • Quote:
    • Fred Wayne as Swift: “Including, I might add, two of England's queens.” (05:14)
    • Ben Morris as Holman: “Not actually.” (05:19)
    • Fred Wayne as Swift: “Oh, yes, Actually... Few people have, sir.” (05:20)

The Haunted Organ

• The Organ’s Mystery: Holman plays the historic, banned pipe organ and a spectral Latin voice echoes through the chapel, shocking them both.
  • Quote:
    • Eleanor Naylor Corren (Ghostly Voice): “Play.” (07:04)
    • Fred Wayne as Swift: “He always speaks like that in Latin. Whenever a stranger plays his organ for the first time.” (07:06)
    • Ben Morris as Holman: “Amazing. Absolutely incredible.” (08:18)
• Swift's Reassurance: Swift, clearly unsettled himself, tries to assure Holman, but encourages him to leave.

The Sleep and the Awakening

• Holman Falls Asleep: Alone, inexplicably drowsy, Holman dozes in a chapel pew and awakens to find himself locked in—and no longer alone.

The Parade of the Headless Dead

• Supernatural Manifestation: Holman witnesses flagstones moving as ghostly, headless figures rise and form a procession.
  • Quote:
    • Ben Morris as Holman: “Dozens of them now leaving their tombs, forming a procession down the middle aisle of the chapel. And each of them is headless and carrying his head before him in his hands.” (11:52)
• The Leader Reveals Himself: The armored leader approaches, stating Holman must now join them.
  • Quote:
    • Garland Moss as Leader: “It is not our custom to hold our rights while an intruder is present.” (12:44)
    • Garland Moss: “You're now as one of us.” (13:00)

The Oath and Bargain

• Holman Bargains for Time: Pleading for postponement, Holman swears to return at midnight the next night, repeating a chilling oath.
  • Key Oath Excerpt:
    • Garland Moss: “Raise your right hand...Repeat after me. I solemnly swear by the souls of the sacred dead to return to this chapel tomorrow at midnight.” (17:06-17:18)

The Aftermath: Reality or Nightmare?

• Confiding in Laura: At home, Holman shares the story with his wife, Laura, who insists it must be a result of ghost stories and imagination.
  • Quote:
    • Eleanor Naylor Corren as Laura: “But things like that don't happen.” (19:27)
    • Ben Morris: “Oh, dear, you're wrong. I've never believed in such things before now.” (19:37)
• Holman's Resolve Wavers: He decides not to return, trying to convince himself—and Laura—it was all a dream.

The Fatal Return

• Haunted by Voices: On his way home, Holman begins to hear the voices from his eerie experience, even as his chauffeur Henry hears nothing.
  • Quote:
    • Ben Morris: “That voice. Voice? Mr. Holman, don't you hear that voice? No, sir. I don't hear nothing, sir. Listen. It's him. Listen to him.” (22:58)
• The Deadly Crash and Final Welcome: Distracted by the voices, the car crashes. In the afterlife, Holman is welcomed by the leader of the headless dead, keeping his “appointment” after all.
  • Quote:
    • Garland Moss: “Greetings, Frederick Holman, and welcome. I am pleased that you have kept your appointment with us.” (24:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You see only as far as you permit yourself to see, sir.” — Fred Wayne (04:12, 23:32)
• “In that procession are some of history's most famous people.” — Garland Moss (14:57)
• “No one can look upon the possession of the headless dead unless he joined them to save himself.” — Garland Moss (15:53)
• “It wasn't a dream. The flagstones of the sanctuary floor are also tombstones. It's true. It wasn't a dream.” — Ben Morris (23:51–24:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:46] — Garland Moss introduces himself as “master of the headless dead.”
• [02:12] — Stories of the pig-faced specter and other Tower legends.
• [04:41] — Discovery of the chapel's history and tombstones beneath flagstones.
• [06:13] — Holman plays the organ; spectral voice heard.
• [10:47] — Holman sees the floor moving, the headless procession appears.
• [12:37] — The leader of the headless dead confronts Holman.
• [17:06–17:30] — Holman's oath to return at midnight.
• [18:13] — Holman confesses to his wife, doubts his own sanity.
• [21:28] — Holman, in denial, refuses to return but is haunted en route.
• [24:59] — Post-crash, Holman is welcomed among the headless dead.

Tone & Legacy

Dark Fantasy delivers its signature blend of gothic atmosphere, classical ghost story elements, and existential dread with understated yet ominous performances. The dialogue is clipped, British, and at times self-deprecating, with Holman’s skepticism slowly unraveling into terror.

This episode stands as a showcase of radio’s power to unsettle and haunt through sound and storytelling alone, bridging skepticism and belief, and ending with the suggestion that some debts—once promised—cannot be escaped, not even in death.

For fans of vintage radio and supernatural tales, “The Headless Dead” is a prime example of mid-century audio horror at its finest—creepy, clever, and lingering long after the final note fades.