Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Date With Judy 45-11-06 Ep126 "The Haunted House"
Air Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Original Air Date: November 6, 1945

Overview

This episode of Harold's Old Time Radio takes listeners back to 1945 with a classic episode of A Date With Judy, titled "The Haunted House." The comedy revolves around a teenage sorority initiation planned in the supposedly haunted Higgins house, simultaneously intersected by local dads attempting a secret poker night at the same location. The episodes’ primary theme explores youthful mischief, intersecting family hijinks, and the fun of a scare—along with the generational divide in taking such superstitions seriously.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Highlights

1. Judy’s Sorority Initiation Plans

[02:29–05:15]

• Judy, excited for her sorority's annual initiation ceremony for new pledge Barbara Mason, describes the planned “spooky” proceedings to her mother and brother.
• The setting is the Higgins House, rumored to be haunted. Judy assumes the role of “Supreme High Keeper of the Sacred Owl.”
• Notable Quotes:
  • "Oh, Mother, this is just about the most exciting and absolutely thrilling night of my life." – Judy Foster [02:29]
  • "That’s the whole idea. When a neophyte is very scared, it makes it easier to impress into her the importance of the mystic rights of the sorority." – Judy Foster [04:54]

2. Dads’ Secret Poker Game

[05:31–10:10]

• Meanwhile, Judy’s father, Melvin Foster, tells his wife he has a “meeting,” but is in fact joining Ed Emerson for a clandestine poker game—also at the Higgins House.
• The men’s banter about hiding their game and wives’ suspicions adds comic undertones.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "Well, I do. I most certainly do. But—" – Melvin, on who 'wears the pants' [05:46]
  • "We need your father...very badly. Well, I'll keep trying to reach him." – Ed Emerson (posing as 'George Soper') [07:56]

3. Converging at the Haunted House

[10:48–14:37]

• Both groups arrive at the Higgins House, unknowingly overlapping. As the sorority initiation begins, the dads make their way through the darkened house.
• Comic tension mounts as Judy's group and the dads hear each other's noises, and everyone grows increasingly spooked, suspecting the house is truly haunted.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "Honestly, it’s the most impressive thing you ever saw. Just a dim candle glowing in the center of the room and everyone dressed in their black ceremonial robes and hoods." – Judy Foster [04:23]
  • "Let’s get out of here. This place really is haunted." – Melvin Foster [13:24]
  • "I didn’t hoot." – Mitzi [14:34]; "Wasn’t that you?" – Judy Foster [14:37]

4. Pranks and Escalating Confusion

[16:00–23:14]

• Judy’s brother Randolph and friend Curly catch on, decide to prank those inside by making ominous noises and moans.
• The whole house is soon filled with shrieking, moans, and confusion, as the sorority girls and dads each believe supernatural forces are afoot.
• Both groups attempt to escape via the porch roof, crossing paths and catching glimpses of each other dressed in black, heightening the confusion (and hilarity).
• Notable Quotes:
  • "I don’t think zombies wear black like that." – Ed Emerson [23:06]
  • "What is it? Looks like black ghosts or something sneaking down over the porch." – Melvin Foster [22:48]

5. Climax and Resolution

[24:03–26:41]

• The truth is slowly revealed as everyone escapes. Melvin and Ed realize they've been duped and mocked for their fright, while Randolph leverages the event for blackmail, threatening to reveal their secret poker night to their wives in exchange for hush money.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "Shall we say $5, 250, Scrooge? ...So this is absolutely black robbery." – Randolph and Ed Emerson [26:31–26:44]
  • "You would have lost much more than this at your, shall we say, meeting." – Randolph Foster [26:41]

6. Return Home & Epilogue

[27:49–28:58]

• Back home, Judy is still rattled, convinced she’s encountered a ghost; Randolph and Melvin share a knowing look, keeping the night’s exploits (and secrets) to themselves, as Mrs. Foster’s note reveals she too ended up at a card game with Mrs. Emerson.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "Judy, don’t be silly. There’s no such thing as a ghost." – Melvin Foster [28:04]
  • "Shall we say $5, 250, Scrooge?... So this is absolutely black robbery." – Randolph & Ed Emerson [26:31–26:44]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Oh, Mother, this is just about the most exciting and absolutely thrilling night of my life.”
  — Judy Foster [02:29]

• "That’s the whole idea. When a neophyte is very scared, it makes it easier to impress into her the importance of the mystic rights of the sorority.”
  — Judy Foster [04:54]

• “Let’s get out of here. This place really is haunted.”
  — Melvin Foster [13:24]

• “I didn’t hoot."
  — Mitzi [14:34]
  “Wasn’t that you?”
  — Judy Foster [14:37]

• "I don’t think zombies wear black like that."
  — Ed Emerson [23:06]

• "Shall we say $5, 250, Scrooge?... So this is absolutely black robbery."
  — Randolph Foster & Ed Emerson [26:31–26:44]

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 02:29 | Judy announces her role in the sorority initiation | | 05:31 | Melvin and Ed plot their poker game in secret | | 10:48 | Both parties arrive at the haunted Higgins House | | 13:56 | First supernatural-style noises panic both groups | | 16:00 | Randolph and Curly scheme to prank those inside | | 22:48 | Escapes, porch encounters, and “zombie” sightings | | 24:03 | The mix-ups unfold and identities are discovered | | 26:31 | Randolph blackmails the adults | | 28:02 | The Foster family reflects and trades winks at home | | 28:27 | Mrs. Foster’s card-game note is discovered, ending the night with an ironic twist |

Tone and Style

This classic episode delivers homespun humor with a mischievous spirit, blending innocent pranks with witty, old-fashioned family banter. The characters’ playful bickering captures the tone of 1940s radio comedy: warm, lighthearted, and gently satirical.

Final Thoughts

“A Date With Judy: The Haunted House” offers a vintage slice of Americana: spunky teenagers, mischievous dads, and a haunted house that turns out to be a haven for playful chaos rather than real ghouls. Listeners get a lively window into the sitcom conventions and comedic timing of radio’s golden age—a treat for nostalgic audiences and newcomers alike.