Lights Out 42-12-15 011 Knock at the Door

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Lights Out 42-12-15 011 Knock at the Door"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Air Date: October 26, 2025
Original Broadcast Date: December 15, 1942
Story by: Arch Oboler

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Overview:

This episode features the chilling "Knock at the Door" episode from the ‘Lights Out’ radio series, created and written by Arch Oboler. The story is a psychological horror tale centered on guilt, supernatural revenge, and the consequences of sin. The protagonist, Ella, delivers a confessional monologue interlaced with flashbacks and dialogue, recounting her descent into murder, madness, and supernatural terror. The episode is infused with themes of familial conflict, especially between women, and culminates in a harrowing confrontation with guilt personified.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Warnings (00:02 – 01:40)

• Arch Oboler warns listeners, setting the eerie tone and directly addressing those who may be disturbed by the subject matter:

  • “We tell you this frankly. So if you wish to avoid the excitement and tension of these imaginative plays, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your radio now.” (00:11, Arch Oboler)

• Oboler humorously deflects potential criticism from mothers-in-law, noting that he’s not responsible for what happens “in the twisted brains of my characters.” (00:20)

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2. Ella’s State of Mind: Opening Monologue (01:40 – 05:06)

• Ella (the narrator) is revealed in a basement, preparing to hang herself with a rope, wracked by fear of death despite her resolve.

  • “Afraid to die? Who isn’t?... I want to die. I gotta die.” (01:40, Ella)

• She recalls her strict father’s admonition: “The wages of sin are death.” (02:30, Arch Oboler)

• Ella justifies her actions: She was driven by hate, not sin:

  • "I killed her because I hated her." (02:48, Ella)

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3. The Mother-in-Law Conflict (03:04 – 07:51)

• Ella flashes back to her first meeting with Jay’s mother, instantly feeling like an unwanted intruder:

  • “Jay, you brought home a woman.” (04:03, Jay’s Mother/Arch Oboler via Ella’s memory)

• The mother-in-law dominates all aspects of the household:

  • “Nothing changed. Everything hers. ... It was her house and everything in it. All I had was Jay, and he wasn’t much.” (04:26, Ella)

• Ella confesses, “So I killed her.” (05:03, Ella)

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4. Descent into Darkness & Murder (05:24 – 07:51)

• The murder is recounted:

  • Ella lures her mother-in-law to the basement well, then pushes her in, cementing her act of matricide:
    • “It’s your well, isn’t it, Mama? ... Stay in it, Mama. ... Everything else is mine now.” (06:16, Ella)

• Jay never suspects, and the police are stymied.

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5. Planning the Second Murder (07:51 – 09:59)

• Ella quickly tires of Jay, plotting to kill him as well:

  • “Now I get free of him. Fill the house quick. Get away, away, Far away.” (08:15, Ella)

• She prepares a "last supper" for Jay, intending to lure him to his death in the basement.

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6. The Knock at the Door (09:59 – 12:50)

• A mysterious knocking interrupts Ella’s plan:

  • “We were sitting there eating, and there was a knocking at the door.” (09:59, Ella)
  • Jay investigates, and the knocking soon comes from the basement door.

• Ella is terrified, attempting to prevent Jay from answering, but he ignores her:

  • “No, Jay. Don’t open that door. Don’t, I tell you.” (11:21, Ella)

• The mother’s ghost returns; Jay, oblivious, brings her inside:

  • “Oh, Mama. Mama, you did come back. ... Now tell us, Mama, where you been?” (12:50, Jay/Arch Oboler)

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7. Haunting & Denial (12:50 – 15:17)

• Ella faints, convinced she’s seen a ghost. Jay is none the wiser.

• Ella investigates and confirms the mother’s body is still in the well, convincing herself it was all a dream.

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8. The Second Night – The Ghost Returns (16:18 – 18:04)

• The ghost returns the next night, more physically decayed:

  • “Her face was started to thunder. ... And Jay said, mama.” (16:37, Ella)

• Jay insists Ella should sleep upstairs with his mother, leaving Ella petrified.

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9. Final Confrontation: Guilt and The Supernatural (18:04 – 25:20)

• Alone and desperate, Ella realizes the ghost intends to keep her from killing Jay and to drive her mad.

• In a panic, Ella flees to the basement and attempts to hang herself, but cannot go through with it:

  • “Why don’t I do it? Cause I’m afraid. Afraid of dying.” (21:30, Ella)

• She tries to escape, but is trapped by the ghost. The episode ends in an ambiguous struggle between Ella’s guilt and the supernatural manifestation of her crime:

  • “You’re waiting. Waiting for my arms to get tired. So I’ll let go. But I won’t let go.” (23:15, Ella)

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10. Epilogue: The Question of the Supernatural (25:20 – End)

• Arch Oboler returns with context, referencing Charles Fort and the idea that "the best possible answer to the ghost question is, who knows?" (25:20, Arch Oboler)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “The wages of sin are death.”

  • Recurring phrase acting as a thematic refrain, representing Ella’s internalized guilt and her father’s morality. (02:30, recurring)

• “You brought home a woman.”

  • The mother-in-law’s cold greeting defines the dysfunctional dynamic. (04:03)

• “It’s your well, isn’t it, Mama? ... Stay in it.”

  • Ella’s chilling assertion as she kills her mother-in-law. (06:16)

• “No, Jay. Don’t open that door. Don’t, I tell you.”

  • The moment of supernatural intrusion heightens the tension. (11:21)

• “She’d come back from the dead to keep me from killing him. And she wanted me along. Upstairs. No. No, I wouldn’t do it.”

  • Ella realizes the ghost's intent for punishment and retribution. (18:04)

• “You’re waiting. Waiting for my arms to get tired. So I’ll let go. But I won’t let go.”

  • The gritty final standoff between Ella and her guilt (or the supernatural). (23:15)

• “Who knows?”

  • Arch Oboler’s closing meditation on the possibility of the supernatural. (25:20)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02 – Show introduction and warning (Arch Oboler)
• 01:40 – Ella’s desperate opening monologue
• 05:03 – Ella’s confession of murder
• 06:16 – The murder at the well
• 09:59 – “Last supper” and ghostly knocking begins
• 11:21 – The mother returns from the dead
• 12:50 – Jay’s oblivious joy at his mother's return
• 16:18 – The second haunting, thunderstorm
• 18:04 – Ella confronts the ghost, titanic struggle upstairs
• 21:30 – Suicide attempt, Ella’s ultimate fear of death
• 23:15 – Final standoff with the ghost/guilt
• 25:20 – Arch Oboler’s epilogue on ghosts and Charles Fort

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Conclusion

“Knock at the Door” is a masterclass in psychological horror built on the motifs of guilt, retribution, and the power of conscience (or the supernatural). Through Ella’s intense monologue and the tangible manifestation of her crimes, the episode explores the boundaries between madness and the supernatural—leaving the listener to contemplate whether the dead can truly return or if it is guilt that haunts the wicked.

Arch Oboler’s direct address lends a meta-textual element, inviting us to ponder, in his words:

• “The best possible answer to the ghost question is, who knows?” (25:20, Arch Oboler)

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For listeners who crave atmospheric horror, classic radio drama, and psychological suspense, this episode remains a standout from the Golden Age of Radio.

Transcript

[Arch Oboler]

Ironized Yeast presents life. Out, everybody. It is lighter than you please. Lights out brings you stories of the supernatural and the supernormal, dramatizing the fantasies and the mysteries of the unknown. We tell you this frankly. So if you wish to avoid the excitement and tension of these imaginative plays, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your radio now. My name, Arch Ovaler. Tonight, another in our series of tales of the weird and the unusual. I. I plead with all mothers in law who listen to tonight's story not to send me poison pen letters. Fact of the matter is, I like mothers in law. I'm really not responsible for what happens in the twisted brains of my characters, am I? But first, before we start, Frank Martin has a word for you. And now, Lights out, everybody.

[Ella]

Afraid to die? Who isn't? When I was just a kid, I used to wake up in the night and see the dark press and all around me. And I get so scared. I think I was dead buried. I'd try to scream. I couldn't. My voice. I'd know I was dead. I'd know it. I'd throw off the COVID I'd cry out, mother. Mother. Why? Why did I yell out like that? Why should I be scared now? I want to die. I gotta die. It's cold here in the basement. I wonder if the grave is cold. Why don't I get it over with? The ropes around my neck. One step off the ladder and I'll hang and die. And I gotta die. I gotta die.

[Arch Oboler]

The wages of sin are death.

[Ella]

Wager this sin, her death. Funny how I seemed to hear the words the way my father used to say them. The wages of sin. But was it sin?

[Arch Oboler]

No.

[Ella]

It was hate. I killed her because I hated her. I remember the first time we met. Jay had just married me and we were walking along the street to his house.

[Arch Oboler]

Oh, Ella, you'll like my ma. Really, you will.

[Ella]

Will I?

[Arch Oboler]

Sure, she's swell. Best woman in the world.

[Ella]

Is she?

[Arch Oboler]

Well, I mean. Well, you're my wife now, Ella. That proves what I think of you, don't it?

[Ella]

I guess it does.

[Arch Oboler]

Oh, you and Ma get along fine. Will this be a surprise to her? Well, here's the house. What do you think of it?

[Ella]

All right.

[Arch Oboler]

Yeah. Well, in we go. Will Ma's eyes pop when she sees you? Pop right out, I'll bet you. Come on, Ma. Open up. Got a surprise for you.

[Ella]

Jay. Where have you been, son? Where?

[Arch Oboler]

Oh, surprise. Amar, meet Ella.

[Ella]

Jay, you brought home a woman. When she said it that way, right from that minute I knew I hated her. And that's the way it was from then on. I wasn't Jay's wife to her, but a woman stranger in her house. And it was her house and everything in it. Nothing changed. Everything hers.

[Arch Oboler]

Ma, can I use your car to take Ella riding? Ma? Mind a fella. Plant some roses in your garden. Ma, is it all right if Ella you.

[Ella]

That's the way it was. Hers, hers. Everything hers. All I had was J. And he wasn't much. You can't blame me. You hear me? You can't blame me for not standing it. All my life I'd had nothing. And at last I was married and I still had nothing. Her house, her car, her money, her son. I couldn't stand it, I tell you. So I killed him.

[Arch Oboler]

The wages of sin are death.

[Ella]

Why do I keep hearing Pa's words in my head? I'm gonna kill myself. I'm gonna do it. If just that. I want to sit here on top of a ladder and think and talk about everything for a little while. The last chance I'll get.

[Arch Oboler]

Oh.

[Ella]

Like I said, I killed it. Well, not right away. I did it for weeks and months. But all the time inside of me, something was talking. Kill her.

[Arch Oboler]

Everything will be yours.

[Ella]

Killers. Oh, Christ. And then louder and louder until my head was filled with louder and louder until I. I couldn't stand it no more. Louder and louder. Until I said, yes, I'll do it. Yes, everything would be mine then. Everything. I always wanted it that way. It had to be that way here in this basement. That's where it happened. Jay went to work. I came down here. Oh, it wasn't very hard to do what I had to do. I remember every minute of it so well. Every minute. I called it. And she came down into the basement. You call me, Alice? Yes, I called you. What's the matter? Somebody took the lid off the steward down here. Land sakes alive. Now, who could have done that? Heavy iron cover like that? Jay wouldn't have done it. Is it deep down there? Of course it's deep. Ain't a sewer anyway. Covers an old well this building was built over. Oh. What are you owing about? Heard my son Jay tell you the same thing weeks ago. Yes, he did tell me. Funny, I forgot. Oh, look. What? Down in the well. Look, I. I don't see nothing. Look. It's your well, isn't it, Mama? Your well. Everything is yours. So stay. Stay in it. Stay in it, Mama. Stay in it. You're well, Mama. But everything else is mine now. Everything Mine. Mine. The way it was. Easy. Too easy. Jay came home.

[Arch Oboler]

He said, ella, where's Ma?

[Ella]

I don't know. She wasn't here when I got back from the store. Must have gone out.

[Arch Oboler]

Oh, well, she'll be back. Leave it tomorrow.

[Ella]

But she didn't come back. How could she? Jay went to the police. They came around. They asked questions. They went away and nothing happened. It was as easy as that.

[Arch Oboler]

Wages of sin are dead. Wages of sin are dead.

[Ella]

Why do I keep hearing that in my head? Why I'm gonna die. Rope around my neck. Just a little bit longer. Talking just a little. She. She was gone. And I had her house and her son. And then I didn't want him. I tell you, he made me sick just to look at him. Mama. Mama. I wanted to forget. Forget. And then one day I got an idea. There was more room under that iron lid in the basement, Wasn't there? That was it. Yes, that was it. Got free of her. Now I get free of him. Fill the house quick. Get away, away, Far away. Yeah, that was it. A free woman with my looks and all that money. Oh, would I have a time. I planned everything. Told the neighbors Jay was going on a trip. I said Jade wrote me to sell the place and join him out of town. I tell you, it was perfect. Came home that night. The night I was gonna let him join his mama.

[Arch Oboler]

Anybody home?

[Ella]

I'm always home.

[Arch Oboler]

You said that. Just like Mama used to. Did I say, that? Reminds me. I got a new detective agency working on the case. They think that maybe she lost her memory somehow. You know, like you read about.

[Ella]

All right. All right, what? Ella, sit down and eat your supper. You want it to get cold?

[Arch Oboler]

Well, don't see why you don't want to talk about finding Mama after all.

[Ella]

Sit down and eat your supper. You'll find your mama.

[Arch Oboler]

You think so? Well, sure. Oh, say, that's good hearing you say that. Finding my ma, that's something.

[Ella]

I feel like he sat down to eat. I'd made him a good supper. Why not? His last supper. And then it happened. We were sitting there eating, and there was a knocking at the door.

[Arch Oboler]

No. Who can that be?

[Ella]

How should I know? Get up and answer it.

[Arch Oboler]

Yeah. Peddler, I'll bet you. Nobody here.

[Ella]

Then shut the door and come on back and finish your supper.

[Arch Oboler]

That's funny. I heard knock and plain. Didn't you?

[Ella]

Yeah. Kid's playing jokes. Go on, eat. I want you to help me fix something in the basement.

[Arch Oboler]

Fix what?

[Ella]

You'll see. Finish your eating first.

[Arch Oboler]

Okay.

[Ella]

Those crazy kids. Nana. Sit where you are. I'll go and wait. For what?

[Arch Oboler]

Listen. That knocking. How funny it sounds.

[Ella]

Those kids.

[Arch Oboler]

But it's on the basement door. No. Wow. I better go see.

[Ella]

No, Jay. Don't open that door. Don't, I tell you.

[Arch Oboler]

Don't see. Why not? Somebody knock and I gotta see.

[Ella]

Jay, leave the door closed.

[Arch Oboler]

What's the matter with you? Gotta open it. Gotta.

[Ella]

No, Jay.

[Arch Oboler]

No. Mama. Mama. Ladies and gentlemen, this moment when the dead have returned is certainly a fit one to loosen your grip on that chair and take a deep breath. And slow up your pulse. Speed. And now back to lights out. Ella goes on with her story. The story of the return from death of the woman she had murdered.

[Ella]

Yeah, it was her, all right. Yes, she was. Eyes glaring. Dirty gray, old hair plastered wet around her face. Standing there, I could see her with my own eyes. And yet she was dead, I tell you. Dead. Jay didn't know that. No, he. He took that dead thing by the arm and he led her into the room and he sat her down in a chair.

[Arch Oboler]

Oh, Mama. Mama, you did come back. I knew you would. We both knew it, didn't we, Ella? Now tell us, Mama, where you been? Why'd you go? Yeah, why come back this funny way? The back way. Up the basement steps.

[Ella]

Why?

[Arch Oboler]

Mama. Mama, you're sick. Well, look, she's dripping wet. Ella, quick, take her upstairs and put her to bed. Yeah, and maybe you better sleep with her tonight. Keep her warm. Ella, why you looking so funny? Ella. Ma, Ella fainted. Why did she faint?

[Ella]

Why, sure, I fainted. Me sleep. Was that me? Keeps that warm. Oh, no. I didn't wake up until next morning. Jay was leaving for work. He told me she was sleeping in her room to take good care of her when she woke up. Then he went away happy his mama was back. When he was gone, I sat down there in the kitchen and waited. It got on to five. Soon he'd be coming home. I had to know. I tell you, I had to. I went upstairs to her room. I opened the door. Nobody there, I tell you. Nobody there. The bed. Not even slept in. She'd never been there. Never. I dreamed it. Jay dreamed it. She wasn't there. She hadn't come back. But I had to be sure. I went down in the basement. I pried up that old iron lid. There was the open well. I lit a lantern and held it in a black hole. I looked in. She was there, floating in the water like a big, fat. Oh, but she was still there. That's all that mattered. I piled things over the lid to hold it down. And. Old trunk boxes, heavy things. That's what I did. They came home After a while.

[Arch Oboler]

He said, hush, Mama.

[Ella]

I said, all right, he said, call.

[Arch Oboler]

Her down at dinner, will you?

[Ella]

I said, yeah, sure. Yeah, that's what I said. I knew Mama was all right, where she was. We sat down to dinner. We kept talking about her. How funny it was that she still was sleeping. How funny it was the way she came back. But all the time I was laughing inside myself. Because I knew what had happened was just a strange dream we both had had. Because she was dead. Dead and floating. We sat there eating. I felt good. A bad dream ended for this night. Jay would join his mama swimming. Yeah. And then, just like the night before it happened.

[Arch Oboler]

Say, now, who in the world's that? And it's the basement door again. Now what, Mama?

[Ella]

You.

[Arch Oboler]

Yeah.

[Ella]

I screamed. What good was that? There she was again. The water dripping down off her face and clothes and puddling on the floor. And this time I knew it was no dream. She came into the room. She sat down on a chair day talking. Talking all the time. He didn't see the way I saw that her face was started to thunder. And Jay said, mama.

[Arch Oboler]

Mama. You should never have sneaked out on a night like this. Not a bed with you. In the morning. I'll call the doctor. Ella, you take mom upstairs to bed. And this time be sure you sleep with her. You know how scared she is of thunder. Go on now. She soaked to the skin.

[Ella]

I just sat there. I tell you. I couldn't move. Thinking of going upstairs with her, being in the same room with her. It froze me to my chair. And Jay said.

[Arch Oboler]

I'll come to think of it, I'll go fetch the doctor right now. Can't take any more chances. Ella, you take Mama right upstairs and put her to bed. Lie down with her. Keep her warm till I get back with doctor.

[Ella]

Then he was gone. Gone after the doctor. I sat there, the flesh on me crawling. The doctor'd come and he'd see that she was dead. Dead a long time. He'd be sure to see it the way I saw it. Dead. And the water had. How long we sat there looking at each other, I don't know. And then her lips moved and it was like a cold wind. My son said to put me to bed. That's what she said. My son said to put me to bed. And then I understood the whole thing. She'd come back from the dead to keep me from Killing him. And she wanted me along. Upstairs. No. No, I wouldn't do it. I sat there without moving. Her lips moved again. He said to keep me warm. Come upstairs, Ella. To keep me warm. Me keeping that dead thing warm. Her wet, cold, dripping skin against. No, I wouldn't do it. She thought she'd make me crazy that way. Hold me in her bony arms until the scent in me ran out. The way the well water was running out of her. Make me crazy, something. To be locked away like they locked my own mother away. Crazy. Crazy. Oh, no. No, that wouldn't happen to me. She wouldn't make me crazy. Not me. I got to my feet. I turned quick before she could stop me. The basement door I locked up behind me. Ran down the basement steps. I knew how to cheat her. The sure way. The only way. That's why I'm down here now. The rope around my neck. The other end tied to the cross beam. I jump off this ladder, the rope will stretch. I'll be dead. Dead. And she'll never get me crazy. Still thundering. If I make noise as I choke, nobody'll hear me. And I'll die. And I'll never see her again. Why don't I do it now? There ain't much time. Day and the doctor will be coming back. I gotta be dead then. Good and dead. Or they'll find out the truth about her. Why don't I do it? No. Why don't I do it? Cause I'm afraid. Afraid of dying. That's. That's why I've been talking here in the dark. Cause I'm afraid. Oh, it'll be so dark. Empty things will go on in the world. And I'll have nothing but the dark. Why should I die? Yeah, why should I? If I left this house, she wouldn't follow me, would she? That's all she wants. The house, Jay. Well, she can have them. I'll go. I'll go right away. Far away there. They'll never find me. Never. Oh, the rope. It's so tight around my neck. Oh, I gotta get it off. I gotta hurry and get away before Jay and the duck. I can't get the rope off. Who? Who's there? Who's coming down the steps? Is that you, Jay? Oh, you. You followed me down. How could you? I locked the door. Oh, but then I put that iron lid over you too, didn't I? And it didn't do much good. Oh, listen. Listen. I'll go away. You hear me? I'll go away. This'll be your House and everything in it. Hear me? All yours again. And I'll leave him too. I won't take anything with me. I'll just go right away. Get the rope off. I'll go. You'll see me go. Oh, I made the noose so tight. I can't seem to. Mrs. Kroger, what are you gonna do? You're not gonna climb up the ladder. Oh, no.

[Arch Oboler]

No.

[Ella]

Stay off. Stay off, I tell you. Don't come closer. I can't stand you coming closer. Stay away. The ladder. The ladder will fall. The rope is still around my neck. If I fall off. No, no, no. You. You won't make me die. I've got hold of the rope with my hand. I won't choke. This way my arms are strong. I can hold onto the rope above my head for a long time. Jay will be home right away. He'll get me down. All. I live. I will. And you'll still be dead. Dead. I'll tell them. The fuel and the well. They'll believe me. They'll believe me. Well, say something. Say something. I know you're standing down there watching me. You're waiting. Waiting for my arms to get tired. So I'll let go. But I won't let go. I won't. I won't. Day. I'll be home. I can't let go. I can't hang. I gotta live. I gotta live. Oh, my arms. I'm so tired. I gotta hold on. I gotta hold on. Or the news. The new. Oh, cramping arm. Jay. Jay. I got a grip. My. I can't hold on anymore. Jay. I wouldn't have killed you. Yay. I can't hold on. Yay. Sam.

[Arch Oboler]

Mr. Ovaler, last week and again this. You really believe the dead can return to avenge. Well, I have an answer this week, a factual one, which will wait for a moment for you. Mr. Martin, you were about to tell us. Yes. About the return of the dead. Whether or not I believe that the dead could return to avenge an evil. Frank, have you ever heard of Charles Fort? No, I haven't. Well, Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 and died in New York in 19. The unusual, the supernormal, the supernatural fascinated him. Just as one man might collect postage stamps. Charles Ford for 20 or 30 years collected records of phenomena which dogmatic science couldn't explain. Strange murders and so forth. I suggest that, therefore, that any of you who think that this is the only possible world spend a very pleasant weekend reading these records in Mr. Fort's work. The book of the damned. The best possible answer to the ghost question is, who knows? And now, what about next week, Mr. Oebler? Well, next week, a story of suspense which is, I believe, quite different from anything you've ever heard before. Have you ever watched a shooting star streak across the sky and suddenly have a feeling of almost terror? But, well, all that's next week. Lights out will come to you again next Tuesday. At the same time, be sure to listen to Arch Ober's weird story of the thing out of interstellar as space. And if you need more vitamin B and iron, be sure to try ironized yeast. The one and only ironized yeast with the big letters IY on the package and on each tablet. Do you intend to be well dressed next year? Then take good care of the clothes you now own. Because there's a shortage in many clothing materials. And to help get the best wear from your present clothes, keep them free of grease spots with energene cleaning fluid. Grease spots are the favorite feeding place of moths all year round. Grease spots also make your clothes look worn, run down, old before their time. But with energene, you can remove those grease spots easily, neatly, efficiently. To help care for your clothes. Get energene cleaning fluid tomorrow. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.