Podcast Summary: "Murder at Midnight – Till Death Do Us Part"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Murder at Midnight 46xxxx (013) – Till Death Do Us Part
Air Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This classic episode from the golden age radio series "Murder at Midnight" immerses listeners in a macabre newlywed tale: "Till Death Do Us Part." What begins as a honeymoon spirals into psychological torment, obsession, and the quest for the perfect crime. The narrative blurs love and vengeance, with literary references and psychological manipulation at its chilling core.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Opening and Setting the Stage (00:39–02:08)

• The narrator sets a foreboding tone:
  “Midnight. The witching hour. When the night is darkest, our fears the strongest and our strength at its lowest ebb...” (01:06)
• Introduction of Frank and Ruth Clark, with an immediate sense of unease as Frank caresses and nearly chokes Ruth (00:46–01:06).

2. The Honeymoon Turns Dark (02:08–05:55)

• Frank oscillates between deep affection and disturbing urges:
  • “Ruth, I want to tell you something... I love you.” (02:14)
  • Recitation of poetry with dark undertones by Ruth, hinting at something sinister concealed within love.
• Ruth, calm and affectionate, seems to brush away Frank’s concerns—even when he blurts:
  • “When I take you in my arms... I love you and I want you so, that I feel a hideous urge to... to strangle you to death.” (04:13–04:20)

3. Frank’s Inner Turmoil and the Mysterious Line (05:55–07:44)

• Frank confides his obsessive urges, questioning whether he is going mad.
• Reference to his recent traumatic car accident and Ruth's psychological training.
• Frank recalls Ruth reading him a particular line during his hospital recovery, underlying his torment:
  • “There’s something you read to me over and over when I was barely conscious. I’ve heard it ever since. Deep down… I feel that it had something to do with my crazy behavior last night.” (07:20–07:35)

4. Descent into Madness and Self-Exile (08:30–10:24)

• Frank flees the honeymoon suite, checking out abruptly, tormented by the line he can’t remember:
  • “She’s better off without me... would make a nice corpse in a bridal suite.” (08:48)
  • Frank, in a delirium, calls himself "Jack the Ripper" or "Bluebeard" when speaking to the cabby (09:54).
• The cab driver notices his odd behavior and obsession with "the line."

5. Ruth’s Loyalty and the Police Station (13:49–17:13)

• Ruth traces Frank to a boarding house, expressing unwavering devotion despite his threats:
  • “I won’t. You need me. I’m your wife. Come back to me, Frank.” (14:05)
• Inspector Wade grills Ruth about Frank’s potential for violence, her safety, and the mysterious line.
  • “Man loves wife so much he wants to strangle her. Kisses her, gets an irresistible yen to choke her to death. And on their honeymoon. You want to prefer charges?” (15:03–15:17)
• Ruth refuses to press charges and insists on helping Frank, even as the Inspector warns her:
  • “You die just as dead when you’re in love.” (16:58)

6. The Truth Revealed: Power of Suggestion and Revenge (17:51–22:56)

• Frank returns to Ruth, convinced her psychological manipulation is at fault:
  • “I’m convinced now that you’ve done it all with a single line. A single line of poetry. In my jail cell, I was sure of it.” (19:59–20:13)
• Ruth confesses her elaborate plot. The fatal car crash was not accidental, her sister’s death was involved, and she’s orchestrated the entire scenario for revenge:
  • “I had to commit the perfect crime... Even the police will testify that it was against a homicidal maniac.” (21:35–21:45)
  • “You killed my sister... She told me... she was going to crash the car... including what you’d done to her.” (22:00–22:11)

7. The Poisoned Line and Fatal Climax (22:56–23:38)

• The line is finally identified as coming from Oscar Wilde’s "The Ballad of Reading Gaol."
• Ruth, holding a gun, aims to kill Frank for revenge:
  • “Now do you see why I wasn’t afraid of you?” (22:57)
• The final revelation:
  • Ruth: “All men kill the thing they love.” (23:28)
• Inspector Wade enters, but too late to stop the tragedy, closing with the refrain from Wilde’s poem.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Frank’s haunted confession:
  “When I take you in my arms… I love you and I want you so that I feel a hideous urge to… to strangle you to death.” — Frank Clark (04:13–04:20)

• Ruth’s psychological mastery:
  “Now do you see why I wasn’t afraid of you?... I had to commit the perfect crime. And I’ve done it.” — Ruth Clark (22:57–21:35)

• The line that spurred madness:
  “All men kill the thing they love.” — Ruth Clark (23:28)

• Reflection on love and death:
  “You die just as dead when you’re in love.” — Inspector Wade (16:58)

• Inspector Wade’s poetic irony:
  “How’s the next line go, Mrs. Clark?... it happened to be The Ballad of Reading Jail.” — Inspector Wade (23:38–24:14)

Important Timestamps

• [00:39] — Show introduction and signature "Murder at Midnight" opening
• [02:08] — Start of Frank and Ruth's dialogue; dark tension established
• [04:13] — First explicit declaration of Frank’s murderous urge
• [08:30] — Frank’s breakdown and flight from honeymoon suite
• [14:01] — Ruth’s devotion despite the threat
• [15:03] — Inspector Wade's incredulity and offer to charge Frank
• [19:59] — Frank's realization of poetic manipulation
• [21:35] — Ruth’s detailed confession and the master plan
• [23:28] — Climactic revelation of Wilde’s line and gunfire showdown
• [24:14] — Inspector Wade's final poetic reflection

Tone & Style

The episode sustains a moody, gothic atmosphere, blending literary allusions (Oscar Wilde, poetry) with melodramatic performances. The interplay between psychological suspense, doomed romance, and vengeance delivers the quintessential flavor of golden age radio thrillers.

For Listeners

This episode exemplifies "Murder at Midnight" at its most psychologically rich and sinister. It’s a tightly-woven story of obsession, manipulation, and fatal attraction—well worth a listen for fans of vintage suspense, literary mysteries, and psychological drama.

Key takeaway: Sometimes the deadliest weapon is a single, well-chosen line.