The Horror! (Old Time Radio)

Episode: The Black Cat by Mystery In The Air
Original Air Date: September 18, 1947 (Rebroadcast September 20, 2025)
Host: RelicRadio.com

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Horror!" presents a chilling radio adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story, The Black Cat, as performed by the 1947 NBC series Mystery In The Air starring Peter Lorre. The narrative explores themes of guilt, psychological horror, supernatural vengeance, and the descent of a man into madness and murder. In this dramatized retelling, listeners follow Charles, whose love for animals turns sinister as he is consumed by alcoholism, resulting in acts of cruelty, murder, and ultimately, his own undoing.

Key Discussion Points and Story Highlights

Establishing the Mood and Setting

• [01:02–01:29]: The host introduces the episode, noting its place in radio history and summarizing Poe’s "The Black Cat." The tone is ominous, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the story’s unsettling atmosphere.

Charles's Early Life and Marriage

• [04:39–05:41]: Charles recalls a happy childhood and early marriage, a period marked by gentleness and a mutual love for animals with his wife Vera.
  • Key Quote:

    "As a child, I was very gentle... But most, I liked animals. Yes, all kinds of animals."
    — Charles [04:39]

The Arrival of Pluto

• [05:18–06:10]: Vera rescues a black cat from dogs, naming him Pluto. The cat quickly becomes Charles's favorite.
  • Key Quote:

    "Let's call him Pluto. Yes, we'll call you Pluto. Well, Pluto grew up to be a remarkably beautiful cat... until it all changed."
    — Charles [06:10]

Descent Into Darkness: Alcoholism and Violence

• [06:11–08:57]: Charles reveals his transformation due to alcoholism, which leads to irritability and violence—both toward his wife and Pluto.
  • Key Quotes:

    "Through intemperance... as drink became more necessary to me, I became more moody and irritable."
    — Charles [06:11]
    "I kicked Pluto. And I kicked him again, and hard... I strangled the poor animal. I killed it only because I knew that it had loved me."
    — Charles [08:25–09:08]

Supernatural Consequences and Guilt

• [09:39–11:24]: On the night Charles murders Pluto, their house catches fire. The only thing left standing is a wall with a mysterious image of a cat—specifically, one matching Pluto’s torn ear.
  • Memorable Moment:

    "Look at it on the wall."
    — Vera [11:03]
    "It looks like a cat."
    — Vera [11:18]
    "I know what it is. You know who it is? Yes, it's Pluto. I recognize him."
    — Charles [11:36]

A New Cat, an Old Haunting

• [13:51–17:16]: After the fire, Charles encounters a second black cat in a tavern—remarkably similar to Pluto but with a white patch on its chest. The cat adopts Charles and his wife, but soon Charles notices a torn ear, just like Pluto's. His aversion to the animal grows into hate.
  • Key Quote:

    "Just the way Pluto's ear was... Torn when I kicked him. Huh? That's it, isn't it?"
    — Charles [17:13]
    "The more I hated it, the more affectionate it acted toward me..."
    — Charles [17:57]

The Ominous White Mark and Rising Madness

• [17:57–18:46]: The white patch on the cat’s chest morphs into the shape of a gallows, symbolizing impending doom.
  • Key Quote:

    "...the unmistakable and ghastly shape of the gallows. That terrible engine of horror, of agony and of death."
    — Charles [18:39]

Murder and Cover-up in the Cellar

• [19:32–20:02]: During a heated moment in the cellar, Charles’ rage toward the cat leads to him accidentally killing his wife. He conceals her body behind a false wall, just as in Poe’s original story.
  • Key Quote:

    "She'd fallen dead without a groan. My blind rage, my rage against the cat. I'd struck my wife and killed her."
    — Charles [20:02]

The Climactic Discovery

• [22:25–25:36]: Police arrive for a final search. In a moment of hubris, Charles raps on the cellar wall, only to provoke an uncanny yowl. The wall is torn down, revealing his wife’s corpse—and the black cat, alive, sitting atop her head.
  • Memorable Moment:

    "What was that?... That's not the wind. Came when you hit this wall here."
    — Sergeant [24:46–24:51]
    "What's that horrible looking thing sitting on her head?"
    — Sergeant [25:36]
    "You beast. You monster. You are the devil. You made me a murderer... waiting to send me to the gallows."
    — Charles [26:01–26:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Irredeemable Guilt:

  "I killed it only because I knew that it had loved me… I am only recounting what happened."
  — Charles [08:57–09:16]

• On Supernatural Retribution:

  "That hideous beast. It's come back to... to haunt me. Leave me alone, you hear? I can't stand it."
  — Charles [11:50]

• On Psychological Torture:

  "The more I hated it, the more affectionate it acted toward me... as if this were not enough, the white patch on its chest... gradually assumed the unmistakable and ghastly shape of the gallows."
  — Charles [17:57–18:39]

• The Final Revelation:

  "You made me a murderer. Now for three days you've been in there waiting... to send me to the gallows. The hangman will get me. Yes, I hope you're satisfied."
  — Charles [26:01–26:23]

Important Timestamps

• [01:02] – Episode and classic adaptation introduced
• [04:39] – Charles describes a happy, animal-filled home life
• [06:11] – Descent into alcoholism and violence
• [08:57] – Pluto is killed
• [11:03] – The cat’s image appears mysteriously on the only wall left standing after the fire
• [13:51] – The second black cat arrives
• [17:04–17:16] – Vera discovers the new cat's torn ear
• [18:39] – The surreal transformation of the cat’s white patch into a gallows
• [19:32–20:02] – Charles murders and conceals Vera
• [24:25–25:36] – Police find Vera’s body and the surviving cat
• [26:01–26:23] – Charles’s final, haunted confession

Summary for Listeners

This atmospheric episode, delivered in the original dramatic style of 1940s radio, masterfully adapts Poe’s tale of a man driven to murder by his own demons and the eerie “supernatural” workings of fate. Highlighted by Peter Lorre’s tormented performance, the story is a relentless spiral of guilt, paranoia, and poetic justice. Essential listening for fans of gothic literature, old-time radio, and psychological horror.

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