The Horror! (Old Time Radio) Episode: The Death Of Halpin Frayser by The Black Mass Original Broadcast Date (of adaptation): May 20, 1964 Podcast Release Date: December 6, 2025

Episode Overview

This haunting episode of The Horror! podcast presents "The Death of Halpin Frayser," an adaptation by The Black Mass of Ambrose Bierce’s classic gothic story. Delivered in chilling, evocative performances, the episode explores death, the supernatural, and the troubled bond between a poetic young man and his enigmatic mother. The narrative weaves together waking horrors, disturbing dreams, and ghostly visitations, dripping with dread, macabre imagery, and psychological complexity.

Key Discussion Points & Story Elements

1. Introduction & Invitation to Terror (00:06–03:23)

• Eric Bowersfeld entices listeners to join the circle, building anticipation and eerie intimacy:
  • “There's plenty of room in our establishment for everyone... our inner circle, our chain of empathy is not yet complete.” (02:04)
• The episode is positioned as a "belated" Mother's Day offering (03:06), hinting at mother/son themes.

2. The Nature of Death and the Supernatural (03:43–04:42)

• The adaptation begins with a somber, folkloric meditation on death, spirits, and walking corpses:
  • "It hath happened that the body without the spirit hath walked. And it is attested that a corpse so raised hath no natural love, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate." (03:43)
  • Sets up the story’s preoccupation with vengeful spirits and the inversion of familial love.

3. Discovery of the Body — Setting the Mystery (04:42–09:20)

• Deputy Sam Holker and Detective Jim Jarrelson investigate in drifting fog.
• Their dialogue establishes an atmosphere of isolation, suspicion, and unresolved violence.
• They find Halpin Frazer’s body, noting signs of struggle—indicating a violent, personal murder.
  • “Look at the face… Well, Branscome did it, sure enough.” (09:14–09:20)
• The setting—the neglected graveyard, overrun with weeds—contributes to a sense of forsakenness.

4. Halpin’s Narrative – Into Dream and Dread (09:32–16:42)

• Halpin describes falling asleep in the wilderness, then slipping into a series of increasingly nightmarish visions (10:17–16:42).
  • “I was walking along a dusty road that showed white in the gathering darkness…” (10:43)
  • The dreamscape is tainted with blood, guilt, and spectral threats:
    • “Blood was everywhere about me… Blood dripped like dew from their foliage.” (12:17)
  • Halpin attempts to write an appeal with a twig dipped in blood, overcome by dread and unseen voices.
  • “I had to scream to break through it. I…” (13:48)
  • He is immobilized by a supernatural force as an apparition materializes—his mother, in grave clothes, her throat horribly slashed.

5. Catherine’s Monologue – A Mother’s Obsession (17:06–28:58)

• Pat Franklin (Catherine/Kathy) gives a haunting, emotionally charged account of her love for Halpin, suffused with nostalgia and suppressed transgressions.
  • “Halpin was a dreamer, a romantic boy. I knew from the very beginning that he could be a poet.” (17:36)
• The bond between mother and son is depicted as intensely close, even bordering on romantic, evoking themes of possessiveness and forbidden affection.
  • “By strangers observing our manner, we weren’t infrequently taken for lovers. Oh my…” (20:50)
• Catherine recalls the pain of Halpin’s departure and her own subsequent miseries—her search for him, her abuse by the cruel Branscombe, her own murder and mutilation:
  • “He had a little knife which he kept sharp as a razor… See how he cut with his razor knife from this ear to that ear.” (28:05)
• Her account blurs the line between dream, reality, and afterlife, ending with a chilling plea to her son to join her in death.

6. Climactic Revelation & Echoes of Guilt (29:49–31:47)

• The investigators return, observing the appalling violence inflicted upon Halpin and finding verses scrawled in his blood:
  • “The air was stagnant. All silence was a living thing that breathed among the trees. With blood. The trees were all adrip…” (30:59–31:21)
• Dialogue reflects confusion, horror, and a curious literary connection—linking the verses to Myron Bane, Catherine’s father and Halpin’s putative poetic ancestor.
  • Jarrelson: “You know, that sounds like Bane. Bane? Who's Bane? Myron Bain, a poet half a century ago.” (31:11–31:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It hath happened that the body without the spirit hath walked... but only hate.” – Eric Bowersfeld (03:43)
• “I was aware of my guilt but I couldn't remember the crime. I felt as if I had murdered in the dark, not knowing whom or why.” – Halpin (12:34)
• “Blood was everywhere about me… Blood dripped like dew from their foliage.” – Halpin (12:17)
• “By strangers observing our manner, we weren’t infrequently taken for lovers… and we laughed at them, hoping we laughed at them, at their outrage and envy. We knew they envied us.” – Catherine (20:50)
• “He had a little knife which he kept sharp as a razor… See how he cut with his razor knife from this ear to that ear. It never stopped bleeding.” – Catherine (28:05)
• “The air was stagnant. All silence was a living thing that breathed among the trees. With blood. The trees were all adrip…” – Jarrelson, reciting Halpin’s final, bloody verses (30:59)

Key Timestamps

• 00:06–03:23: Ghoulish introduction, invitation to gather, setup of the story’s dark tone.
• 03:43–04:42: Opening folkloric meditation on spirits and bodies.
• 05:15–09:20: Investigators find Halpin’s corpse, noting violence and signs of someone—or something—unnatural.
• 09:32–16:42: Halpin’s narration—lost in dreams, plagued by guilt, and facing spectral visitation by his dead mother.
• 17:06–28:58: Catherine’s unsettling monologue, charting her life, love for Halpin, descent into sorrow, and grisly death.
• 29:49–31:47: Investigators’ final assessment, discovery of Halpin’s poetic, bloody appeal, and connections to family legacy.

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is richly atmospheric, steeped in dread, melancholy, and psychological horror. The performances oscillate between ethereal poetry and raw emotional intensity, especially in Catherine’s monologue. The adaptation honors Bierce's original language while amplifying the gothic suspense.

Conclusion

This adaptation of “The Death of Halpin Frayser” serves as a chilling meditation on the supernatural, forbidden attachments, and fate. Through haunting soundscapes, exceptional voice acting, and a layered exploration of love and violence beyond the grave, The Black Mass and Relic Radio deliver a masterclass in classic radio horror.

For Old Time Radio and gothic horror fans, “The Death of Halpin Frayser” is a quintessential listen—an uncanny blend of poetic dread and familial horror that lingers long after the final act.