PODCAST · fiction
Charnel Bells
by Left Wolf
Long thought only a ghostly rumor, the horror radio drama Charnel Bells never aired in its day. Recorded from 1949-51, the show's content and storytelling was deemed "too crazy by half" by then-influential critic Chester Keswick and "downright un-Christian" by legendary radio producer Jean Wooder.Time has not been kind to these old ribbons of magnetic fear, but the painstakingly slow process of restoration will, hopefully, be worth the decades-long wait. Tonight, you are invited to experience a strange phantom, a whispered rumor from the haunted past.Charnel Bells toll once more.
Episodes
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Viola Curtis, 3
Fair warning: this one's a smoker! Heavy, weird and gloriously profane, Viola Curtis' seánce channeling Darvon Bluedeer has always been a favorite among a certain set of spiritualists with a penchant for the psychedelic. Truth be told, I just figured Guarrault never recorded a reading of…
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"The Yellow Parch", (SBCP5mF1) (May, 1950)
From a set of reels labelled "Studio Black Catacomb Presents" comes this little gem. From a subset identified as "Five Minute Fictions", this brief piece seems to be another effort by Van Guarrault and his little studio staff to popularize the very short audio story, just about the length of two...
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A Campfire Ghost Story, of Sorts (1949)
Recorded in April of 1949, Van Guarrault of Studio Black Catacomb here gives us a fascinating glimpse into the unspoken traumas of his generation's soldiers. Though famously tight-lipped on the subject of mental and psychological hardship, the WWII generation's storytellers occasionally set aside...
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Excerpt from the "Illustrations of Thiago" (1949)
Keen-eared listeners will note that Van Guarrault refers to the show as "The Black Catacomb", not just his studio. This may have been recorded before Guarrault had settled on a name for the show, or it may imply that he had other shows on the drawing board. It is something of a forbidden fruit,...
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A Brief Comparison of Carroll's Alice and Lovecraft's "Randolph Carter (1949)
The 1949 "Sketch Reel" continues to surprise with odd pieces that may have been Mr. Guarrault's early demos and tests for what would ultimately become Charnel Bells. This one is interesting in that it hints at a possible literary review or book spotlight show. There probably wasn't much of a…
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"The Toad Necromancer", by Van Guarrault (1949)
Found on what must have been a test reel, this strange little story has all the telltale elements of a Van Guarrault original. Perhaps it was an exercise, a dark story of supernatural murder with an undeniably absurd premise. In any event, this bizarre fable was never developed into anything…
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BRS (Best Radio Syndicate) Program Listing Advert, 1949
This listing can only have been either a demo ad read, or more sadly, wishful thinking on Mr. Guarrault's part. BRS never gained the footing to compete with the network titans of the era, and didn't actually carry any of the programs named in the ad. Though most of the named performers were noted...
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"Nyarlathotep", by H. P. Lovecraft (as read by Desmond Lawrence)
Another example of the kind of weird dark poetic prose of Lovecraft's post-Dunsany phase, this was recorded (according to the date pencilled on the tape reel) on Halloween, 1949. Desmond Lawrence's ashy, desolate voice is in fine form on this brief recording, and it is to be lamented that Studio...
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The Language of Orphans
This piece is a real enigma; it seems likely that this was a satirical piece that Mr. Van Guarrault, the producer of Charnel Bells, recorded sometime in late 1950 or early '51 in frustration at the rise of jingoism and censorship of American radio. As the fear of Communism pervaded all aspects of...
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A Triptych of the Crone
This interesting episode offers three pieces of verse written by Banquo Walker, read by the poet, along with Charnel Bells creator, host and producer, Van Guarrault, and the gravel-voiced Briton, Roman Clifford, who achieved some small renown during the London Blitz as the voice of several public...
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"The Festival", by H. P. Lovecraft (as read by Desmond Lawrence) (1950)
An excellent example of the weird atmospheric fiction abroad in the pulps of the '20's and '30's, Lovecraft's "The Festival" is that rarest of joys: truly literate and artistic horror fiction. An appropriate (if somewhat morbid) piece to air at Yuletide, Charnel Bells' production of it was never...
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Batrachian Overseas Trading Company Advert (1949)
This ad read seems to be Van Guarrault, host of the Charnel Bells radio show and producer at Studio Black Catacomb, doing his best to sound like a snappy salesman instead of himself. As the likelihood of Charnel Bells making it past the censors to the air dwindled, Guarrault took on more and more...
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Black Pharaoh Cigarettes Advert (B) (1949)
This is the controversial ad copy that first stirred up trouble for the Charnel Bells radio show. Recorded in February of 1949, it features the voice talent of Ramsey Abdurrahman, but it's the last line that sparked concern among certain censors. Along with the problematic use of the words...
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Black Pharaoh Cigarettes Advert (A) (1949)
Thought to have been recorded in spring or summer of 1949. The voice is believed to be Charnel Bells host Van Guarrault, though it's near impossible now to say for certain.
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Gathering the Last
Thought to have been recorded in September or October of 1949, this piece features the work of Banquo Walker, a poet and editor of the then-emerging Greenwich Village Bohemian scene. Of further interest is an odd historical footnote in the journal of a Lt. Chivalry A. Faraday, who served as...
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Viola Curtis, 2
Viola Curtis claimed to have channelled the spirit of a Norseman named Kjeld Olbertsen, who was apparently living in exile somewhere in Ireland some time between the 5th and 9th centuries. Of particular note is the transcript reading by Per Gunnolfsen, who was slain in a bank robbery in Madison,...
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Viola Curtis, 1
The famous medium Viola Curtis, "The Oracle of Otherwhere", had hundreds of her seances recorded live between 1933 and her untimely death in 1952. Transcripts of these recordings appeared in magazines, medical journals and, of course, collected for publication as the Calling Out to the Dark book...
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Squamous Foetor Radio Advert (1950)
A demo ad read, likely read by Loy P. Thompson, a company rep for Squamous Foetor. Recorded in 1950.
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Dizzying Vacuua Radio Advert (1949)
An unaired advertisement recorded in 1949.
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Cyclopean Monoliths Radio Advert (1949)
An unaired advertisement recorded in 1949.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Long thought only a ghostly rumor, the horror radio drama Charnel Bells never aired in its day. Recorded from 1949-51, the show's content and storytelling was deemed "too crazy by half" by then-influential critic Chester Keswick and "downright un-Christian" by legendary radio producer Jean Wooder.Time has not been kind to these old ribbons of magnetic fear, but the painstakingly slow process of restoration will, hopefully, be worth the decades-long wait. Tonight, you are invited to experience a strange phantom, a whispered rumor from the haunted past.Charnel Bells toll once more.
HOSTED BY
Left Wolf
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Charnel Bells have?
Charnel Bells currently has 20 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Charnel Bells about?
Long thought only a ghostly rumor, the horror radio drama Charnel Bells never aired in its day. Recorded from 1949-51, the show's content and storytelling was deemed "too crazy by half" by then-influential critic Chester Keswick and "downright un-Christian" by legendary radio producer Jean...
How often does Charnel Bells release new episodes?
Charnel Bells has 20 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Charnel Bells?
You can listen to Charnel Bells on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Charnel Bells?
Charnel Bells is created and hosted by Left Wolf.
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