As our final October entry before Halloween we present one of the most iconic and celebrated horror stories in the entire twenty year history of Suspense (1942-62), “The House in Cypress Canyon.” First aired on December 5, 1946, written by Robert L. Richards, and starring acclaimed film star Robert Taylor (1911-1969, photo right), “The House in Cypress Canyon” tells the goose-pimply tale of a husband and wife who’ve been transferred to California because of the husband’s job, and their search for a suitable home. The attempt to move in as much as they can their first night leaves them worn out, and puzzled because they can’t seem to open a locked closet. They decide to take care of it at the soonest opportunity and are more than ready for a good night’s sleep. The frightening animalistic noises that startle them awake, and then the discovery of blood seeping from under the locked closet door signify only the beginning to this chilling tale — with one of those totally unexpected endings you never see coming and which lovers of the bizarre and unexplainable live to die for.

1946 was an interesting year. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall starred in the classic film made from Raymond Chandler’s novel The Big Sleep, Mickey Spillane quit writing comic books and turned to hardboiled fiction with I, The Jury, John von Neumann and Emil Fuchs applied for a patent for something they called the “Hydrogen Bomb,” and one of the most under-appreciated inventors and designers of all time, Louis Heard, designed the bikini.

In the world of science fiction Arthur C. Clarke, William Tenn, and Margaret St. Clair sold their first stories. Otis Adelbert Kline and H. G. Wells died, while Alan Dean Foster, F. Paul Wilson, Robert Weinberg, Christopher Foss, Mark Geston, Eric S. Rabkin, and Bruce McAllister were born.

Play Time: 29:56

{After listening to “The House in Cypress Canyon” in December of 1946, the faithful turned to their favorite magazines, a few representative covers of which are presented below. Amazing published 9 issues in ’46, 6 of them featuring a cover story by Richard Shaver. That pesky editor Raymond Palmer and his Shaver mysteries! And look who made the cover ofThrilling Wonder Stories: Jack Vance, Henry Kuttner, and Murray Leinster. While not unexpected it nevertheless gives one a warm tingle of nostalgia to see the names August Derleth and Robert Bloch on the cover of Weird Tales.}

Amazing, Nov. ’46 — Astounding, Dec. ’46 — Thrilling Wonder, Dec. ’46 — Weird Tales, Nov. ’46

Happy Halloween!