Dark Fantasy (1940-42) aired Scott Bishop’s “W is for Werewolf” on Friday, February 13, 1942 as the series’ 13th episode. It tells the tale of a vacationing couple, young child in tow, as they visit a friend whose isolated island home turns out to hold a very dark, very dangerous secret.

Play Time: 24:28

We feature next a special Halloween treat with six short tales narrated by the master of horror himself, Boris Karloff. Tales of the Frightened aired in 1957. It began as a syndicated 5-minute spot for Reader’s Digest magazine. Karloff would tell a story for “the back files” of the magazine, and then relate it to a story in the then current issue. Though the following vignettes are geared to a younger audience and are generally of a tame nature by today’s standards, two depict scenes of gruesome violence parents of the very young might wish to preview first. These are designated with a PG rating. Karloff’s eerie voice, with its quiet emphasis while depicting vampires, nightmares, ghosts, and gory death is exquisite, a perfectly rendered counterpoint to the violence and horror. The modern electronic background music only adds to the spooky atmosphere.

“The Vampire Sleeps” — Play Time 4:49

“Mirror of Death” — Play Time 4:55

“Never Kick A Black Cat” — PG — Play Time 4:40

“The Ladder” — PG — Play Time 5:03

“Nightmare” — Play Time 4:55

“Voice From the Grave” — Play Time 4:48