Fam! We are so back like I can’t even tell you. We have finally finished the epic known as The Slide which I am sorry to say, was just okay. Today, we are going to explore a piece called The Curse of Nagana. I hear what you’re saying; low-hanging fruit. If the title has ‘Nag’ in it AND is weird fiction, there is a good chance that the piece is about something “oriental” and we may happily take up our weapons of righteous mass destruction. But wait fam, no really. This one is actually a little special.

https://archive.org/details/WeirdTales_OTR

First off, this one was recorded in 1932! Whaaaaat

There used to be a series called ‘Stay Tuned for Terror’ which was thought to be the first radio show to adapt pieces from the magazine Weird Tales. But there was a very short-lived series calle d Weird Tales that (almost) did it first.

Three episodes were recorded and promoted to various radio stations but the series never found a home. The thirties, if you will remember, were not a great time for America and that may have been one of the reasons why the series was shelved. Which is a shame because they apparently called in some character actors from Hollywood for this.

The only thing we have left of this series is the second half of an episode called The Curse of Nagana, based on Hugh B. Cave's short story "The Ghoul Gallery". From what I have read on the internet, it’s not very good. But that has never stopped us before fam! Besides this is some historical shit right here so we’re absolutely going to listen to it.

Ok first, let us see who is in it. The archive.org page says the cast includes Richard Carle, Johnny Harron, Florence Britton, Cyrill Delavante, John Ince, Pierre White and Lucille Amaya.

Not going to lie, I don’t know any of these people. I feel like saying I know who Florence Britton is, but I fear I actually mean Connie Britton. And I don’t know her either.

Here’s my seven-degrees-of-kevin-bacon type breakdown of how I know about these illustrious people.

Robert Carle- played a sugar daddy in Moulin Rouge, which I didn’t watch

Johnny Harron- featured in the movie White Zombie, which is also a metal band from the 80s that I used to listen to

Florence Britton- Not Connie Britton

Cyrill Delavante- Was one of the bankers (?) in Mary Poppins I think? And I have been to banks.

John Ince- Was in a movie called The Hole in the Wall which is also the name of a restaurant in my city

Pierre White- Google keeps throwing up info on some other Pierre White who is a chef? And I like to eat food. So there’s that.

Lucille Amaya- No information found from a quick Google search. Which is sad. And I am often sad.

So anyway, that wasn’t as interesting as I thought it would be, let’s listen to the show.

The credits say the music was provided by an Arabian Orchestra, so I guess this is supposed to be Arabian music playing? Idk, it’s very groovy.

This show is very much in the style of people just telling each other parts of the story.

So far we have one lady stabbed in the back, moaning, a scream, a crash and lots of fear.

One dude said ‘there’s too much noise happening around here’ for no reason.

A very hysterical man has just fainted.

Dudes there was this sound and someone said what in the world was that and someone else said why it’s Parker lying in a heap at the foot of the hall stairs WHY IS THAT SO FUNNY

Hysterical dude continues to be hysterical, which is a nice change from having the woman be hysterical all the time

So there is a dead body in one room, a strange entity in the gallery, a missing gun, and a skull so the logical thing for everyone to do is go to sleep I guess

I think plans are being made to follow the hysterical man who is not going to sleep

I hear dead people!

It’s actually a man going woooowoooo.

I guess it’s supposed to be a ghost.

I think the hysterical man and his wife are in the gallery? I don’t know what’s happening to be honest.

A picture is coming to life now and so is the skull.

That’s the one before skull I mentioned earlier.

The man called Parker, who was in a heap on the floor earlier, is giving us a running commentary of what is going on.

Hysterical man has fainted and his wife is attacking a painting.

Nagana, who is a dude, is still to make an appearance.

I’d forgotten about him. I mean there’s so much happening already.

Speaking of which! Here is Nagana making a beeline for the lady.

Someone just said ‘a white betrayer of the great god jakota.’ I don’t know what any of that means, but I feel like randomly calling people that from now on

Is someone singing?

Someone IS singing.

Now someone is laughing.

I think someone is going to get their heart sacrificed now.

Nope, they are not.

I guess the curse is over now?

Well that’s that then.

What was the curse actually? Whatever.

So the internet said this wasn’t very good and I’m inclined to agree. Maybe they didn’t have enough time to make a proper script but they went ahead and recorded anyway. Sometimes things like that happen. So anyway we have listened to a little bit of history and even though it wasn’t great, it was historical and that’s all that matters. Tune in again next time

where we will listen to something else and probably say, wow that’s racist! Bai.

Column editor: Joyce Chng

Copy Editors: Copy Editing Department.