Behind Every Successful Man is a …”Weird Woman”? Inner Sanctum Insanity Tonight!

Lon Chaney Jr takes another trip into the "Inner Sanctum"- and finds himself a beautiful wife- and career success- but- are the two related- by black magic? Tonight on MeTV- we have a date with a "Weird Woman"!

Another episode from Lon's run in the series inspired by the “Inner Sanctum” radio show has Lon Chaney as  Professor Norman Reed, whose studies involve two worlds that are polar opposites- that of superstition and that of logical thinking. In his investigations, he finds himself on a South Sea island where he meets the pretty  daughter of a former colleague. He hasn't seen her since she was a little girl- but now, Paula (Anne Gwynne) has grown up- which Lon takes great notice of!  This young woman has been living among the native people for years, and during those years, was cared for by a voodoo priestess (think she's learned anything from her along the way?)  It doesn't take much magic for  Norman to fall in love with Paula-he marries her, and takes her back to "civilization" and his home and job at the  university. He introduces her at a big party, attended by his peers- but also by his former girlfriend Ilona (Evelyn Ankers) - who is shocked and upset that she has lost Norman to this lovely stranger. She begins to sow the seeds of suspicion and anger among Norman's friends and colleagues- and, when she learns about Paula’s background and supernatural beliefs,Ilona  realizes that she now has the perfect framework for revenge!

Rather suddenly-Norman gains success in the literary world- and a strange incident puts him on the road to a higher standing at the university.Rumors begin to spread that his good fortune isn't just fate- and that it is actually due to his wife’s use of voodoo to make his star rise- and others' lives to fall by the wayside! Norman finds these claims ridiculous- and yet-after catching his wife using ritualistic items, he demands she  abandon the  beliefs she grew up honoring. Regardless, bizarre events continue- and things take a sinister turn- could it truly be  coming from the realm of the supernatural?

As this  1944 film unreels, we'll review the origins of the whole “Inner Sanctum” connection and history- along with talking about the cast, again chock full of familiar faces. One thing I didn't get to mention in the show- one of Norman's colleagues has the name "Sawtelle"- which must have been an in-joke, since that is also pretty much the name of the gentleman who scored the film- Paul Sawtell!  Also, as a special feature - we are proud to again present highlights of the 2014 event at Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications, honoring my career- and proclaiming an actual day for me in both the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois-including the opening of the permanent Svengoolie exhibit there-featuring my original coffin and many of our original set pieces and artifacts- which you can visit anytime at the museum in downtown Chicago. It still seems so unreal to me!

Tune in tonight at 10 pm eastern/pacific, 9 central/mountain, or check your local listings- or at metv.com- for where to find us  (and at what time) where you are. Chicago viewers can get a daydream of terror by seeing a second run of the "Night Walker" on our sister station, WCIU, the U, at 11 am!

For those who are thinking of braving the snow in your neck of the woods-why not just stay home and watch  "Weird Woman"?! (You may have to meet her relative- Shovel Sister!)