From CBS Radio Mystery Theater
“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
— G.K. Chesterton
There are stories that frighten us with shadows… and stories that frighten us with time.
Tonight’s mystery belongs to the second kind.
In this early episode of the great American revival of radio drama, the past refuses to stay buried. A man discovers that certain wrongs, once committed, do not fade politely into memory. They linger. They watch. And sometimes, they wait for the proper moment to knock at the door.
Like many tales from CBS Radio Mystery Theater, this one is not only a puzzle but a moral echo chamber. Actions ripple outward. Consciences age, but they do not always die. And the old truths — like old sins — can be surprisingly hard to kill.
Presented by the unmistakable voice of E. G. Marshall, this episode invites us into a world where suspense grows not from spectacle, but from the slow tightening of consequence.
So dim the lights, settle into your chair, and let the wireless glow. Tonight’s dragon may be older than you think.
🎧 Tonight’s Listening
Episode: The Old Ones Are Hard to Kill
Series: CBS Radio Mystery Theater
Original Air Date: January 6, 1974
🔊 Listen here:
https://dn720303.ca.archive.org/0/items/cbsrmt-74-02-08-33-conspiracy-to-defraud/CBSRMT%2074-01-06%20%281%29%20The%20Old%20Ones%20Are%20Hard%20to%20Kill.mp3
🕯️ Listening Notes
This story leans into one of radio drama’s great strengths: the unseen weight of the past. Pay attention to:
How voices carry history even before facts are revealed
The way tension grows through conversation rather than action
The moral question beneath the mystery: Can time erase guilt?
Mystery here is not merely about what happened, but about what remains.
📻 About The Chesterton Listening Room
In The Chesterton Listening Room, we gather each day to hear a story together — mysteries, dramas, comedies, and classics — chosen in the spirit of G.K. Chesterton, who believed that imagination sharpens the mind and enlarges the soul.
You can also keep the stories playing anytime at The Open Door, our gentle 24/7 live stream of drama, music, and companionable sound:
🎙️ Listen.ChestertonRadio.com
Pull up a chair. The wireless is warm.