Lights Out: The Little People April 14, 1937

Cast and Roles for Lights Out: The Little People (April 14, 1937)
Specific cast details for this episode are not widely documented due to the loss of many Lights Out recordings and limited archival credits for individual episodes. Lights Out during this period, under Arch Oboler’s direction, typically featured Chicago-based radio actors such as Sidney Ellstrom, Art Jacobson, Bernardine Flynn, Betty Lou Gerson, or Betty Winkler, with sound effects technicians and minimal music (e.g., the show’s signature chimes and gong). No definitive cast list is available for “The Little People,” but these actors likely participated, with roles improvised to fit Oboler’s script.

Summary
The Lights Out episode “The Little People,” aired on April 14, 1937, and written by Arch Oboler, is a macabre horror tale characteristic of the series’ eerie and experimental style. The story centers on a peculiar, heavily accented man abandoned by his wife, who leaves him for her lover. The couple’s fatal mistake comes when they visit him to discuss divorce proceedings. The man, possibly a scientist or eccentric recluse, has discovered or created a race of tiny, malevolent beings—referred to as “the little people.” These creatures, implied to be supernatural or scientifically engineered, exact a gruesome revenge on the unfaithful wife and her lover. The episode builds tension through Oboler’s signature stream-of-consciousness narration and chilling sound effects, likely including unsettling noises to represent the tiny beings’ actions. While the original 1937 recording is lost, the script’s grim tone and supernatural twist align with Oboler’s penchant for blending psychological horror with grotesque fantasy. The story concludes with a horrifying fate for the couple, emphasizing themes of betrayal and cosmic retribution.