Title: The Black Abbot
Air date: October 2, 1938
Plot summary: Two workmen are restoring stone sculptures in a church, late at night. They are a bit jittery over working in the church, which is rather creepy after dark. So they're primed to freak out when they see a mysterious figure in a black robe, advancing up the pews...
Cut to restoration architect Paul Randolph, in a meeting with the church committee. The committee members are startled to learn, from Randolph, that the workmen have laid down tools and are refusing to continue with the restoration project, because they believe the church is haunted. Phillips and Williams, two of the committeemen, decide to spend the night in the church themselves to prove that their are no ghosts.
Williams and Phillips, in the church, are awakened at 3 a.m. by the sound of the church bell. They're further unnerved to hear the church's organ being played. Phillips insists on investigating, but when Williams sees the figure of the Black Abbot, hooded and cloaked, he panics and runs. Eventually Williams finds Miller, the rector, and the two of them return—to find Phillips dead, hanging from the bell rope.
Three other members of the church committee disappear. Finally Miller the rector turns in desperation to an old acquaintance of his, Lamont Cranston. Lamont and Margot Lane decide to spend the night in the church themselves.
Tropes:
- Disney Villain Death: Randolph attempts to escape by shimmying down the bell rope. He slips, falls down the bell tower, and dies.
- Evil Laugh: Besides The Shadow's Once an Episode evil laugh, there's the evil laughter of the Black Abbot as he confronts a terrified Williams.
- For Doom the Bell Tolls: The church bell ominously tolling at 3 o'clock in the morning eventually leads to Williams and Phillips encountering the Black Abbot. At the end, when the bell is tolling again because Randolph tried to make his escape down the rope, Lamont notes the irony of the same bell that tolled when Phillips died also tolling for his murderer.
- Mummies at the Dinner Table: Randolph has kept the bodies of the three missing committee members at a table in the hidden attic. He's excited about adding Margot to the collection.
- Ominous Pipe Organ
- Williams is frightened out of his wits to hear the organ playing at 3 a.m.
- At the climax, when Randolph has kidnapped Margot and is about to murder her, he insists on playing the organ, just to set the mood.
- Secret Underground Passage: When the Black Abbot makes his quick exit, Lamont deduces that there must be a hidden passage. They come back in the daytime to look for it, but when Margot finds it, Randolph, who is with her, kidnaps her and drags her into it.
- Title Drop: Williams calls the mysterious figure in the black cloak the "Black Abbot".
