Influence
- "Chicken Heart," a routine from comedian Bill Cosby's album Wonderfulness, includes a (not entirely faithful) retelling of the Lights Out episode with the same title. As a result, many believe the story originated with Cosby.
- "What the Devil", (1942), about two motorists menaced by a truck whose driver they cannot see, may have later inspired Steven Spielberg's TV movie Duel, adapted by Richard Matheson from his own short story. Oboler, feeling his copyright had been infringed, claimed in an interview that he "reached for a lawyer and got paid off by Universal Studios."
- The Lights Out television episode "The Martian Eyes" starred Burgess Meredith as a man whose glasses enable him to see Martian invaders who have disguised themselves as normal people. A similar premise in John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live was adapted from the story by Ray Nelson, who reworked the idea from his friend Philip K. Dick's never-produced film treatment for an episode of The Invaders TV series.
- The Simpsons annual Halloween episode "Treehouse of Horror V" referenced Oboler's "The Dark" about a mysterious fog that turns people inside-out. In the episode, The Simpsons and Groundskeeper Willie turn inside out, and then break into a song and dance number. No recordings of the original broadcasts of "The Dark" have survived, but Oboler recorded a memorable remake for his 1962 stereo album "Drop Dead!"
- Wally Phillips, former morning personality for Chicago's WGN-AM radio, used to play "The Dark" every year on Halloween.
Read more about this topic: Lights Out (radio Show)
Famous quotes containing the word influence:
“Cultural expectations shade and color the images that parents- to-be form. The baby product ads, showing a woman serenely holding her child, looking blissfully and mysteriously contented, or the television parents, wisely and humorously solving problems, influence parents-to-be.”
—Ellen Galinsky (20th century)
“The private life of one man shall be a more illustrious monarchy,—more formidable to its enemy, more sweet and serene in its influence to its friend, than any kingdom in history. For a man, rightly viewed, comprehendeth the particular natures of all men.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Important as fathers are, their influence on children shouldn’t be exaggerated just because they were ignored so long. There is no evidence that there is something especially good about fathers as caretakers. There are no areas where it can be said that fathers must do certain things in order to achieve certain outcomes in children. The same goes for mothers.”
—Michael Lamb (late–20th century)