The first time I recognized a foley artist’s sound effect, I was watching an episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. There’s a shot of an old radio, a muffled speech, and the crackle of newspaper to represent the distorted sound of clapping across the airwaves.  A Prairie Home Companion frequently gives foley Tom Keith center stage in a game of “stump the sound guys” - throwing as many sound effects requests as possible in the shortest amount of time.

As Halloween creeps nearer, I’ve been enjoying horror radio shows downloaded from Relic Radio. The experience starts with a mental vision of actors standing around, hammy with excessive narration, and a guy with a table full of props. He’s got shoes and some boards, gravel, a bucket of water, celery, scraps of metal, chains, a record player… he’s got to be loud enough for the microphone to pick up, but not a sniffle or gulp or heavy breathing (unless it’s called for). By the end of the show - remember, these were broadcast live during the heyday - his table would be a mess of splinters, spashes, and salad. And, just like all the other listeners, I’ll be so wrapped up in the story that I never give him a second thought.

If you need a fix of just foley work, there are a few records and CDs released throughout the years that are all sound effects. There are LPs purported to give you a full, realistic audio experience in your living room, either to flaunt your fancy hifi with realistic jet sounds or rattle your lamps with surround sound. You can even find them in old comic books as “spooky sound effects” records, and in seasonal Halloween and party stores. These are always inadvertantly hilarious - sometimes the effects are just right, sometimes downright silly.

Next time you’re walking down a lonely street, and the wind begins to blow, pay attention. You may need to know if it’s just a breeze… or a haunted whisper from a guy shaking a sheet of tin foil.