Radio shows
Episode 1: “The Bishop” – Broadcast on July 23, 1937
Audio PlayerEpisode 2: “Javert” – Broadcast on July 30, 1937
Audio PlayerEpisode 3: “The Trial” – Broadcast on August 6, 1937
Audio PlayerEpisode 4: “Cosette” – Broadcast on August 13, 1937
Audio PlayerEpisode 5: “The Grave” – Broadcast on August 20, 1937
Audio PlayerEpisode 6: “The Barricade” – Broadcast on August 27, 1937
Audio Player“Episode 7: “Finale” – Broadcast on September 3, 1937
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“The Circle of Death” – Broadcast on November 28, 1937 with Agnes Moorehead as Margo Lane.
Audio Player“The White Legion” – Broadcast on March 20, 1938 with Agnes Moorehead as Margo Lane.
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“The Hypnotized Audience” – Broadcast on June 5, 1938 with Margot Stevenson as Margo Lane.
Welles played Long John Silver opposite Arthur Anderson’s Jim Hawkins in this July 18, 1938 production of “Treasure Island.” George Coulouris co-stars as Captain Smollett with Ray Collins as Ben Gunn and Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Hawkins.
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Welles played Edmond Dantès, Ray Collins was Abbé Faria and George Coulouris co-starred as Monsieur Morrel in this August 28, 1938 production of “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
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On September 11, 1938, the Mercury revisited its 1937 stage hit “Caesar” with a radio presentation of William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” As on the New York stage a year earlier, Welles played Brutus with Martin Gabel as Cassius, George Coulouris (Antony), and Joseph Holland (Caesar) in this recording of the rehearsal.
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Welles was Sherlock Holmes and Ray Collins the loyal Dr. Watson in a September 25, 1938 performance of “The Immortal Sherlock Holmes.” Co-starring Mary Taylor, Brenda Forbes, Edgar Barrier, Richard Wilson and Eustace Wyatt.
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The now infamous October 30, 1938 broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” terrified America and made the Mercury Theatre on the Air a hit. Welles stars with Frank Readick, William Alland and Ray Collins.
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Broadcast on December 23, 1938, “A Christmas Carol” starred
Welles as Ebenezer Scrooge. His wife, Virginia Welles, played Scrooge’s lost love, Belle, and Joseph Cotten was Scrooge’s nephew, Fred.
Welles was joined by Patrician Newton, Agnes Moorehead, Everett Sloane and Ray Collins for this May 12, 1939 presentation of Thorton Wilder’s classic “Our Town.”
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What would “The Magnificent Ambersons” movie been like if Welles played George Minafter instead of Tim Holt? This October 29, 1939 broadcast offers a clue. Co-starring Walter Huston and Nan Sutherland.
Audio PlayerWritten by Norman Corwin was working on the script of “We Hold These Truths” when he learned of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Narrated by James Stewart, the CBS/NBC/Mutual live broadcast on December 15, 1941 included Welles, Edward Arnold, Lionel Barrymore, Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, Edward G. Robinson and Rudy Vallee.
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Welles guest stars on NBC’s “Cavalcade of America” on December 15, 1941 in the episode “The Great Man Votes.” Ray Collins co-stars.
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Welles created 19 episodes of “Ceiling Unlimited” for CBS and sponsor Lockheed-Vega during World War II. This December 14, 1942 episode focused on “War Workers.’
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Another wartime effort, “Hello Americans” was designed to build bridges between North and South Americas. The debut episode, “Brazil,” which aired on November 15, 1942 and featured Carmen Miranda, looked at the origin of the samba.
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Sponsored by Mobil Oil, the January 26, 1944 debut episode of “Orson Welles Almanac” below featured Groucho Marx. The series mixed music. laughter and patriotism.
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“Orson Welles’ Almanac” was usually a half-hour variety show, but on June 7, 1944, the day after the D-Day landing in France, Welles presented a special dramatic broadcast. It starred Agnes Moorehead as a mother reading a letter to her son.
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The “Fifth War Loan Drive” from June 19, 1944. The broadcast from Soldier Field in Chicago features Welles, Lana Turner, Jack Benny and Ray Bolger.
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Welles was a guest on “GI Journal” on December 15, 1944. It aired on the Armed Forces Radio Service, which had been created by the War Department as a means to entertain and inform the troops.
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Welles appeared on “Silver Theater” in this March 30, 1941 episode entitled “One Step Ahead,” sponsored by International Silver Co. and directed by Conrad Nagel. Welles had guest starred on “Silver Theater” three years earlier in “Stars In Their Courses” with Helen Hayes.
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Sponsored by Lady Esther cosmetics, CBS’ “Orson Welles Show” ran for 19 episodes beginning on September 15, 1941. “The Apple Tree,” starring Welles, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Ray Collins, aired on January 12, 1942.
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Welles performed Louise Fletcher’s “The Hitch-Hiker” four times during his radio career. This performance comes from a September 2, 1942 episode of “Suspense” on CBS.
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Welles hosted the popular “Grape Nuts Program Starring Jack Benny” at NBC on March 14, 1943.
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Welles teamed with his future “The Stranger” co-star Loretta Young for this June 5, 1944 Lux Radio Theater presentation of “Jane Eyre.”
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Welles plays Franz opposite wife Rita Hayworth as Ann in “Break of Hearts” for Lux Radio Theater on September 11, 1944.
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Welles returned to Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” in a March 13, 1945 episode of “This Is My Best.” As Welles noted in the opener, he had performed the story with the Mercury Theatre On the Air in 1938 and had attempted to film it at RKO.
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Already a newspaper columnist for the New York Post, Welles offered a weekly political radio broadcast in 1946 on “Orson Welles Commentaries.” He covered a variety of topics, including the blinding of war veteran Isaac Woodard.
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In 1954, Welles guest starred on BBC’s “Sherlock Holmes” as the evil Professor Moriarty opposite John Gielgud’s Holmes and Ralph Richardson’s Dr. Watson.
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The Mercury Summer Theatre offered 30-minute versions of great stories during the summer of 1946. First up on June 7 was an abridged version of Welles’ Broadway production of “Around the World in 80 Days” with music by Cole Porter and featuring the original cast. This is the only known recording from the failed musical, which opened on Broadway on May 31, 1946, and closed on August 3 after just 75 performances.
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“The Moat Farm Murder,” written by Norman Corwin and airing July 26, the program paired Welles with friend Mercedes McCambridge.
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“Moby Dick” aired on August 30 and co-starred William Alland, Byron Kane, John Brown, Earle Ross and Elliott Reid.
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“King Lear” aired on September 13. Final show in the series co-starred Agnes Moorehead, William Alland Edgar Barrier.
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“The Adventures of Harry Lime” (aka “The Lives of Harry Lime”) was a prequel to “The Third Man” with Welles playing Lime as a lovable con man. “Man of Mystery” has elements later found in the 1955 movie “Mr. Arkadin.” Audio Player
“Operation Music Box,” which first aired on October 5, 1951 finds Harry in London and intrigued by a woman who is buying music boxes and smashing them.
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“Dead Candidate” aired on February 15, 1952 and provided a biting satire on U.S. economic imperialism. Welles would later expand on in first novel, “Une Grosse Legume.”
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Merry Christmas!
Streaming audio of four Wellesian holiday radio broadcasts.
Broadcast on December 23, 1938, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” starred Orson Welles as Ebenezer Scrooge. The cast included his wife, Virginia Nicolson, as Belle, and Joseph Cotten as Fred. Also, Arthur Anderson (Ghost of Christmas Past), Eustace Wyatt (Ghost of Christmas Present), Frank Readick (Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come) and Alfred Shirley (Marley).
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The Mercury Theatre’s second performance of “A Christmas Carol” aired on December 24, 1939 with Welles as the narrator. Lionel Barrymore starred as Scrooge with Everett Sloane (Marley’s ghost), Frank Readick (Bob Cratchit), Erskine Sanford (Fezziwig) and George Coulouris (Ghost of Christmas Present).
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This episode of Lady Esther’s “Orson Welles Show” from December 22, 1941 began with a reading from the Gospel of Luke; Oscar Wilde’s “The Happy Prince” starring Orson Welles, Ray Collins, Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Cotten, Edgar Barrier, Erskine Sanford and Tim Holt; and the recitation of a G.K. Chesterton poem. The radio show was recorded during the production of The Magnificent Ambersons.
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“The Plot to Overthrow Christmas” was written by radio great Norman Corwin and performed by Welles as Nero and Ray Collins as Santa Claus for “This Is My Best” on December 19, 1944. In his introduction, Welles says “Best is a big word, but it isn’t too big for Norman Corwin, who is certainly beyond all argument the best writer the medium has produced.” Of Collins, he adds, “If you know of a better actor in radio, please send me his name. I could use him in the Mercury.”
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Audio books
“The Secret Sharer,” abridged Joseph Conrad story recorded in 1985.
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