THE ORSON WELLES ALMANAC
February 2005: "This is Orson Welles" - The Radio Show That Wasn't
During the time leading up to his
lengthy departure from the United States in 1948, Welles had chances to continue
in radio, in a number of shows of his choosing. His correspondence from the
period shows offers of an historical show and a science fiction program, to
name two. Only one potential program appealed to Welles enough to pursue it
almost to the point of production, and that was a proposed transcription series,
initially for the Frederic G. Ziv Company. After a start in advertising, Ziv
pioneered the use of transcription discs as a means of distributing programs
to different markets. His company produced a number of different programs,
such as Boston Blackie and The Cisco Kid. The proposed series
with Welles would have been a unique advancement in his ongoing almanac-styled
programs, begun in 1941. That it did not come to pass is a disappointment
in light of his subsequent exit from the United States for several years.
Developments on the series began to take shape in the summer of 1947. Welles
would have been open to new projects at this time, given that his film career
had stalled somewhat in the wake of Lady From Shanghai's ongoing release
delays. Macbeth remained to be edited, and Welles would travel to Europe
to both edit the film and try to drum up some film work at the same time.
Radio had always been a convenient way to make money, although his guest star
work had dried up for the most part along with his ongoing series work, though
whether this was by his own choice or from radio people simply not wanting
to use him is unclear. Given his talent for radio, the latter seems unlikely.
He clearly did not want to work on another program where his creative choices
would be subject to someone else's veto power.
In any event, Ziv had an offer on
the table ready to be signed, in which they would own 65% of the show, with
Welles owning the remainder.1 The only problem
was that Ziv wanted Welles to make two initial shows for the company to listen
to and comment upon, so that, as they put it, they could "make sure we
and Welles are entirely pleased and on the right track."2
Welles naturally assumed they wanted this as an audition of sorts, and apparently
bristled at the suggestion. Ziv tried placating Welles, but after some further
discussions, nothing happened. Welles then decided to see if anyone else would
be interested in such a series (to be titled This is Orson Welles),
which he would produce himself, and thus own completely, allowing him total
freedom in choosing content, something he long since decided was a make or
break bargaining point. A series of 39 episodes was planned, all of which
would be recorded, as was his later series for Harry Alan Towers, in bulk
for later broadcast. Interestingly, the show initially would have been broadcast
three times a week. Welles would then record new shows as needed to stay far
enough ahead of broadcasters' needs. Welles would net a tidy $5500 a week
if only 80 stations picked up the series (out of about 800 nationwide).3
The talks with other potential distributors failed to result in a program, but based on the production materials that remain, it would have been a fascinating show, looking ahead to what would be the magazine format later seen on numerous television shows, with the added facet of drama. In some ways, the show looks ahead to Welles' own Around the World With Orson Welles, in that Welles wanted to explore a variety of locations, looking for stories within them. Welles would also have attempted some muckracking; one of the suggested episodes would have been a look at the "Whole Southern California undertaking racket," well ahead of Jessica Mitford's damning expose in the 1960s (The American Way of Death). Welles would have spoken to veterans about taxpayers paying for part of their funerals, what Welles himself wanted done with his body when he died, and his father's funeral.4
Other shows were to focus on animals, restaurants, Hollywood, steam rooms (with Welles to describe the "most expensive steam bath he ever took"), a kid's talent show (the mind boggles at Welles in this set-up), and a variety of others. In addition to these topics, Welles had selected his usual array of fiction and poetry to dramatize, which features such favorites as Tarkington, Saki, and John Collier, but also many others, like Lovecraft, Huxley, Faulkner, Chandler, and Runyon.5
In the end, Welles would accept the lead in Black Magic, and depart for Europe, where he would remain. His radio career would go into hibernation until 1951, when he would take Harry Alan Towers' offer for the Adventures of Harry Lime show. His American radio career would end with a missed chance, which he perhaps might have preferred, compared to the disappointments he had suffered already in the field. Like so many Welles projects, This is Orson Welles lives on only as a tantalizing possibility.
FOOTNOTES:
1 Letter from John Maschio to Orson Welles, 4 September 1947. Welles mss,
Lilly Library, Indiana University.
2 Letter from John L. Sinn, of the Ziv Company, to Bob Braun of William Morris,
23 August 1947. Welles mss, Lilly Library, Indiana University.
3 Letter from John Maschio to Orson Welles, 23 October 1947. Welles mss, Lilly
Library, Indiana University.
4 Production materials for proposed Ziv series, dated 6 October 1947. Welles
mss, Lilly Library, Indiana University.
5 ibid.
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