Week 9, The Man Who Was Thursday (Sept.5th 1938)

[Terry]

Here's my all-time favourite radio show.

John Houseman recollection (John Houseman's Rashomon): http://www.esnips.com/doc/bc1a3b69-86a3 ... -Remembers

Sept 4 rehearsal (Welles takes over at the 54 minute mark; presumably Paul Stewart was directing the "cheap actors" up until that point. Anyone know if that's Stewart reading Gabriel Syme's part?): http://www.esnips.com/doc/f206dcc7-62ab ... -Thursday-

Sept 5 broadcast: http://www.esnips.com/doc/1173da98-f995 ... s-Thursday

[Tony]

I love this story too, Terry, but there's an underlying agenda to Houseman's telling it: "I, Houseman, Was the person who kept Orson Welles on the tracks; as long as I did the radio scripts, Orson had success. Without me, things instantly fell apart, as Orson was brilliant, but had NO DISCIPLINE. And the same goes for the stage: after Ieft, Orson never again had the same success. And as for film, after our parting, Orson never again had great success. But before our parting, we did Kane, which I partly wrote. And as for the business of the Mercury, after I left, it fell into chaos. We were a team."

Housman is on record as claiming that Welles's weak suit was script-writing, and Welles hated him for this.

Actually, I agree with Houseman in large part: just imagine if they'd stayed together. In five years they changed theatre, radio and film; I guess television would have been the next.

This is from the TOTI, right?

[ToddBaesen]

Another fabulous Welles radio show find... Thanks Store!

This 1938 radio show is quite incredible to hear now, since we are now able to hear Joseph Cotten playing Mr Syme in the rehearsal, and Orson Welles taking over in the actual show.

Plus hearing John Houseman's recollections of preparing for the show. Given Houseman's own record as producer, it's rather unfortunate that he and Welles didn't maintain their relationship. Can you imagine if Houseman has been able to bring Welles talent to MGM in the 50's? Instead of a Joe Mankewicz "Julius Caesar" we'd have an Orson Welles "Caesar."

What's also interesting is Welles love and interest in the Chesterton novel was apparently never planned as a movie. But its certainly interesting to compare this radio play with Welles much later movie adaptation of Kafka's "The Trial."

[Terry]

I'm not sure that's Cotten. Whoever it is also plays the villainous submarine captain in The Shadow episode Death from the Deep. I'll have to look up some show logs and see if I can find a cast listing.

[Terry]

Treat it as you will, but I made a positive ID as to Paul Stewart playing Syme in the rehearsal. I also have Stewart starring on an episode of Suspense (23 Sep 1942, A Passage to Beneris.) It's the same voice. Most of the Mercury spoke with the same wonderful accent, and they do sound similar.

[Glenn Anders]

Agreed all around.

I would just note again, for the record, that the recording of the rehearsal establishes that Houseman's account of their having to make the script up as they went along at air time can't be true. I think he has it confused with a later original play for radio, about a private eye couple.

"The Man Who Was Thursday" is my favorite of the Mercury Theater on the Air productions, too. I often think of Todd Baesen's milieux when I listen to it.

Glenn

[LamontCranston]

Actually, I agree with Houseman in large part: just imagine if they'd stayed together. In five years they changed theatre, radio and film; I guess television would have been the next.

Desilu produced Fountain of Youth which was a pilot for a proposed anthology series, but could find no station interested.

[Night Listener]

keats/Peter,

Store Hadji (I believe) consolidated the available Welles audio, and a fair amount of video too, right here at Wellesnet:
http://www.wellesnet.com/?page_id=206 .

Since the rehearsal recording of Thursday seems not to have been included, I've uploaded it for you here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=34b3 ... c9d675930c