Welles and Cresta Blanca (This is My Best)

[Wellesnet]

On 13 March 1945, Orson Welles took over the CBS radio show "This Is My Best" with a production of Joseph Conrad's novella "Heart of Darkness."

The Digital Deli's webpage on "This Is My Best"
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDe ... -Best.html

Wiki on "This Is My Best":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_My_Best

Welles's nine appearances on "This Is My Best" (all 30 minutes):

11/24/44 - "Around the World in 80 Days" (by Jules Verne)

12/19/44 - "The Plot To Overthrow Christmas" (by Norman Corwin)

03/13/45 - "Heart of Darkness" (by Joseph Conrad)

03/20/45 - "Miss Dilly Says No" (Ann Sothern, Rita Hayworth, guest stars)

03/27/45 - "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (Jane Powell, guest star)

04/03/45 - "The Diamond As Big as the Ritz" (by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a last minute substitution for John Dos Passos's "Number One")

04/10/45 - "Master of Ballentrae" (by Robert Louis Stephenson; Agnes Morehead and Ray Collins, guest stars)

04/17/45 - "I Will Not Go Back" (a memorial to FDR, replacing the planned program of "Don't Catch Me")

04/24/45 - "Anything Can Happen"

These programs, as well as three others, can be heard at Archive.org:
https://archive.org/details/ThisIsMyBest

[Le Chiffre]

Sound quality ratings for Archive.org:

11/24/44 - "Around the World in 80 Days" - Fair 4

12/19/44 - "The Plot To Overthrow Christmas" - Good 7

03/13/45 - "Heart of Darkness" - Very good 8

03/20/45 - "Miss Dilly Says No" - Pretty Good 6

03/27/45 - "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" - Fair 4

04/03/45 - "The Diamond As Big as the Ritz" - Excellent 9

04/10/45 - "Master of Ballentrae" - Fair 4

04/17/45 - "I Will Not Go Back" - Pretty Good 6

04/24/45 - "Anything Can Happen" - Fair 4

The key program in this group is, of course, HEART OF DARKNESS, which gives an idea of what Welles's film version might have been like if he had made it. Interesting how significantly it differs from the '38 HOD broadcast.

Too bad MASTER OF BALLENTRAE doesn't have better sound quality. It seems an important program too in it's use of Scottish burrs, which would a couple of years later find their way into the MACBETH film. I've read that Welles considered using Agnes Morehead as Lady Macbeth.

[Le Chiffre]

The recordings at the new IU website are, for the most part, huge improvements over anything I've heard before for these shows:
https://orsonwelles.indiana.edu/collections/show/14

At Archive.org
11/24/44 - "Around the World in 80 Days" -
At Archive.org
Fair 4 .......... (N/A at IU/Lilly)

12/19/44 - "The Plot To Overthrow Christmas" -
At Archive.org
Good 7......... (N/A at IU/Lilly)

03/13/45 - "Heart of Darkness" -
At Archive.org
Very good 8......... (N/A at IU/Lilly)

03/20/45 - "Miss Dilly Says No" -
At Archive.org
Pretty Good 6.......... (9 Excellent at IU Lilly)

03/27/45 - "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" -
At Archive.org
Fair 4.... ...... (9 Excellent at IU/Lilly)

04/03/45 - "The Diamond As Big as the Ritz" -
At Archive.org
Excellent 9.......... (9 Excellent at IU/Lilly)

04/10/45 - "Master of Ballentrae" -
At Archive.org
Fair 4.......... (9 Excellent at Iu/Lilly)

04/17/45 - "I Will Not Go Back" -
At Archive.org
Pretty Good 6.......... (9 Excellent at IU/Lilly)

04/24/45 - "Anything Can Happen" -
At Archive.org
Fair 4.......... (9 Excellent at IU/Lilly)

[Wellesnet]

Variety review of "Hearst Over Hollywood":
https://variety.com/2002/more/reviews/h ... e-comments

The Hearst-Davies lifestyle at San Simeon (described by Helen Hayes as “something out of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story about the excesses of wealth and privilege, ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'”), is colorfully drawn and stresses that guests were chosen who could supply him with celebrity information.

[tonyw]

Yes, currently listening to it for my scientific romances class in a few hours. It will follow the audio WAR OF THE WORLDS.