In spite of that, welles was offered a slot on network radio for his fine creative radio theatre in 1938. Feb 12, 2015 the mercury theatre, hosted by orson welles on cbs radio ran for only 19 weekly broadcasts and eight of them survive. Orson welles dramatic anthology series mercury theater on the air, infamous for its halloween broadcast of war of the worlds, found a sponsor and became campbell playhouse in december 1938. It was performed as a halloween episode of the series on october 30, 1938, and aired over the columbia broadcasting system radio network. The mercury theatre on the air made its debut on cbs on july 11, 1938 with an. Dracula the mercury theatre on the air listen and download.
Narrated by orson welles and featuring the players from his mercury theatre or the air. The show aired during the tense years leading up to world war ii, when fascism was on the rise in europe. Orson welles and his mercury theatre present war of the worlds, and half of america. This volume is the only publication available of the fully annotated playscripts of wells w. Each week they would do a full hour of quality drama, with pabst beer sponsoring the show. The night before, welles and his mercury theatre on the air. Koch, cowriter of casablanca, and directed and narrated by orson welles, this. Wellesnet is dedicated to the memory of orson welles may 6, 1915october 10, 1985.
Welless direction and acting, bernard herrmanns visionary scores and the likes of joseph cotten and agnes moorehead in supporting roles, combined to produce electrifying renditions of established classics. Orson welles, volume 1 by simon callow overdrive rakuten. The war of the worlds mercury theatre on the air by orson. The mercury theatre on the air listen and download.
In its brief run, it featured an impressive array of talents, including agnes moorehead, bernard herrmann, and george coulouris. In 1938 the mercury theatre presented william gillettes comedy too much johnson. In 1946, welles began two new radio seriesthe mercury summer theatre of the air for cbs, and orson welles commentaries for abc. The mercury theatre on the air produced some of the most extraordinary radio to ever hit the airwaves. The war of the worlds is an episode of the american radio drama anthology series the mercury theatre on the air. Best known for his stage productions of voodoo macbeth, cradle will rock and julius caesar. Orson welles treasure island july 18 1938 mercury theatre. The mercury theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in new york city in 1937 by orson welles and producer john houseman. Mercury theatre musical theme announcer ladies and gentlemen, the director of the mercury theatre and star of these broadcasts, orson welles. Wellss whom coincidentally has a similar last name as orson novel.
The mercury theatre on the air first known as first person singular is a radio series of live radio dramas created by orson welles. Mercury theatre american theatrical company britannica. Subscribe for more orson welles mercury theatre broadcasts. While mercury summer theatre featured halfhour adaptations of some classic mercury radio shows from the 1930s, the first episode was a condensation of his around the world stage play, and is the only record of cole. The mercury also released promptbooks and phonographic recordings of four shakespeare works for use in schools. Mercury theater lady esther presents orson welles drama. Orson welles lost film to debut in october thewrap. Mercury theatre on the air orson welles on the air, 19381946. Complete and unedited, as heard on the campbell playhouse, december 24, 1939. Orson welles directing a rehearsal of his mercury theatre of the air.
When orson welles burst onto the hollywood scene in 1941 with citizen kane it was the. Welles recorded these editions with the mercury theatre as a. May 06, 2015 on halloween morning, 1938, orson welles awoke to find himself the most talked about man in america. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures.
The definitive mercury theatre on the air radio articles and. Long a fan of magic tricks and circuses, in 1943 welles presented the mercury wonder show for service men, a revue in which orson the magnificent and his mercury theatre stars including. After a series of acclaimed stage productions, the mercury theatre progressed into its most popular incarnation as the mercury theatre on the air. One of the very tallest of all the tall stories ever told. Orson welles the war of the worlds mercury theatre on. Cbs was well pleased with the first set of orson welles productions, and the company engaged welles and his troupe for another set of broadcast dramas. Buy a cd or vinyl record and get 90 days free amazon music unlimited. For more than two decades, the theater has been presenting acclaimed and fascinating theater in an intimate setting. Classic stories such as our town, the count of monte cristo, mutiny on the bounty, showboat, huckleberry. Aug 07, 20 orson welles too much johnson, a longlost threepart slapstick comedy that he directed in 1938, has been found in an italian warehouse and is being restored for its u. The mercury theatre on the air presents orson welles as count dracula in his own version of bram stokers great novel dracula.
After making what many people cite as the greatest film ever made, citizen kane 1941, the multitalented ac. With orson welles reading the part of an astronaut and professor, the mercury theatre on the airs broadcast of war of the worlds hit a frayed nerve in the american public. Orson welles had quite a career in radio, from his days as the shadow and his mercury theatre on the air, to the radio version of his third man character from the movie, and beyond. May 6, 2015, marks the centenary of orson welles, the american actor, director, writer and producer whose bestknown film, citizen kane, is regarded by many as the best ever made. Since we cant go back in time to see the orson welles theatre productions of note, we can at least read the scripts to see how he cut them and read the insightful notes by richard france about the productions. The mercury theatre on the air by orson welles on free audio. The columbia broadcasting system and its affiliated stations present orson welles and the mercury theatre on the air in the war of the worlds by h. Recordings of the mercury theatre on the air, the 1930s radio show created by orson welles. It was a relatively short lived show only five months, but it remains one of the most culturally significant shows in entertainment history. The mercury theatre on the air is a radio series of live radio dramas created by orson welles. Originally intending treasure island to be the first of the mercury theatre broadcasts, the 23yearold welles abruptly changed his mind a week before the recording and set about adapting stokers novel in a series of winesoaked meetings with producer john houseman.
Theatre and radio in the 1930s same year they formed the mercury theatre, which presented a renowned moderndress version of shakespeares julius caesar. Broadcast from new yorks mercury theatre in 1938, this infamous radio play. Orson welles and the mercury theatre on the air broadcast from november 6th 1938. Orson welles legendary radio productions, remastered and 100% free. Orson welles intermedial versions of shakespeare in theatre. The mercury theatre was a theatre company founded in new york city in 1937 by orson welles and john houseman. Welles revived the mercury theatre title for a short series in the summer of 1946. In his first outing as a writerdirector for radio, orson welles, 22, adapted les. The mercury theater embraced thrillers such as dracula and war of the worlds, and the classics of literature such as pickwick papers and tale of two. Sep 14, 2010 check out mercury theatre the 39 steps august 1, 1938 by orson welles on amazon music.
A brilliant biography of the young orson welles, from his prodigious childhood and youth, his triumphs with the mercury theatre, to the making of citizen kane. The otr community seems to hold a very parochial view about the founders of mercury theatre, taking the position that mercury theatre was orson welles, orson welles and orson welles. Paul holler, writing in critique, described the programs origin. Ppt citizen kane 1941 powerpoint presentation free to. Welles used the banner mercury productions on many of his films, and several of the actors from his mercury theatre company appeared in them, notably in citizen. Hear orson welles iconic war of the worlds broadcast 1938. The war of the worlds mercury theatre on the air, an album by orson welles on spotify we and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. Citizen kane 1941 1 citizen kane 1941 artemus ward. The notorious war of the worlds episode of mercury theatre 30 october 1938, which depicted a martian invasion of new jersey, demonstrated mass medias potential to mislead audiences. After welles success in the theatre with his mercury players and his controversial 1938 radio broadcast of war of the worlds, welles was courted by hollywood. Directed by orson welles and performed by his mercury theatre of the air, the war of the worlds is an adaptation of h. Orson welles, in full george orson welles, born may 6, 1915, kenosha, wisconsin, u. Orson welles wouldve celebrated his 105th birthday on may 6, 2020.
Me and orson welles by robert kaplow overdrive rakuten. Setting the events in thencontemporary locations the landing spot for the martian invasion, grovers mill. Welles used the banner mercury productions on many of his films, and several of the actors from his mercury theatre company appeared in them, notably in citizen kane, the magnificent ambersons and macbeth. Mercury theatre with orson welles theres a full moon tonight. The weekly hourlong show presented classic literary works. The infamous war of the worlds radio broadcast was a. The mercury theatre on the air was an hourlong dramatic radio program which began in the summer of 1938 on the cbs radio network. Radio, with its power to excite the imagination and actually involve the audience in the creative process, had huge potential as a medium for serious. There is a longstanding urban myth that on october 30, 1938, he directed the mercury theatre on the air in a dramatization of the war of the worlds, based on h. But indeed, john houseman was even more instrumental in establishing, organizing and continuing to manage the mercury theatre over the years. Welles shot three short silent films to precede each act of the play. To offer listeners the productions of orson welles and the mercury theatre in a simple, easytouse website, for both download and streaming.
To restore the plays, many of which exist only in poorlyrecorded condition, and to freely distribute these remastered recordings. Bazin, andre, orson welles, jonathan rosenbaum, trans. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the mercury theatre progressed into their bestknown period as the mercury theatre on the air, a cbs radio series that included one of the most notable and infamous radio broadcasts of all time, the war of the worlds, broadcast on. The finest radio drama of the 1930s was the mercury theatre on the air, a show featuring the acclaimed new york drama company founded by orson welles and john houseman. Adapted and scripted by howard koch, with considerable input from orson welles and members of the mercury theatre, the setting for the radio broadcast switched from the victorian england of the. Orson welles heart of darkness and life with father.
Orson welles celebrity profile check out the latest orson welles photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. On 30 october 1938, as a halloween special, orson welles and the mercury theatre broadcast an adaptation of hg wells classic novel war of the worlds. Orson welles and the mercury theatre on the air present, treasure island. On halloween morning, 1938, orson welles awoke to find himself the most talked about man in america. The night before, welles and his mercury theatre on the air had performed a radio adaptation of. May 12, 2016 orson welles and the mercury theatre on the air present, treasure island. Everett sloane, frank readick, george colouris, ray collins, bea benaderet georgia backus. The war of the worlds is truly the mother of all space. The weekly hourlong show presented classic literary works performed by welles s celebrated mercury theatre repertory company, with music composed or arranged by bernard herrmann. The program continued to feature the charismatic and fiery welles as both a host and an actor. Next week, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you one of the most fascinating stories that its ever been the privilege of the mercury theatre to broadcast. Recorded books the mercury theatre on the air, vol. See more ideas about orson welles, great films and old hollywood. The mercury theatre on the air by orson welles on free.
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