The Complete Orson Welles

Columbia Workshop | The Fall of the City | Aired, April 11, 1937. The Fall of the City by Archibald MacLeish is the first American verse play written for radio. First broadcast April 11, 1937, at 7 p.m. ET over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio as part of the Columbia Workshop radio series. The cast featured  Orson Welles  and  Burge...

Black Museum  | episode 03, Bath Tub | This episode aired in 1952. There are no known month and day dates for the series, but this episode aired in 1951. The Black Museum  was based on real-life murder cases from the files of the actual Black Museum, a part of Scotland Yard. The program was aired from 1951 to 1952 and broadcast in the United States on the Mutual Broadcasting Sy...

The Adventures of Harry Lime | 04 episode, Ticket to Tangier | This episode aired, Friday, August 24, 1951. In 1950, British radio producer Harry Alan Towers persuaded Orson Welles to revive his most popular role in a radio series called “The Lives of Harry Lime.” Each week Lime would recall a different adventure from his colorful past. The episode “A Ticket to Tangiers,” broadcast on August 24, 1...

Mercury Summer Theatre | The Search for Henri Le Fevre | This episode aired, July 12, 1946. Plot: No sooner does a composer finish his composition, then he hears it being performed on the radio. Featuring: Jim Ameche, Lucille Fletcher, Mercedes McCambridge, Orson Welles : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podcast and the time I put into creating and posting every week. Donations a...

Suspense | Philomel Cottage | This episode aired, Thursday October 7, 1943. Philomel Cottage is a short story written by Agatha Christie which was first published in The Grand Magazine in November, 1924. It was subsequently compiled as part of the collection The Listerdale Mystery in the U.K. in Jun 1934. : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podca...

Let's welcome a new program to the podcast, Ceiling Unlimited . Two episodes; 1) Flying Fortress -- aired November 11, 1942; 2) Air Transport Command -- November 16, 1942. Flying Fortress --about the Boeing B-17 bomber. Air Transport Command -- the story of cargo transport is revealed through the conversation of three elderly veterans. : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podcast a...

Orson discusses The Islands (the Caribbean Islands -- specifically, Haiti) in this weeks episode from Hello Americans . This episode aired November 29, 1942. The abolition of slavery in Haiti from France, led by Toussaint Louverture and the reign of Henri Christophe. Cast: Ray Collins, Hans Conried, Elliott Reid, and the Haitian Chorus. NOTE: At the last minute I decided to shuffle...

Mercury Summer Theatre did another story from Lucille Fletcher, The Search for Henri Le Fevrer . This episode aired, Friday, July 12, 1946. Story: No sooner does a composer finish his composition, then he hears it being performed on the radio! Welles mentions that next week, he will do again "Treasure Island," which he says "is the first drama I ever did on CBS." Next week however, "Life With Adam...

This week we listen to The Shadow and the episode titled, League of Terror . This episode aired: January 9, 1938 Plot: The Shadow breaks up a counterfeit ring who are terrorizing a poor neighborhood. Cast: Orson Welles (The Shadow | Lamont Cranston); Agnes Moorehead (Margot Lane) NOTE: At the last minute I decided to shuffle a few episodes, so the intro to this one is incorrect to the posted date....

Campbell Playhouse , episode #042, adapts the Charles Dickens classic story, A Christmas Carol (featuring, Lionel Barrymore). This episode aired Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24, 1939. Cast: Ray Collins, Frank Readick, Everett Sloane, Orson Welles, and Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezer Scrooge : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podcast and the time I put into creating and posting ev...

Hello Americans with their seventh episode, a Christmas episode, named, The Bad-Will Ambassador . This episode aired, Sunday, December 27, 1942. Written by Richard Brooks | Cast: Norman Field, Pedro de Cordoba, John Tucker Battle, Hans Conried, Martin Stone, Orson Welles : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podcast and the time I put into creating and posting every week....

The Mercury Theatre on the Air does their adaptation of T he Man Who Was Thursday . The story was written by G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) in 1908. This episode aired September 9, 1938. Story: A metaphysical thriller, Gabriel Syme first gets recruited to a secret anarchist division of Scotland Yard. Cast: Ray Collins, Orson Welles, Eustace Wyatt, George Coulouris, Edgar Barrier, Joseph Cotten,...

Columbia Workshop , adaptation of The Fall of the City . This episode aired on Columbia Broadcasting System, Sunday, April 11, 1937. The Fall of the City, written by Archibald MacLeish is the first American verse play written for radio. The broadcast (script and production value) were highly successful and lauded by most. The story is an allegory on the rise of Fascism. Cast: Orson Welles (Announc...

The Adventures of Harry Lime (The Third Man) with their third episode, Clay Pigeon . This episode aired Friday, August 17, 1951. Plot: New York City, Governor James Hadley offers Harry $15,000 to free him with a blackmail plot. Lime returns to NYC after learning an old and important enemy of his wants to see him. : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podcast and the time I put into...

Campbell Playhouse does an adaptation of Williams Archer's 1921 play, The Green Goddess . Adapted by Howard Koch. This episode aired February 10, 1939. Cast: Morris Ankrum, Ray Collins, Alfred Shirley, Robert Spaeth, Orson Welles, Eustace Wyatt Story: Flying on a British airplane in thick fog, Pricilla is frightened, since they can't see the mountains ahead. The fuel is low and suddenly the engine...

Suspense presents, The Lost Special , a mystery short story by Arthur Conan Doyle first published in  The Strand Magazine  in August 1898. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the creator and writer of Sherlock Holmes. This episode aired September 39, 1943. Cast: Howard Duff, Jack Finke (writer), Bernard Herrmann (conductor), Orson Welles Plot: A train mysteriously disappears on its journ...

The Free Company with their Welles hosted episode, H is Honor, the Mayor . There are conflicting dates for this episode, but it aired between April 5-8, 1941. Episode: Welles' personal views, regarding politics, racism, communism and religion, are expressed in this story about life in a small Texas border town. Cast: Paul Stewart (announcer), Ray Collins, Agnes Moorehead, Erskine Sanford, Everett...

This Is My Best, for this his first episode as producer and host, Welles chose to do an adaptation of one of his favorite stories, Heart of Darkness, the Joseph Conrad novel. This episode aired Tuesday, March 13, 1945. This Is My Best aided on CBS Radio from 1944 to 1946 with only 39 episodes. After several guest appearances, in March 1945 Welles took over as producer, writer, host and star....

The Shadow episode, The Death Triangle , Lamont comes to the aid of a doctor who was once a prisoner on Devil's Island. This episode aired Sunday, December 12, 1937. Cast: Orson Welles (The Shadow / Lamont Cranston), Agnes Moorehead (Margot Lane) : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podcast and the time I put into creating and posting every week. Donations are through my duane.medi...

Orson host and narrates, The Black Museum , this is the second episode, A .32 Caliber Bullet . There are no known month and day dates for the series, but this episode aired in 1951. The Black Museum  was based on real-life murder cases from the files of the actual Black Museum, a part of Scotland Yard. The program was aired from 1951 to 1952 and broadcast in the United States on the...

The Mercury Theatre on the Air , adapts The Count of Monte Cristo from the Alexandre Dumas novel. This episode aired Monday, August 29, 1938. Cast: Orson Welles (Edmond Dantès), Ray Collins (Abbé Faria), George Coulouris (Monsieur Morrel), Edgar Barrier (de Villefort), Eustace Wyatt (Caderousse), Paul Stewart (Paul Dantés) Sidney Smith (Mondego), Richard Wilson (the Officer), Virgin...

The Campbell Playhouse does an adaptation of Arrowsmith , the novel by Sinclair Lewis. This episode aired Friday, February 3, 1939. Cast: Orson Welles (Martin Arrowsmith), Helen Hayes (Leora Arrowsmith), Ray Collins (Professor Gottlieb), Frank Readick (Sondelius), Al Swenson (Henry Novak), Effie Palmer (Mrs. Tozer), Everette Sloane (Mr. Tozer), Carl Frank (Dr. Stoups) Lewi...

We Hold These Truths , a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the United States Bill of Rights , and shared 'American values.' Broadcast on all four major networks (CBS, NBC Red, NBC Blue, and Mutual). This episode aired live on December 15, 1941. Written and producer, Norman Corwin, won a Peabody Award for the show, which commemorated the ratification of Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. Pe...

Jack Benny was out with Pnemonia and Orson Welles hosted the show for his second straight week! While hosting Orson Takes Cast to His Movie Lot . This episode aired March 21, 1948. Guest include: Jerry Farber, Verna Felton, Eric Sherwood, Orson Welles : : : : : You can donate to show your support for my podcast and the time I put into creating and posting every week. Donations are through my duane...

Mercury Summer Theatre with their adaptation of the famous radio and television story by Lucille Fletcher, The Hitchhiker . This episode aired Friday, June 21, 1946. Story: Ronald Adams takes a cross-country drive from New York to California. Along the way he see's a hitchhiker, the stranger keeps appearing over and over no matter how long Ronald drives. The hitchhiker seems to be stalking Ronald,...