Orson Welles Radio Works
Hello MPIR Fans & Friends,
First of all, please let me apologize for my rant/out burst about the Voscast service. It really pains me when things go wrong and I am helpless to do anything about it. I always believe that you the listener deserve the best listening experience possible.
Featuring on the MPIR Mystery stream is the radio works of Orson Welles. My most favorite radio actor/producer and all around creative artists of the day.
George Orson Welles May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, writer, and producer who worked in theatre, radio, and film. He is remembered for his innovative work in all three: in theatre, most notably Caesar (1937), a Broadway adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar; in radio, the 1938 broadcast "The War of the Worlds", one of the most famous in the history of radio; and in film, Citizen Kane (1941), consistently ranked as one of the all-time greatest films.
Welles directed a number of high-profile stage productions for the Federal Theatre Project in his early twenties, including an innovative adaptation of Macbeth with an entirely African American cast, and the political musical The Cradle Will Rock. In 1937 he and John Houseman founded the Mercury Theatre, an independent repertory theatre company that presented an acclaimed series of productions on Broadway through 1941. Welles found national and international fame as the director and narrator of a 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds performed for his radio anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. It reportedly caused widespread panic when listeners thought that an invasion by extraterrestrial beings was occurring. Although some contemporary sources claim these reports of panic were mostly false and overstated, they rocketed Welles to notoriety.
During his life time Orson Welles always attracted controversy. Many people never really understood him or his motivation. I recommend the following biography to learn more about Orson Welles.
http://www.amazon.com/Orson-Welles-Biography-Barbara-Leaming/dp/0879101997
I listened to the audible.com audio version, and near the end I discovered what in my opinion triggered Orson Welles on his creative career. During his youth he spent a lot of time at the Chicago Art Institute and Museum. In the biography it is stated he spent hours in the Thorne exhibit area.
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/43718?search_no=12&index=38
Peering inside these little boxes of various rooms with their furnishings and stairs leading your eye up to a mystery. Opened doors with light seeping through! This must have sparked this small boy's imagination and was present throughout his life. Leading him to tell a story, to open our minds to great wonders and fantasy and imagination. That is in my humble opinion at it's basic level, what drove Orson Welles.
Thank you for letting me ramble about my hero and I hope you enjoy his radio works as much as I do.
As the great man always said at the end of most of his shows. I Remain Obediently Yours,
Clyde J. Kell, Mystery Play Internet Radio