MP3s of Orson's radio shows

[Jeff Wilson]

Added to the cost of transferring transcription discs is shipping them to the studio facility, which I imagine wouldn't be cheap; the glass discs used in the mid 1940s are extremely fragile, and just packing them and insuring them would be a pain. The Lilly does have a reel-to-reel player, it's just broken, I was told. It's obviously not a high demand item, so they haven't replaced or fixed it. Someone should donate one to them, if nothing else. On my last visit, I was fortunate enough to have a staff member bring in his personal player, so I was able to hear about half the Eversharp shows. Unfortunately, almost all the Lear Show and numerous other shows are only on reel-to-reel as well. I suppose we should be glad that Welles made sure to keep transcription discs, and that someone preserved them.

[mteal]

You heard some of the Eversharps? As the Thatcher librarian might say, "You've enjoyed a very rare privilege". What did you think of the ones you heard?

[Jeff Wilson]

I was surprised that the Eversharp shows were complete shows, despite never being broadcast. By that I mean that they had announcer intros, sponsor ads, even a network announcement line. They even gave a time for broadcast. As for the shows themselves, the series was basically a dry run for the Lear show, except a bit drier in subject matter, as the ones I heard stuck more or less entirely to politics. I didn't get to the hear the one I really wanted, which featured Jack Benny and Betty Grable as guests, with Welles doing some magic over the radio. I chose the wrong side of the reel to reel, alas.

[mteal]

I think the political ones would be the shows I'd be interested in. Having seen all the films many times, I'm going thru a phase now where I'm curious to figure out what Welles' political message was, and in the Eversharp and Lear shows he spells out his beliefs in this area more clearly and straightforwardly then in the films, which are more ambiguous and metaphoric. You say the Eversharp shows were a dry run for the Lear shows, and that seems true. In a way, one could also see the Lear shows as forerunners of The Orson Welles Sketchbook series of the 50s, although most of the Sketchbook shows were more autobiographical in theme, as if Welles were introducing himself to his European audience.

Hard to imagine what magic on the radio is like, but it sounds interesting.

[Jeff Wilson]

One of Welles' bugaboos at the time was apparently fortune telling and other forms of flimflam, and he takes one of the Eversharp broadcasts to ain a broadside at the widespread use, whether believed or not, in such frauds. He even discusses how some Congressmen use them in deciding policy (shades of Ronnie Reagan!), although he gives no names. Consequently, he took time in the series to try to make people see this stuff was bogus. He had a trick planned whereby he would predict the score of the Rose Bowl, with the prediction to be buried in one of the end zones and dug up after the game; he also had Benny and Grable on to verify his"honesty" in doing a couple straight tricks, including predicting a newspaper headline in Alaska.

Of course, I think one reason that the Eversharp show fell through was because of the politics. I have a contract for the show, and the contract specifically bans any discussion of politics, which is what Welles gave them in spades on the sample shows. I am guessing Eversharp backed out when they saw the potential hot potato they had on their hands in Welles as commentator.

[Welles Fan]

I do remember reading years ago about how record companies were under federal investigation for a conspiracy to keep CD prices fixed at around $16. I don't know whatever became of the issue, but it's interesting that 20 years after CDs first came on the market, the price is still the same.

mteal: that investigation has resulted in a multimillion dollar fine against record companies and retailers. If you bought a CD between sometime like 1985-1991 I think, you are entitled to some money. so far, not a lot of people have signed up for it. If the people who sign up exceed something like 8 million, then the money goes to charity. I have the info at home and will post more about it tonight.

[Obssessed_with_Orson]

Oh, and the guy who owned Radio Spirits sold out to a corporation, so their quality has gone downhill, from what I've read.

ok, scratch off radio spirits.

anyway i can get a hold of that jerk that USED to own it. i paid $10 damn bucks to get a xerox copy of the mercury theatre and campbell playhouse series list. on the back on the order form it use to have.

bye now!

[Jeff Wilson]

You can get a copy of the program logs at any number of sites (including Wellesnet). Just search under "campbell playhouse" and "log" in Google for example, and you'll come up with it easily. Print it out, and you're done. No reason to pay anything for such info.

[mteal]

Welles Fan,
I probably bought 100 CDs during those years. But of course, I don't have the receipts anymore. The money will go to charity? That sounds a little fishy right there.

Jeff,
Interesting about congressmen using fortune tellers to determine policy. In his book HOLLYWOOD, Gore Vidal accuses Woodrow Wilson of using Ouija boards in the White House during WWI! But then, The White House is said to be haunted by Lincoln, so who knows? Yes, Welles was pretty brazen in his statements on the Lear Show. In fact, I think that show deserves it's own thread, so I've taken the liberty of starting one.

[Obssessed_with_Orson]

just suckered, excited to finally find a company that had sold them. with a little bit of :p mixed in. now having alot of :angry: now that they don't even sell them anymore is where i am right now.

guess they used pretty expensive ink and paper to print it out. it was a few years ago when i did it though. now i go bye the lilly library list...one by one...and try to find what i can.

bye now!