Count Of Monte Cristo - 1939 version

[Obssessed_with_Orson]

has anyone heard both versions, or more, of the count of monte cristo?

i think he did one in 1938 and one in 1939.

the one he did in 1938 is better. he sounds as if he's in a hurry in 1939.

or did he feel that he needed too add more feeling to it in 1939?

not to be putting him down or anything. in 1938 he was good. but in 1939, his voice was in such a rush that he almost sounded hoarse.

also, mr. collins did a better job as the abbe faria than mr. sloane did. why, i don't know. he just did. the same reason mr. sloane was better for the part of bernstein in "Citizen Kane" he just was.

bye now!

if this is a repeat, i apologize

[mteal]

I'm not surprised he sounds in a hurry. The Dumas novel is nearly 1,000 pages long!

Welles also did a 30-minute version of The Count of Monte Cristo for the Mercury Summer Theatre in 1946. I've heard all three, and although they all are well done, none of them really works because the compression of the story is too extreme - like trying to fit a whale into a sardine can. This is the same problem I have with some other Mercury programs, like Vanity Fair and The Pickwick Papers. They really don't capture the spirit of the books because, unlike the 3 1/2 hour mini-series of Les Miserables, the stories are not given enough room to breathe. You do have to give Welles an "A" for ambition, though.

[Jeff Wilson]

Trying to fit some of those 19th century novels into the radio format was clearly a difficult proposition, and considering the time constraints the Mercury worked under, I'm amazed they came out as well as they did. I don't envy those guys, whittling those behemoths down in a week or two. The cost of prestige, I guess.

[mteal]

Yes, it is amazing that they came out as well as they did, undoubtedly due in large part to the superb sense of ensemble that the Mercury had, and from Welles' fearless juggling act as both star AND Master of Ceremonies.

I've heard that many 19th century novels were first published in serial form and that their authors were paid by the word. It's not surprising then that so many of these books are so massive. The authors probably didn't want them to end anymore then the readers did. Kind of like a TV series today, some of which go on a season or two longer then they should. I suppose the greatest novelists knew how to maintain the arc of the story no matter how long it went on.

Interesting that "Count" is the only Dumas that Welles and the Mercury ever did, although Welles did later star in Cagliostro aka Black Magic, based on Dumas' Memiors of a Physician. There was, furthermore, a 30 minute TV show that Welles did in the 50s based on the life of Dumas. According to Welles, the show was lost. Too bad. Bret Wood's bio-bibliography of Welles also lists Guy Endore's wonderful novel about Dumas (called KING OF PARIS), as one of the unrealized projects. The novel accuses Dumas of having signed his name to a lot of ghost written books, which is how he managed to "author" so many. Maybe the theme of ambiguous authorship is what attracted Welles. It's an issue he was bitten by himself.

[Obssessed_with_Orson]

i do admit, i used the word hoarse. when not really hoarse.
he just didn't sound his suave self.

the 38 version and the 39 version are the same length. i just like him to take his time. he didn't sound as if in a rush in 38. sounded calm, suave, romantic.

but in 39, it just didn't tickle my fancy.

like the difference versions of the hitch-hiker. 42 and 46
in one he did it calm, relaxed, suave. not romantic.

but in the other, he just did it differently.