William Alland on working with ORSON WELLES from JULIUS CAESAR to TOUCH OF EVIL

Richard Linklater’s Me and Orson Welles had its New York City premiere on November 23, and the next day, on November 24, there was a dedication by Chris Welles Feder and Christian McKay of a plaque in memory of Orson Welles’s Mercury Theatre which once stood at the site of the current building which now […]

The aftermath: Orson Welles “The War of the Worlds” Halloween press conference, 1938

There are pictures of me made about three hours after the broadcast looking as much as I could like an early Christian saint. As if I didn’t know what I was doing… but I’m afraid it was about as hypocritical as anyone could possibly get! —Orson Welles (to Tom Snyder – 1975) ************************************************* Press conference […]

The N. Y. Daily News on Orson Welles’s “Fake Radio War”

The N. Y. Daily News has posted their complete original coverage from 1938 on the panic caused by the broadcast of The War of the Worlds. There is also a wonderful gallery of pictures featuring Welles in the studio, along with a Martian’s eye viewpoint of Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Here are some excerpts and […]

Frost/Welles – Houseman & Koch – talking about THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

Early in June, 1970 Orson Welles appeared as a guest on The David Frost Show and gave the comments below to Sir David about his 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast. Later that same month, Welles was a guest host on the Frost Show and talked to (among others) these famous luminaries: Duke ELLINGTON, Louis […]

70 years ago Orson Welles’s THE WAR OF THE WORLDS radio show panicked America – By Ray Kelly

Here is Wellesnet member Ray Kelly’s article recalling The War of the Worlds radio broadcast, from the Springfield, Mass. Republican. There are additional pictures and sound clips at this link: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/70_years_ago_war_of_the_worlds.html To introduce Ray’s piece, here is Welles’s famous closing speech from the broadcast: _______________________________________ ORSON WELLES: This is Orson Welles, ladies and gentlemen, out […]

“War of the Worlds” Investigated

Public radio station KQED in California is presenting a radio show looking at the history of the infamous “War of the Worlds” episode of The Mercury Theater on the Air. The show will be presented twice, once tomorrow (2/16) at 1 PM, and on 2/20 at 8 PM (these are Pacific times, by the way). […]