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One of the original scripts for Orson Welles’ infamous The War of the Worlds radio broadcast is on the auction block.
An original, typewritten draft of the broadcast is slated to be auctioned on Thursday by Nate D. Sanders Auctions with bids beginning at $20,000.
Lot #129 is described by auctioneers as containing an “original typewritten draft of The War of the Worlds, as famously read by Orson Welles on his radio series, Mercury Theater. Airing on CBS on 30 October 1938, the episode (titled An Attack by the Men of Mars on the script) is known for its realistic depiction which many duped listeners took as fact after tuning in past the introduction. Welles was then forced to give a press conference in which he apologized for the panic he caused, stating it was not intentional, even though the story was read as a news bulletin. 17pp. script is typewritten on cream paper with numerous misspellings, corrections and incomplete sentences with one staple at top left and extra page inserted as 12-A. Comes with provenance from previous owner who purchased script from the estate of the radio pioneer James Jewell.”
Jewell, who died in 1975, was a radio actor, producer and director. He produced, directed and occasionally wrote many of the early episodes for The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.
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