Dracula (July 11, 1938)

[Glenn Anders]

Yes, mteal, I've wondered why Welles did not sign for work in Horror Films, given this production of "Dracula," his title role in The Shadow, and his boyish interest in gothic tales and melodrama. Perhaps, he did not want to limit himself in a different medium, early in his career. The type-casting of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, John Carradine and other fine actors may have been a warning.

I hope that "Treasure Island" has not been cancelled. I was trying to dig out a copy of it, or at least, pull together my memories of the show. Given attitudes of the time, my guess is that "Treasure Island" went over better and gave the series more of a boost than "Dracula" did.

No doubt, others will give that famous story of treasure hunting a sendoff next week.

Glenn

[Le Chiffre]

Well, he actually did do a couple of horror films late in his career, around 1972: NECROMANCY, which as I said is pretty bad, and the Belgian film MALPERTUIS, which I think is pretty good, although Welles is only in it for 10 minutes or so. The pop-Shakespearean elegance of the Hammer films, however, is something I think Welles would've fit quite nicely in too, and it's too bad he didn't do at least one, or at least an AIP picture with Vincent Price. Of course, Welles' film versions of MACBETH and OTHELLO are both often described as having some qualities of the classic horror films of the 30's. I know Jonathon Rosenbaum compared OTHELLO to FW Murnau's NOSFARATU.

BTW, MALPERTUIS is now available on a European DVD, if anyone has any further info on it. Also, on DVD now in Europe is Welles' only appearance in a western, TEPEPA (which is also a pretty good movie). Has anyone seen either of these?

[Knowles Noel Shane]

I got a 1938 issue of Radio Guide off ebay (I assume its direct antecedent was TV Guide.) It features a page on the premiere of The Mercury Theatre on the Air, with photos of and interviews with Welles. Interestingly, it does not list the title of the show as First Person Singular. The actual program listing in the guide is as "Mercury Theatre." The show intros to the original series all announced "The Mercury Theatre on the Air." They then mentioned that the shows were to be presented in "the first person singular," but that wasn't the name of the show.

How is it that First Person Singular has erroneously come down as the title of the show, when it absolutely wasn't? Was that title given in the CBS contract at the time? Kind of a self-perpetuating error, I guess, thanks to poor research done by the biographers, kind of like the fact that they always credit the Arkadin film as being based on a Harry Lime episode entitled "Greek Meets Greek" (which it wasn't, it was based on two other episodes, "Man of Mystery" and "Blackmail Is a Nasty Word.")

[Glenn Anders]

Knowles: I believe the confusion may come about in your various readings because the Mercury Theater was big news in the New York theater World of 1938, truly revolutionary. The newspapers were full of it. And whereas, today, theater has become more regional (and alas, marginal), many, many people all across America back then looked to New York theater with admiration, as the Mecca of our Internationally famous theatrical emergence. So when CBS put the Mercury Theater on Radio, it was Something!

It was the announcer who told the audience that the the summer series would be known as "First Person Singular." Later, that intro was dropped, but it was always Welles' idea that these shows should be about narration, story telling. And he was to be the storyteller.

I also think that M. Arkadin was wandering around in Welles' mind for some time, since the 1930's, when he played Sir Basil Zaharoff for "The March of Time on the Air." Arkadin may have wandered from there into a couple of the Harry Lime shows.

Glenn

[Knowles Noel Shane]

I'll relisten to the intros from the first nine episodes tonight. I may well be mistaken. Memory is a terrible thing to rely upon.

[Terry]

- the opening, with its piling on of praise for Welles, has always been rather off-putting to me. They would have been better off having a couple lines of praise and leave off at that. As broadcast, it comes off as trying to hard to show just how magnificent Welles' career had been to that point.

I've always loved that opening - I found the press clips exciting and amazing. Too bad the Name of Welles didn't continue to garner such praise.

I'm still convinced the series was titled "Mercury Theatre on the Air," and not FPS.

[Orson&Jazz]

I adore the way the show relies heavily upon sound in this show. The numerous narratives is also very interesting. I would have loved to have been one of the people hearing this show for the very first time when it first premiered. I can just imagine how overwhelming the show must've been to the listeners; overwhelming and perhaps even a bit exhausting.

I loved Welles as Dracula. It is too bad that he never did play the count on stage or screen. He would have been an excellent Dracula, and for some reason I see him playing Dracula similar to the way Gary Oldman had done. Welles oozes the charm, sensuality, and wickedness. I know he would have portrayed Dracula different in some way to stand out from the other portrayls.

[tonyw]

I've used this broadcast twice for my current 100 level FANTASY IN LITERATURE AND FILM class listening with students in class. The next related films screened were THE HORROR OF DRACULA and THE UNWANTED. After the broadcast, I acclaimed Agnes Moorehead's acting as Mina especially how she lapses into a European accent the more she falls under the Count's spell. However, one major difference exists from other versions. It is Mina who strikes the fatal blow against the Count, not Van Helsing or the male entourage. Is this an early example of Welles proto-feminism? Many students in the class compared the change to Bret Wood's 2014 version of "Carmilla."

[Wich2]

True, Tony.

I think that choice works in the Welles, because of the arc of Mina's character, and the strength of Aggie's performance.

But in our Quicksilver version, I returned that right to Stoker's choice - Jonathan. He has earned it!

And though Harker is often neutered in adaptations, in the original, his strong thirst for revenge builds throughout, even to including a scene where he's bloodthirstily sharpening his long knife in preparation.

- Craig

[tonyw]

Please supply details over your Quicksilver version. Do you use the original voices or others? In the 1938 verson, Orson definitely puts one over on George Coulouris for the first time!

[Wich2]

Please supply details over your Quicksilver version. Do you use the original voices or others?

Tony -

???

Explain, please?

By "original voices," do you mean, "did I cut-and-paste recorded dialogue from the Mercury version"? Of course not.

Or, do you mean, "did you try to achieve the voices suggested by Stoker's text?" The answer there would be, "yes."

In the 1938 verson, Orson definitely puts one over on George Coulouris for the first time!

I have to ask again:

How do you mean, "put one over on?" Do you mean, "surprised Coulouris with his choice of voice"? Since they rehearsed together, that would be odd.

Or do you mean, "Orson's voice work was better than Coulouris' here"? I'd disagree; both men as excellent, as are most of the cast - especially, Ray Collins, who steals the show here, as he soon would in WOTW.

As to Quicksilver Radio Theater, this is us, for nearly 25 years now:

https://exchange.prx.org/search/pieces? ... an&x=0&y=0

Inquiringly,
- Craig

[tonyw]

I'll be more specific. As Count Dracula in the Mercury Radio Theatre production's scene at Castle Dracula, Orson "puts one over" (UK slang) George C. for the first time by frustrating him in the same way young Kane does to Mr. Thatcher - "I think it would be fun to run a newspaper."

[Wich2]

Ah - gotcha.

Well, I was thrown by a major distinction:

I wouldn't describe that as Welles hoodwinking Coulouris - but as Dracula hoodwinking Harker.

- Craig

[Wellesnet]

Nice sounding Mercury Drac, courtesy of Ted Davenport:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gct4h9i61vn3j ... jQnlg5b_04

[Terry]

That's fabulous, an air check of the first episode, something I've never come across in decades of general searching for Welles' radio work. As Craig stated elsewhere, there's a lot of compression on it versus the master recording Lilly has. A treasure for we few radiophiles. Thank you for posting it.