Julius Caesar (Lp version)

[maa]

I believe the 1939 (not 1938?) audio recording of "Julius Caesar" meant to accompany the Mercury text is not an original cast recording of the 1937 Caesar, although members of the original cast appear in it. Welles, who had played Brutus on stage, now plays both Mark Antony and Cassius; George Coulouris, who had played Antony, now plays Brutus, etc.

[Terry]

True, but there were two releases. The first was recorded March 1938, runs 40 minutes, and features Welles as Brutus with the original stage cast. The second was was recorded June 1939, has an accompanying booklet extracted from Everybody's Shakespeare, runs 90 minutes, and features Welles as Mark Antony. Both were released in 1939 by Columbia Masterworks, both were titled Julius Caesar, and both were credited to Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre, so they probably created some confusion at the time, as well as thereafter.