Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air | Old Time Radio

https://www.oldtimeretroradio.com Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air stands as one of the most groundbreaking achievements of the golden age of radio. Featuring bold dramatizations, cinematic soundscapes, and Welles’ unmistakable voice, each restored episode showcases the creativity and power of the legendary Mercury players. From classic literature to gripping adventure tales, the series brought stories to life with unmatched intensity, atmosphere, and innovation—laying the foundation for modern audio drama and forever changing the medium. 🎧 Fully restored and professionally remastered with enhanced audio. Source: OTRR.org – Certified Public Domain Collection. Restoration and curation by Old Time Retro Radio. 🎧 Listen to Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air and all our restored shows on Spotify and Apple P

Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air | Old Time Radio is a fiction podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 14 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air | Old Time Radio, a fiction show with 14 episodes published.

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  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air | Old Time Radio

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air - "Julius Caesar" (Old Time Radio, 1938)

  Aug 16, 20261h 7m

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents “Julius Caesar,” originally broadcast on CBS on September 11, 1938. Episode 10 adapts William Shakespeare’s political tragedy, directed by Orson Welles, who stars as Brutus alongside Martin Gabel as Cassius and George Coulouris as Mark Antony. In ancient Rome, Caesar’s rising power stirs unease among senators and citizens alike. As loyalties are tested and public tensions mount, Brutus and Cassius confront urgent questions of ambition, duty, and the future of the republic. The production incorporates news-style commentary by H. V. Kaltenborn. Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience. Chapters: 00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction 00:43 Original Broadcast 01:07:17 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

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  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air | Old Time Radio

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air - "Treasure Island" (Old Time Radio, 1938)

  Aug 16, 20261h 5m

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents “Treasure Island,” originally broadcast on July 18, 1938. Episode 2 of the Mercury Theatre’s nine-program summer series, this CBS adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic was adapted, directed, and produced by Orson Welles. Framed as Jim Hawkins’ recollection of events years later, the drama begins at the Admiral Benbow Inn, where a mysterious old sailor and a dangerous secret lead Jim toward a treasure map and a voyage aboard the Hispaniola. Welles stars as Long John Silver and the adult Jim Hawkins, with Arthur Anderson as young Jim; Bernard Herrmann composed and conducted the original music. Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience. Chapters: 00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction 00:47 Original Broadcast 01:04:41 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

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  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air | Old Time Radio

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air - "Heart of Darkness and Life with Father" (Old Time Radio, 1938)

  Aug 16, 202659 min

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents “Heart of Darkness and Life with Father,” originally broadcast on CBS on November 6, 1938. Episode 18 is a striking double bill adapted by Howard Koch from works by Joseph Conrad and Clarence Day, directed by Orson Welles and produced by Welles and John Houseman. In Heart of Darkness, Marlow journeys up the Congo in search of the mysterious ivory agent Kurtz, portrayed by Welles, with Ray Collins as Marlow. The program then turns to the warm domestic comedy of Life with Father, featuring Welles as the formidable Father alongside Mildred Natwick as Mother. Broadcast one week after The War of the Worlds, this sustaining-program episode reveals the Mercury’s range from ominous adventure to family humor. Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience. Chapters: 00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction 00:44 Original Broadcast 59:13 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

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  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air | Old Time Radio

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air - "The War of the Worlds" (Old Time Radio, 1938)

  Aug 16, 202652 min

  Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents “The War of the Worlds,” originally broadcast October 30, 1938. The series’ seventeenth weekly program adapts H. G. Wells’s 1898 novel for CBS Radio, with a script by Howard E. Koch and direction by Orson Welles. Framed as a seemingly ordinary evening of weather reports, dance music, and breaking bulletins, the drama follows astronomer Professor Richard Pierson and reporter Carl Phillips as unsettling news arrives from New Jersey. Orson Welles stars as Pierson and narrator, with Frank Readick as Phillips, in the celebrated simulated-news production later added to the National Recording Registry. Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience. Chapters: 00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction 00:46 Original Broadcast 52:11 Closing Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

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  Episode #10

  Mercury Theatre on the Air – “Julius Caesar” (Historical Radio Drama, 1938)

  Mar 29, 202648 minS0

  <p>https://www.oldtimeretroradio.com</p> <p>A powerful adaptation of Julius Caesar, brought to life by Mercury Theatre on the Air in one of its most ambitious broadcasts. Originally airing on September eleventh, nineteen thirty-eight, this episode transforms the political intrigue of ancient Rome into a gripping audio drama. The story follows the rise and fall of Caesar, the conspiracy against him, and the consequences that reshape an empire.</p> <p>Directed by Orson Welles, this production is known for its intense pacing, modernized tone, and cinematic sound design. The broadcast reflects the tensions of its time, drawing subtle...

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