The Mercury Theater: Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles

_____________________________________ Orson Welles' MERCURY THEATER ON THE AIR started as a Summer series, continuing into the regular season, offering high calibre hour-long radio dramas. Campbell's Soup Company became sponsor, changing the series name to CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE. The shows were still hour long and still had Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater troupe adding major actors in main roles. The series left the air in 1940 but Mr. Welles and his troupe appeared again at the start of the 1941 season with a half hour series sponsored by Lady Esther cosmetics. The new series, ORSON WELLES THEATER, was more variety show than drama. Most shows feature multiple dramatizations and poetry readings. The series only lasted for 19 shows, but Mr. Welles used the format again in 1944 for his ORSON WELLES ALMANAC. ORSON WELLES THEATER aired over CBS stations, Mondays, from 10:00 PM to 10:30 PM. 41/09/15 1 Shrendi Vashtar/An Irishman and a Jew 41/09/29 3 The Interlopers/The Song Of Solomon/I'm A Fool 41/10/06 4 The Black Pearl/Annabelle Lee/There's A Full Moon Tonight 41/12/01 11 Wilber Brown/Habitat Brooklyn/Something's Going To Happen To Henry 41/12/22 13 The Happy Prince 42/01/12 16 The Apple Tree 42/01/19 17 My Little Boy _____________________________________