The Mercury Summer Theater
_____________________________________ Orson Welles made dramatic radio history with his MERCURY THEATER OF THE AIR, which started life as a Summer series in 1938. It continued into the Fall and ran until December 4, 1938. After that, Campbell's became sponsor, changing the name to THE CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE, which ran from December 9, 1938 to June 2, 1939. All shows were one hour long. On September 15, 1941, THE MERCURY THEATER title again graced the airwaves, for a run of 20 shows. On June 7, 1946, The Mercury Theater made one last appearence on radio. This was for a Summer series, THE MERCURY SUMMER THEATER. Unlike the 1938 Summer series, these shows were only 30 minutes in length. Compare titles to the other Orson Welles series. Six shows were 30 minute versions of shows of 1938. "I'm a Fool", one story of two in the broadcast of August 23, was also used in 1938. A total of 15 shows were broadcast. You'll also find one of the best-remembered shows in this series, "The Hitchhiker". First done in 1941 in the Mercury Theater series, this show appeared in SUSPENSE, on September 2, 1942 and even stared Orsen Welles. It appears in many OTR "must-have" lists. 46/06/07 1 Around The World In Eighty Days 46/06/14 2 The Count Of Monte Cristo 46/06/21 3 The Hitchhiker 46/06/28 4 Jane Eyre 46/07/05 5 A Passenger To Bali 46/07/12 6 The Search For Henri Lefevre 46/07/19 7 Life With Adam 46/07/26 8 The Moat Farm Murder 46/08/02 9 The Golden Honeymoon 46/08/09 10 Hell On Ice 46/08/16 11 Abednego, The Slave 46/08/23 12 Two Stories 46/08/30 13 Moby Dick 46/09/06 14 The Apple Tree _____________________________________