Other works for
Orson Welles More at IMDbPro »

Other works

(1987) Album: Narrator on the album "Tales of Mystery And Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe" by The Alan Parsons Project.

(????) Album: Narrator on "Fighting the World" by Manowar.

(9/10/65) Narrated the "National Geographic" TV special "Americans on Everest".

(1982) Album: Appeared on the "Battle Hymns" album by Manowar.

(1934) Book: "Everybody's Shakespeare", a series of textbooks by Welles and Roger Hill (Woodstock, NY: Todd Press.

(1973) Narrator on "The Cave", a ten-minute short that was an animated dramatization of Plato's "Republic", Book VII.

(1937) Stage: Directed the historic premiere of Marc Blitzstein's "The Cradle Will Rock". The federal government tried to prevent the opera, which was extremely friendly to organized labor, from opening, so Welles moved the company to a neighboring theatre, the actors sat with the audience and performed it from their aisle seats due to an Actors Equity regulation.

(????) Stage: Director of the controversial "Voodoo Macbeth" for the WPA theatre project. The production set the play in Haiti using an all-black cast.

(1980) Print ad: Paul Masson wine

(1979) TV commercial: Paul Masson wine

(1979) TV commercial: Carlsberg beer - 'probably, etc.'

(1970) Album: He was the narrator on the comedy album "The Begatting of the President", an album which credited three unknown writers, but whose satirical style resembled something that only Welles could have come up with.

(1979) Narrator: Trailer and TV commercials for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

(1951) Radio: Reprised the role of Harry Lime, from the film The Third Man (1949), in the drama "The Lives of Harry Lime," which ran for over 50 episodes.

(5/18/44, 5/25/44) Radio: Played the part of Dr. Corey in "Donovan's Brain" on the first two-part broadcast ever produced on radio's "Suspense". Almost 40 years later, the two episodes were released on an LP by Radiola Records of Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and the album won a historical/spoken word Grammy.

(1984) Narrator: trailer for Revenge of the Nerds (1984).

(1983) TV commercials: Narrated TV spots for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

(????) Narrator: Introduction for restored version of The General (1926).

(1946) Album: He adapted, directed and narrated a version of Oscar Wilde's story "The Happy Prince", for Decca Records. Bing Crosby spoke the Prince's lines (and got first billing) and Mercury Theatre actress Lurene Tuttle played the Swallow. The music was written by Welles' frequent collaborator Bernard Herrmann and conducted by Victor Young. The album, first issued on a 78 RPM two-record set, has been released on CD in its entirety on the compact disc "A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Tales".

(????) Radio: Introduced the series "The Black Museum" and portrayed Prof. Moriarty in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". Both series were produced by Harry Alan Towers, the man responsible for "The Lives of Harry Lime".

(10/30/38) Radio: His "The Mercury Theatre on the Air" broadcast H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds". The newscast format of the script was so realistic that many listener who were not aware that it was a drama believed that Martians were actually invading the Earth, and panic ensued in several areas of the country.

(1937) Radio: He was the uncredited voice of Lamont Cranston, "The Shadow", for the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network.

(1934) Stage: Appeared (as "Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet," "Chorus") in "Romeo and Juliet" on Broadway. Tragedy (revival). Written by William Shakespeare. Adapted and produced by Katharine Cornell. Choreographed by Martha Graham. Scenic Design by Jo Mielziner. Directed by Guthrie McClintic. Martin Beck Theatre: 20 Dec 1934-Feb 1935 (closing date unknown/77 performances). Cast: Brian Aherne (as "Mercutio, kinsman to the prince and friend to Romeo"), Edith Allaire, Gilmore Bush, Robert Champlain, Arthur Chatterton, Katharine Cornell (as "Juliet, daughter to Capulet"), Margaret Craven, Jacqueline DeWit, Angus Duncan, 'John Emery' (as "Benvolio, nephew to Montague and friend to Romeo"), Edith Evans (as "Nurse to Juliet"), Reynolds Evans (as "Escalus, prince of Verona"), Brenda Forbes, John Gordon Gage, Franklin Gray, William Hopper, Lois Jameson, Agnete Johannson, Paul Julian, George Macready (as "Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman to the prince"), Ruth March, Irby Marshall, Albert McCleery, John Miltern (as "Montague"), Irving Morrow, Ralph Nelson, Moroni Olsen (as "Capulet"), Basil Rathbone (as "Romeo, son of Montague"), Pamela Simpson, Charles R. Thorne, David Vivian, Charles Waldron.

(1935) Stage: Appeared (as "McGafferty") in "Panic" on Broadway. Tragedy. Written by Archibald Macleish. Choral movement by Martha Graham. Scenic Design by Jo Mielziner. Directed by James Light. Imperial Theatre: 14 Mar 1935-15 Mar 1935 (2 performances). Cast: Wesley Addy (as "Unemployed Man"), Osceola Archer, Amelia Barleon, Elaine Basil, Robin Batcheller, Abner Biberman (as "Unemployed Man"), William Challee, Russell Collins (as "A Man"), Walter Coy (as "Banker"), Margaret Craven, Joseph Eggenton, Paul Genge, George Glass, Clifford Heckinger, Dierdre Hurst, Zita Johann as "Ione"), Harold Johnsrud, Gerrit Kraber, Eva Langbord, Albert Lewis, Yisrol Libman, Margot Loines, Edward Mann, Rose McClendon, Harold McGee, Elizabeth Morrison, Gordon Nelson, John O'Shaughnessy, LaVerne Pine, Beatrice Pons (as "Female Chorus"), Joanna Roos, 'Arthur Singer (I)', Lucille Strudwick, Karl Swenson (as "A Young Man"), Mary Tarcai, Jerome Thor, Paula Trueman, Virginia Welles, Richard Whorf (as "Griggs"), Dane Clark (as "A Young Man") (credited as Bernard Zanville). Produced by Phoenix Theatre Inc.

(1943) Radio: Filled in for Jack Benny for several weeks in the spring, when Benny was too ill to appear on his own comedy show.

(1942-44) Radio: Appeared in a number of episodes of the "Suspense" anthology series. One of those episodes, an adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost Special," was itself believed to be lost until an Armed Forces Radio version turned up on the internet in 2008.

(1937) Radio: Adapted and performed in Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" as a summer series on the Mutual network.

(1938) Stage: Directed, co-produced and appeared in (as "Capt. Shotover") "Heartbreak House" on Broadway. Comedy (revival). Written by George Bernard Shaw. Scenic Design by John Koenig. Costume Design by Milla Davenport. Mercury Theatre: 29 Apr 1938-Jun 1938 (closing date unknown/48 performances). Cast: Mady Christians (as "Hesione Hushabye"), George Coulouris (as "Boss Mangan"), Geraldine Fitzgerald (as "Ellie Dunn"), Brenda Forbes, John Hoyt (as "Randall Utterword"; [credited as John Hoysradt), Phyllis Joyce (as "Randall Utterword"), Vincent Price (as "Hector Hushabye"), Erskine Sanford (as "Mazzini Dunn"). Co-produced by John Houseman.

(1951) Stage: Appeared (as "Othello") in William Shakespeare's "Othello," at the St. James' Theatre in London, England with Gudrun Ure, Peter Finch, Maxine Audley and Giles Cooper in the cast.

(1937) Stage: Directed, co-produced (w/John Houseman) and appeared in (as "Marcus Brutus") "Julius Caesar" on Broadway. Tragedy (revival). Written by William Shakespeare. Incidental music by Marc Blitzstein. Assistant Director: Hiram Sherman. Mercury Theatre (moved to the National Theatre in March 1938 to close): 11 Nov 1937-Mar 1938 (closing date unknown/157 performances). Cast: William Alland (as "Marullus"), Evelyn Allen, Arthur Anderson, Muriel Brassler, Grover Burgess (as "Ligarius"), Francis Carpenter, Joseph Cotten, George Coulouris, George Duthie, Martin Gabel (as "Cassius"), Joseph Holland (as "Julius Caesar"), John Hoyt (as "Decius Brutus"; credited as John Hoysradt), Norman Lloyd, William Mowry, Ted Reid, Stefan Schnabel (as "Metellus Cimber"), Hiram Sherman, John A. Willard (as "Trebonius"). Replacement actors included: Edmond O'Brien (as "Marc Antony") [during National Theatre run in Mar 1938]. Note: One of the definitive Shakespearian revivals of the 20th Century.

(1937) Stage: Directed "Dr. Faustus" on Broadway. Comedy (revival). Incidental music by Edward Bowles. Written by Christopher Marlowe. Production Design by Kirk Glover. Puppet Design by Bil Baird. Mask Design by James Cochrane. Lighting Design by Feder. Maxine Elliott's Theatre: 8 Jan 1937-Apr 1937 (closing date unknown/128 performances). Cast: Wallace Acton (as "Ralph"), Cora Burlar (as "Envy"), Jack Carter (as "Mephistopheles"), Blanche Collins (as "Evil Angel"), George Duthie (as "Old Man"), Della Ford (as "Gluttony"), Jane Hale (as "Covetousness"), Natalie Harris (as "Good Angel"), J. Headley, Edward Hemmer, William Hitch, Paula Laurence (as "Spirit in the Shape of Helen of Troy"), Elizabeth Malone (as "Pride"), Harry McKee (as "Clown"), Lee Molnar (as "Lechery"), Edgerton Paul (as "Robin "), Myron Paulson (as "Cornelius"), Charles Peyton (as "The Pope"), Helena Rappaport, Nina Salama, Archie Savage (as "Baliol"), Bernard Savage (as "Valdes"), George Smithfield, Arthur Spencer, Orson Welles (as "Faustus"), Huntly Weston, Joseph Wooll, Clarence Yates. Produced by Federal Theatre Project 891.

(1936) Stage: Directed "Macbeth" on Broadway. Tragedy. Written by William Shakespeare. Arranged in three acts and eight scenes by Orson Welles. Scenic / Costume Design by Nat Karson. Lighting Design by A.H. Feder. Lafayette Theatre: 9 Apr 1936-May 1936 (closing date unknown/56 performances). Cast: Abdul (as "Witch Doctor"), Thomas Anderson (as "Lennox, a nobleman"), Service Bell (as "Duncan, King of Scotland"), Gabriel Brown (as "Captain"), Eric Burroughs (as "Hecate"), Jack Carter (as "Macbeth, a general of the Scottish army"), Laurence Chenault (as "Doctor"), Charles Collins (as "Lord"), Carl Crawford (as "Fleance, son of Banquo "), William Cumberbatch (as "Chamberlain"), Frank David (as "Ross, a nobleman"), Viola Dean (as "Page"), Alma Dickson (as "Lady Macbeth, The Duchess"), Maurice Ellis (as "Macduff, a nobleman of Scotland "), Hilda French (as "Page"), Virginia Girvin (as "The Nurse"), Lisle Grenidge (as "Captain"), Bertram Holmes (as "Young Macduff"), Halle Howard (as "Chamberlain"), J. Louis Johnson (as "Porter"), J.B. Johnson (as "Second Messenger"), Zola King (as "Third Witch"), Larri Lauria (as "Seton, an officer attending on Macbeth"), Canada Lee (as "Banquo, a general of the Scottish army"), Albert McCoy (as "Attendant"), George Nixon (as "First Murderer"), Kenneth Renwick (as "Second Murderer"), Wardell Saunders (as "Malcolm, son of Duncan"), Archie Savage (as "Siward"), Edna Thomas (as "Lady Macbeth"), George Thomas (as "Attendant"), Philandre Thomas (as "First Messenger"), Al Watts (as "The Priest"), Josephine Williams (as "Second Witch"), Wilhelmina Williams (as "First Witch"), Marie Young (as "Lady Macduff"). Produced by Negro Theatre Unit of the Federal Theatre Project of the WPA and John Houseman. NOTE: This infamous production became known as the "Voodoo" Macbeth.

(1941) Stage: Directed "Native Son" on Broadway. Drama. Written by Paul Green and Richard Wright, based on Wright's novel. Scenic Design by James Morcom. St. James Theatre: 24 Mar 1941- 28 Jun 1941 (114 performances). Cast: Jacqueline Ghant Andre (as "A Neighbor"), Frances Bavier (as "Peggy"), John Berry (as "Reporter"), C.M. Bootsie Davis (as "Ernie Jones"), Philip Bourneuf (as "Buckley, D.A."), Eileen Burns (as "Miss Emmett"), Anne Burr (as "Mary Dalton"), Ray Collins (as "Paul Max, Attorney for the Defense"), Evelyn Ellis (as "Hannah Thomas"), Nell Harrison (as "Mrs. Dalton"), Canada Lee (as "Bigger Thomas"), William Malone (as "Judge"), Helen Martin (as "Vera Thomas"), Rena Mitchell (as "Clara"), Joseph Pevney (as "Jan Erlone"), J. Flashe Riley (as "Jack "), Don Roberts (as "A Newspaper Man "), Stephen Roberts (as "A Newspaper Man"), Erskine Sanford (as "Mr. Dalton"), Wardell Saunders (as "Gus Mitchell"), Everett Sloane (as "Britten"), Paul Stewart (as "A Newspaper Man"), Rodester Timmons, Lloyd Warren, George Zorn (as "A Newspaper Man"). Produced by Orson Welles and John Houseman. Associate Producer: Bern Bernard.

(????) Radio: Played "Hamlet" for the first and only time in his own two-part radio adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, performed as part of the experimental theater radio program "Columbia Workshop". The program was broadcast on CBS. The two parts of the program, which reduced the four-hour play to one hour, were broadcast two months apart. It had been Welles' intention to broadcast only the first two acts, but public acclaim and demand ensured that Acts IV and V were also broadcast. Sadly enough, Act III was not broadcast, and with its omission went the famous "To be or not to be" speech, probably the only time that "Hamlet" has been performed on radio without that speech. Because the two segments were broadcast two months apart, several cast members changed from one broadcast to the next; for instance, Alexander Scourby, who would play King Claudius onstage, played him in Acts I and II, but not in the rest of the play; another actor substituted for him afterwards. This adaptation of "Hamlet" still survives and can be heard on the internet.

(12/15/41) Radio: Appeared (as himself) on the show "We Hold These Truths".

(1998) Stage; Adapted William Shakespeare's play, "Chimes at Midnight," performed in a Chichester Festival Production at the Chichester Festival Theatre in Chichester, West Sussex, England, with Simon Callow, Keith Baxter, Sarah Badel, Tam Williams, Rowland Davies, Timothy Bateson, Rebecca Egan, John Warner, and David Weston in the cast. Patrick Garland was director.

(1960) Stage: Directed Eugène Ionesco's play, "Rhinoceros," in an English Stage Company production at the Royal Court Theatre in London, England, with Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Alan Webb, Michael Bates, Miles Malleson and Peter Sallis in the cast.

(1960) Stage: Directed Eugène Ionesco's play, "Rhinoceros," in an English Stage Company production at the Strand Theatre in London, England, with Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Michael Gough, Michael Bates, Miles Malleson and Peter Sallis in the cast.

(1936) Stage: Appeared (as "Andre") in "Ten Million Ghosts" on Broadway. Drama. Written / produced / directed by Sidney Kingsley. Scenic Design by Donald Oenslager. St. James Theatre: 23 Oct 1936-Nov 1936 (closing date unknown/11 performances). Cast: Lester Alden (as "Balkan" / "Waiter"), Dave Arthur (as "Spewack"), Carroll Ashburn (as "Gen. Louvet"), Lee Baker (as "Francois de Kruif"), Peter Barry (as "Telegraph Boy"), Felton Bickley (as "Armed Guard" / "Bonnard"), Philip Bourneuf (as "Lessay"), Charles Bowden (as "Messenger Boy"), George Coulouris (as "Zacharey"), Stuart Ferguson (as "Soldier"), Martin Gabel (as "Peter"), Myles Geoffrey (as "Louis" / "Aide to Louvet"), John Harding (as "Orderly"), Ray Harper (as "Gabry"), Alfred Hesse (as "Muller"), Otto Hulett (as "Ryan"), Stanley Jessup (as "Shore"), George Justin (as "Messenger Boy"), David Leight (as "French Worker" / "Butler"), Bernard Lenrow (as "Red Cross Sergeant"), David Merrill (as "Thomas"), Dodson Mitchell (as "Otto von Kruif"), Meg Mundy (as "Secretary"), Barbara O'Neil (as "Madeleine"), C. Russell Sage (as "Gen. Dumont" / "Jones"), James Sidney (as "Anderson"), Joseph Singer (as "German Worker"), Howard Solness (as "Foreman"), Kurt Stall (as "Intelligence Officer"), John Walker (as "Dr. La Marr" / "Roberts"), Robert X. Williams (as "Schmidt").

(10/30/38) Radio: Leading director, at the Mercury Theatre on-the-air program, as he and other staff members extremely heavily dramatized, as they created science-fiction program, "War of the Worlds", based on H.G. Wells' novel. Their setting up events of imaginary Martians landing on Earth (locations, at the time, were contemporary). The first Martian "sighting and invasion" was at Grover's Mill, New Jersey. The show started out with a "normal" comedy and musical radio program that was suddenly interrupted with "news" accounts of reports from Grover's Mill of Martian landings and the aliens ravaging the countryside, complete with "witness" accounts of the death and destruction being wrought. The "program" was continually interrupted with news bulletins featuring accounts of large numbers of Martian spaceships landing and even more hysterical witness accounts of devastation caused by the invaders. The broadcast was so realistic that it caused a nationwide panic among listeners, with hysterical residents of the areas supposedly near the fictional town of Grover's Mill fleeing in droves. Welles publicly and personally apologized the next day for what he and staff members meant as a practical joke, one day in advance of Halloween. Despite his apology, there were numerous lawsuits filed against Welles and the station headquarters of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio. All the lawsuits were eventually dismissed This incident is also listed in textbooks as an example of what happens when mass hysteria grips a population.

(1961) Stage: Wrote / directed "Moby Dick--Rehearsed", London, England. Also in cast: Kenneth Williams, Joan Plowright (as "Little Pip") and Patrick McGoohan (as "Starbuck").

(956) Stage: Directed / appeared (as "Lear") in "King Lear" by William Shakespeare on Broadway (City Center Company). Produced by Jean Dalrymple, Henry Margolis. Associate Producer: Emerson Crocker. Music: Marc Blitzstein. NOTE: Welles broke his ankle in a preview performance and played the entire run of the Broadway engagement (21 performances) in a wheelchair.

(????) Stage: Produced "Danton's Death" on Broadway.

(1937) Stage: Produced "The Shoemaker's Holiday" by Thomas Dekker on Broadway.

(1934) Radio: Wrote / appeared in "School of the Air".

(1936) Stage: Directed "Horse Eats Hat", Maxine Elliott Theatre, New York City.

(1987) Album: Narrated "Tales of Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe" by The Alan Parsons Project (Polygram Records).

(1984) Album: Narrated the song "Dark Avenger" for Man o' War's album "Battle Hymns".

(1984) Single: Featured on the single "I Know What It's Like to Be Young" (Crescendo Records).

(1982) Wrote introduction to "The Films of Burt Reynolds" by Nancy Streebeck.

(1962) Wrote the preface to "Memories of a Bullfighter" by 'Conchita Cintron'.

(1956) Wrote introduction to "The Year's Grestest Science-Fiction and Fantasy" by Judith Merrill.

(3/56) Welles begins a four-week engagement at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he does a 25-minute act featuring magic tricks and recitations from various works of William Shakespeare. His engagement was held over for an additional two weeks.

(1956) Unsold pilot: Produced / directed / wrote / narrated a pilot called "Camille, the Naked Lady and the Musketeers", based on the life of Alexandre Dumas père.

(1982) TV commercial for WABC Talk Radio - Himself

(1981) TV commercial for Preview Pay-TV - Himself

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