Here's something that we need more of on television in this day and age.
In the early years of television, anthology shows were commonplace, just as they were on radio. In fact, Studio One made the transition from radio to television in 1948, and spent 10 years on CBS. Recently, the series spent some time on the Decades network, airing at least twice a day at one point. A number of episodes are stand-alone classics, including an adaptation of Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men.
With Halloween approaching, we present, from 1957, "The Night America Trembled", which offers a dramatization of the events of October 30, 1938, and the Mercury Theatre's adaptation of H. G. Wells' War of The Worlds. While Orson Welles is not mentioned, nearly 20 years after his production caused such a stir, his spirit is there.
Our cast includes a number of future stars, including Warren Beatty, Warren Oates, Edward Asner, James Coburn, and an uncredited John Astin, who turns up at the 16 minute mark. There's no mistaking his profile. Alexander Scourby is our "host", but the framing sequences are done by Edward R. Murrow.
18 years later, the events of that night were dramatized anew in an ABC Movie of The Week, "The Night That Panicked America".
Rating: A.
2 comments:
Clarifying:
Edward R. Murrow is the "host" of this play.
Alexander Scourby is "playing" Orson Welles, though not by name.
Every word Scourby speaks comes directly from Welles's radio play; the original radio broadcast is available from multiple sources, should you want to make a direct comparison.
Scourby was credited as "host", rather than as Welles, but I'll let you fill those gaps, Mike. Figured Murrow was the real MC, but the credit Scourby was given threw me.
I have Welles' radio broadcast on CD, and that will be up soon.
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