Orson Welles: Commentaries
from archive.org
During World War II, Welles often expressed his political and social views on the air, supporting the Democratic Party or the war-effort in general. From January to June 1945, the New York Post syndicated a regular editorial column by Welles that combined Hollywood gossip and political content. As the Hollywood content lost out to political commentary, the Post dropped the column. Orson Welles Commentaries are a continuation of this effort, again combining Hollywood and Broadway news and opinion with Welles' liberal political views.
The most famous episodes address the case of Isaac Woodard, Jr., a decorated African-American solider badly beaten and blinded by police in South Carolina. Welles drew attention to the injustice over a series of weeks, bringing it to national attention and naming the officer responsible for the assault.
Frequent collaborators included composer/conductor Bernard Herrmann and actors Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Cotten, Arthur Anderson, Dan Seymour, George Coulouris, Ray Collins, Karl Swenson, Eustace Wyatt, Edgar Barrier, Bud Collyer, Hans Conried and Frank Readick.
- 45-09-16: The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry, Bullfighting, Korea (21Mb)
- 45-09-23: Fortune tellers, GI entertainment in the Atomic age, food shortage in Europe (20.9Mb)
- 45-09-30: Ike and Britain, Patton's peace for Germany, Truman's "little man" act (21Mb)
- 45-10-07: Nazi tribunals, GI Bill of Rights, Hollywood parties (20.9Mb)
- 45-10-14: Ike and Patton, competitive nationalism, No Man is an Island (20.8Mb)
- 45-10-21: Little Boy in China, British confusion machine, Corinthians Ch 13 (21.2Mb)
- 45-10-28: Williams Hall guest hosts, talks of brewing civil war in China (21.1Mb)
- 45-11-04: OSS, the future CIA, possible war with Russia (21.1Mb)
- 45-11-11: Broadcast from Welles' house, letter from Louis Armstrong with jazz music (21Mb)
- 45-11-18: Zutty Singleton, British suppression of Indonesian freedom fighters, Sleeping Beauty (21.3Mb)
- 45-11-25: Fortune telling lobbyists, possible attack on USSR, Ike's Thanksgiving (20.9Mb)
- 45-12-02: Broadcast from Chicago, Oklahoma City flight holdover (20.1Mb)
- 45-12-09: Broadcast from Treasure Island Naval Base in San Francisco (23.3Mb)
- 45-12-16: Fortune telling, Russia and Iran, Virginia and Santa Claus, HUAC (21.4Mb)
- 45-12-23: Broadcast from Mexico City, Stone of the Sun (20.5Mb)
- 45-12-30: Broadcast from Miami, International brotherhood of magicians, a night at Chichen Itza (20.7Mb)
- 46-01-06: Epiphany story surrounding the birth of Jesus, plight of many US veterans (21Mb)
- 46-01-13: Free Lear radios, advertising on Broadway and New York (20.9Mb)
- 46-01-20: A Walk in the Sun, unemployed vets and rich war profiteers, the plight of blacks in America (21.2Mb)
- 46-01-27: Tribute to FDR, Truman's advisors bow to big business, audience gullability and freedom (21Mb)
- 46-06-23: The OPA Is Dead (19.3Mb)
- 46-06-30: Bikini Atomic Test (20Mb)
- 46-07-21: OPA One Year Extension (19.9Mb)
- 46-07-28: Affidavit of Isaac Woodward (19.6Mb)
- 46-08-04: The Peacemakers (19.8Mb)
- 46-08-11: To Be Born Free (19.6Mb)
- 46-08-18: Welles Film Banned (19.5Mb)
- 46-08-25: The Place Was Batesburg (19.8Mb)
MP3 files hosted by archive.org.