MERCURY THEATRE ON THE AIR: FIRST PERSON SINGULAR: THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY (RADIO)
Summary
One in this dramatic anthology series -- featuring adaptations of well-known novels, plays, and films -- produced, directed, written, hosted, and performed by Orson Welles, with the Mercury Theatre Company. In his introduction, Welles explains that the ending of this unusual drama, based on G. K. Chesterton's novel "The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare," may mystify many listeners. Gabriel Syme (Welles), a radical poet, reveals to Gregory (Coulouris), a committed anarchist, that he is in fact a policeman assigned to spy on the anarchists. Gabriel is elected to the position of Thursday on the Central Anarchist Council, a group of seven men referred to by the names of the days of the week under the leadership of Sunday (Wyatt). Gabriel gradually discovers that none of these men is who he claims to be, and that reality itself is not what Gabriel or the listener expects. Includes promos for the "Lux Radio Theatre" radio series.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: September 5, 1938 Monday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R88:0153
- GENRE: Radio - Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - Radio series, 1938-1940
- COMMERCIALS:
- Radio - Promos - "Lux Radio Theatre"
CREDITS
- G. K. Chesterton … Writer, Based on the novel "The Man Who Was Thursday"
- Orson Welles … Adapted by, Host
- Alexander Semmler … Conductor
- Dan Seymour … Announcer
- Orson Welles … Cast, Gabriel Syme, the Man Who Was Thursday
- Eustace Wyatt … Cast, Sunday
- Ray Collins … Cast, the Professor
- George Coulouris … Cast, Gregory
- Edgar Barrier … Cast, the Marquis
- Paul Stewart … Cast, Gogol
- Joseph Cotten … Cast, Dr. Bull
- Erskine Sanford … Cast, the Secretary
- Alan Devitt … Cast, Witherspoon
- Anna Stafford … Cast, Rosa