Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Mercury Month - Week #1

It's Mercury Month on the Old Time Radio Express.  It's a celebration of that crucible of acting talent known as the Mercury Theatre on the Air.  Under the thumb direction of the great Orson Welles, this troupe created one of the most famous radio plays of all time - The War of the Worlds.  Individually, the cast had success as well.

This week we feature shows starring two of the more famous Mercury players, Agnes Moorehead and Everett Sloane.

Moorehead may be best known for her role as Endora on "Bewitched", but she conquered just about every medium she tackled.  She was a superb radio actress, and an equally good film star, garnering 4 Academy Award nominations.  (Though not one of her most famous, try her in "Dark Passage" to see her at her scheming best. Bogie and Bacall ain't bad either...)

Sloane had a fine radio career, with weekly roles on some of the best shows of the era - The Shadow, Cavalcade of America, and Inner Sanctum Mysteries.  If you want to get a glimpse of Sloane on the screen, he has a wonderful role in The Lady From Shanghai.  (And Rita Hayworth ain't too bad to look at either...)