The Beginning of Radio Entertainment

The Beginning of Radio Entertainment

A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism was presented in 1873 by a man who

had long been intrigued by the mystery of electricity, James Clerk Maxwell. This book

revealed the connection between electricity and radio. Six years later a young

professor by the name Heinrich Hertz proved Maxwell's theory. Radio still took many

years before catching on with the public. For some time it was used on ships and

during the wars. It wasn't until the early 1900's before it worked its way into American

homes.

George Orson Welles, better known as just Orson Welles, was born on May 6,

1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He passed away in Hollywood California on October 10,

1985. His father was a well-to-do inventor and his mother was a beautiful concert

pianist. He was an extremely talented young man in many different arts such as;

magic, piano, and painting. He graduated from Todd School in Woodstock, Ill in 1931.

He traveled around the world after his mother passed-away and became the ward of

Chicago's Dr. Maurice Berstein. Unfortunately both his parents dies before he was

twelve years old. Leaving him with an inheritance and not too many family obligations.

He was well- versed at an early age leading him with a passion for literature and its

power, particularly Shakespeare. He attempted to enter the London and Broadway

stages, traveling more in Morocco and Spain where he actually faught in the bullring. A

couple recommendations got him into Katherine Cornell's road company, thanks to

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Thornton Wilder and Alexander Woollcott. This is with whom he made his first New

York debut as Tybalt in 1934. His first radio appearance came in 1934. At this time

having no idea that he would become one of the most famous men of his time.

Between 1936 and 1941 he actively participated in hundreds of radio drama

productions. He worked as a writer, director, as well as an actor. He did anything from

Shakespeare to American and European Classical literature. The thrillers The

Phantom Voice, The Bride of Death, The League of Terror and Dracula were among

his popular broadcasts. Forming the Mercury Theatre with a man named John

Houseman in 1937 led him to broadcast what still to this day is remembered as one of

the greatest displays of radio drama, The War of the Worlds. It wasn't intended to be a

Halloween prank but most listeners believed it was a real broadcast of a Martion

invasion. Thus taking the effects of the radio to a new level. The show was broadcast

on a Sunday evening during the prime-time in the golden age of radio therefore millions

of Americans had their radios turned on. He introduced his radio play with a spoken

introduction, followed by another announcer reading the weather report. Following the

brief forcast was music by Ramon Raquello and his orchestra. This dance music

lasted for some time until suddenly there was an interuption with the report from

"Professor Farrell of Mount Jenning Observatory" indicating that there were numerous

explosions