Shakespeare On The Air
Shakespeare On The Air
While listening to an episode of Tales of The Texas Ranger last week I was excited when they announced that next Sunday Theater Guild On The Air would be broadcasting a full production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It was as though I was transported back and would certainly be tuning in to listen.
So of course I checked our collection of old-time-radio shows and was excited to discover that we had the two episodes of Hamlet produced for Columbia Workshop by and starring Orson Welles arguably one of the greatest Shakespearian actors ever.
The first was originally broadcast on Sunday September 19th, 1936. Orson Welles informs that in deciding to present an abbreviated version of Hamlet the Columbia workshop found itself facing a considerable dilemma. Would it be feasible they wondered to give merely the plot in the short space of time, or should they concentrate on certain well-known passages, and let the story proceed confusingly. The final decision was to present the first two acts of the play presenting whenever possible, the most notable scenes in their entirety and giving us a clear dramatic statement of the causes of Hamlet’s tragedy.
Orson Welles’s was only 21 years of age at the time and gave a superb performance as Hamlet prince of Denmark. The Radio effects were created by Irving Reis and the music by Bernard Herrmann.
However in the book This Is Orson Welles by Peter Bogdanovich and Orson Welles, Welles says, "We got one cue wrong in Hamlet—one cue off with Bernard Herrmann. He had broken his baton and thrown his script up in the air and walked out of the studio forty seconds before airtime because of a quarrel with Irving Reis. And I dragged him back. We didn’t have time to get the notes back in order on his stand, so he was one cue off all through (the show). So we had fanfares when it was supposed to be quiet; approaching menace when it was supposed to be a gay party, and (it was) all live; it was riotous. It got funnier and funnier, because Reis was an emotional-type director and Benny is an emotional-type conductor, and between the two of them…"
I have added the original broadcast to RUSC today and you will not be disappointed to hear that I have also added Hamlet Part 2 the concluding acts 3, 4 & 5. Due to demand this was originally broadcast two months later on Sunday November 14th, 1936.
In Part 2 Hamlet’s own uncle is now the King of Denmark. This and the knowledge that his mother had remarried immediately has left Hamlet a creature mad for revenge. Assuming as he calls it, an antic disposition, Hamlet plots to trap the King into an open confession of guilt. The arrival of strolling players at the court has provided the necessary means. Hamlet arranges that a performance be given duplicating the circumstances of his fathers death.
“The Play’s the thing, wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King…”
Shakespeare is known as one of the greatest writers of the 16th century whose stories have been performed the world over. There are many examples of his works featured in series from the Golden Age of Radio. You can listen to Mercury Theater's superb production of Julius Caesar again starring Orson Welles on RUSC.
Over the coming weeks I will be looking to add more productions of Shakespeare's works to RUSC including the version of Hamlet produced by Theater Guild On The Air starring English Shakespearian actor Sir John Gielgud acclaimed for his performance of Hamlet on Broadway in 1937 which broke box office records.
Happy listening my friends,
