Orson welles birthplace wisconsin

In Welles exiled himself to Europe in retaliation for studio interference in his work. European producers appeared more forgiving of Welles' eccentricities, and he was able to make a number of films, including "Othello" and "Chimes at Midnight" Earlier in his career Welles had discovered that he could finance his filmmaking through acting, which resulted in his appearance in movies such as "The Third Man" and "Catch" Additionally, Welles guest starred on television programs, did voice-overs and recordings, and occasional commercials.

Despite his lack of commercial success, Welles won some critical acclaim for his work, a lifetime achievement Oscar in and the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award in He was also awarded the D. Griffith award, the highest accolade from the Directors Guild of America. Above: Welles in Citizen Kane Welles directed, produced, co-wrote the screenplay and starred in this film that many critics, filmmakers, and fans consider to be the greatest film of all time.

It was Welles' first feature film and was nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories. Above: Orson Welles tells reporters that no one connected with the radio drama broadcast of "War of the Worlds" had any idea it would cause panic October 31, Robinson and Loretta Young. Directed by Orson Welles. In SpringWelles traveled via the SS Exermonta tramp steamer, writing the introduction for the books, while onboard ship.

After landing at Morocco, he stayed as the guest of Thami El Glaouiin the Atlas mountains surrounding Tangier[ 40 ] while orson welles birthplace wisconsin on thousands of illustrations for the Everybody's Shakespeare series of educational books, a series that remained in print for decades. Wilder arranged for Welles to meet Alexander Woollcott in New York in order that he be introduced to Katharine Cornellwho was assembling a theatre company for a seven-month transcontinental repertory tour.

Cornell's husband, director Guthrie McClinticimmediately put Welles under contract and cast him in three plays. At the old firehouse in Woodstock, he also shot his first film, an eight-minute short titled The Hearts of Age. To appease the Nicolsons, who were furious at the couple's elopement, a formal ceremony took place December 23,at the New Jersey mansion of the bride's godmother.

Welles wore a cutaway borrowed from his friend George Macready. ByWelles was supplementing his earnings in the theatre as a radio actor in Manhattanworking with many actors who later formed the core of his Mercury Theatre on programs including America's HourCavalcade of AmericaColumbia Workshop and The March of Time. Part of the Works Progress Administrationthe Federal Theatre Project — was a New Deal program to fund theatre and other live artistic performances and entertainment programs in the United States during the Great Depression.

It was created as a relief measure to employ artists, writers, directors and theatre workers. Under national director Hallie Flanagan it was shaped into a truly national theatre that created relevant art, encouraged experimentation and innovation, and made it possible for millions of Americans to see live theatre for the first time. The Federal Theatre Project was the ideal environment in which Welles could develop his art.

Its purpose was employment, so he was able to hire any number of artists, craftsmen and technicians, and he filled the stage with performers. At 20, Welles was hailed as a prodigy. Faustus that used light as a prime unifying scenic element in a nearly black stage, presented January 8 — May 9,at Maxine Elliott's Theatre. Presented at the Henry Street Settlement Music School in New York for the benefit of high school students, the production opened April 21,and ran its scheduled three performances.

The theater was locked and guarded to prevent any government-purchased materials from being used for a commercial production of the work. In a last-minute move, Welles announced to waiting ticket-holders that the show was being transferred to the Venice20 blocks away. Some cast, and some crew and audience, walked the distance on foot. The union musicians refused to perform in a commercial theater for lower non-union government wages.

The actors' union stated that the production belonged to the Federal Theatre Project and could not be performed outside that context without permission. Lacking the participation of the union members, The Cradle Will Rock began with Blitzstein introducing the show and playing the piano accompaniment on stage with some cast members performing from the audience.

This impromptu performance was well received by its audience. Breaking with the Federal Theatre Project inWelles and Houseman founded their own repertory company, which they called the Mercury Theatre. The name was inspired by the title of the iconoclastic magazine The American Mercury. We had not had such a man in our theater. He was the first and remains the greatest.

The Mercury Theatre opened November 11,with CaesarWelles's modern-dress adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy Julius Caesar —streamlined into an anti-fascist tour de force that Joseph Cotten later described as "so vigorous, so contemporary that it set Broadway on its ear. Scene changes were achieved by lighting alone. Beginning January 1,Caesar was performed in repertory with The Shoemaker's Holiday ; both productions moved to the larger National Theatre.

Simultaneously with his work in the theatre, Welles worked extensively in radio as an actor, writer, director, and producer, often without credit. While he was directing the Voodoo Macbeth Welles was dashing between Harlem and midtown Manhattan three times a day to meet his radio commitments. He performed the role through mid-September The series began July 11,with the formula that Welles would play the lead in each show.

Wells October 30,brought Welles instant fame. The combination of the news bulletin form of the performance with the between-breaks dial-spinning habits of listeners was later reported to have created widespread confusion among listeners who failed to hear the introduction, although the extent of this confusion has come into question.

Welles's orson welles birthplace wisconsin fame drew Hollywood offers, lures that the independent-minded Welles resisted at first. The Mercury Theatre on the Airwhich had been a sustaining show without sponsorshipwas picked up by Campbell Soup and renamed The Campbell Playhouse. After 20 shows, Campbell began to exercise more creative control and had complete control over story selection.

As his contract with Campbell came to an end, Welles chose not to sign on for another season. After the broadcast of March 31,Welles and Campbell parted amicably. RKO Radio Pictures president George Schaefer eventually offered Welles what generally is considered the greatest contract offered to a filmmaker, much less to one who was untried. Engaging him to write, produce, direct and perform in two motion pictures, the contract subordinated the studio's financial interests to Welles's creative control, and broke all precedent by granting Welles the right of final cut.

Welles co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in the film.

Orson welles birthplace wisconsin: George Orson Welles was

Mankiewiczwho was writing radio plays for The Campbell Playhouse. After agreeing on the storyline and character, Welles supplied Mankiewicz with pages of notes and put him under contract to write the first-draft screenplay under the supervision of John Houseman. The industry accused Welles of underplaying Mankiewicz's contribution to the script, but Welles countered the attacks by saying, "At the end, naturally, I was the one making the picture, after all—who had to make the decisions.

I used what I wanted of Mank's and, rightly or wrongly, kept what I liked of my own. Welles's project attracted some of Hollywood's best technicians, including cinematographer Gregg Toland. Through its use, it is possible to photograph action from a range of eighteen inches from the camera lens to over two hundred feet away, with extreme foreground and background figures and action both recorded in sharp relief.

Hitherto, the camera had to be focused either for a close or a distant shot, all efforts to encompass both at the orson welles birthplace wisconsin time resulting in one or the other being out of focus. This handicap necessitated the breaking up of a scene into long and short angles, with much consequent loss of realism. With pan-focus, the camera, like the human eye, sees an entire panorama at once, with everything clear and lifelike.

Welles called Toland "the greatest gift any director—young or old—could ever, ever have. And he never tried to impress on us that he was performing miracles. He just went ahead and performed them. I was calling on him to do things only a beginner could be ignorant enough to think anybody could ever do, and there he was, doing them.

It was the first film scored by Bernard Herrmannwho had worked with Welles in radio. Herrmann drew on radio techniques for his score:. The movies frequently overlook opportunities for musical cues that last only a few seconds—that is, from five to fifteen seconds at the most—the reason being that the eye usually covers this transition.

On the other hand, in radio drama, every scene must be bridged by some sort of sound device, so that even five seconds of music becomes a vital instrument in telling the ear the scene is shifting. I felt that in this film, where photographic contrasts were often so sharp and sudden, a brief cue—even two or three chords—might heighten the effect immeasurably Sound effects were often blended in Citizen Kanewith the music, to add intensity to certain scenes.

This was also a carry-over from radio technique. Herrmann concluded that "two full weeks were spent in the dubbing room, and music under our supervision was often re-recorded six or seven times before the proper dynamic level was achieved. The result is an exact projection of the original musical ideas in the score. Technically, no composer could ask for more.

Hearst's newspapers barred all reference to Citizen Kane and exerted enormous pressure on the Hollywood film community to force RKO to shelve the film. Mayer and other major studio executives if he would destroy the negative and existing prints of the film. James Theatre. The Mercury Production was the last time Welles and Houseman worked together.

Although Citizen Kane was given a limited release, the film received overwhelming critical praise. Seeing it, it's as if you never really saw a movie before. The delay in the film's release and uneven distribution contributed to mediocre results at the box office. After it ran its course theatrically, Citizen Kane was retired to the vault in In postwar France, however, the film's reputation grew after it was seen there for the first time in Toland was unavailable, so Stanley Cortez was named cinematographer.

The meticulous Cortez worked slowly and the film lagged behind schedule and over budget. In contract renegotiations with RKO over a film he was obliged to direct, Welles had conceded his right to control the final cut.

Orson welles birthplace wisconsin: A marker and plaque

Schaefer was an expert in film distribution, and attended to the marketing strategy personally. A finished minute version of the movie, edited per Welles's detailed instructions, was previewed March 17,in Pomona. Schaefer was present, and he was rattled by the audience response: 75 percent of the orson welles birthplace wisconsin cards were negative.

The film was received more favorably by a preview audience in the more upscale Pasadena on March 19, with only 25 percent of the preview cards negative. But the experience led Schaefer to authorize the studio to make whatever changes necessary to make The Magnificent Ambersons a commercial success. Wise, whom Welles had left in charge of postproduction, removed nearly 50 minutes of footage from Welles's cut, and several scenes — including the ending — were rewritten and reshot.

Over Welles's oppositionThe Magnificent Ambersons was cut to run 88 minutes. When more than half of his score was removed from the soundtrack and replaced by music by Roy WebbHerrmann bitterly severed his ties with the film and promised legal action if his name was not removed from the credits. Even in its released form, The Magnificent Ambersons is considered one of the best films of all time.

In addition to acting in the film, Welles was the producer. Direction was credited to Norman Foster. Welles later said that they were in such a rush that the director of each scene was determined by whoever was closest to the camera. Welles was thoroughly briefed in Washington, D. Benamou, a specialist in Latin American affairs, finds it "not unlikely" that he was among the goodwill ambassadors who were asked to orson welles birthplace wisconsin intelligence for the U.

She concludes that Welles's acceptance of Whitney's request was "a logical and patently patriotic choice". In addition to working on his ill-fated film It's All TrueWelles was responsible for radio programs, lectures, interviews and informal talks as part of his OCIAA-sponsored cultural mission, which was regarded as a success. Welles's ambassadorial mission was extended to permit his travel to other nations including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

Welles's own expectations for the film were modest. He also decided to do a ripped-from-the-headlines episode about the epic voyage of four poor Brazilian fishermen, the jangadeiroswho had become national heroes. Welles later said this was the most valuable story. Welles left for Brazil on February 4 and began filming in Rio on February 8, Benamou wrote, "the ambassadorial appointment would be the first in a series of turning points leading—in 'zigs' and 'zags,' rather than in a straight line—to Welles's loss of complete directorial control over both The Magnificent Ambersons and It's All Truethe cancellation of his contract at RKO Radio Studio, the expulsion of his company Mercury Productions from the RKO lot, and, ultimately, the total suspension of It's All True.

In RKO Pictures underwent major changes under new management. Nelson Rockefellerthe primary backer of the Brazil project, left its board of directors, and Welles's principal sponsor at RKO, studio president George Schaefer, resigned. RKO took control of Ambersons and edited the film into what the studio considered a commercial format. Welles's attempts to protect his version ultimately failed.

Given a limited amount of black-and-white film stock and a silent camera, he was able to finish shooting the episode about the jangadeirosbut RKO refused to support further production on the film. I never recovered from that attack. Airing August 29,on the Blue Networkthe program was presented in cooperation with the United States Department of the TreasuryWestern Union which wired bond subscriptions free of charge and the American Women's Voluntary Services.

On October 12,Cavalcade of America presented Welles's radio play, Admiral of the Ocean Seaan entertaining and factual look at the legend of Christopher Columbus. The Axis, trying to stir Latin America against Anglo-America, had constantly emphasized the differences between the two. It became the job of American radio to emphasize their common experience and essential unity.

Admiral of the Ocean Seaalso known as Columbus Daybegins with the words, "Hello Americans"—the title Welles would choose for his own series five weeks later. The minute weekly program promoted inter-American understanding and friendship, drawing upon the research amassed for the ill-fated film, It's All True. The program was conceived to glorify the aviation industry and dramatize its role in World War II.

Welles's shows were regarded as significant contributions to the war effort. Filming also had wrapped on the film adaptation of Jane Eyre and that fee, in addition to the income from his regular guest-star roles in radio, made it possible for Welles to fulfill a lifelong dream. He approached the War Assistance League of Southern California and proposed a show that evolved into a big-top spectacle, part circus and part magic show.

Members of the U. The development of the show coincided with the resolution of Welles's oft-changing draft status in Maywhen he was finally declared 4-F—unfit for military service—for a variety of medical reasons. The Mercury Wonder Show ran August 3 — September 9,in an byfoot tent [ ] located at Cahuenga Boulevardin the heart of Hollywood. Welles remarked that The Mercury Wonder Show had been performed for approximately 48, members of the U.

The idea of doing a radio variety show occurred to Welles after his success as substitute host of four consecutive episodes March 14 — April 4, of The Jack Benny Programradio's most popular show, when Benny contracted pneumonia on a performance tour of military bases. Many of the shows originated on U. Welles was placed on the U. Welles campaigned ardently for Roosevelt in A longtime supporter and campaign speaker for FDR, he occasionally sent the president ideas and phrases that were sometimes incorporated into what Welles characterized as "less important speeches".

On April 12,the day Franklin D. Roosevelt died, the Blue-ABC network marshalled its entire executive staff and national leaders to pay homage to the late president. Our fighting sons and brothers cannot pause tonight to mark the death of him whose name will be given to the age we live in. Welles presented another special broadcast on the death of Roosevelt the following evening: "We must move on beyond mere death to that free world which was the hope and labor of his life.

He presented a half-hour dramatic program written by Ben Hecht on the opening day of the conference, and on Sunday afternoons April 29 — June 10 he led a weekly discussion from the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. In the fall of Welles began work on The Strangera film noir drama about a war crimes investigator who tracks a high-ranking Nazi fugitive to an idyllic New England town.

Edward G. RobinsonLoretta Young and Welles star. Producer Sam Spiegel initially planned to hire director John Hustonwho had rewritten the screenplay by Anthony Veiller. One of its concessions was that he would defer to the studio in any creative dispute. The Stranger was Welles's first job as a film director in four years. Nims under the terms of the contract.

The Stranger was the first commercial film to use documentary footage from the Nazi concentration camps. No reason was given, but the impression was left that The Stranger would not make money. Producer Mike Toddwho would later produce the successful film adaptationpulled out from the lavish and expensive production, leaving Welles to support the finances.

When Welles ran out of money he convinced Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn to send enough money to continue the show, and in exchange Welles promised to write, produce, direct and star in a film for Cohn for no further fee. The stage show soon failed due to poor box-office, with Welles unable to claim the losses on his taxes. Welles said it was his favorite of his stage productions.

Regarding its extravagance, critic Robert Garland said it had "everything but the kitchen sink.

Orson welles birthplace wisconsin: Welles was born in

While Mercury Summer Theatre featured half-hour adaptations of some classic Mercury radio shows from the s, the first episode was a condensation of his Around the World stage play, and is the only record of Cole Porter's music for the project. Several original Mercury actors returned for the series, as well as Bernard Herrmann. Welles invested his earnings into his failing stage play.

Commentaries was a political vehicle for him, continuing the themes from his New York Post column. Welles brought significant attention to Woodard's cause. The last broadcast of Orson Welles Commentaries on October 6,marked the end of Welles's own radio shows. The film that Welles was obliged to make in exchange for Harry Cohn 's help in financing the stage production Around the World was The Lady from Shanghaifilmed in for Columbia Pictures.

Welles intended it to be a modest thriller, but the budget skyrocketed after Cohn suggested that Welles's then-estranged wife Rita Hayworth star. Cohn disliked Welles's orson welles birthplace wisconsin cutparticularly the confusing plot and lack of close-ups, and was not in sympathy with Welles's Brechtian use of irony and black comedyespecially in a farcical courtroom scene.

Cohn ordered extensive editing and re-shoots. After heavy editing by the studio, approximately one hour of Welles's first cut was removed, including much of a climactic confrontation scene in an amusement park funhouse. While expressing displeasure at the cuts, Welles was particularly appalled with the musical score. The film was considered a disaster in America at the time of release, though the closing shootout in a hall of mirrors the use of mirrors being a recurrent motif of Welles's, starting with Kane has since become a touchstone of film noir.

Not long after release, Welles and Hayworth finalized their divorce. Although The Lady from Shanghai was acclaimed in Europe, it was not embraced until decades later in the U. Prior toWelles convinced Republic Pictures to let him direct a low-budget version of Macbethfeaturing highly stylized sets and costumes, and a cast of actors lip-syncing to a pre-recorded soundtrack, one of many innovative cost-cutting techniques Welles deployed in an attempt to make an epic film from B-movie resources.

The script, adapted by Welles, is a violent reworking of Shakespeare's original, freely cutting and pasting lines into new contexts via a collage technique and recasting Macbeth as a clash of pagan and proto-Christian ideologies. Of all Welles's post- Kane Hollywood productions, Macbeth is stylistically closest to Kane in its long takes and deep focus photography.

Republic initially trumpeted the film as an important work but decided it did not care for the Scottish accents and held up general release for almost a year after early negative press reaction, including Life ' s comment that Welles's film "doth foully slaughter Shakespeare. Welles returned and cut 20 minutes from the film at Republic's request and recorded narration to cover some gaps.

The film was decried as a disaster. Macbeth had influential fans in Europe, especially the French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteauwho hailed the film's "crude, irreverent power" and careful shot design, and described the characters as haunting "the corridors of some dreamlike subway, an abandoned coal mine, and ruined cellars oozing with water. In Italy he starred as Cagliostro in the film Black Magic.

His co-star, Akim Tamiroffimpressed Welles so much that Tamiroff would appear in four of Welles's productions during the s and s. In it, Welles makes what Roger Ebert called "the most famous entrance in the movies, and one of the most famous speeches. During this time, Welles was channeling his money from acting jobs into a self-financed film version of Shakespeare's Othello.

From toWelles worked on Othellofilming on location in Italy and Morocco. The American release prints had a technically flawed soundtrack, suffering from a dropout of sound at every quiet moment. Welles's daughter, Beatrice Welles-Smith, restored Othello in for a wide re-release. The restoration included reconstructing Angelo Francesco Lavagnino 's original musical score, which was originally inaudible, and adding ambient stereo sound effects, which were not in the original film.

The restoration went on to a successful theatrical run in America. David Thomson writes of Welles's Othello"the poetry hangs in the air, like sea mist or incense. You can't tell what is or isn't Shakespeare, where his influence begins and ends. InWelles continued finding work in England after the success of the Harry Lime radio show. Welles briefly returned to America to make his first appearance on television, starring in the Omnibus presentation of King Learbroadcast live on CBS October 18, Welles's next turn as director was the film Mr.

Arkadinwhich was produced by his political mentor from the s, Louis Dolivet. It was filmed in France, Germany, Spain and Italy on a very limited budget. Based loosely on several episodes of the Harry Lime radio show, it stars Welles as a billionaire who hires a man to delve into the secrets of his past. Frustrated by his slow orson welles birthplace wisconsin in the editing room, producer Dolivet removed Welles from the project and finished the film without him.

Eventually, five different versions of the film would be released, two in Spanish and three in English. The version that Dolivet completed was retitled Confidential Report. In Stefan Droessler of the Munich Film Museum oversaw a reconstruction of the surviving film elements. InWelles also directed two television series for the BBC. The first was Orson Welles' Sketch Booka series of six minute shows featuring Welles drawing in a sketchbook to illustrate his reminiscences including such topics as the filming of It's All True and the Isaac Woodard case.

Welles served as host and interviewer, his commentary including documentary facts and his own personal observations a technique he would continue to explore in later works. During Episode 3 of SketchbookWelles makes a deliberate attack on the abuse of police powers around the world. The episode starts with him telling the story of Isaac Woodardan African-American veteran of the South Pacific during World War II being falsely accused by a bus driver of being drunk and disorderly, who then has a policeman remove the man from the bus.

Woodard is not arrested right away, but rather he is beaten into unconsciousness nearly to the point of death and when he finally regains consciousness he is permanently blinded. By the time doctors from the US Army located him three weeks later, there was nothing that could be done. Welles assures the audience that he personally saw to it that justice was served to this policeman although he doesn't mention what type of justice was delivered.

Welles then goes on to give other examples of police being given more power and authority than is necessary. The title of this episode is "The Police". InWelles completed Portrait of Gina. The film cans would remain in a lost-and-found locker at the hotel for several decades, where they were discovered inafter Welles's death. InWelles returned to Hollywood.

Originally deemed not viable as a pilot, the film was not aired until —and won the Peabody Award for excellence. Welles guest starred on television shows including I Love Lucy. Originally hired as an actor, Welles was promoted to director by Universal Studios at the insistence of Heston. Filming proceeded smoothly, with Welles finishing on schedule and on budget, and the studio bosses praising the daily rushes.

Nevertheless, after the end of production, the studio re-edited the film, re-shot scenes, and shot new exposition scenes to clarify the plot. Ina longer orson welles birthplace wisconsin version of the film was discovered and released. InWalter Murch reedited the film according to Welles's specifications in his memo. Murch said "I'm just flabbergasted when I read his memos, thinking that he was writing these ideas forty years ago, because, if I was working on a film now and a director came up with ideas like these, I'd be amazed—pleased but amazed—to realize that someone was thinking that hard about sound—which is all too rare".

Murch says that "I'm sure Godard and Truffaut, who were big fans of Touch of Evillearned from that scene how they could achieve exactly what they wanted—at once both a fresh sense of reality and ingenuity. Just of being from Kenosha. Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on May 6th,Orson Welles lived with his parents until they separated four years later.

However, when Welles was nine, his mother died from hepatitis. Following the death of his mother, Welles was taken in by Watson, living at the Watson family home in Highland Park, Illinois. Maurice Bernstein, a family friend. While living in a Chicago apartment, Welles attended public school nearby. His father struggled with alcoholism and uprooted both himself and Welles in favor of traveling to Jamaica and the Far East.

Upon their return, his father purchased a hotel in Grand Detour, Illinois, which eventually burned down. Welles and his father were faced with moving away once again. As a result, Welles explored a passion for performance and worked as part of various stage productions there. He also executed his first radio performance through the Todd radio station, writing and appearing in an adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes tale.

He vowed to stop seeing him, hoping that this would encourage his father to stop drinking. His father died of heart and kidney failure soon after, leaving Welles with a sense of guilt. Welles graduated from Todd and was awarded a scholarship to Harvard University; however, he opted to travel instead and briefly studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago.

He also returned to Woodstock on occasion, considering it his home. Over the years, Welles continued his travels, thanks to an inheritance. He arrived in Ireland, where he walked into a theater and insisted that he was a Broadway star. Though in disbelief, the manager was impressed and allowed Welles to make his professional stage debut at the Gate Theatre, opening the door to a variety of supporting roles and work in stage production.

Welles soon returned to the U. Welles became active in a network of writers and hoped to become part of a repertory theater company. In the same year as his first paid radio role, Welles produced a drama festival with the Todd School in Woodstock, inviting actors from the Gate Theatre to appear along with various New York stage actors. He would also film his first short, The Hearts of Ageat a firehouse in Woodstock, in addition to performing at the Woodstock Opera House.

Welles frequently traveled from Woodstock to New York, where he formed relationships with actors who would later be an integral part of his Mercury Theatre. He was also active in many facets of radio, though often remaining uncredited for his work. Wells, that truly cemented Welles as a radio star. His performance and script detailing a Martian invasion was so convincing that it panicked audiences all over the nation.

Hollywood offers began to come in for Welles. Upon commuting from coast to coast, he signed a film contract with RKO in August ofand transferred the production of his radio show to Los Angeles. Welles enjoyed creative control and the ability to have final cuts of his work. Though RKO rejected the first two film proposals from Welles, they agreed to Citizen Kanewhich would go on to receive high praise from film critics and become his most notable film.

In addition to co-writing the film, Welles also produced and directed the film, garnering nine Academy Award nominations. As a result, Welles was able to pursue his dream of organizing a show that combined circus acts and magic for the War Assistance League of Southern California. Welles invested much of his own money in the show, entertaining members of the service and raising funds for the War Assistance League.

Welles remarked that The Mercury Wonder Show had been performed for approximately 48, members of the U.