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The Medium and the Magician

Orson Welles, the Radio Years, 1934-1952

Paul Heyer author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Rowman & Littlefield

Published:24th Jan '05

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Medium and the Magician cover

Few twentieth-century artists are renowned in such a variety of media as Orson Welles. Well known for his work in film and theater as director, actor, and writer, Welles's influence in the field of radio has often been overlooked for the more glamorous entertainment of his movies. The Medium and the Magician is a comprehensive review of Welles's radio career, devoted to assessing his radio artistry and influence in the field. Paul Heyer offers a new look at the infamous War of the Worlds panic broadcast and a discussion of how Welles's use of sound in radio influenced his motion pictures.

A very insightful window into a creative period that was all too short. * Communication Booknotes Quarterly *
Heyer's brilliance in developing this book is based on formidable research into Welles' creative output, interviews, books, papers, studies, and transcripts of every aspect or person that entered Welles's career.... Impressive -- Anne Leighton * H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online *
At last Orson Welles's radio work gets the attention it deserves! Paul Heyer makes the compelling case that Welles should be regarded as a formidable creative force in radio as much as he is in film and theater, backing it up with impressive research and a lively, engaging writing style. This fascinating study sheds light not just on Welles's work generally, but on U.S. radio history and the emergence of sound as an art form. -- Michele Hilmes, author of Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 1922-1952

ISBN: 9780742537972

Dimensions: 227mm x 150mm x 13mm

Weight: 354g

272 pages