Campbell Playhouse

The Campbell Playhouse (1938–1940) is a live CBS radio drama series directed by and starring Orson Welles. Produced by Welles and John Houseman, it was a sponsored continuation of The Mercury Theatre on the Air.

The series offered hour-long adaptations of classic plays and novels, as well as adaptations of popular motion pictures. When Welles left at the end of the second season, The Campbell Playhouse changed format as a 30-minute weekly series that ran for one season (1940–41).

The Stars

Orson Welles was the central figure of The Campbell Playhouse, serving as the director, script editor, and lead actor in many of the productions. He was supported by a talented ensemble cast that included William Alland, Georgia Backus, Edgar Barrier, Bea Benaderet, Ray Collins, Joseph Cotten, George Coulouris, Arlene Francis, Alice Frost, Helen Hayes, Sam Levene, Agnes Moorehead, Frank Readick, Everett Sloane, Paul Stewart, Virginia Welles, and Richard Wilson, among others.

Key Dates

• The Campbell Playhouse debuted on December 9, 1938, as a sponsored continuation of Welles’ earlier The Mercury Theatre on the Air series.
• The program ran for two seasons, with the final broadcast on March 31, 1940.
• After Welles’ departure, the series returned to radio on November 29, 1940, as a 30-minute weekly CBS series that last aired on June 13, 1941.

Other Information

As a direct result of the front-page headlines Orson Welles generated with his 1938 Halloween production “The War of the Worlds”, Campbell’s Soup signed on as sponsor for The Campbell Playhouse. The series made its debut with Welles’ adaptation of Rebecca, with guest stars Margaret Sullavan and Mildred Natwick.

After 20 shows, Campbell began to exercise more creative control over The Campbell Playhouse, and had complete control over story selection. This led to frequent clashes between Welles and the show’s liaison, Diana Bourbon, over story and casting decisions.

As his contract with Campbell came to an end, Welles determined not to sign on for another season, stating “I’m sick of having the heart torn out of a script by radio censorship.” After the broadcast of March 31, 1940, Welles and Campbell parted amicably.

The series’ focus shifted away from classic play and novel adaptations to lighter, more popular fare when it returned as a 30-minute weekly series in late 1940, still with casts drawn from the ranks of film actors.