The Orson Welles Show (radio series) debut of "The Hitch-Hiker", an original radio play by Lucille Fletcher (wife of Bernard Herrmann) that has become a classic of suspense. On the broadcast of December 29, 1941, Rita Hayworth was the guest player; this was the first meeting between Welles and Hayworth, who were married in September 1943. Welles concluded the final broadcast of "The Orson Welles Show" February 2, 1942, with a statement: "Tomorrow night the Mercury Theatre starts for South America. The reason, put more or less officially, is that I've been asked by the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs to do a motion
Orson Welles 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. Again, Welles lacked a clear focus, until the NAACP brought to his attention the case of Isaac Woodard. Welles brought significant attention to Woodard's cause. The last broadcast of "Orson Welles Commentaries" on October 6, 1946, 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 Shanghai",