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
Me and Orson Welles going to the DIY route, if it proves successful, it's going to be done a lot more in the future." During its theatrical release (November 25, 2009 – February 25, 2010), "Me and Orson Welles" grossed a total of $1,190,003 in the United States and $2,336,172 worldwide. The film has received positive reviews from critics. It currently holds an 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 154 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Me and Orson Welles" boasts a breakout performance by Christian McKay and an infectious love of the backstage drama