The Orson Welles Almanac guest when he returned to the show April 11, 1943. Orson Welles's variety show was auditioned in New York December 2, 1943, with the Compton advertising agency representing Mobilgas. The cast included Welles (host) and Duke Ellington (music), with guest spots by Rita Hayworth and Jimmy Durante on an audition record. "Billboard" reported that plans were under way for scheduling the show. The 30-minute program was heard Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET January 26 – July 19, 1944. The wartime variety show presented readings from classic works, drama, music, sketch comedy, magic, mindreading and personal commentary by Welles. Many of
Rhinoceros (Orson Welles production) a lot of money out of that production, and the critics liked it." In 1999, Austin Pendleton (who had worked as an actor with Welles on the 1969 film "Catch-22"), wrote the play "Orson's Shadow" about the 1960 production of "Rhinoceros", focussing on the rival egos of Olivier and Welles. The play premiered in Chicago in January 2000, and has subsequently had numerous revivals in Britain and America, most notably in an off-Broadway production directed by David Cromer in 2005 which ran to 349 performances. Rhinoceros (Orson Welles production) Rhinoceros was a 1960 production of Eugène Ionesco's surrealist play of