Orson Welles Welles had not been drafted. "The Mercury Wonder Show" ran August 3 – September 9, 1943, in an 80-by-120-foot tent located at 9000 Cahuenga Boulevard, in the heart of Hollywood. At intermission September 7, 1943, KMPC radio interviewed audience and cast members of "The Mercury Wonder Show"—including Welles and Rita Hayworth, who were married earlier that day. Welles remarked that "The Mercury Wonder Show" had been performed for approximately 48,000 members of the U.S. armed forces. The idea of doing a radio variety show occurred to Welles after his success as substitute host of four consecutive episodes (March 14 –
Orson Welles Cinema Earth", "The Incredible Shrinking Man", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956), "It Came from Outer Space", "Them!", "The Thing from Another World" (1951), "The Shape of Things to Come", "This Island Earth", "The War of the Worlds", and "Zardoz". The Marathon became an annual event that continued even after the Orson Welles Cinema closed. Following the 11 Marathons held at the Orson Welles, the film series moved on to other Boston theaters, and under the name Boston Science Fiction Film Festival it is now held annually on President’s Day weekend at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Somerville. Less successful