Welcome to what will now be an annual event, our rebroadcast of the 1938 Mercury Theater production of A Christmas Carol.

A Christmas Carol (1938) — The Mercury Theatre, Orson Welles, and the Enduring Power of Radio Drama

When the Mercury Theatre on the Air presented its 1938 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, listeners expected to hear Lionel Barrymore, whose portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge had become a beloved annual tradition. But when Barrymore fell ill shortly before the broadcast, a remarkable thing happened: Orson Welles, only twenty-three years old, stepped into the role. Already known as a bold experimenter in radio, Welles not only narrated the production but also assumed Scrooge’s voice with an authority far beyond his years.

What emerged was not merely a holiday episode but a defining m ...