Title:

Free World Theater

Type:

Philosophical drama anthology

Length:

25 - 30 minutes

Broadcast history:

Feb. 21, 1943 - June 27, 1943 The Blue Network. Sundays at 6:05 PM for 25 minutes

until April 18th. Then Sundays at 6:30 PM for 30

minutes.

Cast:

Major Hollywood stars such as Fred MacMurray, Dinah Shore, Beulah Bondi, and John Garfield.

This production was conceived by Arch Oboler during a conversation with William Lewis of the Office of War Information. When it aired it was directed and written by Oboler. Oboler was successful in radio prior to World War II and had given up a $3000 per week income to work towards the war effort for free.

The premise behind Free World Theater was for important world leaders and leading citizens to give brief statements that they would like impressed upon Americans and then to dramatize these thoughts for radio.

As a government sponsored project, Oboler had access to world leaders and all the top writers and actors in Hollywood. Among those leaders asked for input were Thomas Mann, Aldous Huxley, Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw, Josef Stalin, and Chiang Kai-shek. The only personality to refuse to take part was George Bernard Shaw. He called the entire effort a ridiculous waste of time.

Source:

On the Air - John Dunning