Hamlet Part 1 an episode of Columbia Workshop -

Please enjoy Hamlet Part 1 a great episode of the legendaryColumbia Workshop - - A Classic Old Time radio Show

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
The Columbia Workshop. Ladies and gentlemen, Tonight, the Columbia Workshop present the
eighth program of a series devoted toexperimental radio. Your letters on last week's
program, in which we dramatized JonathanSwift the voyage to Gobbling Nag from Gulliver's
Twells were very interesting and welcome.Thank you. Tonight, the Workshop is
proud to turn over its resources toOrson Wells. Some months ago, mister

(00:22):
Wells produced Shakespeare's Macbeth for the FederalTheater. It was received with the most
enthusiastic response accorded shakespeare In production inyears. He is now busily engaged rehearsing
for one of the leading roles inSidney Kingsley's new play Ten Million Ghosts,
and also producing his own version ofa French farsh called Horse Eats Hack.
Between both rehearsals, he has managedto write a book called Everybody Shakespeare.

(00:45):
We have asked mister Wells to arrangeand produce Shakespeare's Hamlet for the Workshop.
He will also play the leading role. But first word for mister Wells in
deciding to present an abbreviated version ofHamlet's The Columbia Workshop found itself facing a
considerable dilemma. Would it be feasible, we wondered, to give merely the
plot in our short space of time, or should we concentrate on certain well

(01:06):
known passages and let the story proceedconfusingly. Our final decision was this to
present to you the first two actsof the play, retaining, whenever possible,
the most notable scenes in their entirety, and giving you we hope,
a clear dramatic statement of the pausesof Hamlet's tragedy. Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

(01:40):
It is midnight and before the castlewith Elpenor a century stands. It
is sick, hey, un forme, stand it? Unpold yourself,
not all gee, you come mostcarefully when your hour is now struck twelve,
get me to bed. Friends ofscold, that's relieved much thanks to
that are cold. I am sickat heart. You had quiet God,
not about stirring. Well. Goodnight. If you do meet Horatio and

(02:04):
Marcellus, the rivals of my watch. Did the make haste take I hear
them. Don't know who's there,Friends and liegemen to the day. Welcome
Horatio, Welcome good Marcellus. Whathas this thing appeared again tonight. I
have seen nothing. Horatio says,he's with our fantasy and will not let
believe take hold of him touching thisdaded sight twice seen of us. Therefore

(02:25):
I have entreated him along with us, to what's the minutes of this night,
that if again this apparition come,he may approve our eyes and speak
to it still out of there,sit down a while, and let us
once again say, your readers thatare so fortified against our story, what
we have two nights seen? Well, Sit we down and let us hear

(02:45):
Banadow speak of this last night ofall when yon same star that's westward from
the poles had made his course toallume that part of heaven where now it
burns. Marcellus and my cell makethe off when it comes again in the

(03:06):
same figure like the king that's dead, Shall I strike any with my partisan
dom and go to stand it herehere? Use God, we do it
wrong, being so majestical to offerit show violence. It was about to

(03:29):
speak when the cock crew, andthen it started like a guilty thing upon
a fearful summons. But look themorn russet mantle plan walks of the dew
of yon high eastward hill break weare watcherp and by my advice, let

(03:51):
us in part what we have seentonight, and to young Hamlet, for
upon my life the spirit dumb tous. We'll speak to him. In
the great hall of the castle.The court is assembled, Hamlet, as

(04:12):
over figure in black stands apart fromthe rest. On a days sits the
King with his newly wedded queen.Suddenly a trumpet blars for it, and
the king rises. O. Yet, have Hamlet our dear brother's death the
memory be green, and let itus be fitted to bear our hearts and

(04:33):
grief, and our whole kingdom tobe contracted in one brow of woe.
Yet so far hath discretion force withnature, that we, with wisest sorrow
think on him, together with theremembrance of ourselves. Therefore, our sometimes
sister, now our Queen, theimperial jointress, to this warlike state,
have we as twere with a defeatedjoy, with one auspicious mon dropping eye

(04:57):
taken to wife, Nor have weheard it board your better wisdoms, which
have freely gone with its affair along. We're all our thanks. But now
my cousin Hamlet and my son,a little more than kin less and kind?
How the clouds do hang on you? Not so malon, I'm too
much in the sun, good Hamlet, cast thy knighted color off. Let

(05:20):
thine eye look like a friend onDenmark. Do not forever with thy evaded
it lives. Seek for thy noblefather in the dust. Thou knowst is
common All that live must die,passing through nature to eternity. I med
it is common. If it be, why it seems it so particular with

(05:41):
thee it seems, Madame, nayit is, I know not seems tis
not alone my inky cloak, goodmother, together with all faigns, shows
shapes of grief that can denote metruly reas indeed seem for the are actions
that a man might pray. ButI have that within which passive show.

(06:05):
These were the trappings and the suitsof war. It is sweet and commonable
in your nature, Hamlet, togive these morning duties to your father,
For you must know your father lostto father, that father lost lost his
and the survivor bound and filial obligationfor some term to do obsequious sorrow,
but to persever in obstinate condolement isthe course of impier stubborn stubbornness for your

(06:30):
intent in going back to school inWittenberg. It is most treacher great to
our desire, and we beseech you, bend you to remain here in the
cheer and comfort of our eye,our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our
son. Did not thy mother loseher prayers? Hamlet, I pray thee
stay with us, go not toWittenburg. I shall, in all my

(06:53):
best o bey you, madam.Why it is a loving and a fair
reply be is ourself in Denmark.Madam, Come this gentleman on forced a
chord of hamlets, its smiling tomy heart. Come away. Oh this

(07:15):
two too solid fish would melt,thaw and resolve itself into a dew,
now that the other lasting had notfixed his cannon against self slaughter. Oh,
oh God, how weirdest, stale, flat and unprofitable scene to me?

(07:41):
All the uses of this world fireon it. A fi t is
an unweeded garden that grows to seedthings rank and gross in nature. Possess
it merely that it should come tothis, but two months dead. Nay,

(08:01):
not so much luck, too soexcellent. A king was to recyperion
to a city so loving to mymother that he might not beteeen the winds
of heaven visit her face too roughlyheaven and earth. Lest I remember why
she would hang on him, asif increase of appetite had grown by what

(08:24):
it had on. And yet withina month, a little months or ell
thow shoes were old, with whichshe followed my poor father's body like niaby
all tears. Why she even shehas got beast that wanted to because of
reason, would have borne longer marriedwith my uncle, my father's brother.

(08:48):
But no more like my father thanI to Hercules within a month. Yet
the salt of those most unrighteous tearsthat left the flushing in her galled eyes,
she met almost wicked speed to post, with such dexterity to incest your
sheets. Is not that I cannotcome to good but break my heart or

(09:18):
I must told my dog. AndI'm glad to see well a Racio,
I do forget myself, say mylord, and your sir, my good
friend, I'll change that name withyou. Let's not make you from Wittenberger
Ratio and Marcella, my good lord, and not I'm very glad to see
you good even, sir, Whatin fraid make you from Wittenburg? Lord,

(09:41):
I able to see your father's funeral? I pray thee do not mock
me, fellow student, I thinkit was to see my mother's wedding.
Indeed, my Lord followed hard uponthrift rift, the ratio, the funeral,
baked meats that coldly furnish, forththe marriage stables. What I met,
my guest fall in heaven or erei'd seen that day, Horatio,

(10:05):
my father, I thinks I seemy father, Oh well, my Lord,
in my mind's eye, Horatia,I saw him one. He was
a goodly king, he was aman. Take him for all. In
all, I shall not look uponhis like again, my Lord, I

(10:26):
think I saw him yester night sawwho the Lord, the king, your
father, the king, my father. Two knights together at these gentlemen,
Marcellus and Bernardo on their watch,and the dead, vast and middle of
the night being thus encountered a figurelike your father arm the point exactly capape

(10:46):
appears before them, and with solemnmarch goes slow and stately by him.
It's to me and dreadful secrecy,and part they did, and I with
them. The third knight kept thewatch where as they had deliver it.
Quote in time form of the things, each word made true, and good
apparition comes. I knew your father. These hands are not more light.

(11:13):
But where was this lord on theplatform where we watched? Very strange?
My Lord is true, indeed,indeed says it discovered me. I'll do
the watch tonight. If we dome, Lord, answer your from top
to toe, Lord, from headto foot, I will watch tonight a
chance to walk again. I warrantit will. If it assume my noble
father's person, I'll speak to it, though hell itself should deep and bid

(11:35):
me all my peace. I'll tellyou well at once upon the platform fixed
eleven and twelve, I'll visit you. I'll do it to yourn my father's
spirit in arms. Oh, ifnot, well, I got some foul
play. What the night will cometill then sits till my soul all deeds

(11:58):
will rise ow all the earth,or whelm them to men's eyes. Yeah,
by truly, it's very cold.I think it lacks the twelve or

(12:22):
it struck. Indeed I heard itnot, and was near the seasoned where
in the spirit tells his wont towalk what does this mean? My lot?
The king just wakes tonight and takeshis rouse, and as he drains
his drafts of rhenish down the kettledrum and trumpets us ray out the triumph

(12:43):
of this pledge. It's the custom. I there it is, But in
my mind, though I'm native hereand to the manner born, it is
a custom more honored in the breachthan the observance. Lord. It comes
ageious and ministers of grace defend usneed our spirit of health or God?

(13:07):
And damned thou comest in such aquestionable shape that I will speak to thee.
I'll call thee hamlet king, fatherroyal, say no answer me.
Let me not burst enignorance, Buttell why thy canonized bones hurst it in
death and burst their selements by thesepulcher wherein we saw it quietly unearned that

(13:28):
oak its thunderous and marble jaws tocast thee up again? What made this
mean? Saying why is this?Wherefore? What did we do? Wave
you two more of the movie round? But do not go with it?
No, but I don't mean itwill not speak? Then I will follow
it? Not, my lord?Why what you need of fear? I
do have to set my life ata pin see in ways before again I'll

(13:48):
follow it. You shall not call, my lord, fall off your hay
rule. You shall not go.My strath cries out and makes the patiochary
in its body as hardy as thanthe me and lions. And still my
calling by heaven has the let meide away gone? I'll follow me?

(14:18):
What what I'll be speak, Igo no further, h we will my
It's almost come. When I tooksouthwest and tormenting claim must to render up
myself. Yes you mean not.But when thy serious hearing what I tell

(14:45):
and speak, I'm bound to hearthou revenge when thout out here I am
my father spirit. Soon for acertain time to walk the night, and
for the day can find the fastentire give a foul crime down in my

(15:07):
day, and nature are burnt andherds away this list, oh, this
if not distever the idea Father,love, God, revenge with oh,
and most unnatural murder, murder,most how haiti, But this, most

(15:35):
how plains and unnatural, that Iwould win the sweet of meditation on the
parts of love. They sweep tomy revenge. Our hamlets here deeping within
my daughter, my custom always theafternoon upon my secure our my uncle's toe,

(15:58):
with use of person heaven and ina well, and in the portraits
of myne ears, it bore theleprous this human would effect hold that an
enity with blood of man, butwith a sudden bigger, with the perfect,
that human wholesome blood. So itis mine that would leaping by a

(16:22):
gold hands of life, a crownof queen at once with that horrible,
most horrible, if go has nature, indeed there is not let not the
royal better than mark your couch forluxury and standing inst the fair at once

(16:48):
the low worm shows the matin tobe here, and him to pay you
an affect your fire, that youthat you and remem remember, I will,

(17:11):
poor boast my memory holds a seatto his despercted good. Welcome,

(17:34):
dear Rosencrans and Guildenstan. Moreover thatwe must long to see you, the
need we have to use you toprovoke our hasty sending something. Have you
heard of Hamlet's transformation? But itshould be more than his father's death that
thus have put him so much fromthe understanding of himself. I cannot dream
of I entreat you both, that, being of so young days brought up

(17:56):
with him, that you vouchsafed yourrest here in our courts from little time,
so by your companies to draw himon to pleasures, and to gather,
whether it ought to us unknown afflictshim. Thus that opened lies within
our remedy. Good gentlemen, hemust have talked of you, And sure
I am to men or are notliving, to whom he more it is

(18:17):
we here give up ourselves in thefull vent, to lay our service freely
at your feet to be commanded.Thanks Guildenstern and gentle Rosenclamps. And I
beseech you instantly to visit my toomuch changed son, show some of you,
and bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is. Heavens, make our presents and
our practices pleasant and helpful to him, Ay amen, my legion madam.

(18:41):
And now what says Polonius, ourlord Chamberlain. He tells me, dear
Gertrude, that he hath found thehidden source of all your son's distemper.
I doubt it no other than thename his father's death. And are all
hasty marriage, my legion madam,to expostulate what majesty should be what duty
is? Why day is day,night, night, and time is time?

(19:02):
Or nothing but to waste night,day and time. Therefore, since
brevity is the soul of it,I will be brief. Your noble son
is mad? Mad? The callithfor to define true madness? What is
to be nothing else but mad?But that go more matter with left's art,
Madam, I swear I use noart at all. That he is
mad tis true. It is truehe is pity, and pity tis true.

(19:26):
And now remains that we may findout the cause of this effect,
or rather say, the cause ofthis defect. How may we try it
further? You know? Sometimes hewalks four hours together here in the lobby.
Oh he does indeed look sad.The poor wretch comes reading a Why
I do beseech you both away?I'll bore him presently, Oh, give
me leave. How does my goodlord hamlet? Well god mer? Do

(19:49):
you know me? My lord aswell? You're a fishmonger? Not I'm
a lord? Then I would youwith so honest a man? Honest,
my lord? I said, tobe honest, as this world goes,
it should be one man pick outof ten thousands of what do you read
my words? Words? Words?What is the matter, my lord wuen?
Who I mean? The matter thatyou read, my lord? Slander
serve The satirical rogue says here thatold men have gray beards, that their

(20:10):
faces have wrinkle, their eyes,purging thick amber and plumptrey gum, that
they have a plentiful lack of wittogether with most weak hands. Will this
be madness? Yet there is method? Will you walk out of the ear,
my lord, and my grave?Indeed that is out of the air.
I'll I mean sometimes his replies are, my honorable Lord, I will
most humbly take my leave of you. You cannot, sir, take from

(20:33):
me anything that I will more willinglypart withal except my life, except my
life. Fare you well, mylord? These tedious and you go to
seek the lord Hamlet there he isGod, say you, sir, my
honored lord, my most dear lord, good friends, how doest thou?

(20:56):
Guildings? Then a rose and crans? What makes you else? And a
visit you, my lord? Noother occasions beggar that I am. I'm
even poor in thanks, but Ithank you. You're not sent for?
Is it your own inclining? Isit a free visitation? Come? He
would just given me. Come,Come, I may speak. What should

(21:18):
we say, Lord, Well,anything but the purse I know the good
King and Queen have sent for you. To what end me, Lord,
that you must teach me? Oh, by the right of our fellowship,
be even and direct with me,whether you were sent for or no,
my Lord, we were sent for. I will tell you why social my
anticipation prevent your discovery and your secrecyto the King and Queen. No,

(21:41):
no feather I have of late,But wherefore I know not lost all my
mirth, forgone all custom of exercises. And indeed it goes so heavily with
my disposition that this goodly frame theearth seems to me a sterile promontory,
this most excellent canopy, Look youmiss, brave or hanging firmament, this

(22:03):
majestical roof, fretted with golden fireway, It appears no other thing to
me than a foul and pestilent congregationof vapors. Oh, what a place
of work is a man? Hownoble in reason, how infinite in faculty,
in form and moving, How expressand admirable in action? How like

(22:26):
an angel inapprehension? How I agod? The beauty of the world,
the paragon of animals. And yetto me, what is this quintessence of
dust? Man delights not me,no nor woman neither though why your spiling
it seemed to say so, mylord, there was no such stuff in
my forrid as you laugh then whenI said, man delights not me?

(22:48):
Or do think me, lord,if you delight not in man? What
lent and entertainment? The players you'llreceive from you? And we coated them
on the way. And hither arethey coming to offer you services? Either
plays? The king shall be welcome. His Majesty will have tribute to me.
There are the players your hands.Then come, you're welcome. But

(23:08):
my uncle father and aunt mother aredeceived in what madilla I am? But
mad north northwest when the wind issoutherly. I know a hawk from a
handsong. We'll be with you,gentlemen, Mark, you, Gibbinstone,
and you two Rosenkrantz. That greatbaby you see, there's not yet out
of his swaddling clouts. I willprophesy he comes to tell me of the
player's market. My Lord, Ihave news to tell you, My Lord,

(23:29):
I have news to tell you.But Russius was an actor well the
actors are commits, the best actorsin the world, either for tragedy,
comedy, history, pastoral pastoral,comical historical pastoral, a tragical historical,
tragical comical historical pastoral, seen indivinable, or poem unlimited. You are welcome,
master, I'm glad to see theywill come. Come. We'll have
a speech straight, give us ataste of your quality. Come a passionate

(23:52):
speech. What speech, my lord? I heard they speak me a speech
once, but it was never acted, or if it was not about once
the player a pres not a millionshapper to the general once beating it,
I chiefly loved for me as thetales of Diner. If living your memory
begins this line, and see heresee the rugged pearists like the Hyrcanian Pisa.

(24:14):
That so it begins with Paris,the rugged pearist, he whose sable
arms so for season, the ruggedpearists, he whose sable arms black as
his purpose did the night resemble whenhe lay couched in the ominous horse.
And now his distrayed and black complexionspear with heraldly more dismal seon come to
her. But who oh, whohad seen the mobled queen mablet that's good,

(24:41):
marbled queen is good and barefoot upand down a clout upon that eight
werely the diadem stood and borrowed theblanket in the alarm of here caught up.
But if the gods themselves did seeher, then when she saw Peeress
make malicious for in mincing with hissword her husband's limbs, the instant burst

(25:04):
up plamor that you need would havemade miss smiling eyes of heaven and passion
in the gods. Look whether hehas not turned his color and has tears
in his eyes. Pray you nomore. That is well, I'll have

(25:26):
you speak out the restulm. Butmy lord, will you see the players
well? Distn comes her following friendwith you're a placemar a now I am
alone, Oh what a rogue andpeasant slave? Aid? Is it not

(25:47):
monstrous that this player here but ina fiction and a dream of passion,
would force his soul so to hisown conceit and from her working all his
visit warned, tears in his eyes, distraction in respect, a broken voice,
in his whole function, shooting withfauns to his conceit for nothing,

(26:11):
For what's Heculer to him, heto Hecula, that he should weep,
for what would he do and eata motive and the cue for passion that
I have. He would drown thestage with tears and cleave the general ear
with horrid speech. Yet I adull and muddy metal rascal, peak like

(26:38):
John a Greaves, unpregnant of mycause, and can say nothing, no,
not for a king upon whose propertyand most dear life a damned defeat
was made. Am I a cowardwho caused me there and braced me pay
the costs, flocks off my beardand brose it in my face, treats

(27:00):
me by the nose, gives methe lion the throat as digs to the
lungs. Who does it? Ishap songs? I should take it?
For it cannot be that I ampidgeonlivered, and I call to make oppression
bitter Where this I should have backedall the region pie with its laser,

(27:22):
rocky body villain for amorseless, fretuous, flacherous, kindless villain. Oh vengeance,
Why what a mess? This is? Most brave that I, the
son of a dear father, murdersprompted to my revenge by heaven and hell

(27:42):
must like a board unpack my heartwith words, and fall a cursing like
a very rap scullion, fire uponfire about my dream. I have heard
the guilty quick, sitting at aplay, have by the very cunning of

(28:03):
the scene, been struck so tothe soul that presently they have proclaimed their
malefactions. I'll have these players playsomething like the murder of my father before
my uncle. I've observed his looks. I have thank him to the quick.
If he but blench, I knowmy course. The spirit I have

(28:25):
seen maybe the devil, and thedevil had power to assume a pleasing shape
yer, and perhaps out of myweakness and my melancholy, and he is
very potent with such spirits, abusesme to damn me. I'll have grounds
more relative than this, the playsthe thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of

(28:48):
the king. You have just heard. A condensed version of William Shakespeare's hand
at the Cast included this evening,The King played by Alexander Scorby the Queen
by Rosamond Pinchott, Colonius by EdridanPaul, A ratio by Sidney Smith,

(29:11):
The Ghost by George gall Bernardo byHarm Sherman. This program was arranged and
directed by Orson wells. Irving bristdirected the radio effects. The Columbia Workshop
would appreciate your comments on this production. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.