Les Misérables (radio series)

{{Short description|1937 seven-part radio series}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox radio show

| show_name = Les Misérables

| image = Welles-Les-Miserables-CD.jpg

| imagesize = 220px

| caption = Remastered release of Les Misérables (Smithsonian Historical Performances, 1995)

| other_names =

| format = Drama series

| runtime = 30 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| home_station = Mutual Broadcasting System

| syndicates =

| television =

| presenter = Orson Welles

| starring = Orson Welles
Martin Gabel
Alice Frost
Virginia Nicolson

| creator =

| writer = Orson Welles (adaptation)
Victor Hugo (novel)

| director = Orson Welles

| producer =

| executive_producer =

| narrated =

| record_location =

| first_aired = July 23, 1937

| last_aired = September 3, 1937

| num_series = 1

| num_episodes = 7

| audio_format =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| website =

| podcast =

}}

Les Misérables is a seven-part radio series broadcast July 23 – September 3, 1937 (Fridays at 10 p.m. ET), on the Mutual Network.{{cite book |last=Hickerson |first=Jay |date=December 1992 |title=The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide to All Circulating Shows |location=Hamden, Connecticut |publisher=Jay Hickerson, Box 4321, Hamden, CT 06514 |page=232 }}{{cite news |date=July 25, 1937 |title=Radio Programs Scheduled for this Week |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/07/25/archives/radio-programs-scheduled-for-broadcast-this-week-leading-events-of.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2018-08-01 }} Orson Welles adapted Victor Hugo's 1862 novel, directed the series, and starred as Jean Valjean. The 22-year-old Welles developed the idea of telling stories with first-person narration on the series, which was his first job as a writer-director for radio.{{cite book |last1=Welles |first1=Orson |author-link1=Orson Welles |last2=Bogdanovich |first2=Peter |author-link2=Peter Bogdanovich |last3=Rosenbaum |first3=Jonathan |author-link3=Jonathan Rosenbaum |title=This is Orson Welles |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |location=New York, NY |date=1992 |isbn=0-06-016616-9}}{{Rp|338}}

Marking the radio debut of the Mercury Theatre, Welles's Les Misérables was described by biographer Simon Callow as "one of his earliest, finest and most serious achievements on radio".{{cite book |last=Callow |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Callow |title=Orson Welles: Hello Americans |publisher=Viking Penguin |location=New York |date=2006 |page=[https://archive.org/details/orsonwellesvolum00simo/page/160 160] |isbn=0-670-87256-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/orsonwellesvolum00simo/page/160 }} The production costarred Martin Gabel as Javert, Alice Frost as Fantine, and Virginia Nicolson, Welles's first wife, as the adult Cosette. The supporting cast included Ray Collins, Agnes Moorehead, Everett Sloane, Betty Garde, Hiram Sherman, Frank Readick, Richard Widmark, Richard Wilson and William Alland.{{Rp|338}}