A Telegram from the White House
On October 23, 1944, Orson Welles lay sick in the Waldorf-Astoria when he received a telegram from President Franklin D. Roosevelt urging him to recover and return to campaigning. Welles, a passionate supporter of Roosevelt, had spent weeks making speeches for the president’s re-election.
Back on the Road for Roosevelt
After a few days, Welles recovered and resumed his campaign efforts. He delivered radio speeches, attended rallies, and fiercely criticized Roosevelt’s opponent, Thomas Dewey, accusing Republicans of favoring corporate elites over ordinary Americans. His speeches carried the same dramatic weight as his famous War of the Worlds broadcast.
A Mysterious Presidential Mission
During the campaign, gossip columnist Hedda Hopper claimed Roosevelt had personally called Rita Hayworth, Welles’ wife, to explain that Welles was on a special mission for him. The FBI even investigated the claim, but the nature of the assignment remains unknown. Some biographers speculate he was involved in a secret atomic bomb documentary.
The Election and Roosevelt’s Praise
Welles campaigned until election eve, delivering a final national radio speech for Roosevelt. After Roosevelt’s decisive victory, he sent Welles another telegram: “It was a great show, in which you played a great part.”
On October 23, 1944, as Orson Welles lay sick in the Waldorf-Astoria, a telegram arrived from President Roosevelt urging him to recover. Welles had been passionately campaigning for Roosevelt’s fourth-term bid, delivering speeches against Thomas Dewey and the Republican Party.🧵 pic.twitter.com/QuOiZqaTl9
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