Cavalcade of America

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“Maker of Better things for Better living...through chemistry,” DuPont sponsored Cavalcade of America, a wholesome, family program airing from 1935-53 (a television version airing from ‘52-’57).

It broadcast historical events, with tales of courage and strength. Representative titles include “Faith in Education,” “Defiance of Nature,” and “Woman’s Emancipation.”

The Fall of 1942 found Orson Welles in a dismal state. His recent film “The Magnificent Ambersons” had gotten strafed by critics and had a lackluster performance at the box office. Other films “Journey Into Fear” and “It’s All True” were in various stages of disarray and being patched.

He was in the midst of producing the Ceiling Unlimited series, but he had time for two guest appearance of Cavalcade. On Sept. 28, ‘42, he hosted an episode made up of “Thunder from the Mountain,” by Arthur Miller, the story of Benito Juarez, and on Oct. 12, “Admiral of the Ocean,” a corny celebration of the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing in America.



Sources
Higham, Charles. Orson Welles: The Rise and Fall of An American Genius. New York: St.
Martin’s. 1985.

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