George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985)

“The War of the Worlds”, Orson Welles’s realistic radio drama
of a Martian invasion of Earth, was originally broadcast live on
the CBS network, Sunday evening, October 30, 1938.

Welles was only 23 years old when his Mercury Theater company
decided to update H.G. Wells’ 19th-century science fiction novel
The War of the Worlds for national radio. Despite his age, Welles
had been in radio for several years, most notably as the voice of
“The Shadow” in the hit mystery program of the same name. “War
of the Worlds” was not planned as a radio hoax, and Welles had
little idea of how legendary it would eventually become.

Orson Welles as he was interviewed after the “War of the Worlds” broadcast in 1938. (Daily News)

Robert Montgomery Presents is a dramatic television
series produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until
June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors
during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to
feature the sponsor. Robert Montgomery introduced
each episode and also acted in many. The TV program
initially offered hour-long dramas adapted from
successful Hollywood films.

Elizabeth Montgomery and John Newland in Robert Montgomery
Presents: A Summer Love. The episode was broadcast July 20,
1953 and sponsored by Johnson’s Wax.

Robert Montgomery
(May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981)

George Maharis (left) (turned 92 last month) Martin Milner
(December 28, 1931 – September 6, 2015)

On October 7, 1960, the first episode of the one-hour television
drama “Route 66” airs on CBS. The program had a simple premise:
It followed two young men, Buz Murdock (George Maharis) and
Tod Stiles (Martin Milner), as they drove across the country in
an inherited Corvette (Chevrolet was one of the show’s sponsors),
doing odd jobs and looking for adventure. According to the show’s
creator and writer, Stirling Silliphant (best known for his acclaimed
“Naked City,” an earlier TV series), Buz and Tod were really on a
journey in search of themselves.

“Route 66″was different from every other show on television. For
one thing, it was shot on location all over the U.S. instead of in a
studio. By the time its run was up in 1964, the show’s cast and
crew had traveled from Maine to Florida and from Los Angeles
to Toronto: In all, they taped 116 episodes in 25 states.

George Maharis 

Dangerous Assignment was an NBC radio drama starring Brian Donlevy
broadcast in the US 1949–1953, a syndicated television series
distributed in from 1951–52 (also starring Brian Donlevy), and an
Australian radio series broadcast from 1954-56 as remakes of the
original American  radio scripts.

Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972)