Orson Welles’ Great Mysteries is a British television anthology series produced by Anglia Television for the ITV network and broadcast between 1973 and 1974. The series presents standalone adaptations of classic mystery, crime, and supernatural stories drawn from literary sources including Dickens, Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins, Balzac, Maugham, O. Henry, and others. Each episode is framed by original introductory and closing sequences performed by Orson Welles, who serves as the series’ host and sole recurring on-screen presence. These segments, written and directed by Welles (uncredited), function as stylized narrative framing devices rather than dramatic participation in the stories themselves. The dramatic content of each episode is performed by separate casts and directors, with no continuing characters or serialized narrative, establishing the series as a unified television anthology rather than a collection of standalone films.
Cast: Orson Welles
Season 1
26 episodes
1. Captain RogersThe respectable owner of a quiet inn in 18th century England is blackmailed by a grubby stranger, who knows he is secretly the notorious pirate Captain Rogers.12CC25minSep 1, 1973
2. The Leather FunnelWhen a young man discovers a curious funnel made of leather, he has a presentiment that it was once used as an instrument of torture12CC25minSep 8, 1973
3. A Terribly Strange BedCharles Faulkner, a young American gambler in Paris, should have left the casino after striking it lucky. Why the devil did he accept to sleep in the casino's guest bed? This was to be the most horrible night he had ever lived.12CC25minSep 15, 1973
4. La Grande BretecheA Spanish officer, captured by the French during the Peninsular War, is imprisoned at the country house of an elderly aristocrat with a bored young wife - whose lover he becomes, with deadly consequences.12CC25minSep 22, 1973
5. The Dinner PartyBlake is a brilliant accountant, but does he deserve a promotion to the board of directors? It all depends on the suitability of his wife. His bosses attend a small dinner party given by the Blakes to check her out.12CC25minSep 29, 1973
6. Money to BurnA French girl in London finds herself in the awkward position of owing money to a Soho crime boss. But when she pays him off, he contemptuously sets fire to the money. Why?12CC25minOct 6, 1973
7. In the ConfessionalAn old tramp takes refuge in a church, and, concealed within the confessional, overhears things of great interest.12CC25minOct 13, 1973
8. Unseen AlibiDean Stockwell stars as the victim of an elaborately staged murder frame centering around a lover's rendezvous.12CC25minOct 20, 1973
9. Battle of WitsAt the end of the semester, college professor Richard Lumsden is getting ready for vacation - and retirement. However he is interrupted by an angry parent of a student, blaming him for his son's suicide after he was expelled for stealing.12CC25minOct 27, 1973
10. A Point of LawA lawyer cannot stop a middle-aged spinster from making a fool of herself with a young fortune-hunter, but he can stop the fellow from getting his hands on her money.12CC25minNov 3, 1973
11. The Monkey's PawAn old army sergeant, back in England after long service in India, shows some old friends a strange possession he's acquired - a monkey's paw which can make wishes come true.12CC25minNov 10, 1973
12. The Ingenious ReporterReporter Harry Langley pretends to be the murderer of unidentified women to boost sales with a special report from prison. But once arrested, the authorities seem to be convinced that he is indeed the killer.12CCNov 17, 1973
13. Death of an Old-Fashioned GirlFour people are investigated after the death of a woman who ruined an artist's life and drove his wife to leave him.12CCNov 24, 1973
14. For Sale - SilenceBusinessman Pennington is bribed by a Mr. Briggs due to an extramarital affair. But it seems that Briggs has underestimated his opponent and the tables might be turning.12CCDec 1, 1973
15. The Inspiration Of Mr. BuddHow did Mr. Budd become a top-class West End hairdresser after such humble origins in a suburban barbershop? Well, one day, a stranger came in for a shave and a haircut.12CCDec 8, 1973
16. An Affair of HonourIndia: After secret plans for the defence of a harbour are secretly copied, British General Sanderson tasks officers Bruce and Rolfe with convincing the apparent traitor Fanshaw to "save his honour" by committing suicide.12CCDec 15, 1973
17. Farewell to the FaulknersThe masquerade is over when a murdered man turns up alive in the guise of his wife.12CCDec 22, 1973
18. The Power of FearA handyman, finding that a number of middle-aged housewives require him for rather more than his professional services, turns to blackmail.12CCDec 29, 1973
19. Where There's a WillA letter opened in error provides rather dangerous knowledge concerning a murder case.12CCJan 5, 1974
20. A Time to RememberZigorin, a top Russian spy, has defected to the West. But is he really Zigorin or an impostor?12CCJan 12, 1974
21. Ice StormAn "Ice Storm" traps a woman with a potential thief masquerading as one of three experts invited to view a collection of valuable manuscripts.12CCJan 19, 1974
22. Come Into My ParlourTwo beautiful women chat pleasantly over their martinis in a luxurious flat in Naples. But all is not what it seems - one is plotting an evil revenge on the other.12CCJan 26, 1974
23. Compliments of the SeasonA penniless man tries to claim a reward from a millionaire at Christmas, and finds it's not as easy as he thought it would be.12CCFeb 2, 1974
24. Under SuspicionA pianist on an international tour is forced to spy for the secret police to avoid being detained.12CCFeb 9, 1974
25. Trial for MurderDuring a murder trial in 19th-century England, one of the jurors begins to have mysterious hallucinations - has he seen a ghost?12CCFeb 16, 1974
26. The Furnished RoomA young man's month-long search for a missing girl ends in a haunted room of a boarding house.12CCFeb 23, 1974
Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
Orson Welles’ Great Mysteries is a British television anthology series produced by Anglia Television for the ITV network and broadcast between 1973 and 1974. The series presents standalone adaptations of classic mystery, crime, and supernatural stories drawn from literary sources including Dickens, Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins, Balzac, Maugham, O. Henry, and others. Each episode is framed by original introductory and closing sequences performed by Orson Welles, who serves as the series’ host and sole recurring on-screen presence. These segments, written and directed by Welles (uncredited), function as stylized narrative framing devices rather than dramatic participation in the stories themselves. The dramatic content of each episode is performed by separate casts and directors, with no continuing characters or serialized narrative, establishing the series as a unified television anthology rather than a collection of standalone films.
Creators and cast
- Directors
- Orson Welles
- Created by
- Orson Welles
- Cast
- Orson Welles
- Studio
- 20th Century Fox Television, ITV
