RIP: Arthur Anderson

Yet another stalwart from the days of old-time radio has passed away; aged 93 years, he's beloved by many OTR fans for his work as a child actor on the children's program Let's Pretend. Of all his roles he's most widely-known as the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun for Lucky Charms cereal. But what I'll remember him best for is his work with Orson Welles.

As a teen, he was privileged enough to perform with Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre, both in stage and on the radio. Most notably, he appeared on the 2nd broadcast of the Mercury Theatre on the Air in the lead role of Jim Hawkins in Welles' adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, and it wasn't easy to top Welles on his own show. Treasure Island is one of the best episodes of what was one of OTR's finest shows. Anderson also performed opposite Welles in a quick adaptation of Clarence Day's Life with Father.

Check out Treasure Island and Life with Father at archive.org if you'd like to sample Anderson at his dramatic best. He was more than merely a leprechaun!