On His 100th Birthday, Rethinking Orson Welles

WSJ ^ | 5/4/2015 | ROBERT NASON

[Borges]

When Orson Welles was born 100 years ago on May 6, 1915, there were no radios or television, and movies still hadn’t learned to talk. From age 26 until his death in 1985, Welles established himself as an innovative but turbulent filmmaker. He narrowly missed the high-tech media revolution that might have saved his troubled film-directing career.

Yet in a surprising number of ways, Welles himself set the stage for that revolution—and technology has repaid the compliment by restoring many of his films, allowing them to be seen and appreciated by more people than ever saw them in theaters during their initial release. Thanks to new formats and streaming services, his work is ubiquitous today.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

I just watched Citizen Kane again recently, first time since film school. My goodness, what a technical marvel that film is. He was so far ahead of his time it’s mind-blowing.

[dfwgator]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFevH5vP32s

[null and void]

Soooooo, did you catch the MAJOR error?

[RayChuang88]

The big reason why Citizen Kane didn't win a whole bunch of Oscars was the fact the film was more or less a thinly-disguised biography of William Randolph Hearst--and Hearst used well-known entertainment columnist Louella Parsons, a close family friend, to successfully lobby AMPAS to essentially boycott the film, preventing it from being nominated for most Oscars.

[caww]

You might enjoy this documentary on the making of Citizen Kane....Wells was deliberately making this film to make the statements that it did ...in the documentary he speaks of this.

I didn’t see Citizen Kane until I picked it up at a sale....had no clue what it was but my mother spoke of Orson Welles so I picked it up....fascinating film to be sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Xfm8GBPuQ

[Calvin Locke]

I saw Patty Hearst on Carson eons ago. "Citizen Kane" came up, and she said she saw it in high school one day, and went home and asked her parents if it really was "about" Gramps.

"Oh no, not in the least.", they responded.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

The controversy and pressure to not release “The Interview” was actually what prompted me to watch it again, since Hearst’s bullying of Welles was the closest analog to what was happening that I could think of.

Hopefully that will be the last time I ever think or speak of the two pictures in the same sentence again.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Bookmarked for later. Thanks!

[RayChuang88]

Actually, the Charles Foster Kane is actually a composite of three different multimillionaires—William Randolph Hearst, Samuel Insull, and Harold F. McCormick. Hearst is often mentioned the most because like the fictional Kane, Hearst became a newspaper magnate, and Kane’s fictional home, Xanadu, is strongly inspired by the design of Hearst Castle.

[Verginius Rufus]

Probably more people saw his wine commercials than "Citizen Kane."

"We will sell no wine before it is bottled!"

(Or whatever his slogan was.)

[mrs. a]

We’ll not see the likes of him again...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i7ycxiog40

[Sans-Culotte]

I'm glad I stumbled upon this thread. I'm a big Welles fan and had not realized it was his centennial this year. I think Citizen Kane is my favorite film. I still remember seeing it for the first time in the 70's after a steady diet of Hollywood films of the era. It still stands out as unique and fascinating to me.

I also like a lot of Welles' later films, such as The Trial, Chimes at Midnight, Touch of Evil, Othello, Macbeth, etc.

[okie01]

I also like a lot of Welles' later films, such as The Trial, Chimes at Midnight, Touch of Evil, Othello, Macbeth, etc.

Are you, perhaps, familiar with Crack In The Mirror?

[Sans-Culotte]

Yes, I have seen Crack in the Mirror. I was referring to films directed by Welles, but you remind me that he was often very good (or not) in other people's films as well. Jane Eyre comes to mind as well as The Third Man and A Man for All Seasons.

[Do the math]

Orson Welles was a creative man. My father was in NYC when Welles did The War of the Worlds on radio. He still talks about how the whole city panicked, believing they were under attack by Martians.

[minnesota_bound]

Gluttony is not a secret vice.
Orson Welles

Citizen Kane dialog and acting was to me stilted.
He could tell a story be it on film or when he was on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Quotes
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/o/orson_welles.html

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.
Orson Welles

[minnesota_bound]

Nice wood.....

[okie01]

When he wanted, Welles had the ability to craft supporting, even cameo, roles into memorable works with impact.

In this respect, I'm reminded of Moby Dick. Father Mapple ranks up there with Harry Lime and Cardinal Wolsley.

[Borges]

Welles was a direct descendant of John Alden, who came over on the Mayflower.