A well-known director and actor, Orson Welles is a very influential figure in the world of filmmaking. He is renowned for his groundbreaking work in film, theatre, and radio. His achievements in these fields have earned him a place as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
Early life
Orson Welles’ early life began in 1915 when he was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was the son of a rich inventor and pianist mother. His father died of heart and kidney failure when Welles was fifteen. After his father’s death, Welles was left orphaned. This was a difficult situation. But Welles eventually achieved success in acting and radio. In 1941, he directed the film Citizen Kane.
When he was nine, Welles’s parents separated. He was placed under the guardianship of Dr. Maurice Bernstein of Chicago. Later, his mother was killed by hepatitis. While he was young, Welles toured Europe. Then he returned to the United States.
Before he entered college, Welles decided to pursue a career as an actor. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and later, Boris Anisfeld.
In 1931, Welles made his stage debut in Europe. He then went to Ireland, where he performed in plays. During his stay, he also began working as a set designer.
In addition to his work on the stage, Welles wrote for magazines and was a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. He also worked on a variety of plays, including one by Shakespeare.
He was then hired to act in Katharine Cornell’s road company. Throughout his career, Welles was also an accomplished dancer. He played a variety of characters, including a title character in “The Shadow” (1938).
Welles later returned to the U.S. and starred in troop variety shows during World War II. His deep voice made him a popular radio actor in New York. As a result, he was a star in the radio program “The Mercury Theatre.”
Although Orson Welles became an internationally renowned director, he continued to be an actor. He starred in twelve films.
Hollywood career
Orson Welles’ Hollywood career is a fascinating and groundbreaking story. It was a brilliant career, though it was a difficult one. He was a man of immense talent, but he had a great deal of enemies.
Before the movie Citizen Kane, he was a celebrated stage actor and playwright. But after Kane, his Hollywood career was a disaster.
Orson Welles acted in more than three times as many movies as he directed. His most famous film, Citizen Kane, was released in 1941. In the meantime, he had a radio career. The Mercury Theatre on the Air, for instance, featured dramatized versions of classics.
When the radio career failed, he turned to television. However, the show was not picked up by networks, and he never made any money for producers.
He eventually moved to Europe to pursue his dream of becoming an independent film maker. While there, he continued to make excellent films. One of his greatest masterpieces, The Other Side of the Wind, is still being produced.
The Magnificent Ambersons, however, wrecked Orson Welles’ Hollywood career. Unfortunately, the second half of the movie was savaged by Hollywood executives.
Orson Welles’ Hollywood career is filled with a multitude of enemies. Whether it was Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, or studio heads, he had a hard time making a living.
He also had trouble with the American public. Although he was a famous actor, he was more suited to silent film.
The Hollywood industry didn’t want him to be a star. So Orson Welles turned to a paid spokesperson in commercials. Eventually, he remade his name as a talk-show guest.
He married Rita Hayworth in 1943. She was a red-haired Hollywood siren. Their marriage ended in 1955.
Influence on filmmaking
Orson Welles was a talented filmmaker and a pioneer of innovative techniques. He influenced many film makers, including Francis Ford Coppola and Woody Allen. His career spanned decades and encompassed a classic period of film noir. But despite his success, his work is little known outside of the United States.
Although Welles is best remembered for his work on Citizen Kane, he was a master of many other disciplines. He was an actor, producer, writer, and director. His early work demonstrates a keen eye for storytelling. And his later work shows a self-destructive antihero who evokes the expressionistic style of film noir.
Welles’ first film was an eight-minute short titled Hearts of Age. It was intended to be part of a play. Then he went on to work on three Shakespeare films. However, he had trouble raising money for his projects.
During World War II, Orson Welles was invited to Brazil to promote Pan-American relations. There, he had a chance to develop a jazz project with Armstrong. Upon returning to the U.S., he was fired by the studio.
Instead, he returned to Hollywood to make a noir film. Touch of Evil was released in 1958. Before that, however, he had left Hollywood and worked in Europe.
In addition to film, Orson Welles was also a successful radio artist. His “The Shadow” series provided a glimpse of new ways of distorting dialogue and conveying location through sound.
Welles used a technique called “deep focus” in his films, which puts everything in the frame in focus. He used this style in his film Jane Eyre.
Another of Welles’ early films is The Magnificent Ambersons. This one was butchered by the studio, but it did show his talents.
Tax situation
In the early years of the millennium, the tax situation of legendary film maker Orson Welles was dire. The man’s finances were a mess, and he was unable to claim losses on his taxes. During his years in Hollywood, he turned down a handsome lump sum advance for his performance in a few movies. After a short stint in Europe in the late 1950s, Welles returned home to the Big Apple to take part in a Shakespearean production that would come to be known as the King Lear stage show.
Despite his best efforts, Welles was unable to find steady employment and a suitable tax shelter in the U.S. This was especially unfortunate, considering he had a cult following in the United States. To a cynic, the tax situation of the famous movie maker may have been less than satisfactory.
Luckily for Welles, his luck turned around in the mid-1960s when he was reunited with his Hollywood alumnus Akim Tamiroff. Tamiroff had starred in four Welles productions during the era. Among them was Black Magic, which proved to be a flop.
For the record, Tamiroff starred in two other movies, including The Black Rose, in which he played the Mongol warrior Bayan. The other was The Other Side of the Wind, a well executed movie with some dazzling effects. Having said that, Tamiroff’s performance in Black Magic is a must-watch for fans of Orson Welles. His other notable appearances included Trouble in Glen and Three Cases of Murder.
Of course, the name of Orson Welles eludes to much more. While he did not make the top 10 list of highest paid Hollywood stars, his wits and ego were on display in the years he spent in Hollywood.
TV special
Orson Welles is a famous actor, playwright and filmmaker. His work is often considered to be a template for modern television. However, his career was stymied by poor box-office results and his directing career ended when he was only 41 years old.
In his film, The Stranger, Welles presents a detective trying to solve the murder of a Nazi war criminal. The climactic sequence dramatizes the panic of aging.
Welles’ directing style is reminiscent of 1950’s Westerns. He uses long takes and rhythmic effects to create complex compositions. These techniques were also used in many documentary shorts without dialogue.
In Welles’ first great Shakespeare production, Voodoo Macbeth, he has a black cast. This version of Macbeth features an arched doorway and staircase. It also features people assembling at the end.
In another Welles production, he links bullfighters to an eccentric American artist, Raymond Duncan. Duncan makes everything himself. Interestingly, he makes type fonts and clothing.
Welles’ films usually have similar themes. For example, “Brave New World” has a setting of a city with giant wheels. And, like in “Brave,” his movies often have multiple signs and a staircase.
Orson Welles also frequently included dancing in his movies. He has a particular fondness for rounded arches that top pillars in the bullring. There are also beautiful Hispanic costumes.
Another Orson Welles film, Too Much Johnson, is a silent film comedy. Here, he plays the role of a Nazi villain who plays the same record over and over.
The film also features a long take tracking shot in an automobile factory. Similarly, the Welles series includes a series of travelogue sections. Often, Welles shows his camera crew.
