This Is Orson Welles

Innovative film and theater director, radio producer, actor, writer, painter, narrator, and magician, Orson Welles (1915–1985) was the last true Renaissance man of the twentieth century. From such great radio works as "War of the Worlds" to his cinematic masterpieces Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, Othello, Macbeth, Touch of Evil, and Chimes at Midnight, Welles was a master storyteller, as expansive as he was enigmatic. This Is Orson Welles, a collection of penetrating and witty conversations between Welles and Peter Bogdanovich, includes insights into Welles's radio, theater, film, and television work; Hollywood producers, directors, and stars; and almost everything else, from acting to magic, literature to comic strips, show more bullfighters to gangsters. Now including Welles's revealing memo to Universal about his artistic intentions for Touch of Evil, (of which the "director's edition" was released in Fall 1998) this book, which Welles ultimately considered his autobiography, is a masterpiece as unique and engaging as the best of his works. show less

First read this one in college. Up to that point, I had seen Welles as an intelligent guy who made a movie in his youth, burned some bridges, and faded away into obscurity. One movie to both define and swiftly ruin his career. In short, a one trick pony.

Wrong, Past Me. Very wrong indeed.

Here was a man who could very well have done anything with his life, but since the love of the theatre and performing arts held him so, he couldn't ignore the joy it brought; this joy led him to spending most of his life doing whatever he could to raise money to make the next film. That was the goal.

Peter made Orson come to life for me with the interviews, brought to light just how in depth the man was, how funny he could be, and truly succeeded in show more displaying Welles as a man of passion-- of experience, very much the portrait of a lifelong perfectionist never truly satisfied, even in exhibiting the elements of his underrated greatness.

How lucky he must have been to had known him. show less

Film director Mat Whitecross has chosen to discuss Orson Welles and Peter Bogdanovich’s This is Orson Welles Dury, on  FiveBooks as one of the top five on his subject – Film Directing, saying that: 



“…Orson Welles has always been my favourite director. I remember catching films of his late at night. Here he is sitting down with his friend Peter Bogdanovich, who is another great film director, and the two of them just talk about Welles’s career. Welles is a great conversationalist and it’s intriguing to hear the way he talks about his life. .…”. 



The full interview is available here: http://thebrowser.com/books/interviews/mat-whitecross