Orson Welles (1915–1985)
Author of Citizen Kane [1941 film]
About the Author
Orson Welles was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin on May 6, 1915. He was as an actor, writer, director, and producer on radio, film, and television. He began his career on stage, directing and acting in plays under the Federal Theatre Project and then with his company Mercury Theatre. From 1938 to 1940, show more he wrote, directed, and acted in the Mercury Theatre of the Air, and as part of its programming, he broadcast H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds. He co-wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the movie Citizen Kane. He was also the director of the movies The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, Touch of Evil, and Chimes at Midnight. In addition to playing major roles in some of these films, he also starred in The Third Man and appeared in Someone to Love. He received a Special Oscar in April 1971 for "superlative artistry and versatility" and a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 1975. He died on October 10, 1985 at the age of 70. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Description: Orson Welles, March 1, 1937
Photographer: Carl Van Vechten
Credit Line: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Van Vechten Collection, reproduction number LC-USZ62-119765
Series
Works by Orson Welles
Essential Classics: Dramas (The Maltese Falcon / Citizen Kane / Ben-Hur) — Director — 5 copies
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd 5 copies
Everybody's Shakespeare; three plays edited for reading and arranged for staging — Editor — 4 copies
Five Film Noir Classics: D.O.A. / Detour / The Stranger / Scarlet Street / Killer Bait (2004) 4 copies
Les Miserables: Smithsonian Historical Performances [1937 recording] (1995) — Actor; Director — 3 copies
Too Much Johnson 2 copies
Three Cases of Murder [DVD] 2 copies
The Hearts of Age [1934 film] 2 copies
Too Much Johnson [1938 film] — Director — 2 copies
Double Feature: Scarlet Street [and] The Stranger — Director — 2 copies
The Other Side of the Wind 2 copies
More of The Shadow All Starring Orson Welles (Murray Hill Radio Theatre) — Narrator — 1 copy
El tercer hombre 1 copy
Orson Welles [coffret] 1 copy
Omnibus: King Lear 1 copy
The stranger + Cause for alarm! [videorecording] — Director — 1 copy
Dramatic Readings 1 copy
The Shadow: Original Radio Show Featuring Orson Welles — Narrator — 1 copy
La Splendeur des Amberson 1 copy
El Proceso (O.Welles) [DVD] 1 copy
The Late Great Planet Earth 1 copy
Orson Wells, Film noir 1 copy
Othello [film] 1 copy
The Shadow Vol. 2: Fire Bug and Death From the Deep — Narrator — 1 copy
The Man Who Knew Too Much / The Stranger / Beat the Devil — Director — 1 copy
Herz der Finsternis. Nach einer Erzählung von Joseph Conrad: Hörspiel mit Sylvester Groth, Ulrich Matthes… (2016) 1 copy
The Trial / Escape From Sobibor [Double Feature Video] — Director — 1 copy
Very Best of Orson Welles 1 copy
The Stranger / King Lear - Orson Welles Double Feature — Director — 1 copy
Orson Welles. Miracle à Hollywood. À bon entendeur. Théâtre. Traduit de l'anglais par… (1952) 1 copy
Columbus day 1 copy
La Toison d'or 1 copy
The Genius of Orson Welles 1 copy
La Guerra De Los Mundos [War of the Worlds]: Adaptación emisión radiofónica [Adaptation Radio… (2018) 1 copy
La invasión desde Marte 1 copy
Christmas Carol -- (Audio Cassette - 1 Hour) -- The Campbell Pklayhouse -- 12/23/38 -- Read by Orson Welles, Joseph… (1938) — Director; Performer; Adaptor — 1 copy
Citizen Kane Opera 1 copy
Bible Time Favorites 1 copy
Rita Hayworth: The Ultimate Collection — Director — 1 copy
Orson Welles As The Shadow — Artist — 1 copy
Invasion from Mars - 305 1 copy
The Complete Mr. Arkadin 1 copy
Associated Works
Austerlitz [1960 film] — Actor — 9 copies
Classic Television: Blooper Bonanza 1960's (featuring Laugh-In, McHale's Navy, Star Trek) — Actor — 6 copies
Almonds and Raisins: A History of the Yiddish Cinema — Narrator — 5 copies
Roots of Heaven [1958 film] — Actor — 5 copies
Churchill: The Finest Hours [1964 film] — Narrator — 3 copies
Tyrone Power Collection — Actor — 3 copies
Future Shock [1972 film] — Narrator — 2 copies
The Shadow Vol. 2 — Performer — 2 copies
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow: The Prophecies of Nostradamus [Videorecording] — Performer — 1 copy
The Greatest Adventure: The Story Of Man's Voyage to the Moon — Narrator — 1 copy
Man, Beast and Virtue [1953 film] — Actor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Welles, Orson
- Legal name
- Welles, George Orson
- Other names
- Уэллс, Орсон
- Birthdate
- 1915-05-06
- Date of death
- 1985-10-10
- Burial location
- Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend. (Specifically: Ashes are buried in an old well covered by flowers, within the rural property of retired bullfighter Antonio Ordonez, Ronda, Spain)
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
- Place of death
- Hollywood, California, USA
- Places of residence
- Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA (birthplace)
- Education
- Todd School for Boys
- Occupations
- actor
director
screenwriter
film producer
radio producer - Relationships
- Feder, Chris Welles (daughter)
Houseman, John (colleague) - Organizations
- Mercury Theatre
Federal Theatre Project
International Brotherhood of Magicians
Society of American Magicians - Awards and honors
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (1983)
Academy Award (Best Original Screenplay, 1941)
AFI Life Achievement Award (1975)
Honorary Academy Award (1970)
Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (1982)
D.W. Griffith Award (Directors Guild of America, 1984) (show all 9)
Académie des Beaux-Arts (1983)
Special Fellowship, The Academy of Magical Arts (1984)
National Radio Hall of Fame (1988) - Short biography
- Orson Welles was gifted in many arts -- such as magic, piano, and painting -- as a child. After graduating from high school he skipped college in favor of a trip to Europe. Deciding to become an actor, he made his New York stage debut as Tybalt in "Romeo and Juliet" in 1934. He began working with John Houseman and formed the Mercury Theatre with him in 1937. In 1938 they produced the famous prank radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds." Welles' first film to be seen in theaters was Citizen Kane (1941), considered by many to be the best film ever made. Appreciation of his talent and skill as a filmmaker has continued to climb since his death in 1985.
Members
Reviews
Perhaps greatest film of all time, certainly the best black & white.
2022 movie #132. 1947. O'Hara (Welles with an outrageous Irish accent) falls for a beautiful woman (Hayworth) who uses him as a fall guy. Ends with a famous shootout in a funhouse hall of mirrors.
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 170
- Also by
- 64
- Members
- 2,896
- Popularity
- #8,848
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 50
- ISBNs
- 190
- Languages
- 10
- Favorited
- 8
There's some great dialogue, and some iconic imagery. The story just doesn't work, though. For the first part of the movie, things are communicated too poorly (especially the characters) to know why anything is happening. Then the "mystery" in the second part of the movie is predictable.
(Nov. 2023)