Orson Welles
Directing
Born May 6, 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio. Noted for his innovative dramatic productions as well as his distinctive voice and personality, Welles is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished dramatic artists of the twentieth century, especially for his significant and influential early work—despite his notoriously contentious relationship with Hollywood. His distinctive directorial style featured layered, nonlinear narrative forms, innovative uses of lighting such as chiaroscuro, unique camera angles, sound techniques borrowed from radio, deep focus shots, and long takes. Welles's long career in film is noted for his struggle for artistic control in the face of pressure from studios. Many of his films were heavily edited and others left unreleased. He has been praised as a major creative force and as "the ultimate auteur." After directing a number of high-profile theatrical productions in his early twenties, including an innovative adaptation of Macbeth and The Cradle Will Rock, Welles found national and international fame as the director and narrator of a 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds performed for the radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was reported to have caused widespread panic when listeners thought that an invasion by extraterrestrial beings was occurring. Although these reports of panic were mostly false and overstated, they rocketed Welles to instant notoriety.
Filmography
Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas
Self / The Director / Sir John Falstaff (archive footage) (uncredited)
WeirdWorld
Troy2000 (Archive footage)
Titanic: Secrets of the Shipwreck
Self (archive footage)
Human Nature in Eleven Parts
Narrator "The Scorpion and the Frog" (archive footage)
The Scorpion and the Frog
Narrator (archive footage)
Othelo The Great
Self (archive footage)
The Battle of Grovers Mill
Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
Aliens Uncovered: Close Encounters
Self
Jim Henson Idea Man
Self (archive footage)
From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight
Falstaff
It's Pretty, but is it Art?
Self (voiceover)
Looking Back Before You Leap
General Zaroff (voice)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
Self (archive footage)
American: An Odyssey to 1947
Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Self (archive footage)
The Welles Raft
Himself (Archive Footage)
My Guest is Orson Welles
The Real Charlie Chaplin
Self (archive footage)
Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles
Self
Parkinson at 50
Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
Self (archive footage)
Hopper/Welles
Self
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
Self (archive footage)
LIFE BEYOND
Self (voice)
Halston
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
(archive footage)
The Other Side of the Wind
Journalist (uncredited)
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
Self (archive footage)
The Eyes of Orson Welles
Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Embers & Dust
Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
Passage to Mars
This Is Orson Welles
Self
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance
Self (archive footage)
Too Much Johnson
Keystone Kop
Jodorowsky's Dune
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage)
Magic Mirror Maze
The Shadow Knows
Self (archive footage)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
(archive footage)
Welcome to the Basement
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
Self
Jucy
Elephant Lamp (archive sound)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
Dahmer vs. Gacy
Orson Welles: The Paris Interview
Himself
Hollywood sul Tevere
Lucifer et moi
(archive footage 1982)
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
Self (archive)
The Deep
Russ Brewer
The Hitchhiker
Lost in "The Thinking"
Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles Talks With Roger Hill
(Self)
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
Self (archive footage)
The Other Side of Welles
Self (archive footage)
The Well
Orson Welles Uncut
The Hitch Hiker
Ronald Adams
The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles
Self (archive footage)
Heart of the Festival
Self (archive footage)
Lost in La Mancha
Self (archive footage)
The Magnificent Ambersons
Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV
A Huey P. Newton Story
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
Self (Archive footage)
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
Narrator
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
Self (Archive footage)
Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
Self (archive footage)
Moby Dick
Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
One Man Band
Presenter / Various
The Big Brass Ring
According to Occam's Razor
Hi-Fi
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self - Roaster (archive footage)
The Big Brass Ring
It's All Brazil
Self (archive footage)
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
Self (archive footage)
Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional
Self
The Battle Over Citizen Kane
Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles: The One-Man Band
Self (archive footage)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self (archive footage)
La Classe américaine
Self (archive footage)
It's All True
Self
Rosabella - La storia italiana di Orson Welles
Historias Breves 0: Distant encounters
Working with Orson Welles
Himself (Archive Footage)
Don Quixote
Self
The Complete 'Citizen Kane'
Self (archive footage)
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound)
Welles' Language
Self (archive footage)
Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream
Self (archive footage)
Continental
American Experience
Self (archive footage)
Waxwork
On the tracks of a filmmaker
Orson Welles
Someone to Love
Danny's Friend
Unseen Lollo
Himself
It's Not All True
Himself (archive footage)
The Transformers: The Movie
Unicron (voice)
It's All True: Four Men on a Raft
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
Self (archive footage)
Scene of the Crime
Moonlighting
Orson Welles
The Dreamers
Marcus Kleek
Orson Welles' Magic Show
Self
Almonds and Raisins
Narrator
The Road to Bresson
Self
The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail
Narrator
The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh
himself
Where Is Parsifal?
Klingsor
The Witching
Mr. Cato
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
Magician (uncredited)
The Psychic Connection
Narrator
Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française
Himself
Hot Money
Sheriff Paisley
Slapstick of Another Kind
Aliens' Father (voice) (uncredited)
Wagner e Venezia
Richard Wagner (voice)
Trick or Treats
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
Self
The Orson Welles Story
Self
Baryshnikov in Hollywood
Self - Narrator
Genocide
Narrator (voice)
Night of 100 Stars
Self
Doug Henning's World of Magic
Self - Special Guest
Butterfly
Judge Rauch
Let Poland Be Poland
Self
Magic with the Stars
Self - Host
The Quest for Fire Adventure
Narrator
A Gift of Harvest
Narrator
Brasil
Self (archive footage)
Search for the Titanic
Self - Host
The War of the Worlds: Next Century
The New Deal for Artists
Narrator (voice)
History of the World: Part I
Narrator (voice)
Filming 'The Trial'
Self
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
Presenter / Narrator (voice)
Magnum, P.I.
Robin Masters (voice)
Shōgun
Narrator
The Secret of Nikola Tesla
J.P. Morgan
The Greenstone
Narrator (voice)
The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis
Narrator
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
Self
Filming Othello
Host
The Muppet Movie
Lew Lord
The Double McGuffin
Narrator (voice)
The Orson Welles Show
Self
The Greatest Adventure--The Story of Man's Voyage to the Moon
Narrator
A Woman Called Moses
Narrator (voice)
The Magic of David Copperfield
Host
Orson Welles at The Magic Castle
Self
The Biggest Battle
Narratore
The Late Great Planet Earth
Self
Mysterious Castles of Clay
Narrator
Tut: The Boy King
Himself - Host
Caesar's Guide to Gaming with Orson Welles
Himself
It Happened One Christmas
Henry F. Potter
The Force Beyond
Himself (archive footage)
Hot Tomorrows
Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here?
Self
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Narrator
From Fiber to Fabric: Wool's a Natural
Narrator
Voyage of the Damned
José Estedes
NBC: The First Fifty Years
Self / Narrator
Cérémonie des César
Self - President
Bugs Bunny Superstar
Narrator (voice)
Doug Henning's World of Magic
Self
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
3 A.M.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
Who's Out There?
Host
The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art
Narrator
Crónicas fantásticas
Dinah!
Self
And Then There Were None
Voice on Tape
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self
F for Fake
Self
Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
Self - Host
The Battle of Sutjeska
Winston Churchill
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
The Cave: a parable told by Orson Welles
Narrator
The Cave
Narrator
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Sheridan Whiteside
Treasure Island
Long John Silver
Necromancy
Mr. Cato
Get to Know Your Rabbit
Mr. Delasandro
Malpertuis
Cassavius
Jeanne Moreau : Vive le cinéma !
Self
Ten Days' Wonder
Théo Van Horn
A Safe Place
The Magician
Directed by John Ford
Narrator (voice)
Sentinels of Silence
Flame of Persia
Narrator
Freedom River
Narrator
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Happy Prince
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. I – Selections from George Ade, Thomas Wolfe, Mark Twain
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. II – Clarence Darrow
An Evening with Orson Welles: Two Wise Old Men – Socrates and Noah
An Evening with Orson Welles: My Little Boy
Night Gallery
Narrator
Is It Always Right to Be Right?
Narrator
Waterloo
Louis XVIII
Catch-22
Brigadier General Dreedle
Start the Revolution Without Me
The Narrator
The Kremlin Letter
Bresnavitch
Upon This Rock
Michelangelo (voice)
A Horse Called Nijinsky
Narrator
The Merchant of Venice (Rushes)
Shylock
Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali
Narrator (voice)
The Merchant of Venice
Shylock
Twelve Plus One
Markan
The Battle of Neretva
Četnik
The Southern Star
Plankett
The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal
Justinian
Tepepa
Colonel Cascorro
To Build a Fire
Narrator (voice)
The Fight for Rome
Justinian
The Name of the Game
Narrator
The Immortal Story
Charles Clay
House of Cards
Leschenhaut
Around the World of Mike Todd
Self - Narrator
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
Portrait d'Orson Welles
Self
Oedipus the King
Tiresias
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self
Vienna
Himself
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
Jonathan Lute
Beggars Would Ride
Narrator
Omnibus
Self - Presenter
Casino Royale
Le Chiffre
The Sailor from Gibraltar
Louis de Mozambique
Ten Days That Shook the World
Narrator
The Heroine
A Man for All Seasons
Cardinal Wolsey
Is Paris Burning?
Konsul Nordling
The Bible: In the Beginning...
Orson Welles in Spain
Himself
Chimes at Midnight
Falstaff
Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees
Self - Narrator (voice)
National Geographic Specials
Narrator
Marco the Magnificent
Akerman, Marco's Teacher
Profile No. 6: Orson Welles
A King's Story
Narrator
The Finest Hours
Narrator (voice)
Shindig!
In the Land of Don Quixote
Himself
Hollywood and the Stars
Self (archive footage)
The V.I.P.s
Max Buda
La ricotta
Ro.Go.Pa.G.
The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta")
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
The Trial
Albert Hastler
Lafayette
Benjamin Franklin
Tempo
Self
King of Kings
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Tartars
Burundai
Survival
Narrator
The Battle of Austerlitz
Robert Fulton
An Arabian Night
Storyteller
Crack in the Mirror
Hagolin / Lamerciere
Five Columns on the Front Page: Hong Kong as seen by Orson Welles
Self (narrator)
David and Goliath
King Saul
High Journey
Narrator
Ferry to Hong Kong
Captain Hart
Compulsion
Jonathan Wilk
The Roots of Heaven
Cy Sedgewick
The Fountain of Youth
the narrator
Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina
Self - Host
Colgate Theatre
South Seas Adventure
Narrator
The Vikings
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Long, Hot Summer
Will Varner
Touch of Evil
Police Captain Hank Quinlan
Man in the Shadow
Virgil Renchler
Moby Dick
Father Mapple
The Steve Allen Show
Self
Cinépanorama
Self
The Land of the Basques
Himself
Around the World with Orson Welles
Host: Orson Welles
Mr. Arkadin
Gregory Arkadin
Moby Dick—Rehearsed
An Actor Manager /Father Mapple /Ahab
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
Self - Host
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
Himself - Host
Napoleon
Sir Hudson Lowe
Three Cases of Murder
Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
Trouble in the Glen
Sanin Cejador y Mengues
Reflets de Cannes
Self
Royal Affairs in Versailles
Benjamin Franklin
King Lear
King Lear
Man, Beast and Virtue
Captain Perella, the Beast
Return to Glennascaul
Narrator
Omnibus
King Lear
Trent's Last Case
Sigsbee Manderson
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Sheridan Whiteside
Othello
Othello
I Love Lucy
Orson Welles
Disorder
Self
The Black Rose
Bayan
What's My Line?
Self
The Miracle of St. Anne
The Director
Prince of Foxes
Cesare Borgia
The Third Man
Harry Lime
Black Magic
Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
Macbeth
Macbeth
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
The Lady from Shanghai
Michael O'Hara
Monsieur Verdoux
Duel in the Sun
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Stranger
Prof. Charles Rankin
Tomorrow Is Forever
John Andrew MacDonald
Follow the Boys
Orson Welles (uncredited)
Know Your Ally: Britain
Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger)
Jane Eyre
Edward Rochester
Show-Business at War
Self
Journey into Fear
Colonel Haki
The Magnificent Ambersons
Narrator (voice)
Citizen Kane
Charles Foster Kane
Swiss Family Robinson
Opening Narrator (uncredited)
The Spanish Earth
Narrator (voice)
The Hearts of Age
Death
Twelfth Night
Narrator