Orson Welles
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. Citizen Kane (1941), his first film with RKO, in which he starred in the role of Charles Foster Kane, is often considered the greatest film ever made. Several of his other films, including The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Touch of Evil (1958), Chimes at Midnight (1965), and F for Fake (1974), are also widely considered to be masterpieces. In 2002, he was voted the greatest film director of all time in two separate British Film Institute polls among directors and critics, and a wide survey of critical consensus, best-of lists, and historical retrospectives calls him the most acclaimed director of all time. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Well known for his baritone voice, Welles was also an extremely well regarded actor and was voted number 16 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars list of the greatest American film actors of all time. He was also a celebrated Shakespearean stage actor and an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety shows in the war years.
Filmography
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
as Self (archive footage)
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
as Self (archive footage)
War of the Worlds
as narrator
War of the Worlds
as narrator
The Making Of
as Self (archival)
The Making Of
as Self (archival)
Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas
as Self / The Director / Sir John Falstaff (archive footage) (uncredited)
Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas
as Self / The Director / Sir John Falstaff (archive footage) (uncredited)
WeirdWorld
as Troy2000 (Archive footage)
WeirdWorld
as Troy2000 (Archive footage)
Human Nature in Eleven Parts
as Narrator "The Scorpion and the Frog" (archive footage)
Human Nature in Eleven Parts
as Narrator "The Scorpion and the Frog" (archive footage)
The Scorpion and the Frog
as Narrator (archive footage)
The Scorpion and the Frog
as Narrator (archive footage)
Othelo The Great
as Self (archive footage)
Othelo The Great
as Self (archive footage)
The Battle of Grovers Mill
as Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
The Battle of Grovers Mill
as Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
Aliens Uncovered: Close Encounters
as Self
Aliens Uncovered: Close Encounters
as Self
Jim Henson Idea Man
as Self (archive footage)
Jim Henson Idea Man
as Self (archive footage)
From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight
as Falstaff
From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight
as Falstaff
It's Pretty, but is it Art?
as Self (voiceover)
It's Pretty, but is it Art?
as Self (voiceover)
Looking Back Before You Leap
as General Zaroff (voice)
Looking Back Before You Leap
as General Zaroff (voice)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
as Self (archive footage)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
as Self (archive footage)
American: An Odyssey to 1947
as Self (archive footage)
American: An Odyssey to 1947
as Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)
The Welles Raft
as Himself (Archive Footage)
The Welles Raft
as Himself (Archive Footage)
My Guest is Orson Welles
My Guest is Orson Welles
The Real Charlie Chaplin
as Self (archive footage)
The Real Charlie Chaplin
as Self (archive footage)
Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles
as Self
Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles
as Self
Parkinson at 50
as Self (archive footage)
Parkinson at 50
as Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
as Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
as Self (archive footage)
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
as Self (archive footage)
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
as Self (archive footage)
Hopper/Welles
as Self
Hopper/Welles
as Self
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
as Self (archive footage)
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
as Self (archive footage)
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
as (archive footage)
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
as (archive footage)
The Other Side of the Wind
as Journalist (uncredited)
The Other Side of the Wind
as Journalist (uncredited)
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
as Self (archive footage)
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
as Self (archive footage)
The Eyes of Orson Welles
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
The Eyes of Orson Welles
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The Magic History of Cinema
The Magic History of Cinema
Embers & Dust
as Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
Embers & Dust
as Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
Decadence and Downfall: The Shah of Iran's Ultimate Party
as Self (archive footage) (voice)
Decadence and Downfall: The Shah of Iran's Ultimate Party
as Self (archive footage) (voice)
This Is Orson Welles
as Self
This Is Orson Welles
as Self
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance
as Self (archive footage)
Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance
as Self (archive footage)
Too Much Johnson
as Keystone Kop
Too Much Johnson
as Keystone Kop
Jodorowsky's Dune
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Jodorowsky's Dune
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Magic Mirror Maze
Magic Mirror Maze
The Shadow Knows
as Self (archive footage)
The Shadow Knows
as Self (archive footage)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
as (archive footage)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
as (archive footage)
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
as Self
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
as Self
Jucy
as Elephant Lamp (archive sound)
Jucy
as Elephant Lamp (archive sound)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
as Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
as Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
Orson Welles: The Paris Interview
as Himself
Orson Welles: The Paris Interview
as Himself
Hollywood sul Tevere
Hollywood sul Tevere
Lucifer et moi
as (archive footage 1982)
Lucifer et moi
as (archive footage 1982)
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
as Self (archive)
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
as Self (archive)
The Deep
as Russ Brewer
The Deep
as Russ Brewer
Lost in "The Thinking"
as Self (archive footage)
Lost in "The Thinking"
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles Talks With Roger Hill
as (Self)
Orson Welles Talks With Roger Hill
as (Self)
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
as Self (archive footage)
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
as Self (archive footage)
The Other Side of Welles
as Self (archive footage)
The Other Side of Welles
as Self (archive footage)
The Well
The Well
Orson Welles Uncut
Orson Welles Uncut
The Hitch Hiker
as Ronald Adams
The Hitch Hiker
as Ronald Adams
The UFO Conspiracy
as Self (archive sound)
The UFO Conspiracy
as Self (archive sound)
The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles
as Self (archive footage)
The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles
as Self (archive footage)
Filming 'The Trial'
as Self
Filming 'The Trial'
as Self
Heart of the Festival
as Self (archive footage)
Heart of the Festival
as Self (archive footage)
Lost in La Mancha
as Self (archive footage)
Lost in La Mancha
as Self (archive footage)
The Movie Movie (An Excerpt)
as Archival Footage
The Movie Movie (An Excerpt)
as Archival Footage
A Huey P. Newton Story
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
A Huey P. Newton Story
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
as Self (Archive footage)
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
as Self (Archive footage)
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
as Narrator
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
as Narrator
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
as Self (Archive footage)
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
as Self (Archive footage)
Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
as Self (archive footage)
Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
as Self (archive footage)
Moby Dick
as Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
Moby Dick
as Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
One Man Band
as Presenter / Various
One Man Band
as Presenter / Various
According to Occam's Razor
According to Occam's Razor
Hi-Fi
Hi-Fi
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self - Roaster (archive footage)
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self - Roaster (archive footage)
It's All Brazil
as Self (archive footage)
It's All Brazil
as Self (archive footage)
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
as Self (archive footage)
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
as Self (archive footage)
Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional
as Self
Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional
as Self
The Battle Over Citizen Kane
as Self (archive footage)
The Battle Over Citizen Kane
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles: The One-Man Band
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles: The One-Man Band
as Self (archive footage)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
as Self (archive footage)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
as Self (archive footage)
La Classe américaine
as Self (archive footage)
La Classe américaine
as Self (archive footage)
It's All True
as Self
It's All True
as Self
Rosabella - La storia italiana di Orson Welles
Rosabella - La storia italiana di Orson Welles
Working with Orson Welles
as Himself (Archive Footage)
Working with Orson Welles
as Himself (Archive Footage)
Don Quixote
as Self
Don Quixote
as Self
The Complete 'Citizen Kane'
as Self (archive footage)
The Complete 'Citizen Kane'
as Self (archive footage)
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
as Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound)
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
as Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound)
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
as Self (archive footage)
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
as Self (archive footage)
Welles' Language
as Self (archive footage)
Welles' Language
as Self (archive footage)
Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream
as Self (archive footage)
Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream
as Self (archive footage)
On the tracks of a filmmaker
as Orson Welles
On the tracks of a filmmaker
as Orson Welles
It's Not All True
as Himself (archive footage)
It's Not All True
as Himself (archive footage)
The Transformers: The Movie
as Unicron (voice)
The Transformers: The Movie
as Unicron (voice)
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
as Self (archive footage)
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
as Self (archive footage)
The Dreamers
as Marcus Kleek
The Dreamers
as Marcus Kleek
Orson Welles' Magic Show
as Self
Orson Welles' Magic Show
as Self
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon
as Self
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon
as Self
Almonds and Raisins
as Narrator
Almonds and Raisins
as Narrator
In Our Hands
as Himself
In Our Hands
as Himself
The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh
as himself
The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh
as himself
Where Is Parsifal?
as Klingsor
Where Is Parsifal?
as Klingsor
The Witching
as Mr. Cato
The Witching
as Mr. Cato
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
as Magician (uncredited)
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
as Magician (uncredited)
The Psychic Connection
as Narrator
The Psychic Connection
as Narrator
King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands
as Self - Narrator
King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands
as Self - Narrator
Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française
as Himself
Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française
as Himself
Slapstick of Another Kind
as Aliens' Father (voice) (uncredited)
Slapstick of Another Kind
as Aliens' Father (voice) (uncredited)
Wagner e Venezia
as Richard Wagner (voice)
Wagner e Venezia
as Richard Wagner (voice)
The Orson Welles Story
as Self
The Orson Welles Story
as Self
Baryshnikov in Hollywood
as Self - Narrator
Baryshnikov in Hollywood
as Self - Narrator
Genocide
as Narrator (voice)
Genocide
as Narrator (voice)
Night of 100 Stars
as Self
Night of 100 Stars
as Self
Doug Henning's World of Magic
as Self - Special Guest
Doug Henning's World of Magic
as Self - Special Guest
Let Poland Be Poland
as Self
Let Poland Be Poland
as Self
Magic with the Stars
as Self - Host
Magic with the Stars
as Self - Host
A Gift of Harvest
as Narrator
A Gift of Harvest
as Narrator
History of the World: Part I
as Narrator (voice)
History of the World: Part I
as Narrator (voice)
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
as Presenter / Narrator (voice)
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
as Presenter / Narrator (voice)
The Secret of Nikola Tesla
as J.P. Morgan
The Secret of Nikola Tesla
as J.P. Morgan
The Greenstone
as Narrator (voice)
The Greenstone
as Narrator (voice)
To Try Again... and Succeed
as Narrator (voice)
To Try Again... and Succeed
as Narrator (voice)
The Muppet Movie
as Lew Lord
The Muppet Movie
as Lew Lord
The Double McGuffin
as Narrator (voice)
The Double McGuffin
as Narrator (voice)
Orson Welles at The Magic Castle
as Self
Orson Welles at The Magic Castle
as Self
The Biggest Battle
as Narratore
The Biggest Battle
as Narratore
Hot Tomorrows
as Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
Hot Tomorrows
as Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
Voyage of the Damned
as José Estedes
Voyage of the Damned
as José Estedes
NBC: The First Fifty Years
as Self / Narrator
NBC: The First Fifty Years
as Self / Narrator
Bugs Bunny Superstar
as Narrator (voice)
Bugs Bunny Superstar
as Narrator (voice)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles - Das vermarktete Genie
as Self
Orson Welles - Das vermarktete Genie
as Self
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
as Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
as Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
Who's Out There?
as Host
Who's Out There?
as Host
A Legend a Lifetime: Citizen Welles
A Legend a Lifetime: Citizen Welles
And Then There Were None
as Voice on Tape
And Then There Were None
as Voice on Tape
Kelly Country
as Narrator
Kelly Country
as Narrator
The Battle of Sutjeska
as Winston Churchill
The Battle of Sutjeska
as Winston Churchill
The Man Who Came to Dinner
as Sheridan Whiteside
The Man Who Came to Dinner
as Sheridan Whiteside
Necromancy
as Mr. Cato
Necromancy
as Mr. Cato
Malpertuis
as Cassavius
Malpertuis
as Cassavius
Future Shock
as Narrator
Future Shock
as Narrator
A Safe Place
as The Magician
A Safe Place
as The Magician
Directed by John Ford
as Narrator (voice)
Directed by John Ford
as Narrator (voice)
Flame of Persia
as Narrator
Flame of Persia
as Narrator
Waterloo
as Louis XVIII
Waterloo
as Louis XVIII
Catch-22
as Brigadier General Dreedle
Catch-22
as Brigadier General Dreedle
Start the Revolution Without Me
as The Narrator
Start the Revolution Without Me
as The Narrator
Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali
as Narrator (voice)
Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali
as Narrator (voice)
The Merchant of Venice
as Shylock
The Merchant of Venice
as Shylock
Twelve Plus One
as Markan
Twelve Plus One
as Markan
The Immortal Story
as Charles Clay
The Immortal Story
as Charles Clay
House of Cards
as Leschenhaut
House of Cards
as Leschenhaut
Around the World of Mike Todd
as Self - Narrator
Around the World of Mike Todd
as Self - Narrator
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
as Jonathan Lute
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
as Jonathan Lute
Disorder Is 20 Years Old
as Self
Disorder Is 20 Years Old
as Self
The Sailor from Gibraltar
as Louis de Mozambique
The Sailor from Gibraltar
as Louis de Mozambique
Is Paris Burning?
as Konsul Nordling
Is Paris Burning?
as Konsul Nordling
Chimes at Midnight
as Falstaff
Chimes at Midnight
as Falstaff
The Finest Hours
as Narrator (voice)
The Finest Hours
as Narrator (voice)
The V.I.P.s
as Max Buda
The V.I.P.s
as Max Buda
Lafayette
as Benjamin Franklin
Lafayette
as Benjamin Franklin
The Tartars
as Burundai
The Tartars
as Burundai
Austerlitz
as Robert Fulton
Austerlitz
as Robert Fulton
An Arabian Night
as Storyteller
An Arabian Night
as Storyteller
David and Goliath
as King Saul
David and Goliath
as King Saul
Ferry to Hong Kong
as Captain Hart
Ferry to Hong Kong
as Captain Hart
Compulsion
as Jonathan Wilk
Compulsion
as Jonathan Wilk
The Roots of Heaven
as Cy Sedgewick
The Roots of Heaven
as Cy Sedgewick
The Fountain of Youth
as the narrator
The Fountain of Youth
as the narrator
The Vikings
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Vikings
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Long, Hot Summer
as Will Varner
The Long, Hot Summer
as Will Varner
Out of Darkness
as Self - Narrator
Out of Darkness
as Self - Narrator
Three Cases of Murder
as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
Three Cases of Murder
as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
Royal Affairs in Versailles
as Benjamin Franklin
Royal Affairs in Versailles
as Benjamin Franklin
Return to Glennascaul
as Narrator
Return to Glennascaul
as Narrator
Trent's Last Case
as Sigsbee Manderson
Trent's Last Case
as Sigsbee Manderson
Othello
as Othello
Othello
as Othello
The Miracle of St. Anne
as The Director
The Miracle of St. Anne
as The Director
Prince of Foxes
as Cesare Borgia
Prince of Foxes
as Cesare Borgia
The Third Man
as Harry Lime
The Third Man
as Harry Lime
Black Magic
as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
Black Magic
as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
Macbeth
as Macbeth
Macbeth
as Macbeth
The Lady from Shanghai
as Michael O'Hara
The Lady from Shanghai
as Michael O'Hara
Duel in the Sun
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Duel in the Sun
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Stranger
as Prof. Charles Rankin
The Stranger
as Prof. Charles Rankin
Tomorrow Is Forever
as John Andrew MacDonald
Tomorrow Is Forever
as John Andrew MacDonald
Follow the Boys
as Orson Welles (uncredited)
Follow the Boys
as Orson Welles (uncredited)
Jane Eyre
as Edward Rochester
Jane Eyre
as Edward Rochester
Show-Business at War
as Self
Show-Business at War
as Self
Journey into Fear
as Colonel Haki
Journey into Fear
as Colonel Haki
The Magnificent Ambersons
as Narrator (voice)
The Magnificent Ambersons
as Narrator (voice)
Citizen Kane
as Charles Foster Kane
Citizen Kane
as Charles Foster Kane
Something Else
Something Else