“Hello, my friends, and welcome back to this shared space of conversation.” Fuck, he’d be amazing. Goddamn, imagine the incredible films from him we never got to see.
@Akash Akks He stated it eloquently, but it's actually very simple. It means all of us, both individually and collectively, are to a great extent products of our time - what we want, what we do, what we like, what we hate, what's popular, and what's not. Entertainment of the day naturally reflects this and becomes an enduring snapshot of that particular time.
So true. If I lived a few of centuries ago, I would probably be very religious. There were be no credible alternative explanation for natural disasters, disease, etc. Back then, the answer that "God did it" would have been a good one to me.
Bonkatsu12 I saw Orson Welles filming the opening scenes of “Touch of Evil” on Windward Ave., Venice Beach, California. I was a wee lad. It put Welles deep in my subconscious. Tremendous energy, talent, focus. Sometime there will be another awesome talent emerge.
Size and intellect matters in all of history and the future.....I must not miss the opportunity to point out the void of intellect in our big dumb president
RIP Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 - October 10, 1985), aged 70 And RIP Sir Michael Parkinson (March 28, 1935 - August 16, 2023), aged 88 You both will be remembered as legends.
I occasionally find unfavorable comments and judgements about Welles, and maybe he HAD slipped up here and there to give himself a less than sterling reputation, but gosh darn it, WHO ON EARTH is without sin and wants to cast the first stone? Whatever else can be said of him, he was NEVER boring or banal, almost always full of informative insights.
He is fascinating. As a kid, I had heard of him - he was that large and commanding guy with the Voice from the Paul Masson commercials, the host of that early 80s Nostradamus film and the narrator of History of the World. I knew of him. And then, in my early 20s, I saw Citizen Kane, by accident, on AMC I think, when it actually showed classic films.
I used to think he was grandiose and pretentious but he is actually a really honest ,warm, funny, down to earth, charismatic , great conversationalist and story teller . A really exceptional man. And he knew Hemingway !
I recently watched "F for Fake" after hearing Robert Anton Wilson call it the greatest film of all time.(not "Kane") The part I most enjoyed was the supplemental documentary on Orson's later years. I'm not an actor, but in his unique way he was everything I aspire to be: a true cosmopolitan man. Wordly but spiritual. Powerful but sensitive. Learned but not arrogant. Serious yet playful. Sensual but full of love. And full of humor. That kind of nuanced character is a rare thing these days. Truly a man in the old style.
I aspired to be like a "Renaissance Man", since my teens, and think I succeeded, at least by my standards. I travelled the world, read a lot, learned music, art, and science at the university level, and kept an open mind as I studied many subjects. I am now older and feel I have met almost all my goals. By the way, money was never a prime goal for me. What was important was living "a life of the mind". I can honestly say I am content and spend my time now with my favorite activity: learning. The internet is a blessing (even to an atheist like me). Believe it or not, one of my 'idols' was George Carlin. He faced the world with a healthy cynicism, but enjoyed its pleasures. In my fantasy, I would have dinner with Carlin, Hitchens, Sagan, Feynman, Hefner, some prominent women (not via Hefner lol), Epicurus, Tchaikovsky, Fermi, Carrey, and a few others. Bravo to your wanting to emulate Welles.
He grew up in an extremely rich family. His father didn't even have to work because of inheritance. Rich children of that generation were schooled in how to speak and act. It was called Transatlantic accent. It was a a made up culture used to separate classes of people. Most people in movies before WW2 and a little while later all were trained in this way of speaking. Most Americans didn't sound anything like that.
I love Orson. His intellect is scattershot, but when he trains his guns he gets way, way more hits than anyone else in the arts. He's uttered more truly profound comments than the rest of Hollywood combined throughout history.
Scattershot? how so? I think he was capable of just about anything if he put his mind to it. Except maybe getting $$$$$ to make his films and getting along with the people who financed his projects
Agreed. But to utter more profound things than the rest of Hollywood isn't exactly hard to do. Hollywood isn't exactly made up of intelligent people or philosophers. It is just a bunch of people playing make believe who think they are better than everybody else because people know who they are and they have a lot of money.
Don't we all miss intelligent celebrities interviewed by well-spoken, elegant tv personalities? Don't we miss a higher level of entertainment like in the old days?
Sad to say, we are living in an age of mediocrity. When a no-talent bimbo such as Jennifer López is considered to be a superstar then you know this era is characterized by banality.
I am deeply disappointed in “modern society” and the lack of intelligence in media…It seems that the public at large would rather be entertained by ignorance and stupidity instead of using that most powerful muscle we know as the brain. I’m all for Democracy, but if we lived in a true democratic nation, we’d all be DOOMED. The common man is an IDIOT; and it’s those idiots who find fart jokes and genital-related humor to be the height of American Art and Entertainment…It’s those who would doom us all.
@@viciousdope66 I agree with everything you said. Without a doubt, the common man is an idiot. Idiots put a dangerous buffoon in the White House in 2016. They are looking to do so again in 2024. Lord help us!
No. I don't know if you have realized this but people vote with their eyes. Orson Welles wasn't as popular back in his day as people look back and remember, he's spoken many times about how people didn't wish to hear or see what he had to say because they preferred to just be entertained. Nothing in that regard has changed, and now the intelligent people are found elsewhere, all you have to do is look for them. He received criticism.
"I was hated and despised...I look back at those times [Hollywood's Golden Era] and I realized how many great people that town has destroyed since its earliest beginnings How almost everyone of merit was either destroyed or diminished. And how the few people were good survived and what a great minority they were..." Brilliantly honest. There was the heart of Orson Wells' genius. I can count on two hands the number of people throughout history I would break many years of sobriety to get drunk with. Orson is at the top of that very modest list.
Fritz Lang is an example. With the exception of two or three films, he never reached the highs of his early years when he started working in Hollywood.
TBH it's rare I've ever come across anyone who I am just in awe of. I've never encountered such a radiant person and Orson Welles is more than just a 'presence' or 'charismatic'. He's so human.
When I was in my 20’s I rewatched “The Muppet Movie” and when Orson appeared on screen towards the end of the film, I legit started to tear up because his mere presence was awe inspiring. He was some kind of a man.
Exactly. Parkinson's interview focussed on the guest. Jonathan Ross's interviews are more showcases for himself. The Emu interview is emblazoned on my mind from originally seeing it in the 70s.
Jez Creed It was also an era where they did broadcast these types of interviews. These days it is just a bunch of informercials with Paradise Hotel and what-not. Brilliant interview.
This man is a beautiful human being. I've watched all there is to watch about Orson Welles (Each interview 200 times) and he's class always come through
And a time when an interview lasts more than 10 minutes, as modern so called talk shows don't let the guest talk much and concentrate more on the host and sketches
Yes, the public's attention span isn't long enough to handle long-form interviews like this, now it's all the same cookie-cutter pre-scripted charade. Guest comes on, a few light questions are asked, guest goes into a scripted anecdote that may or may not actually be all that entertaining or funny but heavens know the interviewer will act like its the best thing he's ever heard. Plug upcoming project, then that's a wrap. In and out in 10 minutes, as John said.
@@charlynegezze8536 in a lot of cases, the popular actors, writers, etc., are bound by contract with the studios and publishers to do their bit in plugging their product, which in a way is no different now than it was in the Old Hollywood days of the almighty film studio contracts era, where actors were obligated to make public promotional appearances.
@@glamdolly30 I go against the grain, I know, but I always hated Parky as an interviewer. We would sit as a family on a Saturday night and watch, with everyone loving him, but I thought he was sycophantic and really dim.
Agreed, these days the presenter would rudely interrupt him and rush every point out of him. His opinions on Churchill and bull fighting would have the twitter SJW's going mental, there would have been 3 ad breaks during this clip. I hate the way things are now.
@@DaGleeseHis opinion on bullfighting was nuanced and humane. He said he loved the bull more than the man, but that it had been a journey to realize that. I don't see anyone finding that objectionable.
I love him!! What an absolutely brilliant man he was! "Tomorrow is forever" is one of my all-time favourite films, because of this genius! No one will ever come close to the exceptional Orson Welles!
I saw Orson Welles filming the opening scenes of “Touch of Evil” on Windward Ave., Venice Beach, California. I was a wee lad. It put Welles deep in my subconscious. Tremendous energy, talent, focus. Sometime there will be another awesome talent emerge.
I need to listen to people like Orson every now and again. He is a genius in the colloquial sense of the word, as he is extremely intelligent and thoughtful and listening to him is such a pleasure and also a lesson in how an intelligent person thinks and speaks. Can't wait for his final film to be released next year, 2015.
@@jollyrodgers7272 Yes. Good point. The incomparable genius he is and the hero he is to me we must always remember he is like he is always saying the rest of us are. Actors.
35 years gone today and still the leader of the pack! Orson there was no one like you! You are still so very missed and was one of the most interesting human beings on this planet! We don't have anymore interesting people anymore. A pity!!! Glad we had you!!!!
Nikolaus Cox Half the interview they are being nostalgic about good old days and the golden age and whatnot. And here we are doing the same about time period they are at on the video here. And none of us are wrong, at the same time. Maybe we are degrading as a species?..
Orson Welles seems to me to be the American equivalent of England's Peter Ustinov - aristocratic background, world traveler acquainted with many countries and cultures, intimate of the great, gifted raconteur, theatrical genius.
If there were "many" who set-up original, ground breaking shots that are used and all-out copied in narrative cinema today, and fucked w/linear storytelling that's also used and all-out copied today, and starred in, produced, directed, wrote, obsessed over and bet all a man has on a single film -- "many" seems like a laughing stock my feeble amigo. But good damn try...
FilmCard Star Take a look at the book of lunch conversations between Welles and Henry Jaglom. He gives unfiltered opinions about everything. He dislikes or diminishes so much and so many, that when he offers praise, you really take notice. And he's not blithely dismissive. He gives very cogent, salient reasons for his derision.
Wow. This interview was from 1974. If you think of what today's stars are going through, no one ever really learned from the great Mr. Welles. Much respect to this OG.
What a wonderful intellect. I have to deal with people who have such narrow horizons each and everyday. Its a pleasure to hear someone, of his outstanding experience, and knowledge . I could listen to him all day ! And thank you Mister Parkinson , to have the skill to just let him talk !
Welles says, "Was I not living second hand..." watching bullfighters. Interesting comment. Aren't we all living "second hand" watching movies, the "news". sporting events, cable television, ect. LIFE needs to be lived, in the NOW, day by day. Orson Welles would agree.
A wonderful raconteur, humorist, magician, writer, actor and director. A real Renaissance artist. Had Orson not lived, someone would have to invent him.
WOW! Tell us more, please… You know, that is one of the greatest shots ever…! In one interview Welles said, that they hardly managed to finish the take before sunrise...
What makes me upset is when I think about Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Scorsese, etc..all claimed Orson Welles was a hero to them, but none of them ever gave him a dime to do a movie His way, like they did for Kurosawa.
According to James Earl Jones, Orson Welles was considered for the voice of Darth Vader for the original film, but ultimately decides against it since he would have been too recognizable. Can you imagine the Dark Lord of the Sith being voiced by this legend?
Brilliant orator, narrator top command over the langiage well read and deep, with a damn strong screen presence. Both him and Oliver Reed are my favorites in interviews and otherwise, Welles was always outspoken on whom he liked and disliked he disliked many, Oliver Reed was one of the few he was fond of.
"Heaven" would be a bottle of top-shelf Irish whiskey, a couple of tall glasses, and an evening of conversation with Orson Welles. What could be finer?
There's an interview with him a week before he died where he looked even healthier than he does here and he was a 70 year old obese man on death's door.
Love this interview, seen it a few times. It's interesting that sir Michael said, 'You're about to see highlights of the interview." I would like to see the complete interview but I think we should be grateful for the thirty-seven odd minutes we can see on RU-vid. Arena did a very good interview with Orson, as did Dick Cavett. The people he knew, the life he lived. Where would we be without film and television to record these great interviews. I liked him, and the late sir Michael. One of the best interviewers.
Of course there are actors who were as "Space-displacing" ...only a genius with an unbelievable mind and vocabulary could create such a totally apt phrase to describe a movie star. RIP Orson, you will always be the tops.
Fascinating, engaging, highly worthwhile. Even if (gasp!) you are not a film fan whatever. It is 2021 as I write and Mr. Welles is long gone from our midst. Thank goodness we have his movies, and the discussions continue...
Y'know that old if you could have dinner with x amount of people alive or dead who would they be question? Orson Welles would definitely be one of my picks.
It was a masterclass for Parky. Consider that Parky was pretty green at the time. To have one of the great raconteurs of the 20th Century as one's guest must've been daunting, to say the least. If my T.V. career were fairly new, the idea of Orson Welles saying chuck your questions, let's talk sounds almost providential. What a gift.
For me it is a great joy to watch these old interviews. So far I haven't found one of the old stars who hadn't something interesting to say. Maybe because they seem to be more natural. Good times in that regard.
I am here due to his relationship of all person Dean Martin. He was great on Dean programs and his roast. Today I am learning a lot more about this great talent. Thanks for sharing it with the somewhat younger world.
