Talking Pictures: Orson Welles 

So he doesn't always get the question and address it

@@TheBigMclargehuge I think he's expounding further beyond the question and apologizing for wasting people's time. I do it myself.

@@TheBigMclargehuge HaHa. In English, the sentence ain't over until that little dot at the end. Good luck in learning our language. Stick with it and you'll get it eventually.

The best humblebragger ever ... intended as a complement

A Wisconsin yankee trait

But you can't deny there was a strong element of self-destructiveness in his character.

@@fosbury68 that was his way of dealing with being abused as a child. PTSD behavior

@@fosbury68 Easy to say that after he’s been left with very little else to do with his time and money but eat, smoke, and drink.

Dude! Where's my car?

@@CompelledUsername He didn't drink much and only smoked harmless cigars (you don't inhale cigars) but yes, he ate heartily.

Nice phrase.

Technology changes, humans do not.

…”comes from the tap” - same meaning but a different metaphor to how you quoted him

That's Great. In the meantime what have you done?

Exactly right. These people don't seem to exist anymore. When did everyone become so dull and shrill and empty?

Try searching.

@@voxer99 In 1994, the Internet!

@Rishi Eastwood Yep BINGO! The depersonalization and METOO SJW crap of Internet will end society and is about 80% complete RIGHT NOW!

Well as soon as you make it to the top you intimidate others so they devote themselves to trying to tear you down rather than attempt to rise to your level. Look at all the classic films being "cancelled" now just because the latest generation refuses to appreciate them. It's sad that Welles need apologize for his talent or be a constant target of criticism regardless he seemed very self aware and confident in himself which is appealing. To thine own self be true seems apt for him.

Many of his movies financing fell through. One time he had Ollie Reed on location with the rest of the cast, and the financier pulled the plug on it. Leaving everyone high and dry and would dine and dash at restaurants with the entire cast.

We need Welles for President now !

And, sometimes, Wisconsonian. :-P

George C Scott and Orson Welles were both blessed with voices that have that certain something but i put Scott just ahead of Welles simply because Scott apart from his great voice was also in my humble opinion the finest screen actor of all time

I'm not so sure it doesn't matter. I suspect that Welles' failure to achieve his full potential (which I trust everyone agrees about . . .) has something to do precisely with this life-long tendency on his part to obscure the truth.

I have heard Orson Wells tell various versions of the same story and enjoyed every version of the story.

Is this Fred?

Who is that?

arbiter > failure to achieve his full potential (which I trust everyone agrees about . . .) you know, i wonder....i wonder how much of the fame/achievement was down to him, and how much to others that were working on those movies, for example how come he couldn't make another succesful movie after 'kane'? surely movies are not all about money? if his full potential was achievable ONLY by working as a part of studio system, than what sort of achievement is that? literally hundreds of directors became big as a part of studio system. to become big as outsider, now THAT would be something extraordinary, as that didn't happen much, if at all. as for lying, it is interesting how important to him it is to defend the character of falstaff (in 'chimes at midnight'), who is, in essence, a liar, man making up stories, kinda like welles (?) overall, welles did extremely well given he didn't really work a day in his life (like in that dire straits song "Money for nothing, and chicks for free") and was never hungry, obviously. i'm wondering would he be a decent screenwriter if he wasn't so obsessed with shakespeare. (just now i see mankiewicz co-wrote 'kane', and i see mank. also did few of marx bros movies....see....welles did not do that...but welles did this:"but Mankiewicz claimed that Welles offered him a bonus of ten thousand dollars if he would let Welles take full credit. " from wiki on herman mankiewicz). i guess legends are made by exagerrating, not by facts. not that 'kane' is not an excellent move, but it's not orson alone that made it.

I never considered anyone else would have been conceivable in that role until I heard his comments there

Even though I can’t imagine it somehow I'm sure it’s true, even if it wasn’t seriously considered. Although, Brando wasn’t much loved by the studio suits either.

Better

Woww. Never thought of it. Would hv made a superb Godfather

Only problem is he's not Italian American. That's not an identity politics statement, but the way that Coppolla shot the first Godfather was deeply steeped in Italian Americana.

I'M A HERE WHAT DO YOU WANT?

They don't shoot at little people.

Don’t pretend that he didn’t have massive flaws in his character. I don’t buy all the “poor Orson Welles” sentiment. Charming, talented, but if you refuse to fit in, then filmmaking is not a good occupation.

Actually I believe he said that was something that any intelligent person could learn any skill or craft in a half a day. which means there's a lot of people who could not learn anything in half a day.

He was right. Just look at how many franchises Disney is trying to swallow up. Why? Because it's terrified about the future. Because Netflix proved that getting in the business wasn't that hard and Tech companies like Apple, Google or Amazon can buy all the movies in the world and put them on a streaming service to make money to make their own billion dollar movies. The future literally belongs to them. Disney is just scrambling to buy as many ideas and franchises as it can to keep the other companies from making great movies

It was Gregg Toland who told him the fundamentals of directing, anything needed, nothing of that couldn't be taught in three hours. And this was, of course, referring to "Citizen Kane"!

@@blofeld39 You make directing sound mystifying. Welles was already deep in theatre, and nothing is new in directing Hollywood films if you do theatre.

@@firstblessings8777 beg to differ. originally theatre stars and directors were chosen to make features. however they were far too ott for the movies especially just after the silent era.the greatest hollywood stars had little to do with theatre and the same with directors hitchcock ford hawkes and co had little or no theatre experience nor did spielberg lucas or tarantino! most hollywood stars who came from theatre like tracy and bogart or hepburn had difficulty at first adjusting to screen having to tone performance down be more natural.on stage acting is big gestures exaggerated facial expressions and unnatural puases and phrasing abound onscreen less is more.they are two seperate disciplines.few great stage directors gained the same fame in film and then mostly in musicals or stage adaptions.

Have a listen to Christopher Hitchins.

he was a perceptive man unlike the great majority of people

RSR423 Brando was an Italian Welles was not so Brando has that to help him. Also, Wells was a great Directer arguably in the top 3 of all time. However, as an actor he was not as top tier. I love Orson Welles but even he would say is acting was good at times and not so good at other times. Personally I think his performance in Jane Eyre (1943) was his best acting performance.

Charles Foster Kane also tomorrow is forever

America has a history of not appreciating, or at least not really caring for, it's great artists, especially the true mavericks. From Edgar Allen Poe thru Billie Holiday, gifted artists have been poorly maligned. The reasons vary, but, political, social and cultural norms, of the time, seemed to have undermined their brilliance. Sure, they're revered, after their death, usually a premature death. Welles was dead on, with his "they'll love me when I'm gone", quip. It's really pathetic, when you think about it.

One about Dirk Diggler and/or Dirk Richter, too!

@Sudden Arrival he didn't, he said you're welcome.

And Kane was his ticket to undeserved, life-long artistic struggle. It's a testament to his brilliance and sheer will, that his films after that, even got made and were as impressive as they were. Hollywood really had their head's up their arses with Welles and filmmakers of his ilk.

Or Trevor Howard, for that matter.

True this was a problem for Welles, But the real tragedy was that Hollywood was ultimately incapable of nurturing a gifted artist of his calibre. Whenever an artist is forced to serve the bottom line, the art will always be diminished and compromised. The fact that Orson didn't have the financial backing to make more films is a great loss for American and world culture.

but he left some great movies!!

Absolutely! I only recently saw the often overlooked Chimes at Midnight, The Trial and F is for Fake!

Seen the last 2, but not the first!

I checked his net worth, out of curiosity. if I recall correctly his estate was worth 20 million. if that's a bad business man sign me up. it's hard to raise money for movies, now and then.

I don't know the song but there's a lot of Duke Ellington that sounds like that and better- slow Duke Ellington songs are among the most beautiful pieces of music ever written or performed

I am searching the same. Did you find out the name of the music? If so, what is it?

@@vivenx I still have no clue. No luck so far!

@@Dr.A.n.i.m.e It's a beautiful piece if music. Will let you know if I find it.

@@vivenx It's called Midnight in Manhattan by Ron Goodwin: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kW5KajSRJGs.html

Indeed. Welles and his people greatly exaggerate the effects, consequences. He told many tall tales, such as his lie about meeting Hitler.

That impact of that infamous broadcast has been studied by sociologists for decades. That was an event.

Affected transatlantic

Agree. From Welles to Lennon, and even before, we in this country, have treated such gifted artists, not with encouragement, but with contempt. Or even worse. Especially one's like these, with political and social relevance.

Such a good listener and storyteller! Orson Welles was a jewel.

I love that part.

Pretty much true.

Wrong, the story he wanted to create was Kane, afterwards Heart of Darkness. He did have TOTAL control on Kane, picked the subject, and nobody did shit about it. Being as your comment shows your ignorance of Welles history and facts, Ambersons was made after the studio had changed hands. The people in charge when Ambersons was made, were not the same people Welles had the original contract with. So now, hopefully, you see how ignorant and redundant your comment really is. If your going to put it out there, at least put the truth out there. There's enough shit out there already, and if your unsure, then shut the fuck up and don't bother.

RSR423 www.orsonwelles.org/search/label/Heart%20of%20Darkness?_escaped_fragment_

He did have total control on the Kane contract. And initially on Ambersons but they ‘redid’ the contract, taking away the final edit control and he never got that back with studio projects. I wonder at his legal team, how did they let that element be removed from his contract.

@@charlesfosterkane8034 thanks for the comment.

@@RSR423 such hostility. why don't you scream at charles foster kane's comment. your knowledge is less than your anger. and on amberson's a contract is still valid if one party sells its position. example--if you are a tenant with a lease and the owner sells the apartment building the lease is still valid until completion.

How was anything Orson did "a waste"??

Welles wasn't 'anti-American', ya twit. America, or parts of it, were anti-Welles. Christ.

Welles would have despised the left of today. Especially a channel that only spews mindless hatred and communist rhetoric and propaganda.

He was center left but he wouldn't be in board with the new left which is basically the new brown shirts.