Welles' career began with a bang — Citizen Kane is considered by many the single greatest film of all time. It came out in 1941, when the director, who also starred, was just 25. The movie broke ground not only for Welles' brilliant film making style, but also for cinematography, sound and lighting.
The title role was based on publisher William Randolph Hearst, one of the most powerful men in America. It was not a flattering portrayal, and Hearst, who owned a huge network of theaters and newspapers, refused to screen the movie or to advertise it in any of his publications, and it made little money.
Magnificent Ambersons and Lady of Shanghai
Welles' 1942 follow up to this creative triumph was Magnificent Ambersons, adapted from a novel by Booth Tarkington. The film, which stars Joseph Cotten, is about the decline of a family in the early 1900s.
Welles never edited this movie. Instead, film editors cut many scenes and added a happy ending, marring the film considerably, according to critics. Sadly, almost no one saw the movie because of Hearst's refusal to advertise or screen it, as he had done with Kane.
In 1948 Welles directed and starred in The Lady from Shangai, along with his wife Rita Hayworth in the title role. It is a film noir that is notable for the climactic scene, which takes place in a hall of mirrors. There were again editing problems because the film was too long. Not one of his finest films, it is nevertheless one of his best known.
Macbeth and Mr. Arkadin
Welles had by this time gotten a reputation for taking too long and spending too much on his movies. So in 1948, he directed and acted in Shakespeare's Macbeth using papier mache sets and homemade costumes, and finished on schedule. Although production values are surprisingly low, this is considered a masterpiece.
Another tainted tour de force, Mr. Arkadin has sparks of genius that compete with a confusing plot. This 1955 film was also made on a shoestring budget, something that had become a Welles trademark. It's a mystery and the plot about a man in search of his past is just an excuse for some exquisite film making. Welles never finished the editing on this one, either, and there are several versions.
Touch of Evil and The Trial
In 1958 the release of Touch of Evil proved for the first time since 1941 that Orson Welles could put out a major studio film. Co-starring with Charlton Heston, Welles directed the film quickly and on budget. The plot involves a mysterious death just south of an American border town, and Welles plays the corrupt cop who is discovered attempting to frame a suspect.
Touch of Evil was taken out of Welles' creative control during the editing process without explanation, and about 30 minutes of the movie were deleted by the studio executives. In 1998 the film was re-edited using Welles' original instructions.
Perhaps the most misunderstood of Welles' films, 1961's The Trial, starring Anthony Perkins, was inspired by the surrealist novel by Franz Kafka. Welles plays a lawyer for a man accused of a crime that the authorities will not name. The film is extremely dream-like, in part because of the uneven editing job. Welles counted this challenging film among his greatest achievements, but very few have ever seen it.
Reference:
- Welles, Orson and Peter Bogdanovich. This is Orson Welles. Da Capo 1998.
Vince Cummings - Vince Cummings is a writer and editor living in Los Angeles. After a long stint as a travel writer that took him to cities from Seattle to ...
