Orson Welles - Classic Movie Actor and Director

Orson Welles

Real name: George Orson Welles
Bithdate / Birthplace: May 6, 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Died: October 10, 1985 in Hollywood, California
Wives: (1) Virginia Nicholson, (2) Rita Hayworth,
(3) Paola Mori
Children: (Three daughters; one with each wife) Christopher, Rebecca, and Beatrice

Welcome to my Orson Welles site! Orson Welles was one of the greatest actors and directors who ever lived. Considered a genius by many, Welles conquered the stage, radio, and movie screen, while working successfully behind the scenes too. From his early days directing and acting in plays under the auspices of the Works Project Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression through his later years making independent films in Europe, Welles displayed an artistry few could equal. Indeed, his first and most famous movie Citizen Kane was voted the number one American film of all time by the American Film Institute (AFI). I hope to build a thorough site devoted to him.

Filmography

Hearts of the Age -not comercial- (1934) as Death
Spanish Earth -voice only- (1937) as the Narrator
Too Much Johnson -not comercial- (1938) as a Keystone Kop
Swiss Family Robinson -uncredited, voice only- (1940) as the Narrator
Citizen Kane (1941) as Charles Foster Kane
Journey into Fear (1942) as Colonel Hakii
The Magnificent Ambersons -voice only- (1942) as the Narrator
Tanks -voice only- (1942) as the Narrator
Show Business at War (1943) as Himself
Jane Eyre (1944) as Edward Rochester
Follow the Boys (1944) as Himself
Tomorrow is Forever (1946) as John A. MacDonald/Erik Kessler
The Stranger (1946) as Charles Rankin/Franz Kindler
Duel in the Sun -uncredited, voice only- (1946) as the Narrator
Battle for Survival -voice only- (1947) as the Narrator
Macbeth (1948) Macbeth
The Lady from Shanghai (1948) as Michael O'Hara
Prince of Foxes (1949) as Cesare Borgia
Black Magic (1949) as Cagliostro
The Third Man (1949) as Harry Lime
The Black Rose (1950) as Bayan
Return to Glennascaul (1951) as Himself
Trent's Last Case (1952) as Sigsbee Manderson
The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1952) as Othello
L' Uomo, la bestia e la virtu (1953) as Captain Perella, the Beast
Trouble in the Glen (1953) as Sanin Cejador y Mengues
King Lear (1953) as King Lear
Si Versialles m'etait conte (1954) as Benjamin Franklin/ Narrator, dubbed version
Mr. Arkadin (1955) as Gregory Arkadin
Napoleon (1955) as Sir Hudson Love
Three Cases of Murder (1955) as Lord Mountdargo
Moby Dick (1956) as Father Mapple
Man in the Shadow (1957) as Virgil Renchler
South Seas Adventure -voice only- (1958) as the Narrator
The Roots of Heaven (1958) as Cy Sedgewick
The Long, Hot Summer (1958) as Will Varner
Touch of Evil (1958) as Hank Quinlan
The Vikings -uncredited, voice only- (1958) as the Narrator
Les Seigneurs de la foret -voice only- (1959) as the Narrator (English language version)
High Journey -voice only- (1959) as the Narrator
Compulsion (1959) as Jonathan Wilk
Ferry to Hong Kong (1959) as Captain Hart
Crack in the Mirror (1960) as Hagolin/Lamerciere
The Battle of Austerlitz (1960) as Robert Fulton
I Tartari (1961) as Burundai
Lafayette (1961) as Benjamin Franklin
David e Golia (1961) as King Saul
King of Kings -uncredited, voice only- (1961) as the Narrator
Laviamoci il cervello (1962) as the "Director"
Americans on Everest -voice only- (1963) as the Narrator
The Trial (a.k.a. Le Proces) (1963) as the Advocate
The V. I. P. s (1963) as Max Buda
The Finest Hours -voice only- (1964) as the Narrator
Marco the Magnificent (1965) as Akerman
A King's Story -voice only- (1965) as the Narrator
Chimes at Midnight (a.k.a. Campanadas a medianoche) (1965) as Falstaff
Paris brule-t-il? (1966) as Consul Nordling
A Man for All Seasons (1966) as Cardinal Wolsey
I'll Never Forget What's 'is Name (1967) as Jonathan Lute
Casino Royale (1967) as Le Chiffre
The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967) as Louis de Mozambique
Tepepa (1968) as Colonel Cascarro
The Immortal Story (1968) as Mr. Charles Clay
House of Cards (1968) as Leschenhaut
Oedipus the King (1968) as Tiresias
Kampf um Rom I (1968) as Emperor Justinian
Bitka na Neretvi (1969) as Senator Chetnik
Kampf um Rom-Der Verrat (1969) as Justinian
The Southern Star (1969) as Plankett
Waterloo (1970) as King Louis XVIII
Upon This Rock -TV- (1970) as Michelangelo
Start the Revolution Without Me -voice only- (1970) as the Narrator
The Deep (1970) as Russ Brewer
The Kremlin Letter (1970) as Bresnavitch
12+1 (1970) as Markan
Catch-22 (1970) as General Dreedle
Sentinels of Science -voice only- (1971) as the Narrator (English version)
Salvador Dali -voice only- (1971) as the Narrator
Malpertuis: The Legend of Doom House (a.k.a. Malpertuis: Histoire d'une maison maudite) (1971) as Cassavius
Directed by John Ford -voice only- (1971) as the Narrator
A Safe Place (1971) as the Magician
Necromancy (1972) as Mr. Cato
Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972) as Mr. Delasandro
La Decade prodigieuse (1972) as Theo van Horn
Die Schatzinsel (a.k.a. Treasure Island) (1972) as Long John Silver
Sutjeska (a.k.a. The Fifth Offensive) (1973)
Treasure Island (1973) as Long John Silver
The Challenge...A Tribune to Modern Art (1974)
And Then There Were None -voice only- (1974)
Who's Out There? (1975) as the Host
F for Fake (a.k.a. Verites et mensonges) (1975) as Himself
Bugs Bunny Superstar -voice only- (1975) as the Narrator
Voyage of the Damned (1976) as Estedes
Some Call It Greed -voice only- (1977) as the Narrator
Rime of the Ancient Mariner -voice only- (1977) as the Narrator
Hot Tomorrows -voice only- (1977) as Parklawn Mortuary
The Biggest Battle (a.k.a. Il Grande attacco) (1977) as the Narrator
It Happened One Christmas -TV- (1977) as Henry F. Potter
Tut: The Boy King -TV- (1978) as the Host
Filming Othello (1978) as the Host
A Woman Called Moses -TV, voice only- (1978) as the Narrator
The Muppet Movie (1979) as Lew Lord
The Double McGuffin -voice only- (1979) as the Narrator
The Late Great Planet Earth -voice only- (1979) as the Narrator
The Secret Life of Nikola Tesla (a.k.a. Tajna Nikole Tesle; Tesla) (1980) as J. P. Morgan
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow -voice only- (1980) as the Narrator
Search for the Titanic (1981)
Genocide -voice only- (1981) as the Narrator
Butterfly (1981) as Judge Rauch
Shogun -TV, voice only- (1981) as the Narrator
History of the World: Part 1 -voice only- (1981) as the Narrator
Slapstick (Of Another Kind) -voice only- (1982)
Where is Parsifal? (1983) as Klingsor
Hot Money (1983) as Sheriff Paisley
The Road to Bresson (a.k.a. De Weg naar Bresson) (1984) as Himself
In Our Hands (1984) as Himself
The Enchanted Journey -voice only- (1984) as Pippo
Almonds and Raisins -voice only- (1984) as the Narrator
The Transformers: The Movie -voice only- (1986) as Unicron
Someone to Love (1987) as Danny's friend
Don Quixote -posthumus, voice only- (1992) as the Narrator
Who is Henry Jaglom? -posthumus- (1996)

Orson Welles Photos

Orson Welles Sound clips

Orson Wells Trivia

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Books:

Rosebud: The Story of Orson Welles

This is a fascinating, if not uncontroversial, portrait of Orson Welles' life and works. The author has a unique take on the great actor and director's life. Quite different from the typical biography. Book recommended.

Also recommended:

This is a phenominal book for any fan of Orson Welles. This book contains transcriptions of interviews from the 1960's and 1970's that movie director Peter Bogdanovich conducted with Welles. Welles and Bogdanovich talk about Welles' films and other projects in depth. One can get a much better feel for Welles and his work from this invaluable book. It also contains a chronology of the great actor and director's life. Book recommended in the highest.

This is a great collection of Welles' finest radio performances. It includes the legendary War of the Worlds Broadcast, as well as his famed The Shadow character, among other shows. Altogether 8 hours of radio broadcasts with Welles are included. A great introduction to Welles' substanial work on radio. Hear the voice that was so great as both actor and narrator.

Search for Orson Welles at eBay. Among the things that can often be found there are: books (some out-of-print), magazines, memorabilia, videos and DVDs of his movies, autographs, photos, recordings of radio broadcasts (including the famed War of the Worlds broadcast), and posters all on or with Welles.

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