Born May 6, 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Orson Welles’ father was an inventor, his mother a concert pianist. The precocious Welles was a child prodigy who directed a number of high profile theatrical productions in London and New York in his twenties.

Actor-writer-producer-director Welles and actor-producer John Houseman formed the Mercury Theatre in 1937, which they expanded to radio in 1938. Welles’ production of the H.G. Wells (no relation) science fiction masterpiece, War of the Worlds Welles’ assertions to the contrary, were intended to scare the hell out of audiences per those who were there.

Welles’ CBS radio program was struggling for recognition. On opposite the highly popular Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on NBC’s The Chase and Sanborn Hour, Welles’ knew that a certain point the Chase and Sanborn Hour went to music at which time many listeners turned their dials to another station. Welles used that precise moment to interrupt his own program to have his announcer break into the program with ever escalating news bulletins about an invasion from Mars. Confusion and panic ensued after which laws were enacted to prevent future such occurrences.

Welles’ overnight fame from the incident quickly brought offers from Hollywood and by 1939 he had a contract with RKO. Welles’ first two story ideas were rejected by the studio, but his third, Citizen Kane, was green-lit with Welles given complete control, an unheard of accommodation for a novice director.

The script was written primarily by Herman J. Mankiewicz working independently from Welles who had written the March of Time introduction. Welles then edited Mankiewicz’ script, removing some scenes while adding others. The film was given a sneak preview attended by gossip columnist Hedda Hopper who reported to newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst that the film was an expose of his life. An incensed Hearst threatened the major studios with exposes of various scandals he had been sitting on for fifteen years if they didn’t suppress the film. Several studio heads offered to reimburse RKO for the cost of the film, intending to burn the film’s negative, but RKO declined and the film was released in limited engagements.

Today the film regularly tops polls from critics and directors alike listing their opinions of the greatest films of all time.

Welles then simultaneously worked on two follow-up films, The Magnificent Ambersons and Journey Into Fear, the later officially attributed to Norman Foster as director, although both Welles on he shared direction. Upon completion of the initial edits of both films, Welles was sent by the State Department to Brazil to make the wartime propaganda film, It’s All True. In Welles’ absence, RKO had Robert Wise re-edit The Magnificent Ambersons and give it a happy ending. Welles was not happy, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Welles’ return to Hollywood saw him star opposite Joan Fontaine in the 1944 version of Jane Eyre, directing and starring opposite Loretta Young and Edward G. Robinson in The Stranger and directing and starring opposite former wife Rita Hayworth in 1948’s Lady from Shanghai among other projects within the decade.

He had his best on-screen role since Citizen Kane as the villain in Carol Reed’s The Third Man which was released in 1949 in the United Kingdom and in 1950 in the U.S.

From the 1950s on he would plan more projects as a director than he actually got to make. One film that he did get to direct was 1958’s Touch of Evil, which was cut by Universal and released without much fanfare. It has since been restored to Welles’ vision and is generally regarded as a masterpiece. Welles’ performance, again as a villain, is considered one of his best.

Among Welles’ notable late career films for hire as an actor were 1956’s Moby Dick 1958’s The Long, Hot Summer; 1959’s Compulsion; 1966’s A Man for All Seasons and 1979’s The Muppet Movie. He was also a frequent narrator of films and TV series and was a familiar presence on TV talk shows and commercials in his last years. Orson Welles died on October 10, 1985, the same day as Yul Brynner and eight days after Rock Hudson. He was 70 years old.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

CITIZEN KANE (1941), directed by Welles

Volumes have been written about Welles’ masterpiece, regarded by many as the greatest film of all time. Welles shared an Oscar with Herman J. Mankiewicz for the film’s screenplay. He also received nominations for his direction and leading role as the tyrannical publishing tycoon modeled on William Randolph Hearst. He also collaborated with cinematographer Gregg Toland to create some of the most stunning images ever captured on film. Many of the actors, who were part of Welles’ Mercury Theatre ensemble had never been seen on screen before, but most would become household names very quickly. Among them were Joseph Cotten, Ruth Warrick, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead and Everett Sloane.

THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942), directed by Welles

Brought in to re-edit the film and give it a more upbeat ending, Robert Wise has said that Welles’ unseen version wasn’t better, just longer. Actually a 2002 TV version follows the original script and if you discount the unique contributions of the original filmmakers it is indeed longer, not better. If ever the purported full version of the film ever emerges from its secret hiding place in Brazil maybe we’ll know for sure, but the bowdlerized version was good enough in its own right to receive a slew of awards including the New York Film Critics Award for Best Actress for Agnes Moorehead for her incomparable portrayal of shy old maid Aunt Fanny, a supporting role for which she received an Oscar nomination in that category. Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter and Tim Holt are also quite good.

THE THIRD MAN (1950), directed by Carol Reed

This Anglo-American co-production traditionally shows up on U.K. and U.S. “best of” lists, frequently topping British polls.

The tunnels, the ferris wheel, the zither music and the performances of Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and Welles combine to elevate Graham Green’s already great novel to make it a film of sheer perfection.

TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), directed by Welles

Welles’ long opening tracking shot was restored forty years after the film premiered, making the perverse thriller even more fascinating than it had been forall those years. Charlton Heston stars as an incorruptible cop and he’s quite good, as is Janet Leigh as the female lead, but the film is stolen by supporting players Welles, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff and Marlene Dietrich in a stunning cameo in a black wig.

COMPULSION (1959), directed by Richard Fleischer

This was one of two late 1950s plays turned into acclaimed films based on famous trials involving the legendary Clarence Darrow. Like the following year’s Inherit the Wind, Darrow’s name, as well as the names of the other participants, was fictionalized, but the obvious references to the Leopold-Loeb thrill killing are there and Dean Stockwell and Broadford Dillman send chills up and down your spine as the killers. Welles, though he had star billing, comes late to the proceedings but once he’s on screen all eyes are on him and he delivers one of his best late career performances in his last starring role in a major film.

ORSON WELLES AND OSCAR

• Citizen Kane (1941) – Oscar – Best Original Screenplay
• Citizen Kane (1941) – Best Actor
• Citizen Kane (1941) – Best Actor
• Honorary Award (1970) – Oscar for his superlative artistry and versatility in the creation of motion pictures