Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985), best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio. Noted for his innovative dramatic productions as well as his distinctive voice and personality, Welles is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished dramatic artists of the twentieth century, especially for his significant and influential early work—despite his notoriously contentious relationship with Hollywood. His distinctive directorial style featured layered, nonlinear narrative forms, innovative uses of lighting such as chiaroscuro, unique camera angles, sound techniques borrowed from radio, deep focus shots, and long takes. Welles's long career in film is noted for his struggle for artistic control in the face of pressure from studios. Many of his films were heavily edited and others left unreleased. He has been praised as a major creative force and as "the ultimate auteur." After directing a number of high-profile theatrical productions in his early twenties, including an innovative adaptation of Macbeth and The Cradle Will Rock, Welles found national and international fame as the director and narrator of a 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds performed for the radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was reported to have caused widespread panic when listeners thought that an invasion by extraterrestrial beings was occurring. Although these reports of panic were mostly false and overstated, they rocketed Welles to instant notoriety. Citizen Kane (1941), his first film with RKO, in which he starred in the role of Charles Foster Kane, is often considered the greatest film ever made. Several of his other films, including The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Touch of Evil (1958), Chimes at Midnight (1965), and F for Fake (1974), are also widely considered to be masterpieces. In 2002, he was voted the greatest film director of all time in two separate British Film Institute polls among directors and critics, and a wide survey of critical consensus, best-of lists, and historical retrospectives calls him the most acclaimed director of all time. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Well known for his baritone voice, Welles was also an extremely well regarded actor and was voted number 16 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars list of the greatest American film actors of all time. He was also a celebrated Shakespearean stage actor and an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety shows in the war years.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · The Battle of Grovers Mill as Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
- 2024 · Jim Henson Idea Man as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 · LIFE BEYOND: Visions of Alien Life as Narrator (Archive Sound)
- 2022 · Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Parkinson at 50 as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 · Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind as Self (archive footage)
- 2018 · The Other Side of the Wind as Journalist (uncredited)
- 2018 · The Great Buster: A Celebration as Self (archive footage)
- 2018 · They'll Love Me When I'm Dead as Self (archive footage)
- 2014 · Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
- 2013 · Jodorowsky's Dune as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · Talking Pictures as Self (archive footage)
- 2012 · Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen as (archive footage)
- 2006 · Edge of Outside as Self (archive footage)
- 2002 · Lost in La Mancha as Self (archive footage)
- 1996 · The Battle Over Citizen Kane as Self (archive footage)
- 1995 · Orson Welles: The One-Man Band as Self (archive footage)
- 1995 · A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies as Self
- 1993 · La Classe américaine as Self (archive footage)
- 1993 · Working with Orson Welles as Himself (Archive Footage)
- 1992 · Don Quixote as Self
- 1990 · Star Life as Self (archive footage)
- 1988 · On the tracks of a filmmaker as Orson Welles
- 1986 · The Transformers: The Movie as Unicron (voice)
- 1986 · The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years as Self (archive footage)
- 1985 · Moonlighting as Orson Welles
- 1983 · Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française as Himself
- 1982 · Butterfly as Judge Rauch
- 1981 · The New Deal for Artists as Narrator (voice)
- 1981 · History of the World: Part I as Narrator
- 1981 · The Man Who Saw Tomorrow as Presenter / Narrator (voice)
- 1980 · Magnum, P.I. as Robin Masters (uncredited) (voice)
- 1980 · Magnum, P.I. as Robin Masters (voice)
- 1980 · Shōgun as Narrator
- 1980 · The Secret Life of Nikola Tesla as J.P. Morgan
- 1979 · The Muppet Movie as Lew Lord
- 1978 · A Woman Called Moses as Narrator (voice)
- 1978 · The Magic of David Copperfield as
- 1978 · The Biggest Battle as Narratore
- 1976 · Voyage of the Damned as José Estedes
- 1975 · Doug Henning's World of Magic as Self
- 1975 · Rikki-Tikki-Tavi as Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
- 1974 · Dinah! as Self
- 1974 · And Then There Were None as Voice on Tape
- 1973 · The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self
- 1973 · Orson Welles' Great Mysteries as Self - Host
- 1973 · F for Fake as Self
- 1973 · The Battle of Sutjeska as Winston Churchill
- 1973 · The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
- 1972 · Treasure Island as Long John Silver
- 1972 · Necromancy as Mr. Cato
- 1971 · Directed by John Ford as Narrator (voice)
- 1971 · V.I.P. Schaukel as Self
- 1970 · Night Gallery as Narrator
- 1970 · Waterloo as Louis XVIII
- 1970 · Catch-22 as Brigadier General Dreedle
- 1970 · Start the Revolution Without Me as The Narrator
- 1970 · The Kremlin Letter as Bresnavitch
- 1969 · The Battle of Neretva as Četnik
- 1968 · The Fight for Rome as Justinian
- 1968 · The Name of the Game as Narrator
- 1968 · The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
- 1968 · The Immortal Story as Charles Clay
- 1967 · I'll Never Forget What's'isname as Jonathan Lute
- 1967 · Omnibus as Self - Presenter
- 1967 · Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as Self
- 1967 · Casino Royale as Le Chiffre
- 1966 · A Man for All Seasons as Cardinal Wolsey
- 1966 · Is Paris Burning? as Konsul Nordling
- 1965 · Chimes at Midnight as Falstaff
- 1965 · National Geographic Specials as Narrator
- 1965 · Marco the Magnificent as Akerman, Marco's Teacher
- 1963 · Hollywood and the Stars as Self (archive footage)
- 1963 · The V.I.P.s as Max Buda
- 1963 · Ro.Go.Pa.G. as The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta")
- 1962 · The Trial as Albert Hastler
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self - Guest Host
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1961 · King of Kings as Narrator (Voice)
- 1960 · The Battle of Austerlitz as Robert Fulton
- 1960 · David and Goliath as King Saul
- 1959 · Ferry to Hong Kong as Captain Hart
- 1959 · Compulsion as Jonathan Wilk
- 1958 · The Roots of Heaven as Cy Sedgewick
- 1958 · The Vikings as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- 1958 · The Long, Hot Summer as Will Varner
- 1958 · Touch of Evil as Police Captain Hank Quinlan
- 1956 · Moby Dick as Father Mapple
- 1956 · The Steve Allen Show as Self
- 1956 · Cinépanorama as Self
- 1955 · Around the World with Orson Welles as Host: Orson Welles
- 1955 · Around the World with Orson Welles as Self (Host)
- 1955 · Ford Star Jubilee as Oscar Jaffe
- 1955 · Mr. Arkadin as Gregory Arkadin
- 1955 · Napoleon as Sir Hudson Lowe
- 1955 · Three Cases of Murder as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
- 1954 · Reflets de Cannes as Self
- 1954 · Royal Affairs in Versailles as Benjamin Franklin
- 1952 · Omnibus as King Lear
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Sheridan Whiteside
- 1951 · Othello as Othello
- 1951 · I Love Lucy as Orson Welles
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Panelist
- 1949 · The Third Man as Harry Lime
- 1948 · Macbeth as Macbeth
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self / King Lear
- 1947 · The Lady from Shanghai as Michael O'Hara
- 1946 · Duel in the Sun as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- 1946 · The Stranger as Prof. Charles Rankin
- 1943 · Jane Eyre as Edward Rochester
- 1943 · Journey into Fear as Colonel Haki
- 1942 · The Magnificent Ambersons as Narrator (voice)
- 1941 · Citizen Kane as Charles Foster Kane
- Future · The Cave: a parable told by Orson Welles as Narrator
- 2024 · Othelo The Great as Ele Mesmo (Imagem de Arquivo)
- 2023 · From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight as Falstaff
- 2023 · It's Pretty, but is it Art? as Self (voiceover)
- 2023 · Looking Back Before You Leap as General Zaroff (voice)
- 2022 · American: An Odyssey to 1947 as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · The Lost Print: The Making of Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons as Himself (Archive footage)
- 2022 · The Welles Raft as Himself (Archive Footage)
- 2021 · Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles as Self
- 2021 · Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2021 · The Blinding of Isaac Woodard as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 · Hopper/Welles as Self
- 2019 · LIFE BEYOND I: The Dawn as Narrator
- 2019 · Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil" as (archive footage)
- 2018 · The Eyes of Orson Welles as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
- 2018 · Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
- 2017 · The Magic History of Cinema as
- 2016 · Embers & Dust as Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
- 2015 · This Is Orson Welles as Self
- 2014 · Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · Too Much Johnson as Keystone Kop
- 2012 · Magic Mirror Maze as
- 2012 · The Shadow Knows as Self (archive footage)
- 2011 · Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure as Himself
- 2010 · Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff as Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
- 2010 · Orson Welles: The Paris Interview as Himself
- 2009 · Lucifer et moi as (archive footage 1982)
- 2007 · The Deep as Russ Brewer
- 2005 · Filmmakers vs. Tycoons as Self (archive footage)
- 2005 · The Other Side of Welles as Self (archive footage)
- 2005 · The Well as
- 2004 · The Hitch Hiker as Ronald Adams
- 2003 · Rita as (archive footage)
- 2003 · The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles as Self (archive footage)
- 2001 · A Huey P. Newton Story as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2001 · The Paranormal Peter Sellers as Self (Archive footage)
- 2001 · NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3 as Narrator
- 2000 · Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote as Self (Archive footage)
- 2000 · Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces as Self (archive footage)
- 2000 · Moby Dick as Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
- 1999 · According to Occam's Razor as
- 1998 · The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self - Roaster (archive footage)
- 1997 · It's All Brazil as Self (archive footage)
- 1997 · Who Is Henry Jaglom? as Self (archive footage)
- 1997 · Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional as Self
- 1993 · It's All True as Self
- 1993 · Rosabella - La storia italiana di Orson Welles as
- 1990 · With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film as Self (archive footage)
- 1990 · Welles' Language as Self (archive footage)
- 1990 · Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream as Self (archive footage)
- 1987 · Someone to Love as Danny's Friend
- 1986 · It's Not All True as Himself (archive footage)
- 1985 · Almonds and Raisins as Narrator
- 1985 · Scene of the Crime as
- 1985 · The Dreamers as Marcus Kleek
- 1985 · Orson Welles' Magic Show as Self
- 1984 · The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon as
- 1984 · The Road to Bresson as Self
- 1984 · The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail as Narrator
- 1984 · In Our Hands as Himself
- 1984 · The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh as himself
- 1984 · Where Is Parsifal? as Klingsor
- 1983 · The Witching as Mr. Cato
- 1983 · The Psychic Connection as Narrator
- 1983 · King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands as Self - Narrator
- 1983 · Notre Dame de la Croisette as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1983 · Hot Money as Sheriff Paisley
- 1982 · Slapstick of Another Kind as Aliens' Father (voice)
- 1982 · Wagner e Venezia as Richard Wagner (voice)
- 1982 · Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady as Self
- 1982 · Baryshnikov in Hollywood as Self - Narrator
- 1982 · Genocide as Narrator (voice)
- 1982 · Night of 100 Stars as Self
- 1982 · Doug Henning's World of Magic as Self - Special Guest
- 1982 · Let Poland Be Poland as Self
- 1982 · Magic with the Stars as Host
- 1982 · The Quest for Fire Adventure as Narrator
- 1981 · A Gift of Harvest as Narrator
- 1981 · Brasil as Self (archive footage)
- 1981 · Search for the Titanic as Himself (host)
- 1981 · The Enchanted Journey as Pippo
- 1981 · Tales of the Klondike as Narrator
- 1981 · Filming 'The Trial' as Self
- 1980 · Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park as Narrator
- 1980 · A Step Away as English Narrator
- 1980 · The Greenstone as Narrator (voice)
- 1979 · The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis as Narrator
- 1979 · Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years as Self
- 1979 · To Try Again... and Succeed as Narrator (voice)
- 1979 · The Double McGuffin as Narrator
- 1979 · The Orson Welles Show as Self
- 1979 · The Greatest Adventure--The Story of Man's Voyage to the Moon as Narrator
- 1978 · Filming Othello as Host
- 1978 · The Late Great Planet Earth as Self
- 1978 · Caesar's Guide to Gaming with Orson Welles as Himself
- 1978 · Tut: The Boy King as Himself - Host
- 1978 · Mysterious Castles of Clay as Narrator
- 1977 · It Happened One Christmas as Henry F. Potter
- 1977 · The Lions of Capitalism: Some Call It Greed as Narrator
- 1977 · The Force Beyond as Himself (archive footage)
- 1977 · Hot Tomorrows as Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
- 1977 · From Fiber to Fabric: Wool's a Natural as Narrator
- 1977 · The Rime of the Ancient Mariner as Narrator
- 1976 · NBC: The First Fifty Years as Self / Narrator
- 1975 · Bugs Bunny Superstar as Narrator (voice)
- 1975 · Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- 1975 · Orson Welles - The Marketed Genius as Self
- 1975 · Magnificent Monsters of the Deep as Narrator
- 1975 · Who's Out There? as Host
- 1974 · The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art as Narrator
- 1974 · A Legend a Lifetime: Citizen Welles as
- 1974 · Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1973 · Power and Corruption as Himself
- 1973 · Kelly Country as Narrator
- 1973 · The Cave as Narrator
- 1972 · The Man Who Came to Dinner as Sheridan Whiteside
- 1972 · Get to Know Your Rabbit as Mr. Delasandro
- 1972 · Future Shock as Narrator
- 1972 · Vive le cinema! as
- 1971 · London as Winston Churchill / George Bernard Shaw
- 1971 · Ten Days' Wonder as Théo Van Horn
- 1971 · A Safe Place as The Magician
- 1971 · The Silent Years as
- 1971 · Centinelas del Silencio as
- 1971 · Malpertuis as Cassavius
- 1971 · Flame of Persia as Narrator
- 1971 · Freedom River as Narrator
- 1970 · An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon as
- 1970 · An Evening with Orson Welles as
- 1970 · Is It Always Right to Be Right? as Narrator
- 1970 · The Enemy Before Us as Narrator
- 1970 · A Horse Called Nijinsky as Narrator
- 1970 · Upon This Rock as Michelangelo (voice)
- 1969 · Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali as Narrator
- 1969 · The Merchant of Venice as Shylock
- 1969 · Twelve Plus One as Markan
- 1969 · The Southern Star as Plankett
- 1969 · The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal as Justinian
- 1969 · Tepepa as Colonel Cascorro
- 1969 · To Build a Fire as Narrator (voice)
- 1968 · One Man Band as
- 1968 · House of Cards as Leschenhaut
- 1968 · Around the World of Mike Todd as Self - Narrator
- 1968 · Oedipus the King as Tiresias
- 1968 · Portrait: Orson Welles as Self
- 1968 · Vienna as Himself
- 1967 · Beggars Would Ride as Narrator
- 1967 · Disorder Is 20 Years Old as Self
- 1967 · The Sailor from Gibraltar as Louis de Mozambique
- 1967 · Ten Days That Shook the World as Narrator
- 1966 · Orson Welles in Spain as Himself
- 1965 · Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 1965 · A King's Story as Narrator
- 1964 · The Finest Hours as Narrator (voice)
- 1964 · In the Land of Don Quixote as Himself
- 1962 · River of the Ocean as Narrator (English)
- 1962 · Lafayette as Benjamin Franklin
- 1961 · Tempo as
- 1961 · The Tartars as Burundai
- 1961 · Survival as Narrator
- 1960 · An Arabian Night as Storyteller
- 1960 · Crack in the Mirror as Hagolin / Lamerciere
- 1959 · High Journey as Narrator
- 1958 · Lords of the Forest as Narrator (voice)
- 1958 · The Fountain of Youth as the narrator
- 1958 · Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina as Self - Host
- 1958 · Colgate Theatre as
- 1958 · South Seas Adventure as Narrator
- 1957 · Man in the Shadow as Virgil Renchler
- 1956 · Out of Darkness as Self - Narrator
- 1955 · The Land of the Basques as Himself
- 1955 · Orson Welles' Sketch Book as Himself - Host
- 1955 · Orson Welles' Sketch Book as Self - Host
- 1954 · Trouble in the Glen as Sanin Cejador y Mengues
- 1953 · King Lear as King Lear
- 1953 · Man, Beast and Virtue as Captain Perella, the Beast
- 1953 · Return to Glennascaul as Narrator
- 1952 · Trent's Last Case as Sigsbee Manderson
- 1950 · Disorder as Self
- 1950 · The Black Rose as Bayan
- 1949 · Prince of Foxes as Cesare Borgia
- 1949 · Black Magic as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
- 1946 · Battle for Survival as Narrator
- 1946 · Tomorrow Is Forever as John Andrew MacDonald
- 1945 · Mexico City, Old and New as Narrator
- 1944 · Follow the Boys as Orson Welles (uncredited)
- 1944 · Know Your Ally: Britain as Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger)
- 1943 · Show-Business at War as Self
- 1940 · Swiss Family Robinson as Opening Narrator
- 1937 · The Spanish Earth as Narrator (voice)
- 1934 · The Hearts of Age as Death
- 1933 · Twelfth Night as Narrator
- Future · Something Else as