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That's an odd comment.

Drucker, if you get to the Film Forum before me, please post your impressions of the Janus resto.

I'm going to try to make it this week, will do.

Nice write-up in The New York Review of Books on Welles, Looking for Citizen Welles, which mentions (among other books) Patrick McGilligan's Young Orson (2105), an excellent biography on Welles' early career activities.

Can someone recommend the best region one DVD version of The Magnificent Ambersons? From what i see available there's the out of print WB release from 2012 and a TCM four pack with Mildred Pierce, Mrs. Minniver and I Remember Mama. Does the TCM set use the same transfer? Does Ambersons have it's own dedicated disc or is it crammed in with another movie? The screen caps on DVDBeaver looked pretty solid for the WB disc but it's pricey. Any help is appreciated...

It's the exact same disc

Great, thank you...

I've only two Welles left to see: Arkadin and Immortal Story. Which is better to save for last (and, either way, which Arkadin)? It's amazing how seriously such a subject can be taken when one reveres a filmmaker so greatly.

I'd go out with a bang with Arkadin, the reconstructed version. It's a fun movie.

The best Arkadin by far is the comprehensive version, which makes the most sense and has the most interesting structure. It's not an amazing picture, but it's enjoyable and a bit nonsensical. Certainly the least serious Welles film and the next one you should see.

Immortal Story is still something that hasn't perfectly clicked with me. It's very slow and not really a narrative picture, more of a visual/emotional fable. It mostly plays on Welles fascination with control. Imagine a film that was focused merely on how CFK or Macbeth felt on the inside, without really taking any action to carry out their instincts.

I'll have to disagree about the Immortal Story. It went by incredibly quick for me. It's a short Welles film, akin to a quick but decent meal. I can't say it blew me out of the water but it did make me wish Welles directed more things in both color and for Television.

Arkadin is a bit of a mess in my opinion.

Definitely choose the "Comprehensive" version of Arkadin - it almost makes this deranged film "comprehensible". Interestingly, both of the Welles' films you have yet to see are treated as fables; both are more concerned with the idea of story-telling than presenting believable characters or convincing dramatic situations. I'd say save The Immortal Story for last since that's the stronger film and exists in a final cut determined by Welles (just be aware it is different from any other fully-realized Welles film in its pacing and preoccupations).

And have you really seen everything else? How about the shorts The Fountain of Youth or Viva Italia, the Around The World or Sketch Book episodes? Those are important entries in his directorial canon. So are the Munich Filmmuseum's reconstructions of The Dreamers and The Merchant of Venice (although the latter I have yet to see myself). Then there is the surviving footage from Too Much Johnson, Four Men on a Raft, Don Quixote and so on; it feels never-ending.

Roger Ryan wrote:And have you really seen everything else? How about the shorts The Fountain of Youth or Viva Italia, the Around The World or Sketch Book episodes? Those are important entries in his directorial canon. So are the Munich Filmmuseum's reconstructions of The Dreamers and The Merchant of Venice (although the latter I have yet to see myself). Then there is the surviving footage from Too Much Johnson, Four Men on a Raft, Don Quixote and so on; it feels never-ending.

You're right. The wealth of Welles outside of finished features is plummy, indeed, and I've seen fair chunks of it, but am missing some that you've mentioned. I would probably wilt if there was no more Welles to see. I saw Too Much Johnson at Film Forum in their live-integrated show, and was glad to, but otherwise have not seen anything else in the non-feature category cinematically.

Will second Fountain of Youth a short tv pilot by Welles that is fantastic as well as Filming Othello a documentary by Welles on his own film, if you haven't seen that. Both are on YouTube.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Olive Films will release Welles' Macbeth as a part of their Signature Classics Series.



It's still my favorite Macbeth on film.

Holy cow is right, my comedy hero and my cinema hero. Why have I never even heard of this?! Thanks for the post.

FrauBlucher wrote:Holy cow, Welles and Kaufman, never saw this!

One of the few (only?) times Kaufman gave straight answers in an interview - as if Welles' disarming manner was the magic to undo Kaufman's schtick.

Going through the recent Olive blu of Macbeth, along with finally getting Chimes at Midnight and Othello--all appear to be great releases, will add some thoughts later. Mostly came here with the question, does anyone recommend "Around the World with Orson Welles"? I've never seen any of them and hadn't even heard about it until recently.

John Shade wrote:Going through the recent Olive blu of Macbeth, along with finally getting Chimes at Midnight and Othello--all appear to be great releases, will add some thoughts later. Mostly came here with the question, does anyone recommend "Around the World with Orson Welles"? I've never seen any of them and hadn't even heard about it until recently.

Definitely for die-hards only. The first episode is fun, but I can't imagine I'll revisit it anytime soon. It's not a film, it's a would-be TV show.

Drucker wrote:

John Shade wrote:Going through the recent Olive blu of Macbeth, along with finally getting Chimes at Midnight and Othello--all appear to be great releases, will add some thoughts later. Mostly came here with the question, does anyone recommend "Around the World with Orson Welles"? I've never seen any of them and hadn't even heard about it until recently.

Definitely for die-hards only. The first episode is fun, but I can't imagine I'll revisit it anytime soon. It's not a film, it's a would-be TV show.

If you like Welles' "essay" films (For For Fake, Filming Othello), then the Around The World episodes are done in a similar style, but with more emphasis on Welles conducting interviews with pastry chefs, pensioners and other common folk; sort of like CBS' Sunday Morning show. Some of the episodes exist in rough-cut form only as Welles was trying to juggle too many other projects to complete them in a timely manner (the Madrid Bullfight episode was largely shot and completed without his involvement). Still, most of the abbreviated series is uniquely Welles with flashes of his typical theatrical approach to documentary filmmaking where his personality and point-of-view take precedent.

Oja Kodar's appearance at the Orson Welles Centennial Festival in Woodstock, Illinois on May, 9th 2015 can now be viewed on Vimeo. Apologies, I can't embed the URL into any text without the text disappearing and being replaced by the image you see here:
https://vimeo.com/149237341" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(Password is "Woodstock") Very charming discussion, though I was stunned that a rift between Welles and Jeanne Moreau was allegedly the reason The Deep was not "finished." (Kodar says it was more or less finished - only the second unit material hadn't been shot - and that Harvey's death was more of an excuse.) Also, after Welles died, when Kodar went to retrieve the negative from the film lab, they told her someone had taken it out in 1984. No one apparently knows the true identity of the party that took these elements.

That's really quite interesting. I was always under the impression that The Deep didn't even reach a stage resembling anything remotely coherent. Thanks for sharing this. A real shame we never see any of that footage though.

Big Ben wrote:That's really quite interesting. I was always under the impression that The Deep didn't even reach a stage resembling anything remotely coherent. Thanks for sharing this. A real shame we never see any of that footage though.

The workprint is great! A relatively simple story that comes off like Welles making a Hitchcock film a bit. I enjoyed it and honestly believe it could have been popular had it been actually completed.

Drucker wrote:The workprint is great! A relatively simple story that comes off like Welles making a Hitchcock film a bit. I enjoyed it and honestly believe it could have been popular had it been actually completed.

Hah, I remember you mentioning this because I had tickets to see this at MoMA and the MTA @#$%-ed up my evening plans.