Orson Welles: life and legacy

¶ … Orson Welles to Visual Arts

One of the most influential motion picture directors and producers of the 20th century was Orson Welles, whose well-known radio rendition of "War of the Worlds" in 1938 panicked an entire country long before September 11, 2001. Shortly after "War of the Worlds," Welles would go on to direct "Citizen Kane" in 1941, regarded by some film critics as the greatest motion picture ever made. Although "Citizen Kane" would remain his crowning achievement, Welles went on to make several more movies, including some of the biggest money-makers of their time. To determine how Welles' career started and what his contributions to the visual arts have been, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature, followed by a summary of the research, important findings, and an assessment concerning what was learned regarding this topic and rationale in support of that conclusion.

Review and Analysis

The contributions to the visual arts made by Orson Welles span a prolific five-decade long career. In recognition for these contributions, in 1975, Welles received the prestigious Life Achievement Award presented each year by the American Film Institute (AFI). In this case, the award was presented to Welles for "one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishments have been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time," by George Stevens, Jr., AFI director (Stevens 398). Another biographer reports that Welles was born in 1915 and began his acting career during the early 1930s (Welles 51641). By 1937, Welles had started his directing career (Benamou 187), followed by his radio production of "The War of the Worlds" in 1938 that caused a national sensation and brought Welles instant household recognition throughout the United States (Welles 51641). In 1938, Welles went to work for RKO Pictures in Hollywood (Welles 51641) where he would go on to make such blockbuster hits as Academy Award-winning "Citizen Kane" (1941), his first -- and most widely acclaimed -- motion picture (Belsey 136). For instance, according to Graham, "Citizen Kane is regularly and repeatedly listed as one of the greatest films ever made and universally regarded as the work of Orson Welles" (114).

The characterization of Citizen Kane as being "the work of Orson Welles" is not made by accident or carelessness, rather, it is intended to reflect the enormity (if the pun can be excused) of his contributions to the production of the film. In this regard, Graham notes that, "It is not a necessary truth about film that it has no single mind at work to control it. One can imagine some one person superhumanly performing all these roles, and it is true that in some of the best films one person has a multiple role" (114). In this case, the multiple roles that were primarily responsible for the film's success were played by none other than Welles himself: "It is perhaps no accident that Orson Welles not only directed Citizen Kane," Graham notes, and adds, "but also took the lead role" (114). This is not to say, of course, that Welles was solely responsible for the production of "Citizen Kane," but it is to say that it was his creative genius that provided the impetus for everything to click just right in ways that would have likely eluded lesser directors (and actors). Moreover, Benamou emphasizes that although Welles did not always get along with studio higher-ups, he was an enthusiastic collaborator with trusted associates, an attribute that allowed him to "overcome the staggering obstacles, mainly logistical and institutional, that he had to overcome to bring [his works] to fruition" (188).

The freedom to manage the production of "Citizen Kane" according to Welles' unique vision in the dual capacities as director and lead actor produced some results that would have a lasting impact on the motion picture industry. In this regard, Tuska reports that, "There's no question that he freed motion pictures. Before 'Citizen Kane,' where you set the lights was determined by where the microphone was placed. The sound mixer and the cameraman were always at odds. The sound mixer generally won until Orson Welles came along. With his radio background, he was able to cut the shackles to the microphones and photography was again as free as it had been during the final days of silent films" (191). This freedom of movement is also cited by Cook when he notes that, "Orson Welles created a sequence in Citizen Kane (1941) [in which] he had Gregg Toland track his camera straight through the El Rancho nightclub sign and through a rain-drenched skylight down into the club below. Welles was clearly influenced by Murnau's American film Sunrise (1927), whose nocturnal moving camera shots anticipate the opening sequence of Kane" (119).

The remainder of Welles' career was highly prolific (although none would match "Citizen Kane" in prominence or influence), and his other motion pictures include directing those listed below.

1. The Magnificent Ambersons (1942);

2. The Lady from Shanghai (1948);

3. Othello (1952);

4. Touch of Evil (1958; restored and reworked according to Welles's instructions, 1998);

5. The Trial (1963); and,

6. Chimes at Midnight (1966) (Welles 51641).

Besides directing, Welles was also a popular actor and film narrator in motion pictures including:

1. Jane Eyre (1943);

2. The Third Man (1949);

3. Catch-22 (1970); and.

4. Someone to Love (1987) (Welles 51641).

Finally, Welles' career also included personal appearances on various television shows and commercials prior to his death in 1985 (Welles 51641). Interestingly, Orson Welles never enlisted the services of an agent during his entire career. According to Tuska, "From the time in the late Thirties when he was part of the Mercury Theater, L. Arnold Weissberger had been his attorney and he continued over the years to handle all of Orson's contracts" (192)