Life and achievements
Early life
Orson Welles was born George Orson Welles on May 6, 1915, in Kenosha, Wisconsin state. His father, Richard Welles, was an inventor and a businessman, and his mother, Beatrice Ives Welles, was a concert pianist.
It is, perhaps, to be noted that Welles was a highly gifted child who demonstrated remarkable ability in music, art, and drama. He was affected by his parents’ divorce when he was six and his mother dying when he was nine.
Dr. Maurice Bernstein took in Welles after his father died when he was 15, and the doctor supported his artistic endeavors. He was enrolled at the Todd School for Boys in Illinois, where he took an interest in acting on stage and Shakespeare.
Welles toured Europe in his youth and even acted on stage in Dublin. He moved back to the US for a radio career as an actor on stage and in film.
In 1937, he founded Mercury Theatre, which, with John Houseman, presented modern productions of classical plays. Welles combined film and theater methods, which were quite popular back then, especially the production of Julius Caesar in 1937. It was quite innovative as it was translated into a play in a fascist state.
Even when he was 21, Welles could be classified as one of the most promising young actors and directors on the American stage.
Legacy
It will not be an exaggeration to say that Orson Welles has left a trail of art and proved to be one of cinema’s greatest artists.
His most notable work is Citizen Kane, which is still being praised as one of the best movies of all time due to the techniques used in the movie, such as storytelling and shooting. Due to deep focus, overlapping dialogue, and nonlinear narrative, Welles set new standards for filmmakers, which include Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Stanley Kubrick.
The character of Charles Foster Kane, who resembles Hearst, is an excellent example of portraying an individual who mixes real life, actual life events, and fictionalized characteristics.
Despite his Hollywood career being filled with battles with studios, Welles’ passion for independence made him a role model for independent cinema. Despite not getting commercial success, his subsequent movies, such as Touch of Evil and Chimes at Midnight, depict his excellence in style and substance.
His documentary F for Fake, made in 1973, is another movie that questions the difference between fiction and non-fiction filmmaking, thus making Welles one of the great pioneers in the film industry.
Besides, Welles was also influential in the audience’s approach to radio and theatre. His Mercury Theatre was instrumental in transforming radio into a proper medium for high art, especially with the notorious 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast.
His impact was not limited to cinema but on nearly all the art forms in the 20th century. Welles’ work covered and overpassed the conventional and set new standards for what was possible in art.
Milestone moments
Jun 22, 1937
Founding of Mercury Theatre
In 1937, Orson Welles and John Houseman established Mercury Theatre.
The Mercury Theatre was quickly preparing to stage new and creative productions, including Welles’ Julius Caesar, in a modern dictatorial setting.
This success gave Welles national attention and made him a visionary director, opening doors to expand his career in radio and film.
Oct 30, 1938
The radio broadcast of War of the Worlds
One of the most famous events in the history of radio was the broadcast on Halloween, October 30, 1938, of Orson Welles’ adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.
Due to the broadcast’s realistic approach, many listeners thought that an actual Martian invasion was in progress, and panic started to spread.
It also confirmed Welles as one of the masters of media and storytelling and made the radio the powerful tool of future mass communication.
May 1, 2024
Release of Citizen Kane
In 1941, Welles came out with Citizen Kane, which he wrote, directed, and acted in; it was his first movie.
While the film failed to become a success at the box office, it is today considered one of the best producers in cinema’s history due to its unique camera and non-conventional storytelling system.
This film made Welles one of the premier film directors in movie history; however, it also created the beginning of a troubled tenure with Hollywood studios.
Jul 10, 2024
The Magnificent Ambersons and Studio Interference
Welles’s second film, The Magnificent Ambersons, was released in 1942, but due to RKO’s interference, the director could not release it in the form he wanted.
The studio reduced the film by almost an hour and provided a new resolution. Thus, the film’s release was unsatisfactory, although Welles’ creative concepts were positively received.
This was the start of Welles’ battle with creative control in Hollywood, which would recur continuously throughout his career.