Directing
Orson Welles
EN, PT, FR, IT cinema · 331 credits
Born
6 May 1915
Died
10 October 1985 (aged 70)
Birthplace
Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
Also known as George Orson Welles · O. W. Jeeves
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) 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
Filmography
Something Else
Something Else
Actor, Original Concept
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
as Self (archive footage)
Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas
as Self / The Director / Sir John Falstaff (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Making Of
as Self (archival)
War of the Worlds
as narrator
The Scorpion and the Frog
as Narrator (archive footage)
Human Nature in Eleven Parts
as Narrator "The Scorpion and the Frog" (archive footage)
WeirdWorld
as Troy2000 (Archive footage)
Othelo The Great
as Self (archive footage)
The Battle of Grovers Mill
as Radio Host (voice) (archival footage), Original Story
Jim Henson Idea Man
as Self (archive footage)
Looking Back Before You Leap
as General Zaroff (voice)
It's Pretty, but is it Art?
as Self (voiceover)
American: An Odyssey to 1947
as Self (archive footage)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
as Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)
The Welles Raft
as Himself (Archive Footage)
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Parkinson at 50
as Self (archive footage)
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
as Self (archive footage)
The Real Charlie Chaplin
as Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
as Self (archive footage)
Hopper/Welles
as Self, Director
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
as Self (archive footage)
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
as (archive footage)
Halston
Theme Song Performance
The Other Side of the Wind
as Journalist (uncredited), Director, Editor, Screenplay
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
as Self (archive footage)
The Eyes of Orson Welles
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Embers & Dust
as Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
Decadence and Downfall: The Shah of Iran's Ultimate Party
as Self (archive footage) (voice)
Passage to Mars
Theme Song Performance
Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance
as Self (archive footage)
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Too Much Johnson
as Keystone Kop (uncredited), Director, Screenplay, Editor, Producer
Jodorowsky's Dune
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
as (archive footage)
The Shadow Knows
as Self (archive footage)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
as Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
Jucy
as Elephant Lamp (archive sound)
Lucifer et moi
as (archive footage 1982)
F for favor
2008
F for favor
Original Concept
The Deep
as Russ Brewer, Producer, Director, Screenplay
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
as Self (archive)
The Hitchhiker
Original Concept
The Well
Actor
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
as Self (archive footage)
The Other Side of Welles
as Self (archive footage)
Lost in "The Thinking"
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles Talks With Roger Hill
as (Self), Director
The Hitch Hiker
as Ronald Adams
The UFO Conspiracy
2004
The UFO Conspiracy
as Self (archive sound)
The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles
as Self (archive footage)
Filming 'The Trial'
as Self, Director, Producer
Lost in La Mancha
as Self (archive footage)
Heart of the Festival
as Self (archive footage)
The Movie Movie (An Excerpt)
as (archive footage)
The Magnificent Ambersons
Original Film Writer
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
as Self (Archive footage)
A Huey P. Newton Story
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
as Narrator
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
as Self (Archive footage)
Moby Dick
as Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage), Director, Theatre Play, Editor
Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
as Self (archive footage)
Hi-Fi
Actor
One Man Band
as Presenter / Various, Director, Writer, Editor
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self - Roaster (archive footage)
It's All Brazil
as Self (archive footage)
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
as Self (archive footage)
The Hearts of Age
1997
The Hearts of Age
Original Concept
The Battle Over Citizen Kane
as Self (archive footage)
Treasury of Children's Stories
1996
Treasury of Children's Stories
Theme Song Performance
Orson Welles: The One-Man Band
as Self (archive footage)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
as Self (archive footage)
Valentines. A Bouquet of Letters and Poetry of Lovers
1994
Valentines. A Bouquet of Letters and Poetry of Lovers
Theme Song Performance
It's All True
as Self, Director
Working with Orson Welles
as Himself (Archive Footage)
La Classe américaine
as Self (archive footage)
Don Quixote
as Self, Director, Editor, Producer, Screenplay
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
as Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound)
The Complete 'Citizen Kane'
as Self (archive footage)
Welles' Language
as Self (archive footage)
Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream
as Self (archive footage)
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
1990
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
as Self (archive footage)
Continental
Thanks
On the tracks of a filmmaker
as Orson Welles
Waxwork
Thanks
Someone to Love
as Danny's Friend
The Transformers: The Movie
as Unicron (voice)
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
as Self (archive footage)
It's Not All True
as Himself (archive footage)
Unseen Lollo
as Himself, Director, Writer
It's All True: Four Men on a Raft
Director, Writer
The Dreamers
as Marcus Kleek, Director, Writer
Orson Welles' Magic Show
as Self, Director, Writer, Producer
Where Is Parsifal?
as Klingsor
The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh
as himself, Director
In Our Hands
1984
In Our Hands
as Himself
Almonds and Raisins
as Narrator
The Witching
as Mr. Cato
Hot Money
as Sheriff Paisley
King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands
1983
King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands
as Self - Narrator
The Psychic Connection
as Narrator
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
as Magician (uncredited)
Butterfly
as Judge Rauch
Slapstick of Another Kind
as Aliens' Father (voice) (uncredited)
Magic with the Stars
as Self - Host
The Quest for Fire Adventure
as Narrator
Genocide
as Narrator (voice)
Baryshnikov in Hollywood
as Self - Narrator
Doug Henning's World of Magic
as Self - Special Guest
Wagner e Venezia
as Richard Wagner (voice)
History of the World: Part I
as Narrator (voice)
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
as Presenter / Narrator (voice)
Search for the Titanic
as Self - Host
A Gift of Harvest
as Narrator
Brasil
as Self (archive footage)
The Secret of Nikola Tesla
as J.P. Morgan
A un solo paso
1980
A Step Away
as English Narrator
The Greenstone
as Narrator (voice)
Filming Othello
as Host, Director, Writer
The Muppet Movie
as Lew Lord
The Orson Welles Show
as Self, Director, Writer
To Try Again... and Succeed
1979
To Try Again... and Succeed
as Narrator (voice)
The Double McGuffin
as Narrator (voice)
The Biggest Battle
as Narratore
Mysterious Castles of Clay
as Narrator
Orson Welles at The Magic Castle
as Self, Writer
Hot Tomorrows
as Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
The Force Beyond
as Himself (archive footage)
It Happened One Christmas
as Henry F. Potter
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
as Narrator
Tut: The Boy King
as Himself - Host
Voyage of the Damned
as José Estedes
Bugs Bunny Superstar
as Narrator (voice)
The New Deal for Artists
as Narrator (voice)
NBC: The First Fifty Years
as Self / Narrator, Writer
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
as Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
Who's Out There?
as Host
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles - Das vermarktete Genie
1975
Orson Welles - Das vermarktete Genie
as Self
3 A.M.
Editorial Services, Editor
And Then There Were None
as Voice on Tape
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
F for Fake
as Self, Director, Writer, Editor
The Battle of Sutjeska
as Winston Churchill
The Cave
as Narrator
Kelly Country
1973
Kelly Country
as Narrator
Treasure Island
as Long John Silver, Writer
Necromancy
as Mr. Cato
Malpertuis
as Cassavius
Future Shock
1972
Future Shock
as Narrator
Get to Know Your Rabbit
as Mr. Delasandro
The Man Who Came to Dinner
as Sheridan Whiteside
A Safe Place
as The Magician
Ten Days' Wonder
as Théo Van Horn
Flame of Persia
as Narrator
Directed by John Ford
as Narrator (voice)
Freedom River
as Narrator, Producer
Catch-22
as Brigadier General Dreedle
Waterloo
as Louis XVIII
The Kremlin Letter
as Bresnavitch
Is It Always Right to Be Right?
as Narrator
Upon This Rock
as Michelangelo (voice)
Start the Revolution Without Me
as The Narrator
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon
Actor, Writer, Director, Producer, Editor
A Horse Called Nijinsky
as Narrator
The Merchant of Venice (Rushes)
as Shylock, Director
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Happy Prince
Actor, Director, Producer, Writer
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. I – Selections from George Ade, Thomas Wolfe, Mark Twain
Actor, Director, Producer, Writer
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. II – Clarence Darrow
Actor, Director, Producer, Writer
An Evening with Orson Welles: Two Wise Old Men – Socrates and Noah
Actor, Director, Producer, Writer
An Evening with Orson Welles: My Little Boy
Actor, Director, Producer, Writer
Twelve Plus One
as Markan
The Battle of Neretva
as Četnik
The Southern Star
as Plankett
Tepepa
as Colonel Cascorro
To Build a Fire
as Narrator (voice)
The Merchant of Venice
as Shylock, Producer, Screenplay, Director, Editor
Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali
as Narrator (voice)
The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal
as Justinian
House of Cards
as Leschenhaut
The Immortal Story
as Charles Clay, Director, Screenplay
The Fight for Rome
as Justinian
Vienna
as Himself, Director, Writer, Producer
Oedipus the King
as Tiresias
Around the World of Mike Todd
as Self - Narrator
Casino Royale
as Le Chiffre
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
as Jonathan Lute
The Sailor from Gibraltar
as Louis de Mozambique
Ten Days That Shook the World
as Narrator
Beggars Would Ride
as Narrator
A Man for All Seasons
as Cardinal Wolsey
Is Paris Burning?
as Konsul Nordling
Orson Welles in Spain
as Himself
The Bible: In the Beginning...
Additional Writing, Scenario Writer
Chimes at Midnight
as Falstaff, Director, Screenplay, Costume Design
Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Marco the Magnificent
as Akerman, Marco's Teacher
A King's Story
as Narrator
Americans on Everest
as Narrator- Self
The Finest Hours
as Narrator (voice)
The V.I.P.s
as Max Buda
Ro.Go.Pa.G.
as The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta")
The Trial
as Albert Hastler, Director, Screenplay, Editor
Lafayette
as Benjamin Franklin
Der große Atlantik
1962
River of the Ocean
as Narrator (English)
The Tartars
as Burundai
King of Kings
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
David and Goliath
as King Saul
Crack in the Mirror
as Hagolin / Lamerciere
Austerlitz
as Robert Fulton
An Arabian Night
as Storyteller
Five Columns on the Front Page: Hong Kong as seen by Orson Welles
as Self (narrator), Director
Compulsion
as Jonathan Wilk
Ferry to Hong Kong
as Captain Hart
High Journey
as Narrator
Touch of Evil
as Police Captain Hank Quinlan, Director, Screenplay
The Long, Hot Summer
as Will Varner
The Vikings
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Fountain of Youth
as the narrator, Director, Producer, Production Design, Writer, Music Arranger
The Roots of Heaven
as Cy Sedgewick
Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina
as Self - Host, Director, Writer
Les Seigneurs de la forêt
1958
Lords of the Forest
as Narrator (voice)
South Seas Adventure
as Supplemental Narrator (voice)
Man in the Shadow
as Virgil Renchler
Moby Dick
as Father Mapple
Out of Darkness
1956
Out of Darkness
as Self - Narrator
Orson Welles and People: Camille, the Naked Lady and the Musketeers
1956
Orson Welles and People: Camille, the Naked Lady and the Musketeers
as Self - Narrator (voice), Director, Writer, Producer, Production Designer, Music Arranger
Napoleon
as Sir Hudson Lowe
Mr. Arkadin
as Gregory Arkadin, Director, Screenplay, Producer, Production Design, Costume Design, Editor, Story, Art Direction
Three Cases of Murder
as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment), Theme Song Performance
The Land of the Basques
as Himself, Director
Moby Dick—Rehearsed
as An Actor Manager /Father Mapple /Ahab, Director, Writer
Trouble in the Glen
as Sanin Cejador y Mengues
Royal Affairs in Versailles
as Benjamin Franklin
Man, Beast and Virtue
as Captain Perella, the Beast
King Lear
as King Lear
Trent's Last Case
as Sigsbee Manderson
Return to Glennascaul
as Narrator
Othello
as Othello, Director, Producer, Screenplay
The Black Rose
as Bayan
Disorder
as Self
The Miracle of St. Anne
as The Director, Director, Writer
The Third Man
as Harry Lime
Prince of Foxes
as Cesare Borgia
Black Magic
as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro, Co-Director
Macbeth
as Macbeth, Director, Costume Design, Producer, Screenplay, Set Designer
The Lady from Shanghai
as Michael O'Hara, Producer, Screenplay, Director
The Stranger
as Prof. Charles Rankin, Director, Co-Writer
Tomorrow Is Forever
as John Andrew MacDonald
Duel in the Sun
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Follow the Boys
as Orson Welles (uncredited)
Know Your Ally: Britain
as Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger)
Journey into Fear
as Colonel Haki, Producer, Screenplay
Jane Eyre
as Edward Rochester, Associate Producer
It's All True
1943
It's All True
Director, Screenplay
The Magnificent Ambersons
as Narrator (voice), Director, Producer, Screenplay, Additional Photography
Citizen Kane
as Charles Foster Kane, Screenplay, Producer, Director
Swiss Family Robinson
as Opening Narrator (uncredited)
The Green Goddess
1939
The Green Goddess
as Rajah/Narrator, Director, Adaptation, Producer
The Spanish Earth
as Narrator (voice)
The Hearts of Age
as Death, Director, Writer
Twelfth Night
as Narrator, Director, Adaptation, Costume Design, Director of Photography