Retrobites: Orson Welles

[Cl3moh]

He totally undressed that interviewer!

[LedJam26]

holy shit I would give my left nut to have that voice!

[crzxr]

Awesome! Well, Orson. I mean Orson Welles. Well, awesome Orson Welles. Or some would say awesome.

[MrSeanMDickinson]

Agreed, didn't like that interviewer, he was thinking more of himself! then the subject. I'm always wary of anyone who uses negativity as a vehicle of conversation. There constantly having to justify it.... what does that tell you.

[eme017]

It is a shame that this interviewer does not show a little bit of respect for his trayectory. But Orson is a man with knowledge and he answered with his common wisdom

[rherbert57]

Sounds a lot like Patrick Watson, who was never afraid to ask a tough question. I also don't recall Mr Welles having any patience for ignoramuses, but he could tolerate "disrespect" to a point.

[billthestinker]

later welles tore that guys head off and used it for an ashtray!

[tectonic24]

is it on youtube?

[johntuohy]

Good analogy my friend, y'know people back in this time seemed to be much more enlightened, there conversations were so well structured. Could you imagine Britney Spears or Kanye or Jay-z for that matter involved in such an interview. The world appears to be getting dumber, but interestingly we're getting smarter, go figure.

[missfoxxxxxxx]

I could listen to him talk all day!

[EliorFein]

what an idiot interviewer. who remembers him anyway. a@@hole.

[Orsley]

This interviewer has evidently not seen any of Welles' post-"Kane" films, all of which are thematically, morally, narratively and visually complex; he has only read what other people have said about them! Useless! Can you imagine having the opportunity to ask an evidently affable Welles, one of the 20th century's great artists, any question you want, and coming up with such nonsense? "Do you think your work is superficial?" Jesus Christ! Do YOU, sir, think you are a god-damned idiot?

[PlayIt4MeAgainSam]

Just like the CBC! 

They would not still be around if they were not getting money from the government! Their only success is HNIC.

What an embarrASSments Bill Hicks was!

[lenbenhear]

Orson handled the obnoxious insinuations of that "interviewer" with real class and intelligence. he will always be a giant among actors, directors, and the genius of the true artist. - a maverick from the word, "ACTION!"

[Iori400]

Rosebud!

[GrandChessboard]

Yes! Rosebud peas choped with green peaness... wait that's terrible.

[NotaCutter88]

Welles rightly recognizes he's talking to an idiot, and handles himself memorably. How could he not be amused at the display of uninformed questions about technique? Not to mention the lack of respect this media putz visited on him...

[idster7]

@NotaCutter88 maybe you disagree with the questioner, but he does sound smart.

[ex1le444]

never a false word! great man...

[tomes55moon]

well handeled orson. what a prick of an interviewer, what the fuck has he done apart from wake up that morning, look in the mirror and say 'i'm a dooshbag'

[joyandian]

i'm surprised to hear him say in 65 that welles has done nothing memorable since Kane.

what about ambersons and touch of evil?

two masterpieces right there

[Sierra688]

The reporter is an absolute moron, and a jackass to boot. There can be no art without technique. Most artists spend a great part of their lives mastering the techniques of their art. Orson, along with Greg Toland, wrote the book on modern cinematography and filmic narrative. Nothing superficial about that.

[mattleemattlee123]

Imagine, the greatest American actor / director / writer being asked this question! One only needs to see "The Third Man". Everyone I know always thinks of that as a "Welles" film. His "face time" was something less than ten minutes I believe. Such was the power of Welles, to dominate a film even though he only shows up in the last few moments of it. (Also one of the two greatest screen entrances of all time, the other being Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia).

[dkamran]

@mattleemattlee123 That's for sure. You're definitely right. There's no end - literally - to stupidity and disrespect in this world.  It's seemingly infinite. The real question is why that is ... just imagine, some bum journalist who's less than zero talking to Orson Wells for once in his life and he blows it ... really for everyone. A bad apple, really.

[reggaejuggler]

Like Bill Hicks, Welles did his thing and let everyone else talk about it. Some artists are above that shit. Anything worse for instance, than a 'comedian' who explains his comedy?

[CMTCB1977]

He looks just like Winston Churchill... What an amazing man , both of them.

[otuswerd]

guess the interviewer never saw The Lady from Shanghai...that was very memorable...

[sortedevaras]

God that interviewer is a douche, Welles is a legend so show some respect.

[RantingTrent]

The interviewer is not very bright...

[panamared75]

Godard said, "We owe him everything."

[GalvatronNCV]

He looks like he's hurt deeply when the reporter brings up American views on his work. You plays it off, but his eyes look like he's been stabbed.

[GeorgesBarras]

The only reason the interviewer has a job is to feed off the scraps of Welles', and other artists', tables.

[METROGNOME57]

What a pompous ass of an interviewer, wasting all our time with accusatory questions in the presence of one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century!

Feh!

[bagoona]

Excellent advice for any artist. BTW...the reporter was a douche-bag.....filled to overflowing.

[goatman257]

well said Mr.Welles

[TheLastDugong]

Do you know if the actual stage version still exists in any form, and what were your thoughts on the movie, personally?

[MeAndOrsonWelles]

There is a radio version of the play performed by the Mercury theatre troupe, but sadly no recording of the stage format.

Personally, I think the movie is excellent. Obviously I'm going to say that, but when I saw it I was suprised by just how much I actually enjoyed it! Christian McKay is exceptional as Welles - a role he's performed on stage numerous times - and Zac Effron proves himself a more than capable actor in what is a real break-through role for him.

[blackseadugong]

Thanks for the reply.  I'll have to check it out.

[clean3]

Its hardly surprising that OW is reticent and incidentally, if the interviewer really has established a relationship as someone suggests, its a peculiar one to ask given Welless complicated and somewhat tortuous relationship with Hollywood which did its best to interfere with his work from Kane on...its a miracle he was able to produce anything of substance given the philistine element inhabiting tinsel - town.

[TheCannabisChannel]

orson is the man!

[papajoemambo]

mindstormsabrewin - Patrick Watson is a highly creative person who was asking Orson challenging questions for the sake of his audience -- he has said that he and Orson got along quite well, actually.

[papajoemambo]

Franzy1 -- That's actually Patrick Watson.

He's already established a relationship with Orson at this point so what seems like a bunch of impertinent questions are coming from someone who Orson has invited to ask anything.

[antivellumzero]

Welles, Wittgenstein, and the Will to Power at Antivellum Zero

[daninspiration]

All questions were stupid for a real artist like Orson.

Technique is not superficial. If you see Orson's movies even 50 years later they are pretty amazing..Third man, Touch of Evil...They are still great...There are many good movies he made even after citizen Kane...May be they are not as popular..but never the less..pretty mazing and i am sure pretty satisfying for Orson too...

[seanyc2001]

The Third Man was directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. Orson just has a small part in it. It is by no means 'his' movie.

[PlayIt4MeAgainSam]

@seanyc2001,

Welles is what MADE 'The Third Man'! He had the best entrance of anyone, esp. a criminal, in that film...his lines were outstanding! It would never be the same without him! It's an amazing cast, however, he was PERFECT! (NOT Just a "SMALL" part!). That would be Hyde-White.

[DeutscheBagge]

I was waiting for him to go, "MWAHAA...THE FRENCH"

[franzy1]

Am I crazy or is that Peter Gzowski doing the interview?

[Evansharma]

who is this guy?

[TheEldritchMask]

A really good interview - sadly nowadays its all rehearsed questions, sound bites and media spin.

Can you imagine Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford or anyone big getting an interview or questioned like this on their own movie set? Some PR zombie would have appeared.

[savant2k]

since wir not on trial ...very nicely put,,yea he was a interesting creature.

[mindstormsabrewin]

It's always amazing to witness an interviewer that knows so little about the person he's talking to. They always pretend to have a higher awareness of the topic in question. I'd like to see the masterpiece films directed by that interviewer. I doubt such a man has ever created ANYTHING in his mediocre, safe life, yet he smugly attempts to provoke a master by denigrating his work right to his face. No doubt he was hoping for a sensational confrontation. How common.

[JohnMcMinn]

Well said.

This interviewer's credibility went out the window when he suggested that Kane was Orson's only memorable film. A statement like that is the sign of a true philistine. What a coward of an interviewer. It became remarkably easy to kick Welles around for much of his career, but the man's work speaks for itself.

[229095]

Orson was so fucking amazing. DAMN!

[michiganois]

If there was ever an interviewer who was occupied with his own questions, rather than the person he's supposed to be interviewing, it's this interviewer. Way to go, Orson! : - )

[peterm3964]

Were not on trial Right at the end ,, orson nails the answer

[goodflo911]

Orson is dominating the reviewer by totally crushing his sensationalist attempt to floor him on his own succes and pedantic questioning.

Imagine one trying to floor you with your own succes.. yeah.

[RantingTrent]

The interviewer is not a bright guy.

[Orsley]

The questions of this interviewer, whom Welles suffers graciously, are idiotic. No thoughtful person who has seen and considered Welles' major work post-"Kane" ("Ambersons," "Lady From Shanghai," "Othello," "Trial," "Chimes At Midnight," "F For Fake") can seriously believe that Welles was only interested in technique, or that superficial bedazzlement was the sum total of his art. This "conventional-wisdom" type of criticism only puts on display the limitations of Welles' critics, not of Welles.

[DAVIDINTEL]

The last renaissance man, what a loss to film. Most people of his time didn't realize his true genius till he was gone.

He had to raise money himself for most of his work, so let's be thankful for his tenacity. We won't see his kind again anytime soon!!

[dojufitz]

They hated Welles because to all the film sycophants he didn't behave.

He was brilliant - no doubt and left sketches on film that others can only marvel at.

[bluemayonnaise]

Welles was the consummate practitioner of interlocutory aikidō.

[teflonmagnet]

when he wasn't hammered, he always gave thoughtful and generous answers to most any interviewer.

[sclogse1]

True of a few of us.

[JohnKoroly]

Freeze it at :38. It's clear Orson didn't like the question. That coldly MURDEROUS look!

[MrDemiraj]

It's a disgrace to put him in a position of defense. Regardless, he handled himself with class.

[ferociousfrankie]

Best director of all time! He is one of the geniuses of the 20th century. No doubt!

[jason01442]

'You don't really care about the audience?'

'I don't dare begin to care'.

Great answer from Mr Welles.

[dexterville]

excellent!