Orson Welles on performers working an audience (1979)

[angeltosome]

Haha, Busey.

[lehnrik]

@Blunic Watch you language, cretin.

[comandoyle]

I know he died 6 years later, but you can see the damage done, in his face. I love Orson Welles and there will never ever be anyone like him. He was a true original genius and one of the most eloquent speakers to grace us.

RIP big man!

[Orsonmoreson]

If Sinatra's the emperor Orson's the almighty

[mvies77]

Correction on comment below. Stupid iPhone spell check! It is supposed to say, Orson was a genius and knew it!

[mvies77]

Ordinary was a genius who knew it!

[3eyedweasel]

Why is he sitting so much closer to the camera?

[cheeriosinabowl]

You can't blame Dinah Shore for looking like a star-struck school girl.

She is in the presence of a great, great man. The one and only, Mr. Orson Welles.

RIP ... to both of them.

[TubularMonkey]

Jacqueline BISSIT? Oh, Dina.

[Flickchaser]

You don't control this man, not with that voice commanding presence.

[musicom67]

@Flickchaser Unless you're Paul Masson - wine, that is!

[caesiume]

Dinah is pathetic. I feel so sorry for her.

[DankWin]

Holy christ she is awful.

[wwparks08]

dinah is no match for orson. she just repeats him and is befuddled by his intelligence!!

[TomPaine56]

great comment by Orson Welles

[daveferguson56]

Dinah is a complete phoney ... no wonder Bert Reynolds could put her under his phoney spell ... and before plastic surgery!!!!!!

[heyheymonkees]

You can tell she took offense to his opinion. The beginning of the death of the freedom to exchange ideas. She's quite emotionalised.

[heyheymonkees]

The guy was a beast! Rad. 

[doctornoooo]

come on you all Dinah was a class act Burt was a fool to give her up for Lonnie whatshername

[eslubin]

@doctornoooo surely you jest. loni was the best

[guinnesstrail]

Pound for pound, America's greatest dictor.

[cuttock]

Incredible man. What energy, what composure and mastery.

[BARNEYFATSWALT]

ORSON WAS AMAZING!

[osharemind]

Orson Welles>Everyone else

[RossHildick3D]

he is awesome.

[TheLameemal]

real talk!

[monsieurhassan]

He;s absolutely right, . .. sincerity is engendered in the people when they actually pay for something . . . they take it more seriously then

[caesiume]

bitch shut the fuck up

[eslubin]

visionary words by welles. there is no audience today, we're all on stage here on youtube

[AlainRacette1986]

Orson could easily have been a comedian with a satirical biting edge! :)

[MrCeet]

Orson Welles is a genius! I only hope that their would be more people like him...

[sclogse1]

Jaqueline Bisset..man...that gal is so fine. That of course, means, that Orson and she got to say hello. She showed up in my neighborhood..here in S.F. on 16th St. at the Roxie theatre...took some shots outside.

And orson, was always a fan of the world.

[DirectorDissonance]

Oh Orson...poor. Forked. Radish.

There will never be celebrity quite as adored and appreciated as you.

As the also-great--late astronomer/physicist Dr. Carl Sagan says, you are STAR stuff now. In more ways than one, good sir. <3

[Jude107c]

This guy is a GENIUS! PURE GENIUS!

[Bubblelab]

Wonderful. Where are you now, Orson?

[brisduv]

Orson's brilliance shines through in 6 minutes, we haven't seen his like since he passed. Thanks for sharing!

[ivelosthewilltolive]

The story about what Caruso said to his mother is actually quite possible, she hobnobbed with all the visiting artists in Chicago...

[cbeg]

This clip was a delight; thank you for sharing it!

Mr. Welles was a brilliant raconteur and exquisite showman.

[Cliffdogg]

this is effing BRILLIANT

[acrobaticaromatic]

I wish there were more Orson Welles videos online. He is so intelligent, it's so easy to listen to him talk.

[OscarMaris]

orson welles is high

[percussin8or]

"merry peals of laughter echoing out of the graveyard" - brilliant for the way he says it, and because it's so true. Orson Welles was a fantastic artist.

[zenarcher99]

he is awesome.

[SteVin89]

Listen to that voice, it's wonderful.

[Cardozo2]

If you are a performer of any kind, listen to what he says. Dinah Shore was a very, very famous singer. She knew how to sing a lyric that effected her listener on stage, TV, radio, and in recordings.

She is, also, giving over the stage to her interviewee, a Master. She was interested in what he said, and it wasn't about losing control

in this case. She knew very well what was coming.

[KahnBB6]

I agree with you. She wasn't being blown over by any means-- she wanted to listen to what he had to say. And it is very good wisdom for any performer to hear. What he is talking about is something you have to OWN, pure and simple. From there you are only limited by your appearance and vocal cadence-- and even if you don't have a booming presence like Welles' you can still "own" or "seduce" in other ways. Welles was quite an amazing man.

[MuninRaven]

Beautiful human being on every level. Give me Orson to talk to on a dreary desert island and it would probably take many years before I bothered hailing passing ships!

[yb1711]

What a total badass

[gsixtysix]

Translation: Your All Tools

[jackotheripper]

@gsixtysix YOU'RE

YOU are the tool.

[uani69]

A true actor, director magician & entertainer

[Corvastus]

Protip for the chick: do NOT interrupt Orson Fucking Welles.

[sclogse1]

@Corvastus

It was still her show...and she was always a pro. SHe simply knew she had a show to take care of at the same time.

[SadClownMovies]

choatelodge, i totally agree. orson welles was great.

[toocoolcat]

'most of the people on that box died long ago' lol. Fantastic.

[choatelodge]

Look at Dinah, forcing that smile and doing exactly what Orson is talking about... and he knows it as he speaks!

She obviously didn't know how far Orson intended to go with his allusion and the more uncomfortable and out of her control the situation, the bigger the strained leer she pastes onto her mug. Then Welles calms the waters as he proceeds with the interview at HIS pace, so that she never resents nor seems to realize she has become the sidekick on her own show.

Orson the master.

[krackheadkola]

@choatelodge this is exactly , the replica of my thoughts during the clip. nicely writen

[eslubin]

@choatelodge maybe if he didn't do that his career would have flourished

[trent730]

He would put a stupid question in its place. He wouldn't tolerate today's TV. TV today is for morons.

[joshd321]

What a fascinating opinion - and to think this was on mainstream TV. Today, he wouldn't have been allowed to keep talking that long-the host would have cut him off. And props to Shore for asking intelligent questions, eliciting more great thoughts from Welles.

[YawnGod]

Welles.  Awe.

[themightytim1]

the pinky, the pinky and the brain brain brain brain brain brain brain brain brain. best voice ever.

[Matzes]

cant the women just shut up and let this brilliant man talk?

[CuttingWilliam]

Ha Matzes I was thinking the exact same thing. A woman that clearly cant handle being shadowed by someone truly great.

[kristiankroflin]

Audience: just like with those people who pretended to follow the Nazis during their parades, who bluffed so good to stay out

of the Nazis crossfade. They kept themselves safe and they also helped the Nazis to look

good (or better: to make other people believe that they believe so that the others followed to - which was seen by the first ones and so each bluffed the other and didn´t get it that the other´s bluffing the happier she or he looked like).

[65Dart]

One of the larger than life characters that came out of a time we are not likely to see again...

[jmonroe64]

Why do so many people think Dinah is "out of her depth". She introduced the subject. This was a performance, and Dinah was doing her part of it.

[archer1949]

The late Great Orson Welles!

Where have all the geniuses gone?

[senorsquiid]

I'm here!

[HS22181]

Oh ya, I'm all about the happy ending. Love me long time please.

[lavverlylad]

His genius as a raconteur on full display - out-thought, out-spake and out-ran his interviewer, yet let her feel to be his superior. His advice is advice for actors, teachers , singers and humans.

[0586730O2]

women interviewer is out of her depth, orson is as usual brilliant!!

[PatrickLeeRyan]

Spellbinding. As always. Brilliant.

[dontacmaiboll]

I love this man!

[kiasmus]

Our good Lord Orson, we all love you and miss you very much.

[laswilliam]

Orson taught me my first magic trick, backsatge at Caesars Palace.

He was one hell of a guy!

[Marcolopolis5]

Wow, that must've been something.

[laswilliam]

He and Frank Sinatra were close friends since the 40's. Wells put little Sinatra references in his work and in 1944, they toured the country campaigning for a (controversial) 4th term for President Roosevelt (after whom Frank Jr is named, by the way).

I visited with Wells many times, backstage at Caesars Palace, where he taught -and encouraged, my backpalm.

Thanks, Marcolopolis

[Marcolopolis5]

I would've loved to of met him. Thanks for the story. One of my favorite people of the 20th century, not to mention ever.

[TheouAegis]

"Most of the people laughing on that box died long ago."

That made me but out laughing. The good actors are all gone -- the charismatic voice is practically no more. RIP Master Welles.

[neonatalpenguin]

Once again, Welles runs rings round an interviewer.

[GusF]

I'd have given anything to meet with this man and hear his opinions on any subject.

The cinema lost its greatest creative genius when he died.

[vidiegoquam]

"Your cake gets moist and all your troubles are over!" Unknown aspects of brilliance from this man.

[CaptPoco]

I keep wondering whether this is a double entendre.

[purquiz]

Everytime he talks he makes you pay attention. I could listen to him for hours.

Rest in peace, master.

[32doors]

Fascinating. Thanks for posting.

[popeaustini]

that was a genius

[solidmotion]

What an entertaining and thought provoking clip.  Thanks for sharing!