Orson Welles has worked in theatre, radio, and film.
George Orson Welles ( [ ˈwɛlz ] May 6 , 1915 -- October 10 , 1985 ) was an American actor , director , writer , and producer who worked in theatre , radio , and film . He is remembered for his innovative work in all three : in theatre , most notably Caesar ( 1937 ) , a Broadway adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar ; in radio , the legendary 1938 broadcast `` The War of the Worlds '' ; and in film , Citizen Kane ( 1941 ) , consistently ranked as one of the all-time greatest films . In 1937 he and John Houseman founded the Mercury Theatre , an independent repertory theatre company that presented a series of productions on Broadway through 1941 .