Orson Welles was a director.
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 . His first film was Citizen Kane ( 1941 ) , which he co-wrote , produced , directed , and starred in as Charles Foster Kane . His distinctive directorial style featured layered and nonlinear narrative forms , uses of lighting such as chiaroscuro , unusual camera angles , sound techniques borrowed from radio , deep focus shots , and long takes . In 2002 , Welles was voted the greatest film director of all time in two British Film Institute polls among directors and critics .