A Closer Look Sheds Light on the Legendary Life of Orson Welles
Mercury One Staff
"Create your own visual style . . . let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others." --- Orson Welles
Orson Welles is remembered in the entertainment industry for his innovative work in theater, radio and film throughout the 1930s and 1940s. His Broadway variation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar brought him recognition in the world of theater. He is perhaps best known for his legendary adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel, The War of the Worlds, performed on his radio anthology series, The Mercury Theatre on the Air. The infamous broadcast caused widespread panic when listeners thought the world was under attack from extraterrestrial beings.
Although he directed 13 full-length films during his career, his first film, Citizen Kane is consistently ranked one of the all-time greatest films. Welles was an outsider to the studio system and struggled for creative control on most of his projects. Nevertheless, he persevered and followed up Citizen Kane with critically acclaimed films including The Magnificent Ambersons and Touch of Evil. Historical retrospectives call him the second most acclaimed director of all time, behind Alfred Hitchcock.
Later in his career, Welles found himself in great demand on television talk shows. He made regular appearances for Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson, Dean Martin and Merv Griffin. On October 9, 1985, he recorded his final interview on the TV program, The Merv Griffin Show, and died the following morning of a heart attack.
Welles lived an incredible life and was able to create amazing entertainment in multiple types of media.
The camera Orson Welles used personally for several projects, from the Mercury One historical collection. Photo courtesy of Mercury One.
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Republished with permission from MercuryOne.org.