Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985), best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio. Noted for his innovative dramatic productions as well as his distinctive voice and personality, Welles is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished dramatic artists of the twentieth century, especially for his significant and influential early work—despite his notoriously contentious relationship with Hollywood. His distinctive directorial style featured layered, nonlinear narrative forms, innovative uses of lighting such as chiaroscuro, unique camera angles, sound techniques borrowed from radio, deep focus shots, and long takes. Welles's long career in film is noted for his struggle for artistic control in the face of pressure from studios. Many of his films were heavily edited and others left unreleased. He has been praised as a major creative force and as "the ultimate auteur."
After directing a number of high-profile theatrical productions in his early twenties, including an innovative adaptation of Macbeth and The Cradle Will Rock, Welles found national and international fame as the director and narrator of a 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds performed for the radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was reported to have caused widespread panic when listeners thought that an invasion by extraterrestrial beings was occurring. Although these reports of panic were mostly false and overstated, they rocketed Welles to instant notoriety.
Citizen Kane (1941), his first film with RKO, in which he starred in the role of Charles Foster Kane, is often considered the greatest film ever made. Several of his other films, including The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Touch of Evil (1958), Chimes at Midnight (1965), and F for Fake (1974), are also widely considered to be masterpieces.
In 2002, he was voted the greatest film director of all time in two separate British Film Institute polls among directors and critics, and a wide survey of critical consensus, best-of lists, and historical retrospectives calls him the most acclaimed director of all time. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Well known for his baritone voice, Welles was also an extremely well regarded actor and was voted number 16 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars list of the greatest American film actors of all time. He was also a celebrated Shakespearean stage actor and an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety shows in the war years.
Acted in
The Battle of Grovers Mill
2024
as Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
Jim Henson Idea Man
2024
as Self (archive footage)
LIFE BEYOND: Visions of Alien Life
2024
as Narrator (Archive Sound)
Othelo The Great
2023
as Ele Mesmo (Imagem de Arquivo)
From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight
2023
as Falstaff
It's Pretty, but is it Art?
2023
as Self (voiceover)
Looking Back Before You Leap
2023
as General Zaroff (voice)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
as Self (archive Footage)
American: An Odyssey to 1947
2022
as Self (archive footage)
The Lost Print: The Making of Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons
2022
as Himself (Archive footage)
The Welles Raft
2022
as Himself (Archive Footage)
Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles
2021
as Self
Parkinson at 50
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
2021
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
2021
as Himself (archive footage)
Hopper/Welles
2020
as Self
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
2020
as Self (archive footage)
LIFE BEYOND I: The Dawn
2019
as Narrator
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
2019
as (archive footage)
The Other Side of the Wind
2018
as Journalist (uncredited)
The Great Buster: A Celebration
2018
as Self (archive footage)
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018
as Self (archive footage)
The Eyes of Orson Welles
2018
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit
2018
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The Magic History of Cinema
2017
Embers & Dust
2016
as Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
This Is Orson Welles
2015
as Self
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
2014
as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance
2014
as Self (archive footage)
Too Much Johnson
2013
as Keystone Kop
Jodorowsky's Dune
2013
as Self (Archival Footage)
Talking Pictures
2013
as Self (archive footage)
The Shadow Knows
2012
as Self (archive footage)
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
2012
as (archive footage)
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
2011
as Himself
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
as Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
Orson Welles: The Paris Interview
2010
as Himself
Lucifer et moi
2009
as (archive footage 1982)
The Deep
2007
as Russ Brewer
Edge of Outside
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
2005
as Self (archive footage)
The Other Side of Welles
2005
as Self (archive footage)
The Well
2005
The Hitch Hiker
2004
as Ronald Adams
Rita
2003
as (archive footage)
The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Lost in La Mancha
2002
as Self (archive footage)
A Huey P. Newton Story
2001
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
2001
as Narrator
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
2001
as Self (Archive footage)
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
2000
as Self (Archive footage)
Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Moby Dick
2000
as Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
According to Occam's Razor
1999
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1998
as Self - Roaster (archive footage)
It's All Brazil
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional
1997
as Self
The Battle Over Citizen Kane
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles: The One-Man Band
1995
as Self (archive footage)
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
1995
as Self
La Classe américaine
1993
as Self (archive footage)
It's All True
1993
as Self
Rosabella - La storia italiana di Orson Welles
1993
Working with Orson Welles
1993
as Himself (Archive Footage)
Don Quixote
1992
as Self
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
1990
as Self (archive footage)
Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream
1990
as Self (archive footage)
Welles' Language
1990
as Self (archive footage)
On the tracks of a filmmaker
1988
as Orson Welles
Someone to Love
1987
as Danny's Friend
It's Not All True
1986
as Himself (archive footage)
The Transformers: The Movie
1986
as Unicron (voice)
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
1986
as Self (archive footage)
Almonds and Raisins
1985
as Narrator
Scene of the Crime
1985
Moonlighting
1985
as Orson Welles
The Dreamers
1985
as Marcus Kleek
Orson Welles' Magic Show
1985
as Self
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon
1984
The Road to Bresson
1984
as Self
The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail
1984
as Narrator
In Our Hands
1984
as Himself
Where Is Parsifal?
1984
as Klingsor
The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh
1984
as himself
The Witching
1983
as Mr. Cato
The Psychic Connection
1983
as Narrator
King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands
1983
as Self - Narrator
Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française
1983
as Himself
Notre Dame de la Croisette
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hot Money
1983
as Sheriff Paisley
Slapstick of Another Kind
1982
as Aliens' Father (voice)
Wagner e Venezia
1982
as Richard Wagner (voice)
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982
as Self
Baryshnikov in Hollywood
1982
as Self - Narrator
Genocide
1982
as Narrator (voice)
Night of 100 Stars
1982
as Self
Doug Henning's World of Magic
1982
as Self - Special Guest
Butterfly
1982
as Judge Rauch
Let Poland Be Poland
1982
as Self
Magic with the Stars
1982
as Host
The Quest for Fire Adventure
1982
as Narrator
A Gift of Harvest
1981
as Narrator
Brasil
1981
as Self (archive footage)
Search for the Titanic
1981
as Himself (host)
The Enchanted Journey
1981
as Pippo
The New Deal for Artists
1981
as Narrator (voice)
History of the World: Part I
1981
as Narrator
Tales of the Klondike
1981
as Narrator
Filming 'The Trial'
1981
as Self
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
1981
as Presenter / Narrator (voice)
Magnum, P.I.
1980
Magnum, P.I.
1980
as Robin Masters (voice)
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
1980
as Narrator
Shōgun
1980
as Narrator
The Secret Life of Nikola Tesla
1980
as J.P. Morgan
A Step Away
1980
as English Narrator
The Greenstone
1980
as Narrator (voice)
The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis
1979
as Narrator
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
1979
as Self
To Try Again... and Succeed
1979
as Narrator (voice)
The Muppet Movie
1979
as Lew Lord
The Double McGuffin
1979
as Narrator
The Orson Welles Show
1979
as Self
The Greatest Adventure--The Story of Man's Voyage to the Moon
1979
as Narrator
A Woman Called Moses
1978
as Narrator (voice)
The Magic of David Copperfield
1978
Filming Othello
1978
as Host
The Biggest Battle
1978
as Narratore
The Late Great Planet Earth
1978
as Self
Mysterious Castles of Clay
1978
as Narrator
Tut: The Boy King
1978
as Himself - Host
Caesar's Guide to Gaming with Orson Welles
1978
as Himself
It Happened One Christmas
1977
as Henry F. Potter
The Lions of Capitalism: Some Call It Greed
1977
as Narrator
The Force Beyond
1977
as Himself (archive footage)
Hot Tomorrows
1977
as Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
1977
as Narrator
From Fiber to Fabric: Wool's a Natural
1977
as Narrator
Voyage of the Damned
1976
as José Estedes
NBC: The First Fifty Years
1976
as Self / Narrator
Doug Henning's World of Magic
1975
as Self
Bugs Bunny Superstar
1975
as Narrator (voice)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Orson Welles - The Marketed Genius
1975
as Self
Magnificent Monsters of the Deep
1975
as Narrator
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
1975
as Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
Who's Out There?
1975
as Host
The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art
1974
as Narrator
A Legend a Lifetime: Citizen Welles
1974
Dinah!
1974
as Self
And Then There Were None
1974
as Voice on Tape
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
1974
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Power and Corruption
1973
as Himself
Kelly Country
1973
as Narrator
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1973
as Self
F for Fake
1973
as Self
Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
1973
as Self - Host
The Battle of Sutjeska
1973
as Winston Churchill
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
The Cave
1973
as Narrator
The Man Who Came to Dinner
1972
as Sheridan Whiteside
Treasure Island
1972
as Long John Silver
Necromancy
1972
as Mr. Cato
Get to Know Your Rabbit
1972
as Mr. Delasandro
Future Shock
1972
as Narrator
Vive le cinema!
1972
London
1971
as Winston Churchill / George Bernard Shaw
Ten Days' Wonder
1971
as Théo Van Horn
A Safe Place
1971
as The Magician
Directed by John Ford
1971
as Narrator (voice)
The Silent Years
1971
Centinelas del Silencio
1971
Malpertuis
1971
as Cassavius
Flame of Persia
1971
as Narrator
Freedom River
1971
as Narrator
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon
1970
Night Gallery
1970
as Narrator
Salvador Dalí: A Soft Self-Portrait
1970
as Narrator
An Evening with Orson Welles
1970
Is It Always Right to Be Right?
1970
as Narrator
Waterloo
1970
as Louis XVIII
The Enemy Before Us
1970
as Narrator
Catch-22
1970
as Brigadier General Dreedle
Start the Revolution Without Me
1970
as The Narrator
The Kremlin Letter
1970
as Bresnavitch
Upon This Rock
1970
as Michelangelo (voice)
A Horse Called Nijinsky
1970
as Narrator
Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali
1969
as Narrator
The Merchant of Venice
1969
as Shylock
Twelve Plus One
1969
as Markan
The Battle of Neretva
1969
as Četnik
The Southern Star
1969
as Plankett
The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal
1969
as Justinian
Tepepa
1969
as Colonel Cascorro
To Build a Fire
1969
as Narrator (voice)
The Fight for Rome
1968
as Justinian
One Man Band
1968
The Name of the Game
1968
as Narrator
House of Cards
1968
as Leschenhaut
Around the World of Mike Todd
1968
as Self - Narrator
The Immortal Story
1968
as Charles Clay
Portrait: Orson Welles
1968
as Self
Oedipus the King
1968
as Tiresias
Vienna
1968
as Himself
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
1967
as Jonathan Lute
Beggars Would Ride
1967
as Narrator
Omnibus
1967
as Self - Presenter
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1967
as Self
Disorder Is 20 Years Old
1967
as Self
Casino Royale
1967
as Le Chiffre
The Sailor from Gibraltar
1967
as Louis de Mozambique
Ten Days That Shook the World
1967
as Narrator
A Man for All Seasons
1966
as Cardinal Wolsey
Is Paris Burning?
1966
as Konsul Nordling
Orson Welles in Spain
1966
as Himself
Chimes at Midnight
1965
as Falstaff
Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees
1965
as Self - Narrator (voice)
National Geographic Specials
1965
as Narrator
Marco the Magnificent
1965
as Akerman, Marco's Teacher
Falstaff
1965
as Sir John Falstaff, przyjaciel księcia
A King's Story
1965
as Narrator
The Finest Hours
1964
as Narrator (voice)
In the Land of Don Quixote
1964
as Himself
Hollywood and the Stars
1963
as Self (archive footage)
The V.I.P.s
1963
as Max Buda
Ro.Go.Pa.G.
1963
as The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta")
The Trial
1962
as Albert Hastler
River of the Ocean
1962
as Narrator (English)
Lafayette
1962
as Benjamin Franklin
Tempo
1961
King of Kings
1961
as Narrator (Voice)
The Tartars
1961
as Burundai
Survival
1961
as Narrator
The Battle of Austerlitz
1960
as Robert Fulton
An Arabian Night
1960
as Storyteller
Crack in the Mirror
1960
as Hagolin / Lamerciere
David and Goliath
1960
as King Saul
High Journey
1959
as Narrator
Ferry to Hong Kong
1959
as Captain Hart
Compulsion
1959
as Jonathan Wilk
Lords of the Forest
1958
as Narrator (voice)
The Roots of Heaven
1958
as Cy Sedgewick
The Fountain of Youth
1958
as the narrator
Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina
1958
as Self - Host
Colgate Theatre
1958
South Seas Adventure
1958
as Narrator
The Vikings
1958
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Long, Hot Summer
1958
as Will Varner
Touch of Evil
1958
as Police Captain Hank Quinlan
Man in the Shadow
1957
as Virgil Renchler
Out of Darkness
1956
as Self - Narrator
Moby Dick
1956
as Father Mapple
The Steve Allen Show
1956
as Self
The Land of the Basques
1955
as Himself
Around the World with Orson Welles
1955
as Host: Orson Welles
Around the World with Orson Welles
1955
as Self (Host)
Ford Star Jubilee
1955
as Oscar Jaffe
Mr. Arkadin
1955
as Gregory Arkadin
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
1955
as Self - Host
Napoleon
1955
as Sir Hudson Lowe
Three Cases of Murder
1955
as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
Trouble in the Glen
1954
as Sanin Cejador y Mengues
Royal Affairs in Versailles
1954
as Benjamin Franklin
King Lear
1953
as King Lear
Man, Beast and Virtue
1953
as Captain Perella, the Beast
Return to Glennascaul
1953
as Narrator
Trent's Last Case
1952
as Sigsbee Manderson
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Sheridan Whiteside
Othello
1951
as Othello
I Love Lucy
1951
as Orson Welles
Disorder
1950
as Self
The Black Rose
1950
as Bayan
What's My Line?
1950
as Self - Panelist
Prince of Foxes
1949
as Cesare Borgia
The Third Man
1949
as Harry Lime
Black Magic
1949
as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
Macbeth
1948
as Macbeth
The Lady from Shanghai
1947
as Michael O'Hara
Duel in the Sun
1946
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Battle for Survival
1946
as Narrator
The Stranger
1946
as Prof. Charles Rankin
Tomorrow Is Forever
1946
as John Andrew MacDonald
Mexico City, Old and New
1945
as Narrator
Follow the Boys
1944
as Orson Welles (uncredited)
Know Your Ally: Britain
1944
as Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger)
Jane Eyre
1943
as Edward Rochester
Show-Business at War
1943
as Self
Journey into Fear
1943
as Colonel Haki
The Magnificent Ambersons
1942
as Narrator (voice)
Citizen Kane
1941
as Charles Foster Kane
Swiss Family Robinson
1940
as Opening Narrator
The Spanish Earth
1937
as Narrator (voice)
The Hearts of Age
1934
as Death
Twelfth Night
1933
as Narrator
Something Else
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
as Self (archive footage)
The Cave: a parable told by Orson Welles
as Narrator