Orson Welles: The 100th Birthday Blog Retrospective

To think that it all started in high school AP English class....

That's when I first saw Citizen Kane....but more importantly, was introduced to the talent of Orson Welles.

I remembered him (at that point) as more of the "Paul Masson wine" guy - you know, the fat man who would sell no wine before its time? But after that point, I was....well, much more open minded...

Then I saw The Third Man in college - as well as the later restoration rerelease....and was hooked. Heck, I even wrote a Welles-themed story for Airship 27 Productions. (And yes, Ron, this is a very blatant attempt to bully and blackmail you into publishing it).

But on this 100th anniversary of Orson Welles' birth, I am choosing to celebrate not with reminisces....but with some choice selections of Wellesian fare from this very blog.

• The Ballad of Harry Lime, which is all about The Third Man;
• The Many Lives of Harry Lime, its radio (or "audio drama") spinoff;
• The Stranger, one of his lesser known (but really good) films;
• A review of the recently released My Lunches With Orson; and
• Some various Welles-ian tidbits (including the infamous Pinky & the Brain sketch)

The  best tribute I can give to Welles is to point to his work. Enjoy!

Dining With a Genius: MY LUNCHES WITH ORSON

Recently, I've been doing "research" into Orson Welles - mostly, it's because I'm writing a Black Bat story for Airship 27 (and yes, I have read their past collections), and Welles....somewhat informs the story. That's meant rewatching his films (including revisiting personal favorite The Third Man and renewing my love of The Stranger)...and purchasing a copy of Peter Biskind's My Lunches With Orson
Consisting of a series of lunch conversations between Welles and filmmaker Henry Jaglom, My Lunches With Orson focuses on Welles' final years, giving us a glimpse of a filmmaker struggling to get his work financed, and well beyond the "Paul Masson" years.

If you're looking for a concise explanation of the art of filmmaking....you may not find that here. If you're looking for the beginnings of independent cinema, and of the almost entrepreneurial spirit a director has to have to complete their vision....you will find that here. If you're looking for straightforward, near-gossipy talk about Hollywood icons during the "golden years"....you will definitely find it here. Lunches really captures an honest glimpse of a man known for misdirection and conjuring unique images with his guard down. (One condition of Jaglom's lunches were that he would record Welles, but keep the recorder out of Welles' sight).

Legend has it these tapes were kept for over thirty years, and were only recently found, transcribed, and turned into the book. Thankfully, My Lunches With Orson is organized into short, pithy chapters that never feel like they outstay their welcome. It's the kind of book that Roger Ebert would have championed - a rare glimpse into a writer/director's thought patterns that makes lofty concepts accessible. It's a breezy read (especially if you're using a tablet/e-reader), and quite honestly, deserves a place on your shelf.
If you enjoy great filmmaking or seek writing which is brutally honest about Hollywood without having the tinge of tabloid spirit, you definitely want to check out My Lunches With Orson.

(And if you're seeking more pulp-centric fare, why not check out both volumes of Airship 27's Black Bat Mystery and Altus Press' Black Bat Omnibus Volumes One and Two? At the very least, you can read about a crimefighter who dresses like a bat who is not named Bruce Wayne....)

Public Domain Drive-In: Happy Birthday, Orson Welles

Whether he's made films about egocentric newspapermen, engaging in audio pranks involving alien invasions, or inspiring the voice of a cartoon mouse, Orson Welles has had a significant impact on popular culture.

So in that spirit, I offer some video tidbits featuring the great man, including The Stranger (a great little noir thriller); the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast from 1938;  and an oft-parodied piece of audio. Enjoy!






And now, for the democratic response:

The Ballad of Harry Lime

It has captured my attention since the first time I saw it in 1991 for a film class in college. After moving to St. Louis, it was the first movie I paid to see - yes, it had been restored from a public domain print. Heck, it was even name checked in an episode of Law & Order.

What is it about The Third Man that brings me back, year after year, to enjoy in its dark noirish glory?

Part of it has to be the setting - Vienna in the years following World War II. Set designers would kill for the kind of gradual decay that the city provided. Split into four zones, it provided an excellent backdrop - a city unsure of its direction, a city barely held together, a city where anything could - and did -- happen. The climax at the sewers seems almost an afterthought - the city serves as a character in and of itself. It's mixture of old European opulance with post-combat wariness....it's the kind of place that Raymond Chandler would have written about if he lived in Europe.

The plot moves along at a crackling, yet leisurely pace - and for that, thank Carol Reed, the second greatest British filmmaker (after Alfred Hitchcock). Nothing seems out-of-the-ordinary, or forced - this is a film that is 100% killer, no filler. Reed's camerawork is dazzling without being overbearing, and every shot propels the story. Even at times when the plot may seem rather mechanical (and there's only one to speak of), Reed's confident handling of the material keeps the film moving. The dialogue crackles, the supporting players shine, and there isn't a bad step in the entire movie. (Go fifty-three minutes in and watch for fifteen minutes - you will never, ever see a better orchestrated cinematic sequence).

However, the lynchpins of this movie are Citizen Kane cohorts Orson Welles and (especially) Joseph Cotten. (I wonder if Cotten gave Welles pointers - after all, Cotten was no stranger to playing dark, morally ambiguous characters). Both men are similar enough in name (Holly and Harry), and it's their ability to give their characters moral weight - even in the midst of an amoral world - that is the film's greatest strength. Welles' infamous speech comes after a chilling monologue - but it's a sequence with Cotton and Trevor Howard in a military hospital that serves as the emotional climax, and brings home the themes of the movie.

Knowing what is moral in an amoral world.. Seeing people as ends rather than as means. Cynicism versus optimism - even a kind of weary optimism. It's a story that resonates through the ages, from the aforementioned L&O episode (dealing with counterfeit flu vaccine) to this Doctor Who story. It reminds us about doing the right thing even in the wrong situation, and of the worth of maintaining one's principles in troubling times.

And maybe that's why I keep coming back to it.

(As well as the radio series based on The Third Man)