Quite likely Kelsey Grammer’s model, conscious or unconscious. This is not a dig at Grammer-hardly! We all build our social selves, particularly including the way we speak, from models, whether family, friends, or from the wider culture. Welles, if my theory is true, would be a great model to have.
@@PabluchoViision This is quite an interesting observation and theory, and I definitely see where you’re coming from. It would probably be an unconscious thing, but there might be some truth to it
@@mbhotchkiss Hitch had a great voice, but his drinking at times inhibited the strength of his spoken syllables. Welles enunciates every word perfectly.
4:56. Interviewer: "...where did you get the confidence to... Welles: "Ignorance. Ignorance. Sheer ignorance. You know, there's no confidence to equal it..." My man.
It seems he had it all in his mind beforehand - Actors - Script - The sets - Camera shots - Editing - A true genius - The studio bigwigs and financiers couldn't tolerate this young offspring . . .
@K Ray Well, whatever you want to call what we used to have in spades, but not as much of it nowadays, is still at a much higher premium everywhere else on the planet.
@K Ray You bring up a debate that will rage on for a very long time, all over the net and throughout the real world. But we shall see what we shall see in the coming months.
Dobermite But this (Wells' observation) is true EVERYWHERE! Einstein, Tesla, Von Braun, Bohr, Heisenberg, Newton, and on, and on. A huge majority of "breakthroughs" in EVERY field of human endeavor are made by people not old enough to know "you cannot do that", or "that's impossible".
Dan Williams, Jim Benn yes that is correct, but… without the talent and intelligence of these famous people, that ignorance would be... just ignorance.
I could listen to Welles speak all day about any subject. Sharp, quick witted, polite, balanced, but with an understanding of the world that few of us will ever know. Also, the interviewer here was great. He asks smart questions, directs the conversation brilliantly, and let Welles speak without interrupting (although there's a bit of editing employed). It's a shame that you rarely get television of this quality nowadays - both in terms of subject and interviewer.
A tremendously humble man. His response to the interviewers remark on his own question "A pompous question perhaps?" where he retorts -- quite reassuringly -- "No! You're quite right!". Truly honest and wonderful interview.
He was self aware but far from humble, you can find an arrogant and hilarious Welles remark on pretty much any director or film made in his lifetime. The man knew how much weight his voice had and rightfully had no shame in throwing it around.
This interviewer was excellent. He asked interesting, thoughtful questions that got to the point about Orson Welles' career, film making process, and reflections but always with respect and genuine interest.
When asked...if you had a dinner party and you could invite anyone living or dead, who would you invite. Top of my list would be Orson Wells. A truly mesmerising man.
Reminds me of certain conversations I would like to have listened to, Bucky Fuller and Gurdjieff, Dean Ing and Mack Reynolds, etc. Edit: Also Thomas Scortia and Frank Robinson who coauthored several books together. Ing knew Scortia, that would have been interesting, as well.
Love his Mid Atlantic accent forever! “Mid-Atlantic accent, or Transatlantic accent, is a consciously learned accent of English, fashionably used by the early 20th-century American upper class and entertainment industry, which blended together features regarded as the most prestigious from both American and British English”
I have always wondered about that, despite the almighty Wikipedia. Languages evolve, and so do accents. Welles' accent was the accent of many ordinary Americans of his time. If you watch early sound documentaries, you can hear it.
I've always had the same kind of irrational crush on Orson Welles. I love to hear his voice. Just deeply mesmerized by him and immense attraction to him; wish I could have met him.
Not irrational what so ever. Orson Welles especially his radio show work his voice and the rest of him I have a crush like this too. Eloquent and confident combo and this man had it. He said he was ignorant I highly disagree.
Even though one can teach the aspects of how to use a camera in half a day, after that how to film a scene to translate the message is where the genius takes over.
I love how humble and honest he is about the technical aspects of the film. He freely admits his ignorance in areas. What a time. Hollywood elites in 2021 would be tripping over themselves to take credit.
I'm now a HUGE fan of Orson Welles. I watch Citizen Kane last night for the first time and it is cinematic gold. I became intrigued with him after watching the documentary "Theyll love me when I'm dead." Being a film and video enthusiast, it's hard to resist a brilliant man like Orson Welles!
There are 3 great things about this 10 minute video. 1. It's Orson Welles talking for 10 minutes. 2. He talks about Citizen Kane more in this interview than any other that I have seen or heard. 3. Orson talking about the artist vs the industry is absolutely brilliant.
I honored him by drawing a special portrait of him, and must truly appreciate a person to do this, to have the necessary inspiration. He's indeed an icon.
What an amazing asset that sheds so much light on myths about the film - but also highlights the brilliance and lightning in a bottle film that was Kane.
Orson Welles, the exceptionally brilliant artist of the cinema who's talent and stature will undoubtedly grow by the new generation of critics as the years go on ...I salute this great talent !
Orson really was ahead of his time. Clever, stubborn, sharp, ambitious, observant, and honest about his wants and goals. His efforts to make more movies probably would have succeeded a lot more nowadays than back in the 40s and 50s.
It was was worse, it was a crime against Humanity. The thing was , it was more an act of vengeance against Schaffner of RKO for hiring Welles and green lighting the film, in the first place. Everybody in Hollywood who saw the original , uncut version EVERYBODY, from Breen at the Hayes office, to King Vidor and-I have heard John Ford, who saw the original thought it was the greatest Hollywood straight drama since *Dodsworth*, if not *Sunrise*.
While doing some film research, I came across a site that said Robert Wise directed "The Magnificent Ambersons." With all due respect to Wise, this simply is not true. Wise cut it down as directed by the studio.
This is a completely fascinating interview with Welles, who traditionally didn't like to discuss the making of Citizen Kane, partially because he felt that the film had been over analyzed, and partially because he wanted to be recognized for other films that he had made. The supreme irony in terms of Welles' career is that by having an unprecedented contract that gave Orson final cut of Kane, he had the greatest artistic and creative autonomy that he would ever have as a director, however, the controversial subject matter of the film dealing primarily with William Randolph Hearst in an unflattering light, doomed the film to limited distribution. When his follow up film, Magnificent Ambersons, was unsuccessfully previewed and ruthlessly edited without Welles' participation, he was perceived in Hollywood as a non commercial filmmaker, and he had great difficulty in getting financing for virtually all of his projects as a director. Even his last film was never able to be completed due to lack of financing and is only now being finished with a kickstarter campaign, forty years after production commenced.
+MrImiller07 I wonder what Hearst would have made of a film recently released called 'The Cats Meow' which depicted the alleged infamous incident on his yacht when he (allegedly) mistakenly shot Thomas Ince thinking he was Charlie Chaplin. Hearst suspected that Chaplin was having an affair behind his back with Marion Davis ?! Talk about unflattering light ! Spreads quite wide- amazed Orson wasn't invited for the trip. Truth is, when Kane was released i do wonder whether Hearst caught sight of himself in the mirror and glimpsed what a horrible, misshapen , hideous monster he had become. Hold up the glass to nature as t'were....
Why is it that Hollywood is so determined to deny financing to people that they KNOW are masters, that they know will create works that even if unable to return profit at the outset, at-least nowadays, will return profit in home media when they inevitably stand the test of time? It just boggles my mind thinking of all the narrow-minded tasteless arsehats at the top.
+nd4spd The people putting up the money always want to get the return on their investment sooner rather than later. The longer they wait, the more they believe they're losing out on using that money on another investment. They're not in the business of making art. Masters like Welles really needed art patrons. If only he were around today, equipment's much cheaper.
You say that, but Orson allegedly learned of the affair from Marion Davies's nephew, Charles Lederer, and Welles, in turn, passed it on to Peter Bogdanovich -- who, of course, made "The Cat's Meow". ;-)
what a remarkable raconteur. Fascinating interview in which he really gives so much credit to the great Greg Toland, without whom he could have never made Kane the way he did. One of the greatest cinematographers who ever lived. That really was an amazing contract he got for his first film.
That was an extremely honest interview. Orson Welles was not perfect, but he seems to me to be someone with a very strong, well defined character and sense of self. And, because of that inner strength, he feels very comfortable with himself and is thus quite direct, forthright and honest. There's no dissembling, no posing, no artifice. Clearly a very intelligent man as well.
"You got away with enormous technical advances, didn't you?" "Simply but not knowing they were impossible...or theoretically impossible." 05:45 That is the key to life.
What, he was 25 years old when he made Citizen Kane, and now I'm also 25 and working hard to finish my 20-minute short film. He was a true master. Mashallah 😇
Remember you have only yourself, where as Orson had the studio facility and back to make his picture. I'm sure if you were swung $30,000,000 in today's money and the ability to film it in a major studio's sound stages. Complete with their carpenters, prop builders, lights, cameras, costume dept, and the huge manpower, etc. You could pull it off as well. It is incredibly difficult making any film using one's coin and not being incredibly wealthy.
Eh, I don't think that's true. I am a millennial, but it's always interesting seeing how people criticize a generation. The same is true for any generation. Baby boomers criticize gen X, etc, and I've personally found it funny how much it's wrong. I can give some damn good examples of it, but yeah, don't say a single generation is bad, because it isn't. Shit, look at IMDB stats for this, its the youngest people who rate CK highly. It was a great movie, and old and young people agree with that :)
@@pissedoffdude1 Well said! I'm a 65 year old baby boomer but I've never looked at any generation as a whole. Each generation is like a puzzle made up of numerous pieces. After the puzzle is completed it gives an overall picture of the subject but if one really looks carefully they're bound to see a myriad of different pictures that make up the whole.
My dad, who’s in his 70s, loves Kane and introduced it to me decades ago, when I was growing up. I’ve loved it ever since. My dad and I have since introduced it to my young niece, who also loves it. I think it’s a unique rite of passage for young people to see this film and fall in love with it. I think that young people especially have an adoration for it because the youthful energy of Welles still comes through in every frame.
"Now, Mr Welles, diverting from "Kane" for a moment, I understand that French champagne has always been celebrated for its' excellence, and that there is a California champagne by Paul Masson inspired by that same French excellence. Would you agree?"
not only was welles a great couture his abundance for living was unequaled. the passion this man had for life was effervencice.there has not been one person to slam him. that say's a lot. man,what a gift,thank you George,er I mean orson for bringing such great joy and output,thank you.
Not only an amazing director, visionary, and artist, but a true man of his word, convictions, and an individual of amazing courage. Whenever he went up against people trying to silence him and incinerate his art, he fought against them until the very end. From the tycoons and other men in the film industry, to McCarthy and his blacklisting.
Exactly. I feel he, along with Rod Serling, would take great offense to the 'woke' offensive on individuality and freedom of expression. Censorship, of which both men fought against, is not called 'censorship' in our modern times, but rather by terms like 'justice' and 'fairness' and 'equality'. To paraphrase Chief in Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451', we must all be equal. Books about cancer make cigarette smokers uneasy. Novels and fantasy make people unhappy with their own lives to read about people unlike them to live in ways they cannot live. Books make people uncomfortable, sad, lonely, afraid. So they must be burned. We must all be equal. Seems Ray was quite prophetic in his analysis of how to rebrand censorship and imprisonment of the soul to make it seem not only palatable, but agreeable and necessary to the masses unfamiliar with tyranny.
i miss interviewers like this guy. people who actually have a strong intellect that know the right questions to ask and guide a productive and, excuse me, enlightening conversation.
What a man! What a great mind, reflected in that fantastic voice! Unfortunately today, those big corporates have increased their global dominion, and silenced many great European men.
The cameraman Welles refers to is Greg Toland. In addition to Citizen Kane, he was also cinematographer for Wuthering Heights, Intermezzo, The Grapes of Wrath, and many other films although he died very young at age 44. Both Wells and John Ford put Toland's name on the same title card as theirs, in the same size font. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Toland
I am 72 years, and a film buff for 60 years. Been around quite a bit. Apart for Jesus, and Hitler, maybe John Huston, I can not think of anyone I would rather have a meal with then this man. So eloquent, smart, and humorous.....Maybe in the next life. Thank you
Amazing contract he had for a 25 year old first time director. Not only did he have final cut, no one else could see the film until it was ready for release.
I've developed a habit of listening to Welles' videos before I go into job interviews, I may not get hired but they will reflect on me being of the few people under 40 that would use "palace intrigue" in an adult conversation.
he was a great director/actor! And his acting as kane, my god, I wish I could make you feel the euphoria I felt for the first time I watched citizen kane! he is one of the all time greats!
It's nothing short of a masterwork. I'd often lecture my architectural design students that one of the geniuses of the film, it's conceits really, is that the entire story is told to the audience at the start, in the newsreel. It's as if Welles is saying, if you are watching this thing just to find out what happens and how the whole thing ends, here go. You can leave now. The rest of the film is an exploration of perspectival space that is nothing short of surreal in many places. Brilliant. And yes, it's a great story too.
Orson looks quite young here. These are the most direct and illuminating comments about Kane I've heard him utter, this being before he became reluctant to speak about Kane.
Listening to this interview I couldn't help but be sort of hypnotized with the way in which Orson Welles spoke in this interview. About half way through I began to think that he reminded me of someone and after a couple of minutes of racking my brain, out popped Christopher Hitchens. Those two seem very similar to me in their mannerisms, way of speaking, confidence, as well as their over the top powerful stage presence to name a few things. The fact that he was able to do the things he did at such a young age is confirmation that those with him with power and money in Hollywood were so impressed with him that his age in effect became a non sequitur.
Mr. Wells, is well presented in this clip. These adjectives below, only begin to describe his genius: Creator 🎆 Storyteller, Philosopher, Innovator, Artist, Thespian, Writer, Filmmaker, Businessman, Negotiator, Survivor, Legend, Political Realist, Classical, Visionary, Culturally interesting, Intelligent, Controversial, Debatable and Engaging... And clearly one of the legendary people of the 20th century. This is a small list of the personal characteristics of Orson Wells. Many treasures of stage and film, followed after his work. We, as a culture, benefit from their unique contributions. Orson Wells is one excellent example of what the legendary figures of every generation, in all fields, can accomplish... Thank you for your contributions Mr. Wells. And thank you for posting this beautiful summary. 🎖🌉🌤🕊✨🌞💌🌃
A brilliant interview by a superb guest and an equally superb interviewer. You can sense the respect for each other. For those interested the interviewer is Huw Wheldon who was also the editor en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huw_Wheldon and a decorated soldier in WW2
The charade he applies when questioned about his obvious genius as ignorance, speaks volumes of this great man,articulate,intelligent, yet gentlemanly polite. The icing on the cake is his velvet voice.
I’m 40 years old Mr Welles died when I was 3. Intrigued that Lucas wanted his voice as Vader I looked more into his interviews and Broadcast and now I can’t stop. I did see Citizen Kane when I was 15 and paid half attention but His voice might be the greatest talking voice ever that lived.
When I saw Orson Welles on shows like Cavett in the early seventies (as a young teen), and then in a succession of ridiculous but somewhat amusing commercials, I just wrote him off as some old, fat has-been blowhard who showed up on tv everywhere. But the joke was on me the whole time, what an insanely brilliant man. What a great resource this is to revisit accomplished people like this and finally learn and understand what they were really all about.
Amazing, on your first movie, not only do you get final cut, no one else could even see the rushes, or the rough cut. Unprecedented I think and has not been duplicated since. I would love to see the whole uncut version of this.
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Thanks, EOC
i wouldn't have ever guessed what this channel would become. thanks for what you're doing.
The interviewer's name? He is not the star, but important. Thanks.
Mr Welles surely has one of the most pleasing voices ever gifted to a man.
He shall sell no wine before it’s time! 😉
Quite likely Kelsey Grammer’s model, conscious or unconscious. This is not a dig at Grammer-hardly! We all build our social selves, particularly including the way we speak, from models, whether family, friends, or from the wider culture. Welles, if my theory is true, would be a great model to have.
@@PabluchoViision This is quite an interesting observation and theory, and I definitely see where you’re coming from. It would probably be an unconscious thing, but there might be some truth to it
Hard to choose between Christopher Hitchens and Orson Welles
@@mbhotchkiss Hitch had a great voice, but his drinking at times inhibited the strength of his spoken syllables. Welles enunciates every word perfectly.
4:56.
Interviewer: "...where did you get the confidence to...
Welles: "Ignorance. Ignorance. Sheer ignorance. You know, there's no confidence to equal it..."
My man.
*Welles
@@igorleeck2027
Noted.
My motherfucking motto right there, "it's only when you know something about a profession that you're timid, or careful".
Pendejo smartest comment ever 🙂👌🏼
@@akiva7774 big difference, Orson reflects on himself with humble rigor
Just watching Orson Welles speak is mesmerizing. The intellect, the cadence, the conversation......Astounding.
Agreed plus his life story is amazing
The courage and honesty of thise extraordinary man.
True
James Joyce once wrote geniuses never doubt themselves
It seems he had it all in his mind beforehand - Actors - Script - The sets - Camera shots - Editing - A true genius - The studio bigwigs and financiers couldn't tolerate this young offspring . . .
It is always refreshing to listen to intelligent people speak about art...
True!
Absolutely. So eloquent.
@McWitchman1967 it is always a treat to listen to intelligent people discussing ANY topic. 😁
@K Ray Well, whatever you want to call what we used to have in spades, but not as much of it nowadays, is still at a much higher premium everywhere else on the planet.
@K Ray You bring up a debate that will rage on for a very long time, all over the net and throughout the real world. But we shall see what we shall see in the coming months.
this man makes me feel so stupid, and it's perfectly fine.
shithoagie I think that's good, because then you'll learn something new. You don't learn new things and grow smarter from people who aren't.
Nils Engman exactly
Me too, what a man.
I feel like My IQ went up 5 points just by listening to him talk.
Stupidity can change my friend...
This is the first time I've heard a great artist talk about the virtues of ignorance in creation. So true, and so overlooked.
It illustrates how humble and honest he was. Many simply want to see him as pompous and affected, but he wasn't. He was just a rare breed.
Dobermite But this (Wells' observation) is true EVERYWHERE! Einstein, Tesla, Von Braun, Bohr, Heisenberg, Newton, and on, and on. A huge majority of "breakthroughs" in EVERY field of human endeavor are made by people not old enough to know "you cannot do that", or "that's impossible".
So true
Dan Williams, Jim Benn yes that is correct, but… without the talent and intelligence of these famous people, that ignorance would be... just ignorance.
Certainly. You don't know what you can't do unless someone tells you that you can't.
I could listen to Welles speak all day about any subject. Sharp, quick witted, polite, balanced, but with an understanding of the world that few of us will ever know. Also, the interviewer here was great. He asks smart questions, directs the conversation brilliantly, and let Welles speak without interrupting (although there's a bit of editing employed). It's a shame that you rarely get television of this quality nowadays - both in terms of subject and interviewer.
His approach and delivery reminds me in some ways of Christopher Hitchens.
True such a dumbing down now
A tremendously humble man. His response to the interviewers remark on his own question "A pompous question perhaps?" where he retorts -- quite reassuringly -- "No! You're quite right!". Truly honest and wonderful interview.
That always sticks in my mind and thats why I revisit this video from time to time
He was self aware but far from humble, you can find an arrogant and hilarious Welles remark on pretty much any director or film made in his lifetime. The man knew how much weight his voice had and rightfully had no shame in throwing it around.
@@SomeBF Oh he had shame, but as all of mankind he too was subject to flaws and impulsive remarks are but one of them..
this is a quality we don't see in most humans today is why i think its remarkable. shows he can understand/consider a view different from his own.
If you've heard the Frozen Peas recording you know how decidedly UN-humble he could be when the circumstances or mood took him.
This interviewer was excellent. He asked
interesting, thoughtful questions that got to the point about Orson Welles' career, film making process, and reflections but always with respect and genuine interest.
Such a strong voice. Imagine having a father with a voice like that, you'd never want to let him down.
The *Original* "Most Interesting Man in the World"
FlitcraftEvanidus LMAO!! NEVER applied THAT proclamation to Wells. You are right. a perfect fit!!!!
You're not fuckin kidding.
Ernest Hemingway has entered the chat.
100 percent agree
@@richardpowell1772 Make room for, Peter Ustinov.
This is what an interview should be. Get a celebrity on, and talk to them about what they are celebrated for in a genuine and interested way.
True not their sex life clothes they wear and what they eat and certainly not politics
When asked...if you had a dinner party and you could invite anyone living or dead, who would you invite. Top of my list would be Orson Wells. A truly mesmerising man.
Lydia Bocage , he was a genius. It's the absence of people like him that Hollywood is just about vfxs,no great cinema anymore
Reminds me of certain conversations I would like to have listened to, Bucky Fuller and Gurdjieff, Dean Ing and Mack Reynolds, etc. Edit: Also Thomas Scortia and Frank Robinson who coauthored several books together. Ing knew Scortia, that would have been interesting, as well.
"Mesmerising." Perfect word selection here.
Orson "I did it because I didn't know it was impossible" Welles
Ha!
Love his Mid Atlantic accent forever! “Mid-Atlantic accent, or Transatlantic accent, is a consciously learned accent of English, fashionably used by the early 20th-century American upper class and entertainment industry, which blended together features regarded as the most prestigious from both American and British English”
Thank you for this
Agreed. He speaks a beautiful American
I have always wondered about that, despite the almighty Wikipedia. Languages evolve, and so do accents. Welles' accent was the accent of many ordinary Americans of his time. If you watch early sound documentaries, you can hear it.
Kane had only come out 18 years prior. Amazing they talk about it even then as a bygone era.
A whole war had happened
I have a completely irrational crush on Orson Wells such an eloquent man he was.
I've always had the same kind of irrational crush on Orson Welles. I love to hear his voice. Just deeply mesmerized by him and immense attraction to him; wish I could have met him.
Its not irrational.
Me too! I call him my dead boyfriend =D
I could just live in his voice FOREVER.
Not irrational what so ever. Orson Welles especially his radio show work his voice and the rest of him I have a crush like this too. Eloquent and confident combo and this man had it. He said he was ignorant I highly disagree.
I like the way he gives Toland so much credit. He really deserves it.
And he gave him (Toland) EQUAL billing during the screen credits for Kane. Has any director EVER done that?
I agree, and he has done so, elsewhere...
But here, he does not mention Toland by name.
Even though one can teach the aspects of how to use a camera in half a day, after that how to film a scene to translate the message is where the genius takes over.
8:01 "I wish I had a chance like that every year, there'd be 18 pictures"
good god, imagine.....
It's a tragedy that only once we got to see his creative vision undiluted by studio muckery.
I know. Makes me want to cry.
They’d rename the Oscars to the Orsons
I love how humble and honest he is about the technical aspects of the film. He freely admits his ignorance in areas. What a time.
Hollywood elites in 2021 would be tripping over themselves to take credit.
True
I'm now a HUGE fan of Orson Welles. I watch Citizen Kane last night for the first time and it is cinematic gold. I became intrigued with him after watching the documentary "Theyll love me when I'm dead." Being a film and video enthusiast, it's hard to resist a brilliant man like Orson Welles!
Oh, the first time watching that film. I would so love to have that experience again.
True
It's amazing how young wells was to star write and direct citizen Kane
Intelligent questions, eloquent answers. You won't hear an interview like that these days.
not even close. we are regressing. by design
True
There are 3 great things about this 10 minute video.
1. It's Orson Welles talking for 10 minutes.
2. He talks about Citizen Kane more in this interview than any other that I have seen or heard.
3. Orson talking about the artist vs the industry is absolutely brilliant.
You're listening to a genius. A very rare thing which should be appreciated.
I honored him by drawing a special portrait of him, and must truly appreciate a person to do this, to have the necessary inspiration. He's indeed an icon.
The older I get the more in awe I am of Welles. So Brilliant and honest and fair minded.
What an articulate, outspoken, honest man in an otherwise superficial world.
He would have skewered the Covidati, then burned them alive at the stake!
Just can't imagine an intelligent and respectful conversation like this on TV in this age
Orson Wellles was so intelligent and way ahead of his time. Genius!
A fascinating interview. So articulate and civilized.
That's the way things were 60 years ago. what does that tell you
He breathes vision and confidence.
A voice like treacle soothing a sore throat, a mind like a razor. One of the great magicians and mesmerisers of the 20th century.
What a compelling speaker. Nothing over the top but always captivating.
he was utterly, utterly brilliant, he had more talent in his fingernails, then most actors or directors, had in their entire body's.
Than.
bodies
Orson is just so intense with his intelligence. Talking to him would be a joy and nerve-racking.
What an amazing asset that sheds so much light on myths about the film - but also highlights the brilliance and lightning in a bottle film that was Kane.
True artist, true individual, true rebel of the cinematic world. RIP Orson!
True
Orson Welles, the exceptionally brilliant artist of the cinema who's talent and stature will undoubtedly grow by the new generation of critics as the years go on ...I salute this great talent !
What a guy he was. Intelligent, classy, gifted, sublime. This is a joy to behold.
The interviewer Huw Wheldon was stellar and quite accomplished. The right person to be interviewing Welles.
I love to hear him speak. So much wisdom behind each word.
Orson really was ahead of his time. Clever, stubborn, sharp, ambitious, observant, and honest about his wants and goals. His efforts to make more movies probably would have succeeded a lot more nowadays than back in the 40s and 50s.
The cutting of Ambersons was a crime against art.
It was was worse, it was a crime against Humanity. The thing was , it was more an act of vengeance against Schaffner of RKO for hiring Welles and green lighting the film, in the first place. Everybody in Hollywood who saw the original , uncut version EVERYBODY, from Breen at the Hayes office, to King Vidor and-I have heard John Ford, who saw the original thought it was the greatest Hollywood straight drama since *Dodsworth*, if not *Sunrise*.
I guess you can thank Robert Wise for that. I know others were involved but, hmmm, Wise should have known better.
While doing some film research, I came across a site that said Robert Wise directed "The Magnificent Ambersons." With all due respect to Wise, this simply is not true. Wise cut it down as directed by the studio.
@@jakespivey3716 Not Wise's fault--he was a company man following orders. He should have at least kept the edits.
It certainly was a crime, on many levels!
Ambersons, before the cuts, was probably at least the equal of Kane. A tragic loss.
This is a completely fascinating interview with Welles, who traditionally didn't like to discuss the making of Citizen Kane, partially because he felt that the film had been over analyzed, and partially because he wanted to be recognized for other films that he had made. The supreme irony in terms of Welles' career is that by having an unprecedented contract that gave Orson final cut of Kane, he had the greatest artistic and creative autonomy that he would ever have as a director, however, the controversial subject matter of the film dealing primarily with William Randolph Hearst in an unflattering light, doomed the film to limited distribution. When his follow up film, Magnificent Ambersons, was unsuccessfully previewed and ruthlessly edited without Welles' participation, he was perceived in Hollywood as a non commercial filmmaker, and he had great difficulty in getting financing for virtually all of his projects as a director. Even his last film was never able to be completed due to lack of financing and is only now being finished with a kickstarter campaign, forty years after production commenced.
+MrImiller07 I wonder what Hearst would have made of a film recently released called 'The Cats Meow' which depicted the alleged infamous incident on his yacht when he (allegedly) mistakenly shot Thomas Ince thinking he was Charlie Chaplin. Hearst suspected that Chaplin was having an affair behind his back with Marion Davis ?!
Talk about unflattering light ! Spreads quite wide- amazed Orson wasn't invited for the trip.
Truth is, when Kane was released i do wonder whether Hearst caught sight of himself in the mirror and glimpsed what a horrible, misshapen , hideous monster he had become. Hold up the glass to nature as t'were....
Why is it that Hollywood is so determined to deny financing to people that they KNOW are masters, that they know will create works that even if unable to return profit at the outset, at-least nowadays, will return profit in home media when they inevitably stand the test of time?
It just boggles my mind thinking of all the narrow-minded tasteless arsehats at the top.
+nd4spd The people putting up the money always want to get the return on their investment sooner rather than later. The longer they wait, the more they believe they're losing out on using that money on another investment. They're not in the business of making art. Masters like Welles really needed art patrons. If only he were around today, equipment's much cheaper.
Lol. Got a few million you don't mind throwing away for the sake of 'art'?
You say that, but Orson allegedly learned of the affair from Marion Davies's nephew, Charles Lederer, and Welles, in turn, passed it on to Peter Bogdanovich -- who, of course, made "The Cat's Meow". ;-)
what a remarkable raconteur. Fascinating interview in which he really gives so much credit to the great Greg Toland, without whom he could have never made Kane the way he did. One of the greatest cinematographers who ever lived.
That really was an amazing contract he got for his first film.
That was an extremely honest interview.
Orson Welles was not perfect, but he seems to me to be someone with a very strong, well defined character and sense of self. And, because of that inner strength, he feels very comfortable with himself and is thus quite direct, forthright and honest. There's no dissembling, no posing, no artifice.
Clearly a very intelligent man as well.
"You got away with enormous technical advances, didn't you?" "Simply but not knowing they were impossible...or theoretically impossible." 05:45 That is the key to life.
It's how the lads from Liverpool took it into their teenage heads that they would become the best rock band in the world.
True
I always come back to this clip whenever it's suggested. It's such a great conversation. What a fascinating man.
I would PAY REAL MONEY to see this entire interview. Orson Wells was an amazing man, and none have come near to taking his place.
What, he was 25 years old when he made Citizen Kane, and now I'm also 25 and working hard to finish my 20-minute short film.
He was a true master. Mashallah 😇
Remember you have only yourself, where as Orson had the studio facility and back to make his picture. I'm sure if you were swung $30,000,000 in today's money and the ability to film it in a major studio's sound stages. Complete with their carpenters, prop builders, lights, cameras, costume dept, and the huge manpower, etc. You could pull it off as well. It is incredibly difficult making any film using one's coin and not being incredibly wealthy.
Thank you so much, brother. Thank you for the encouragement.
More younger people really need to learn about this man and watch Citizen Kane
BN games b
Eh, I don't think that's true. I am a millennial, but it's always interesting seeing how people criticize a generation. The same is true for any generation. Baby boomers criticize gen X, etc, and I've personally found it funny how much it's wrong. I can give some damn good examples of it, but yeah, don't say a single generation is bad, because it isn't. Shit, look at IMDB stats for this, its the youngest people who rate CK highly. It was a great movie, and old and young people agree with that :)
Younger people use to call it "overrated"
@@pissedoffdude1 Well said! I'm a 65 year old baby boomer but I've never looked at any generation as a whole. Each generation is like a puzzle made up of numerous pieces. After the puzzle is completed it gives an overall picture of the subject but if one really looks carefully they're bound to see a myriad of different pictures that make up the whole.
My dad, who’s in his 70s, loves Kane and introduced it to me decades ago, when I was growing up. I’ve loved it ever since. My dad and I have since introduced it to my young niece, who also loves it. I think it’s a unique rite of passage for young people to see this film and fall in love with it. I think that young people especially have an adoration for it because the youthful energy of Welles still comes through in every frame.
"Now, Mr Welles, diverting from "Kane" for a moment, I understand that French champagne has always been celebrated for its' excellence, and that there is a California champagne by Paul Masson inspired by that same French excellence. Would you agree?"
nnnnnNNNNYAAAAHHHH the frenshh...
he doesn't do anything?
hahahahaha yesss!
ProjectFlashlight612 We will sell no wine before it's time.
Good one.
What a brilliant interview. Absolutely fascinating!
What a brilliant and articulate man I never get tired of listening to him
I adore Orson Welles...a fascinatingly brilliant man!
6:00 love this part. True. You can learn almost anything pretty quickly with strong dedication and a good teacher.
What a killer interview! Absolutely fascinating..
not only was welles a great couture his abundance for living was unequaled. the passion this man had for life was effervencice.there has not been one person to slam him. that say's a lot. man,what a gift,thank you George,er I mean orson for bringing such great joy and output,thank you.
what a brilliant man was Orson Wells. Creative genius never afraid to push boundaries.
Orson is such a Boss here, but classy and humble at the same time. Amazing.
Damn. I could listen to Orson Welles talk for hours and never get bored.
Not only an amazing director, visionary, and artist, but a true man of his word, convictions, and an individual of amazing courage. Whenever he went up against people trying to silence him and incinerate his art, he fought against them until the very end. From the tycoons and other men in the film industry, to McCarthy and his blacklisting.
Exactly. I feel he, along with Rod Serling, would take great offense to the 'woke' offensive on individuality and freedom of expression. Censorship, of which both men fought against, is not called 'censorship' in our modern times, but rather by terms like 'justice' and 'fairness' and 'equality'. To paraphrase Chief in Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451', we must all be equal. Books about cancer make cigarette smokers uneasy. Novels and fantasy make people unhappy with their own lives to read about people unlike them to live in ways they cannot live. Books make people uncomfortable, sad, lonely, afraid. So they must be burned. We must all be equal.
Seems Ray was quite prophetic in his analysis of how to rebrand censorship and imprisonment of the soul to make it seem not only palatable, but agreeable and necessary to the masses unfamiliar with tyranny.
i miss interviewers like this guy. people who actually have a strong intellect that know the right questions to ask and guide a productive and, excuse me, enlightening conversation.
Powerful yet humble interview.
Always loved listening to welles talk honestly.
this has heightened my appreciation for Citizen Kane
Good grief. People were literate and articulate back then.
Spot on Kenneth. I could listen to the likes of Welles and Hitchcock all day but can't think of anyone in the modern day that even come close.
um, this is Orson Welles, not 'people'.
Quite. A shame nowadays isn't it?
Mousehead2000 No, he’s right. Even athletes were articulate.
Orson really worked hard on how he carried himself and spoke.
Welles, what a charismatic character who also happened to be a genius
What a man! What a great mind, reflected in that fantastic voice!
Unfortunately today, those big corporates have increased their global dominion, and silenced many great European men.
There will never be enough footage of Orson Welles speaking.
Could listen to the man all day.
The cameraman Welles refers to is Greg Toland. In addition to Citizen Kane, he was also cinematographer for Wuthering Heights, Intermezzo, The Grapes of Wrath, and many other films although he died very young at age 44. Both Wells and John Ford put Toland's name on the same title card as theirs, in the same size font.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Toland
Still, arguably, the greatest film ever made.
I am 72 years, and a film buff for 60 years. Been around quite a bit. Apart for Jesus, and Hitler, maybe John Huston, I can not think of anyone I would rather have a meal with then this man. So eloquent, smart, and humorous.....Maybe in the next life. Thank you
Amazing contract he had for a 25 year old first time director. Not only did he have final cut, no one else could see the film until it was ready for release.
Amazing and deeply interesting
Fascinating interview.
I've developed a habit of listening to Welles' videos before I go into job interviews, I may not get hired but they will reflect on me being of the few people under 40 that would use "palace intrigue" in an adult conversation.
What a good interview. I have never seen him talk about Kane like this.
garrison968 But Kane was not a financial success when it came out. Because of Hearst. Later it became a great critical success due to the French.
Most incredible interview ever done. Genius
he was a great director/actor! And his acting as kane, my god, I wish I could make you feel the euphoria I felt for the first time I watched citizen kane! he is one of the all time greats!
Love listening to this genius!
He was courageous. RIP Orson.
It's nothing short of a masterwork. I'd often lecture my architectural design students that one of the geniuses of the film, it's conceits really, is that the entire story is told to the audience at the start, in the newsreel. It's as if Welles is saying, if you are watching this thing just to find out what happens and how the whole thing ends, here go. You can leave now. The rest of the film is an exploration of perspectival space that is nothing short of surreal in many places. Brilliant. And yes, it's a great story too.
Orson looks quite young here. These are the most direct and illuminating comments about Kane I've heard him utter, this being before he became reluctant to speak about Kane.
Listening to this interview I couldn't help but be sort of hypnotized with the way in which Orson Welles spoke in this interview. About half way through I began to think that he reminded me of someone and after a couple of minutes of racking my brain, out popped Christopher Hitchens. Those two seem very similar to me in their mannerisms, way of speaking, confidence, as well as their over the top powerful stage presence to name a few things. The fact that he was able to do the things he did at such a young age is confirmation that those with him with power and money in Hollywood were so impressed with him that his age in effect became a non sequitur.
Mr. Wells, is well presented in this clip. These adjectives below, only begin to describe his genius:
Creator 🎆
Storyteller,
Philosopher,
Innovator,
Artist,
Thespian,
Writer,
Filmmaker,
Businessman,
Negotiator,
Survivor,
Legend,
Political Realist,
Classical,
Visionary,
Culturally interesting,
Intelligent,
Controversial,
Debatable and
Engaging...
And clearly one of the legendary people of the 20th century.
This is a small list of the personal characteristics of Orson Wells.
Many treasures of stage and film, followed after his work.
We, as a culture, benefit from their unique contributions.
Orson Wells is one excellent example of what the legendary figures of every generation, in all fields, can accomplish...
Thank you for your contributions Mr. Wells.
And thank you for posting this beautiful summary.
🎖🌉🌤🕊✨🌞💌🌃
For me is Orson Welles one of the most talentet and truhtfully person the world has has ever seen!
Perhaps the best interview I’ve ever seen, cheers dude.
Citizen Kane really was that great. Watch it now and it's as fresh as it ever was.
This might be my favourite video on youtube.
A brilliant interview by a superb guest and an equally superb interviewer. You can sense the respect for each other. For those interested the interviewer is Huw Wheldon who was also the editor en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huw_Wheldon and a decorated soldier in WW2
The charade he applies when questioned about his obvious genius as ignorance, speaks volumes of this great man,articulate,intelligent, yet gentlemanly polite. The icing on the cake is his velvet voice.
People used to talk like this, with such grace.
I’m 40 years old Mr Welles died when I was 3. Intrigued that Lucas wanted his voice as Vader I looked more into his interviews and Broadcast and now I can’t stop. I did see Citizen Kane when I was 15 and paid half attention but His voice might be the greatest talking voice ever that lived.
Orson fascinates me. A great mind and voice for story telling
When I saw Orson Welles on shows like Cavett in the early seventies (as a young teen), and then in a succession of ridiculous but somewhat amusing commercials, I just wrote him off as some old, fat has-been blowhard who showed up on tv everywhere. But the joke was on me the whole time, what an insanely brilliant man.
What a great resource this is to revisit accomplished people like this and finally learn and understand what they were really all about.
Looking at Orson Welles, and then remembering Kane, makes his performance as Kane wonderful.
Incredibly intelligent guy. 'Ahead of his time' doesn't even play here.
Amazing, on your first movie, not only do you get final cut, no one else could even see the rushes, or the rough cut.
Unprecedented I think and has not been duplicated since.
I would love to see the whole uncut version of this.
I love that Orson Welles made a film all about ego and precociousness.
The man knew himself.
Brilliant & a genius, but also a man comfortable with himself & in this & other interviews puts others at ease as well.