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What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career

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Orson Welles Book
Fascinating and informative
Its value thus is twofold: as a biography for Welles fans, and as a history of film industry operations and politics.
A Great Director's Independent Years
The Real Story behind a Misunderstood Talent.

What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career
Joseph McBride
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0813124107

Book Description

At twenty-five, Orson Welles (1915-1985) directed, co-wrote, and starred in Citizen Kane, widely considered the best film ever made. But Welles was such a revolutionary filmmaker that he found himself at odds with the Hollywood studio system. His work was so far ahead of its time that he never regained the wide popular following he had once enjoyed as a young actor-director on the radio.

Frustrated by Hollywood and falling victim to the postwar blacklist, Welles departed for a long European exile. But he kept making films, functioning with the creative freedom of an independent filmmaker before that term became common and eventually preserving his independence by funding virtually all his own projects. Because he worked defiantly outside the system, Welles has often been maligned as an errant genius who squandered his early promise.

Film critic Joseph McBride, who acted in Welles's legendary unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind, provocatively challenges conventional wisdom about Welles's supposed creative decline. McBride is the first author to provide a comprehensive examination of the films of Welles's artistically rich yet little-known later period. During the 1970s and '80s, Welles was breaking new aesthetic ground, experimenting as adventurously as he had throughout his career.

McBride's friendship and collaboration with Welles and his interviews with those who knew and worked with the director make What Ever Happened to Orson Welles? a portrait of rare intimacy and insight. Reassessing Welles's final period in the context of his entire life and work, McBride's revealing portrait of this great film artist will change the terms of how Orson Welles is regarded.

Customer Reviews:

Orson Welles Book.......2007-07-01

I have always been a fan of Orson Welles on radio and television. Having collected a ton of radio broadcasts on CD and audio cassette and having watched most of his movies, I appreciate the genius of his work. I picked up a copy of this book recently and am amazed at the amount of research put into it. An aspect of Welles rarely discussed is his magic career. At the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention this September in Aberdeen, Maryland, I plan to attend the presentation about Orson Welles and his magic career so I can watch rare footage and films with Welles, and get an even deeper insight to his trickery. Book comes recommended.

Fascinating and informative.......2007-03-06

While I might be biased because a many parts of this book included stories about my father, Gary Graver, this is not something you want to miss out on if you have any interest in Orson Welles or the inner workings of the Hollywood movie industry. I knew Orson when I was a young boy and teenager during the time my father worked with him, but my memories are nothing compared to the vivid details and thoroughness of Joe's writings.

This book taught me a lot about a man whom I admired and feared. He was rather scary from the perspective of a ten year old, but he often took time to have me sit with him while he taught me card tricks. I am so grateful that these stories are now available for everyone to read. Thank you Joe for your commitment in documenting what no one else ever has and sharing these wonderful stories.

Its value thus is twofold: as a biography for Welles fans, and as a history of film industry operations and politics........2006-12-11

Mention the name Orson Welles and his most famous involvement - with the radio scare 'War of the Worlds' - immediately comes to mind; but for a deeper understanding of Welles' life and career you need What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career. His later projects were largely self-financed and erratically distributed, but film critic and biographer Joseph McBride has a personal familiarity with Welles from previous projects worked on with him and here shows how the Hollywood studio system forced Welles out of the industry. Its value thus is twofold: as a biography for Welles fans, and as a history of film industry operations and politics.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A Great Director's Independent Years.......2006-11-06

Everyone knows that Orson Welles made _Citizen Kane_, possibly the most audacious and most analyzed movie to come out of Hollywood. And then what happened? He had been called a "boy genius", having made the movie (co-written, directed, and starred) when he was but twenty-five years old, but within a decade the term was used with sarcasm, and Walter Kerr wrote that Welles had become "an international joke, and possibly the youngest living has-been." Welles had been knocked down, and in the view of many, he never got up. Certainly, he never made anything like a _Kane_ again, but that isn't really fair: no one has. It is true that he never produced the sorts of films that were Hollywood-popular, but he did not at all disappear. Joseph McBride, a film historian who knew Welles, has answered the title question in his book _What Ever Happened to Orson Welles? A Portrait of an Independent Career_ (The University Press of Kentucky). The answer, quite simply, is that Welles worked and worked for decades in film, writing scripts, making movies, and (perhaps because few would bankroll him) doing things his own way. It's a sad story, in many ways. No one could doubt Welles's genius, and there are so many "if only" episodes in this book that it is often a depressing account. But Welles was not a tragic figure; he reflected years later that he might have made a mistake in staying in films (rather than, say, returning to the theater in which he had previously made his mark). But he would not have had it any other way: "I'm just in love with making movies," he said, and indeed, it was only death that stopped him.

McBride necessarily describes the problems that beset Welles immediately after _Kane_, when Welles could no longer get anything close to the full control of a film which he had practiced on his first movie. Still wanting to make movies, he left Hollywood to continue in Europe. McBride makes the case that contributing to Welles's decision for self-exile was his fear that he would be called to testify in the Communist witch-hunts. Welles loved shooting films and he especially loved editing them (as anyone who has seen _Kane_ can tell). There are plenty of pictures Welles worked on whose footage has been lost, but many others have the footage saved by fans or by creditors, and they frequently propose bringing out a finished version, hiring someone to pull the scenes together into a finished movie even so long after Welles's death in 1985. One producer mentioned she'd like to see a particular film screened not as an unfinished work by Welles, but as a film the way he might have finished it; but she says, "Finished by whom? Who can you substitute for Orson Welles?"

McBride does not go deeply into Welles's inability to finish things. Certainly it was attributable in a large part to Welles's way of skin-of-his-teeth filmmaking, whether or not it was some deep-set psychological disability. Welles could have written a magnificent autobiography, but when he got advances for such a work, he always returned them to the publishers. McBride writes, "Welles was deeply ambivalent about reminiscing, perhaps because he would have had to address issues he usually found too painful or delicate, such as his sexuality, his family life and some of his more traumatic experiences in Hollywood." Some of the stories of incompletion here, however, are extraordinary. His finished negative of _The Merchant of Venice_ was simply stolen from Welles's production office in Rome. The Iranians held funding for his meditation on filmmaking in the sixties, _The Other Side of the Wind_, and then the Shah was overthrown. "It's hard to imagine a movie career more littered with sensational catastrophes than mine," Welles admitted. He seldom admitted that he was the source of the less sensational catastrophes; a cameraman who worked with Welles late in his career said that Don Quixote was never completed because Welles "moved around too much, stuff got lost." For sensational and unsensational reasons, the losses recounted here are staggering. Nonetheless, McBride shows that they cannot be blamed, as some critics say, on Welles's being lazy or dilatory. The decades were filled with work for him, and he was pounding out a manuscript for a brand-new project on the night he died. As an independent filmmaker, Welles may have never fully lived up to his potential, but with a record of films that includes _Touch of Evil_ or the supremely weird _Lady from Shanghai_, his pattern of incompletion must be a minor sin. Much of McBride's personal account comes from his being an actor in _The Other Side of the Wind_ (of course, never finished) as were such droppable names as John Huston and Dennis Hopper. McBride's story won't re-make Welles's post-1950 career, but it isn't just a story of loss and lost opportunities; it is one of real movie history and at least some genuine artistic success.

The Real Story behind a Misunderstood Talent........2006-10-07

This book's title aptly describes its critical task in taking issue with the misleading images perpetuated by certain critics and journalists concerning the significance of Orson Welles as a major cinematic talent who developed, rather than declined, after making CITIZEN KANE. The author had the benfit several years of contact with the director before he died as well as the opportunity to appear before the camera in the still unreleased THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND.

McBride has been engaged in Welles's scholarship since his early 1970s monograph dealing with the director and is in a good position to promote the case that Welles was more of what we would describe as an independent film director rather than a Hollywood figure. This book covers similar territory to the first two volumes of Simon Callow's biographical project but has the advantage of extending beyond the final chapter of HELLO AMERICANS to document Welles work in Europe and his return to Hollywood up to his eventual death. It is also a much more balanced work than either of Callow's two volumes by avoiding tendencies towards cheap character assassination (mercifully limited in Callow's second volume but still present in certain instances) to document a person who was both a genius and a difficult person.

The key argument of this book is that the director was more sinned against than anything else. His Hollywood career was deliberately sabotaged by studion executives and he was under surveillance by the FBI for some 15 years. Despite that, Welles never gave in but directed several fascinating films and worked on others that still remain to be completed up to the very moment of his life. Welles was a fascinating character, a product of the New Deal Cultural Front, and a cinematic innovator in many ways. He left a legacy of completed American and European films as well as other works that challenged the boundaries of mainstream cinema. McBride delivers this argument in an eloquent manner and documents his sources meticulously.

This is one of the best biographies that has appeared so far on the subject. It aims to reveal the truth concerning Welles's real creative challenge to the establishment which several notorious treatments have attempted to deny. McBride writes in a very engaging manner and makes a strong case for the reassessment of the legacy of Orson Welles as one of America's major talents of the twentieth century. It is a really important work demanding wide readership and respect for its very valuable achievement.

The University of Kentucky Press also deserves congratulations for publishing this work along with the recent books on Cecil B. De Mille, Thomas Dixon and Peter Lorre which are all instrumental in rewriting film history and refuting so-called standard interpretations.

What Ever Happened to the Faculty?: Drift and Decision in Higher Education

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Faculty Are Still There - Just Look Different

What Ever Happened to the Faculty?: Drift and Decision in Higher Education
Mary Burgan
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The American Faculty: The Restructuring of Academic Work and Careers
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ASIN: 0801884616

Book Description

In this provocative work, Mary Burgan surveys the deterioration of faculty influence in higher education. From campus planning, curriculum, and instructional technology to governance, pedagogy, and academic freedom, she urges far greater consideration for the perspective of the faculty.

Burgan evokes the pervasive atmosphere of charge and counter-charge on U.S. campuses, where competition trumps reason not only in athletics but also in research, faculty recruitment, and fund-raising. Relating this "winner-take-all" mentality to the overspecialization of faculty and to overreliance on non-tenure track instructors, Burgan suggests that improving life on campus depends on faculty members' successful engagement with their administrative colleagues as well as their students.

Informed by experience, fueled by conviction, and full of practical, strategic advice for the future, What Ever Happened to the Faculty? is an excellent resource for administrators and faculty who are eager to change the tone and trajectory of contemporary higher education.

Customer Reviews:

Faculty Are Still There - Just Look Different.......2006-12-08

Burgan has provided the reader a comprehensive yet easy-to-read study on the status of higher education faculty. Faculty are still here, we just look different without tenure and are still very passionate about teaching.

Provided is a sobering evaluation of distance education, with strained attempts at being unbiased. Participation in shared governance is also discussed, but the point of involving contingent faculty is lost to the reader. Burgan accurately explains the devaluation of intellectual work as the result of increased administrative and special project assignments.

We've given this work five stars - unusual for this type of work because of Burgan's attempts at being fair yet candid, except when it comes to the topic of the corporatization of higher education.

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What Ever Happened to Mary
Mary E. Hines
Manufacturer: Ave Maria Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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What Ever Happened to the American Dream

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You can't believe everything you see and hear, now, can you?
Outstanding perspective on the decline of rights in America
Learn the WHOLE truth about many important topics

What Ever Happened to the American Dream
Larry Burkett
Manufacturer: Moody Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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You can't believe everything you see and hear, now, can you?.......2000-12-04

Burkett brings to light the full repertoire of the liberal spin doctors in one concise volume. The terrifying thing in this country is the way most people believe what they are told by the government and what they hear on the news without ever stopping to ask themselves, does this really make sense? After you read this book, you'll never take anything for granted without considering what someone has to gain by convincing you. A must read for any modern day patriot.

Outstanding perspective on the decline of rights in America.......2000-02-29

I was both pleased and angered by this book. Larry presented his facts in a well written, no nonsense fashion. He provided all sources for the information he used. It gave me an entirely new outlook on how government intervention in every aspect of our lives has hastened the erosion of our basic "rights" as free Americans. I have read it three times and it continues to infuriate me.

Highly recommended.

Learn the WHOLE truth about many important topics.......1998-10-11

This book opened my eyes to the deceptions that are being feed to each of us today. Larry Burkett exposes the EPA for who they are and gives evidence that proves the hole in the ozone layer scare is not to be believed. You will be outraged at the injustices people are sujected to by a government that is much too big and too busy tending to matters that were never meant to be handled by our law makers. Every Christian and/or person who wishes to be exposed to another version of the stories we here every day should read this book because it will reveal how important it is that we not believe something to be true because the media says it is or some government agency says it is. My way of thinking has been forever changed by reading this book.

What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star

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Fascinating
Supreme Child Star of Silent Screen Writes Her Own Story

What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star
Diana Serra Cary
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Fascinating.......2001-10-24

This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. Diana Serra Cary was well known in the 1920's as Baby Peggy.This is her story. Beginning with her discovery while visiting a movie studio with her Mother and older sister, this book shows how a child not yet 2 years old becomes the family bread winner. It also lends insight into the unscrupulous abuse of children and animals in the motion picture industry. This book will move you to tears as you follow along this child stars life until she comes full circle to find the childhood that was once destroyed in show business.

Supreme Child Star of Silent Screen Writes Her Own Story.......1999-10-14

This book was a big surprise, probably the best and most intimate story of an ex-child star. Baby Peggy was indisputably the top child actress in movie during the 1920's, the Shirley Temple of the silent screen (Shirley even remade some of her films.) Her stardom was naturally short-lived and Miss Cary quickly went from everybody's darling to "who?" Her lack of bitterness is remarkable and her outstanding writer's instincts give us a clearer picture of the life of a fallen ex-child star than we have ever had before. She writes beautifully (also the author of two other notable books) and deserves credit for bringing her often painful personal story to light. Most eyeopening for me was a rare look at how some of the powerful of Hollywood treat "nobodies" (which included the post-teenage Baby Peggy.) John Ford, Cecil B. DeMille, Hal Roach, Adela Rogers St. John - all written about in admirable prose by most journalists; here we get a new view when the press is away and the mighty abuse their power or either show a complete lack of concern for the extras and others who are viewed as of no more value than "a used Dixie cup" as Ms. Cary puts it. She also notes the struggles of other ex-child stars including Spanky McFarland and Darla Hood. Happily, after years of personal struggle Ms. Cary found happiness in a second marriage and a career as a writer. This is a book every person who ever thought of making a couple of bucks getting their kids into show business should read first.

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What Ever Happened to the Dinosaurs ?
bernard most
Manufacturer: trumpet club
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What Ever Happened to Rebecca Evans?: (The Life of a Dominatrix. . .)

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Tragic Encounter...

What Ever Happened to Rebecca Evans?: (The Life of a Dominatrix. . .)
Rebecca Evans
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1410701646

Customer Reviews:

Tragic Encounter..........2002-03-12

As a woman, I felt the emotional impact of this great story. In some places the writer abandons syntax for this purpose. There is a lot of poetry in this tragic encounter of a battered woman. A paradox of exceptional taste and a moving story, that at times may be hard to follow; but if you pay close attention,
you might hear something very interesting and fresh. A new outlook...

What Ever Happened to Robert Aldrich?: His Life and His Films

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What Ever Happened to Robert Aldrich?: His Life and His Films
Alain Silver , and James Ursini
Manufacturer: Limelight Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

"There was something about Robert Aldrich's artistic temperament that enabled him to transcend the apparent vulgarity of so many of his motion picutres. Besides the great films, such as Kiss Me Deadly which is certainly one of the finest examples of film noir, are several little-seen or underrated later works such as the revisionist Western, Ulzana's Raid, the gangster love story, The Grissom Gang, or the grim cop picture, Hustle. Aldrich's career has long deserved the detailed evaluation which this book provides." - Andrew Sarris

What ever happened to "Happily ever after"?: A step-by-step guide to happier relationships

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What ever happened to "Happily ever after"?: A step-by-step guide to happier relationships
Gregg Sanderson
Manufacturer: Adventures in Living
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Foreward Ever!: Including section on ''What Happened to Warner Press''

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Foreward Ever!: Including section on ''What Happened to Warner Press''
Donald A. Noffsinger
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1413486762

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