Orson Welles

Born: 1915-05-06

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.


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as Unicron (voice)
Released: 1986-08-08

The Autobots must stop a colossal planet-consuming robot who goes after the Autobot Matrix of...

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See!

Citizen Kane

as Charles Foster Kane
Released: 1941-04-17

Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a...

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The Third Man

as Harry Lime
Released: 1949-08-31

In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a...

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Waterloo

as Louis XVIII
Released: 1970-10-26

After defeating France and imprisoning Napoleon on Elba, ending two decades of war, Europe is...

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A Man for All Seasons

as Cardinal Wolsey
Released: 1966-12-13

A depiction of the conflict between King Henry VIII of England and his Lord Chancellor, Sir...

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History of the World: Part I

as Narrator
Released: 1981-06-12

An uproarious version of history that proves nothing is sacred – not even the Roman Empire, the...

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Touch of Evil

as Police Captain Hank Quinlan
Released: 1958-03-30

When a car bomb explodes on the American side of the U.S./Mexico border, Mexican drug...

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Catch-22

as Brigadier General Dreedle
Released: 1970-06-24

A bombardier in World War II tries desperately to escape the insanity of the war. However,...

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The Muppet Movie

as Lew Lord
Released: 1979-06-22

A Hollywood agent persuades Kermit the Frog to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there he...

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Moby Dick

as Father Mapple
Released: 1956-06-27

In 1841, young Ishmael signs up for service aboard the Pequod, a whaler sailing out of New...

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Casino Royale

as Le Chiffre
Released: 1967-04-13

Sir James Bond is called back out of retirement to stop SMERSH. In order to trick SMERSH, James...

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The Vikings

as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: 1958-06-11

Einar, brutal son of Ragnar and future heir to his throne, tangles with Eric, a wily slave, for...

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King of Kings

as Narrator (Voice)
Released: 1961-10-11

Who is Jesus, and why does he impact all he meets? He is respected and reviled, emulated and...

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The Stranger

as Prof. Charles Rankin
Released: 1946-07-02

An investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi,...

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Chimes at Midnight

as Falstaff
Released: 1965-12-22

Henry IV usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a...

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Macbeth

as Macbeth
Released: 1948-10-01

A Scottish warlord and his wife murder their way to a pair of crowns.

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The Battle of Neretva

as Četnik
Released: 1969-10-07

In January 1943 the German army, afraid of an Allied invasion of the Balkans, launched a great...

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The Trial

as Albert Hastler
Released: 1962-12-21

Josef K wakes up in the morning and finds the police in his room. They tell him that he is on...

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Voyage of the Damned

as José Estedes
Released: 1976-12-22

A luxury liner carries Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany in a desperate fight for survival.

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Ro.Go.Pa.G.

as The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta")
Released: 1963-02-19

Four short films by four different directors dealing with the principles of modern life.

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Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

as (archive footage)
Released: 2012-02-04

A film where anything can happen - the hero and the heroine changes their faces, age, look,...

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The Magnificent Ambersons

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1942-07-10

The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the...

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Jim Henson Idea Man

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2024-05-18

Featuring unprecedented access to Jim Henson's personal archives, filmmaker Ron Howard brings us...

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Jodorowsky's Dune

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2013-08-30

Shot in France, England, Switzerland and the United States, this documentary covers director...

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Othello

as Othello
Released: 1951-11-28

When a secret marriage is planned between Othello, a Moorish general, and Desdemona, the...

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The Lady from Shanghai

as Michael O'Hara
Released: 1947-12-24

A romantic drifter gets caught between a corrupt tycoon and his voluptuous wife.

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Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-11-13

The portrait of the last cowboy Hollywood legend dives into the 65 years of an extraordinary...

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The Secret Life of Nikola Tesla

as J.P. Morgan
Released: 1980-02-19

Life and times of Nikola Tesla, famous scientist whose inventions were stolen, but whose...

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The Other Side of the Wind

as Journalist (uncredited)
Released: 2018-11-02

Surrounded by fans and skeptics, grizzled director J.J. "Jake" Hannaford returns from years...

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Jane Eyre

as Edward Rochester
Released: 1943-12-24

After a harsh childhood, orphan Jane Eyre is hired by Edward Rochester, the brooding lord of a...

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Duel in the Sun

as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: 1946-12-31

Beautiful half-breed Pearl Chavez becomes the ward of her dead father's first love and finds...

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La Classe américaine

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1993-12-31

George Abitbol, the classiest man in the world, dies tragically during a cruise. The director of...

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The Long, Hot Summer

as Will Varner
Released: 1958-05-17

Accused barn burner and conman Ben Quick arrives in a small Mississippi town and quickly...

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Is Paris Burning?

as Konsul Nordling
Released: 1966-10-26

Near the end of World War II, Gen. Dietrich von Choltitz receives orders to burn down Paris if...

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Compulsion

as Jonathan Wilk
Released: 1959-04-01

Two close friends' plan to execute a flawless crime is crushed when one of them inadvertently...

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Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 2021-04-23

Take a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most influential children's show...

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The Battle of Austerlitz

as Robert Fulton
Released: 1960-06-17

Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself emperor and fights the English, Austrians and Russians in 1802.

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And Then There Were None

as Voice on Tape
Released: 1974-09-24

Ten people are invited to a hotel in the Iranian desert, only to find that an unseen person is...

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Journey into Fear

as Colonel Haki
Released: 1943-01-07

An American ballistics expert in Turkey finds himself targeted by Nazi agents. Safe passage home...

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They'll Love Me When I'm Dead

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2018-08-31

As his life comes to its end, famous Hollywood director Orson Welles puts it all on the line at...

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F for Fake

as Self
Released: 1973-09-01

Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later...

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Mr. Arkadin

as Gregory Arkadin
Released: 1955-08-09

Claiming that he doesn't know his own past, a rich man enlists an ex-con with an odd bit of...

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The Biggest Battle

as Narratore
Released: 1978-02-07

A story of how World War II affected the lives of a German family and an American family, both...

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The V.I.P.s

as Max Buda
Released: 1963-09-01

Wealthy passengers fogged in at London's Heathrow Airport fight to survive a variety of personal...

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Is It Always Right to Be Right?

as Narrator
Released: 1970-10-31

The world is divided into factions, on opposite sides of issues; each side is, of course, right....

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Napoleon

as Sir Hudson Lowe
Released: 1955-03-25

The film follows the life of Napoleon from his early life in Corsica to his death at Saint...

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The Great Buster: A Celebration

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2018-10-05

A celebration of the life and career of one of America's most influential and celebrated...

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Return to Glennascaul

as Narrator
Released: 1953-02-01

Orson Welles, taking a break from the filming of "Othello," is driving in the Irish countryside...

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The Deep

as Russ Brewer
Released: 2007-07-08

A couple's honeymoon trip aboard a yacht leads to a claustrophobic drama when another vessel...

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Lost in La Mancha

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2002-02-11

Fulton and Pepe's 2000 documentary captures Terry Gilliam's attempt to get The Man Who Killed...

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Butterfly

as Judge Rauch
Released: 1982-02-05

Jess Tyler lives a quiet life next to an abandoned mining factory by himself in the desert. His...

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The Eyes of Orson Welles

as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Released: 2018-08-17

A poetic journey into the visual world of the legendary filmmaker and actor Orson Welles...

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The Immortal Story

as Charles Clay
Released: 1968-06-01

An aged, wealthy trader plots with his servant to recreate a maritime tall tale, using a local...

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Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

as Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
Released: 2014-12-12

The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible...

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David and Goliath

as King Saul
Released: 1960-01-22

When the Philistines attack, the Israelites are hopeless against the fierce giant Goliath and...

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Ten Days That Shook the World

as Narrator
Released: 1967-01-01

An epic presentation of the turbulent days leading to the Russian Revolution. Based on the...

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Genocide

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1982-03-14

The mass murder of Jewish people by the Nazi regime is chronicled, with a warning that...

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Three Cases of Murder

as Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
Released: 1955-03-15

Three stories of murder and the supernatural: A museum worker is introduced to a world behind...

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Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

as Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
Released: 1975-01-09

Rikki is a young mongoose who is adopted by a human family after nearly drowning in the river....

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Man in the Shadow

as Virgil Renchler
Released: 1957-12-12

In a modern cow town, the powerful ranch owner’s henchmen kill a ranch hand, prompting the...

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Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2020-01-27

Explore the personal and professional triumphs and challenges of actor Natalie Wood, which have...

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Start the Revolution Without Me

as The Narrator
Released: 1970-02-04

Two sets of identical twins are accidentally switched at birth. One pair, Phillipe and Pierre...

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Treasure Island

as Long John Silver
Released: 1972-10-01

Young Jim Hawkins finds himself serving with pirate captain Long John Silver in search of a...

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Get to Know Your Rabbit

as Mr. Delasandro
Released: 1972-06-07

A young businessman goes to a magic expert to learn hardness and skill with his cynical and...

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The Kremlin Letter

as Bresnavitch
Released: 1970-02-01

After an unauthorized letter suggesting U.S. support for a Russian attack on China is sent to...

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Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-10-27

An intimate and revealing look at the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of...

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Swiss Family Robinson

as Opening Narrator
Released: 1940-02-08

A family setting out for a new life across the sea is shipwrecked on a deserted island. The...

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Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

as Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
Released: 2010-05-05

In 2001 Jack Cardiff (1914-2009) became the first director of photography in the history of the...

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The Battle Over Citizen Kane

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1996-01-29

Documentary about the battle between Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst over Welles'...

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The Black Rose

as Bayan
Released: 1950-09-01

In the 13th century, Walter of Gurnie, a disinherited Saxon youth, is forced to flee England....

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Follow the Boys

as Orson Welles (uncredited)
Released: 1944-05-05

During World War II, all the studios put out "all-star" vehicles which featured virtually every...

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The Welles Raft

as Himself (Archive Footage)
Released: 2022-06-23

The raft man Manuel Jacaré was swallowed by the sea when Orson Welles was filming It's All True...

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Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure

as Himself
Released: 2011-08-26

In 1987, Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitch Deprey recorded the nightly squabbles of their over-the-top...

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Directed by John Ford

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1971-09-06

A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

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Malpertuis

as Cassavius
Released: 1971-01-02

Malpertuis is the name of an old, rambling mansion which is in reality a labyrinth where...

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Necromancy

as Mr. Cato
Released: 1972-09-22

After Lori suffers a stillbirth, her husband Frank obtains a job with a northern California toy...

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Tepepa

as Colonel Cascorro
Released: 1969-01-31

The Mexican guerilla leader Tepepa and his gang fight against the chief of police, Cascorro.

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Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Released: 2018-04-02

An account of the life of actress Jeanne Moreau (1928-2017), a true icon of the New Wave and one...

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Royal Affairs in Versailles

as Benjamin Franklin
Released: 1954-02-10

Witty narration follows the history of Versailles Palace; founded by Louis XIII, enlarged by...

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Filming 'The Trial'

as Self
Released: 1981-02-01

In 1981, Welles gave a 90-minute question-and-answer session at the University of Southern...

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I'll Never Forget What's'isname

as Jonathan Lute
Released: 1967-12-18

Advertising golden boy Andrew Quint is fed up with his fabulously successful life. In very...

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Moby Dick

as Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
Released: 2000-05-01

Moby Dick is an unfinished film by Orson Welles, filmed in 1971. It is not to be confused with...

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Show-Business at War

as Self
Released: 1943-05-21

A multi-studio effort to show the newsreel audience the progress of the Hollywood war effort.

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Someone to Love

as Danny's Friend
Released: 1987-09-11

A Hollywood film director assembles a group of friends and strangers for a social gathering on...

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Twelve Plus One

as Markan
Released: 1969-10-07

Mario, a young philanderer, receives 13 antique chairs in a bad state by inheritance and decides...

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Rita

as (archive footage)
Released: 2003-09-09

Biography of 1940's sex goddess Rita Hayworth.

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Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 1974-04-11

The film's subject is a photograph of Jane Fonda visiting Hanoi during the Vietnam War. It asks...

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Too Much Johnson

as Keystone Kop
Released: 2013-10-09

This film was not intended to stand by itself, but was designed as the cinematic aspect of...

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The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

as Narrator
Released: 1977-01-01

Orson Welles reads the poem especially for this film by Larry Jordan, which is dedicated to the...

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South Seas Adventure

as Narrator
Released: 1958-07-16

Cinerama takes you on a South Seas Adventure to tropical islands set like sparkling jewels in...

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The Witching

as Mr. Cato
Released: 1983-11-25

This is Gordon's re-edit of his 1972 horror film Necromancy starring Orson Welles and Pamela...

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The Man Who Saw Tomorrow

as Presenter / Narrator (voice)
Released: 1981-01-09

Hosted by Orson Welles, this documentary utilizes a grab bag of dramatized scenes, stock...

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The New Deal for Artists

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1981-07-06

The Arts Project of the Work Projects Administration (1935-1942) was a USA government agency...

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The Southern Star

as Plankett
Released: 1969-03-04

Comedy adventure based on a Jules Verne novel about the ups and downs of jewel thieves in the...

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Night of 100 Stars

as Self
Released: 1982-03-08

The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took...

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The Roots of Heaven

as Cy Sedgewick
Released: 1958-10-15

In French Equatorial Africa, an idealist campaigns to save the African elephant, gaining support...

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Parkinson at 50

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-08-28

Sir Michael Parkinson looks back over his 50 years as a broadcaster, revealing some tricks of...

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The Battle of Sutjeska

as Winston Churchill
Released: 1973-07-03

The headquarters of the Marshal Tito's Liberation Army are surrounded by Axis forces. The...

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Orson Welles at the Cinémathèque Française

as Himself
Released: 1983-02-28

On April 24th, 1982, when Orson Welles was invited to Paris to receive the Légion d'honneur from...

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It's All True

as Self
Released: 1993-10-17

A documentary about Orson Welles's unfinished three-part film about South America.

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Don Quixote

as Self
Released: 1992-04-20

Don Quixote, accompanied by Sancho Panza, wander the roads of Spain protecting the weak and...

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The Greatest Adventure--The Story of Man's Voyage to the Moon

as Narrator
Released: 1979-01-02

The planning and implementation of the first flight to the moon, narrated by Orson Welles.

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Black Magic

as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
Released: 1949-08-19

A hypnotist uses his powers for revenge against King Louis XV's court.

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On the tracks of a filmmaker

as Orson Welles
Released: 1988-01-01

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Orson Welles' Sketch Book

as Self - Host
Released: 1955-04-24

Orson Welles recounts various stories from his life while drawing sketches of the events.

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Who Is Henry Jaglom?

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1997-07-08

Hailed by some as a cinematic genius, a feminist voice and a true maverick of American cinema,...

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LIFE BEYOND: Visions of Alien Life

as Narrator (Archive Sound)
Released: 2024-04-17

Are we alone? What might alien species look like? And what could we learn from them? Proudly...

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Hopper/Welles

as Self
Released: 2020-09-09

Captures a 1970 meeting between the movie industry titan Orson Welles and the then-rising star...

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The Hearts of Age

as Death
Released: 1934-01-01

A colonial scene in the U.S. An old lady sits astride a bell while a man in blackface, wig, and...

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Welles' Language

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1990-01-01

Orson Welles acted in Brazilian culture and music by deeply researching Brazil's historical...

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The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh

as himself
Released: 1984-01-01

Orson Welles sits in his chair behind his typewriter where he sends a message out to his dying...

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Ferry to Hong Kong

as Captain Hart
Released: 1959-10-29

Mark Conrad, a habitual drunk and troublemaker with a shady past, is expelled by Hong Kong...

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The Fight for Rome

as Justinian
Released: 1968-12-17

A Roman noble, Cethegus, tries to start a war, setting the Ostrogoths and their Queen,...

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It's All Brazil

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1997-09-18

A film essay about Brazil discovered through Orson Welles' eyes during the shooting of It's All...

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Slapstick of Another Kind

as Aliens' Father (voice)
Released: 1982-12-09

A rich, beautiful couple give birth to deformed alien twins who, when their heads are together,...

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Around the World of Mike Todd

as Self - Narrator
Released: 1968-09-08

"Around the World with Mike Todd" serves as a summarization of the Todd's career, and his role...

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The Road to Bresson

as Self
Released: 1984-05-13

A Dutch documentary about legendary French filmmaker Robert Bresson.

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The Force Beyond

as Himself (archive footage)
Released: 1977-12-02

Speculative "documentary" about alien visitations on Earth, UFO sightings and how aliens are...

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Prince of Foxes

as Cesare Borgia
Released: 1949-11-11

In 1500, Duke Cesare Borgia hopes to marry his sister to the heir apparent of Ferrara, which...

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Bugs Bunny Superstar

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1975-12-19

Animator Robert Clampett presents a history of "Termite Terrace," the little shack on the Warner...

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The Orson Welles Show

as Self
Released: 1979-02-01

Unsold pilot for a talk show hosted by Orson Welles.

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A Safe Place

as The Magician
Released: 1971-10-01

Noah, a young woman who lives alone in New York, is dating two very different men, Fred and...

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NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3

as Narrator
Released: 2001-01-01

What if other life was out there? Join us as we try to answer that most-asked question.l With...

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Brasil

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1981-12-05

João Gilberto receives Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia during the recording of...

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Othelo The Great

as Ele Mesmo (Imagem de Arquivo)
Released: 2024-09-05

A beautifully told story using archival footage to explore the life of Grande Otelo, a...

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Ten Days' Wonder

as Théo Van Horn
Released: 1971-12-01

Charles Van Horn, son of rich and powerful Théo Van Horn, calls upon his former teacher Paul...

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It's Not All True

as Himself (archive footage)
Released: 1986-08-22

Orson Welles goes to Brazil to shoot his documentary It's All True.

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The Tartars

as Burundai
Released: 1961-04-01

The Tartars and the Vikings maintain a fragile peace in the harsh landscape of the Russian...

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Orson Welles: The Paris Interview

as Himself
Released: 2010-04-01

A vintage interview captures the artist reflecting on Citizen Kane and expounding on directing,...

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Lafayette

as Benjamin Franklin
Released: 1962-02-16

The story of Lafayette, the 19 year old pacifist who takes the side of the Colonials during the...

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A Huey P. Newton Story

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 2001-06-18

The story of how the radical Huey P. Newton developed the Black Panther Party based on his...

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King Lear

as King Lear
Released: 1953-10-18

In this abridged television production, Lear vows revenge against his conniving daughters after...

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Trouble in the Glen

as Sanin Cejador y Mengues
Released: 1954-06-15

Major Jim "Lance" Lansing, an American ex-pilot of the U.S. Air Corps, returns to Scotland after...

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The Blinding of Isaac Woodard

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-03-30

In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in...

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Orson Welles: The One-Man Band

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1995-10-08

Orson Welles' archives of unfinished/never released movies and the last years of his life from...

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Vienna

as Himself
Released: 1968-01-01

Orson Welles talks fantasy and magic in this short Vienna travelogue.

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Crack in the Mirror

as Hagolin / Lamerciere
Released: 1960-05-19

Three stars appear in two separate but intertwined stories of romantic triangles gone wrong in...

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The Late Great Planet Earth

as Self
Released: 1978-01-17

The Late, Great Planet Earth is the title of a best-selling 1970 book co-authored by Hal Lindsey...

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Filming Othello

as Host
Released: 1978-07-10

Filming Othello is a 1978 documentary film directed by and starring Orson Welles about the...

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Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"

as (archive footage)
Released: 2019-02-21

An essay on how could Welles' Touch of Evil and his story about the border between USA and...

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This Is Orson Welles

as Self
Released: 2015-05-21

Misunderstood genius, superstar, Hollywood’s fallen angel... Orson Welles left his indelible...

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The Man Who Came to Dinner

as Sheridan Whiteside
Released: 1972-11-29

Lecturer and broadcaster Sheridan Whiteside has been invited to dinner at the home of a pompous...

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Magic with the Stars

as Host
Released: 1982-01-17

Hollywood celebrities assist magicians in a program of magic and illusion.

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The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1986-01-21

For the first time in their careers, all the Muppets (except the ones that couldn't make it,...

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The Merchant of Venice

as Shylock
Released: 1969-12-01

A short film directed by Orson Welles based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name....

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Filmmakers vs. Tycoons

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2005-07-17

How the cinema industry does not respect the author's work as it was conceived, how manipulates...

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The Sailor from Gibraltar

as Louis de Mozambique
Released: 1967-01-01

Alan, after quarreling with his girlfriend Sheila, becomes intrigued by Anna, a mysterious widow...

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Tomorrow Is Forever

as John Andrew MacDonald
Released: 1946-02-20

In 1918, Elizabeth MacDonald learns that her husband, John Andrew, has been killed in the war....

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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1975-08-06

Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American...

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House of Cards

as Leschenhaut
Released: 1968-09-16

In 1960s Paris, an American boxer stumbles upon an international fascist conspiracy that aims to...

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Portrait: Orson Welles

as Self
Released: 1968-06-01

Excerpts and fragments from different interviews with Orson Welles making a statement to...

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Where Is Parsifal?

as Klingsor
Released: 1984-01-01

Tucked away in his castle, a hypochondriac inventor plays generous host to a revolving cast of...

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The Fountain of Youth

as the narrator
Released: 1958-09-16

A couple is conflicted when they are offered a chance at youth. Based on John Collier's short...

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The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art

as Narrator
Released: 1974-12-05

The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art is a 1974 American documentary film directed by Herbert...

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It Happened One Christmas

as Henry F. Potter
Released: 1977-12-11

It's Christmas Eve 1944 in the small town of Bedford Falls, New York. A despondent and suicidal...

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Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles

as Self
Released: 2021-10-17

The story of famous actor and director Orson Welles is told through his two visits to the...

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The Enchanted Journey

as Pippo
Released: 1981-10-10

Enthralled with tales of the Great North Forest conveyed to him by friendly carrier pigeon...

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To Build a Fire

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1969-01-01

A man travels by foot in the snow with his dog.

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From Fiber to Fabric: Wool's a Natural

as Narrator
Released: 1977-01-01

Explores the history of the woolen textile industry from earliest times until the present day.

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Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional

as Self
Released: 1997-01-01

"Portraits and excerpts from Brazilian films from all times. Actors, directors and images that...

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The Spanish Earth

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1937-07-10

A propaganda film made during the Spanish Civil War in support of the Republican government...

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Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote

as Self (Archive footage)
Released: 2000-11-05

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The Greenstone

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1980-01-01

Living on the edge of the woods, a young boy (Joseph Cory) dedicates himself to finding a...

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The Double McGuffin

as Narrator
Released: 1979-06-01

Some school kids stumble across a briefcase full of money, when they go back for it, they find a...

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The Battle of Grovers Mill

as Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
Released: 2024-06-08

An aspiring journalist faces the unimaginable when news of a nearby crash site comes over the...

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From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight

as Falstaff
Released: 2023-04-09

A strobing deconstruction of Orson Welles' Chimes at Midnight.

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Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees

as Self - Narrator (voice)
Released: 1965-12-22

Jane Goodall has spent five years observing the chimps in Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika),...

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Notre Dame de la Croisette

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 1983-02-23

A woman goes to Cannes and, lost in its chaos and unable to obtain tickets, ends up watching it...

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The Finest Hours

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1964-09-29

A biography of Winston Churchill, shown through re-creations and actual film footage and told by...

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Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2000-10-24

Lon Chaney, the silent movie star and makeup artist, renowned for his various characterizations...

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Edge of Outside

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2006-06-11

An hour-long documentary designed to celebrate the spirit of the independent filmmaker from D.W....

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Man, Beast and Virtue

as Captain Perella, the Beast
Released: 1953-05-09

Paolino, a teacher at an elementary school near Naples, appears nervous for a few days and his...

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Centinelas del Silencio

as uncredited
Released: 1971-05-01

Sentinels of Silence is a 1971 short documentary film on ancient Mexican civilizations. The film...

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It's Pretty, but is it Art?

as Self (voiceover)
Released: 2023-03-02

As Orson Welles, I might say: Art is the grand illusion, a mirror reflecting the complexities of...

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Marco the Magnificent

as Akerman, Marco's Teacher
Released: 1965-08-06

Young Marco Polo travels to China to help Kublai Khan fight against rebels, headed by his own...

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Lucifer et moi

as (archive footage 1982)
Released: 2009-02-04

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An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon

as uncredited
Released: 1970-12-31

In October 1970, at his Hollywood home, Welles recorded voice-overs for short stories intended...

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Upon This Rock

as Michelangelo (voice)
Released: 1970-01-01

Drama describing the story of the building of Saint Peter's Cathedral, Vatican, Rome.

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Hot Money

as Sheriff Paisley
Released: 1983-01-01

Burt, a clever ex-con, has changed his identity and has managed to land a job as a deputy in...

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Know Your Ally: Britain

as Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger)
Released: 1944-01-01

Know Your Ally: Britain was a 45-minute propaganda film made in 1944. It was narrated by Walter...

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The Dominici Affair by Orson Welles

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2003-04-12

In 1956, Orson Welles directed 'The Tragedy of Lurs', an episode of the television series...

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Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1990-01-01

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Embers & Dust

as Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
Released: 2016-11-16

Embers and Dust focuses on the perspective of a young farm boy and his family, and how the night...

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Flame of Persia

as Narrator
Released: 1971-01-02

Documentary film about the 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire.

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LIFE BEYOND I: The Dawn

as Narrator
Released: 2019-11-19

The biggest question of our time. Are we alone? Chapter 1 of this experience takes you to alien...

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Lords of the Forest

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1958-11-21

Documentary about the inhabitants, both human and animal, of the Belgian Congo. Released in 1958.

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A Horse Called Nijinsky

as Narrator
Released: 1970-01-01

Documentary, narrated by Orson Welles, about the legendary race horse Nijinsky, one of the...

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Working with Orson Welles

as Himself (Archive Footage)
Released: 1993-01-01

"Working with Orson Welles" is a low-budget production put together by Gary Graver, who worked...

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Trent's Last Case

as Sigsbee Manderson
Released: 1952-09-22

When a wealthy business man is found dead reporter Philip Trent is sent to investigate. Against...

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The Paranormal Peter Sellers

as Self (Archive footage)
Released: 2001-01-01

This documentary revealed Peter Sellers obsession with the occult. Sellers was a highly...

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The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal

as Justinian
Released: 1969-02-21

The devious general Cethegus plays the Byzantine and Gothic forces against each other for his...

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Orson Welles' Magic Show

as Self
Released: 1985-01-24

Welles had a lifelong interest in magic, having been taught his first magic tricks by Harry...

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A King's Story

as Narrator
Released: 1965-01-01

A King's Story is a 1965 British documentary film directed by Harry Booth about the life of King...

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Mysterious Castles of Clay

as Narrator
Released: 1978-01-01

Mysterious Castles of Clay is a 1978 film about a termite colony; filmed in Kenya by film-makers...

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Let Poland Be Poland

as Self
Released: 1982-01-31

Broadcast live via satellite around the world on January 31, 1982, this special produced by the...

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Baryshnikov in Hollywood

as Self - Narrator
Released: 1982-04-21

The famed dancer encounters various characters in a busy day at work on a movie studio lot.

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The Dreamers

as Marcus Kleek
Released: 1985-02-05

Footage shot for Orson Welles' unfinished and unreleased film project, edited into a short...

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Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years

as Self
Released: 1979-12-13

Gala tribute to the Chairman of the Board.

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The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail

as Narrator
Released: 1984-05-09

Neil Hollander sailed a ten-meter sailboat nearly 25,000 miles meeting and working alongside...

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Alfonso Sansone: Producer by Chance

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2014-09-10

After the war, almost by chance, Alfonso Sansone starts to produce documentary films and moves...

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London

as Winston Churchill / George Bernard Shaw
Released: 1971-12-31

Five comedy vignettes: 1) Churchill, 2) Swinging London, 3) Four Clubmen, 4) Stately Homes, 5)...

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Hot Tomorrows

as Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
Released: 1977-04-01

A portrait of a young man, Michael, so obsessed with death that he decorates his room with a...

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The Shadow Knows

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2012-05-04

This exhaustive documentary covers the history and legacy of Walter B. Gibson's character, The...

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Almonds and Raisins

as Narrator
Released: 1985-08-09

This documentary examines the dozens of Yiddish-language talking films made in the United States...

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Caesar's Guide to Gaming with Orson Welles

as Himself
Released: 1978-01-01

A movie made for closed circuit television to be played in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Orson...

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Beggars Would Ride

as Narrator
Released: 1967-12-01

Crime film directed by a 24-year-old Gary Graver.

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The Hitch Hiker

as Ronald Adams
Released: 2004-08-11

A haunting visual adaptation of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre radio performance. We are...

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Twelfth Night

as Narrator
Released: 1933-05-15

The earliest surviving film of Orson Welles, a vignette of his and Roger Hill's production of...

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According to Occam's Razor

as uncredited
Released: 1999-01-01

A mockumentary look at the myths and realities surrounding aliens and UFOs. A hybrid of genres...

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The Psychic Connection

as Narrator
Released: 1983-08-18

Visual observation of psychic phenomena including psychic surgery, prior life regressions, skin...

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American: An Odyssey to 1947

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-10-20

In the early 1930s, Orson Welles ascends to unprecedented stardom while President Franklin...

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Jeanne Moreau : Vive le cinéma !

as uncredited
Released: 1972-01-01

Jeanne Moreau, filmed by Jacques Rozier, meets with Jerry Lewis, Barbet Schroeder and Orson...

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Looking Back Before You Leap

as General Zaroff (voice)
Released: 2023-01-31

A collection of memories from a tumultuous time at University.

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The Other Side of Welles

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2005-06-03

Film The Other Side of Welles portrays the life, work and intellectual heritage of Orson Welles...

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High Journey

as Narrator
Released: 1959-12-31

In this film, ten European countries (France, Italy, Greece, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands,...

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Disorder

as Self
Released: 1950-12-02

Variations on the cultural and intellectual explosion in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district in...

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Who's Out There?

as Host
Released: 1975-01-01

Orson Welles — with contributions from scientists George Wald, Carl Sagan, and others — examines...

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The Quest for Fire Adventure

as Narrator
Released: 1982-01-01

Orson Welles explains the creation process of a unique motion picture, a first of its kind, with...

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Magic Mirror Maze

as uncredited
Released: 2012-05-10

The famed Hall of Mirrors sequence of Welles' classic noir The Lady from Shanghai is transformed...

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The Well

as uncredited
Released: 2005-03-11

Tracing Orson Welles time in Spain.

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The Land of the Basques

as Himself
Released: 1955-10-07

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The Cave

as Narrator
Released: 1973-01-01

Carried by a rich narration from Orson Welles, this rarely seen 1973 animated adaptation of...

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Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 1969-12-29

A documentary about surrealist artist Salvador Dali, narrated by Orson Welles.

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The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis

as Narrator
Released: 1979-12-17

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Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina

as Self - Host
Released: 1958-09-01

1958 documentary film by Orson Welles. It was funded by ABC TV. Around 30 minutes long, it...

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Doug Henning's World of Magic

as Self - Special Guest
Released: 1982-02-14

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Aliens Uncovered: Close Encounters

as Self
Released: 2024-05-21

During the 70s, top scientists and astronomers sent coded messages into space with the hopes of...

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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...

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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self - Guest Host
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...

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Magnum, P.I.

as Robin Masters (uncredited) (voice)
First aired: 1980-12-11

A private investigator who works when he wants, lives in a beachfront estate in Hawaii, drives a...

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Magnum, P.I.

as Robin Masters (voice)
First aired: 1980-12-11

A private investigator who works when he wants, lives in a beachfront estate in Hawaii, drives a...

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The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest
First aired: 1968-06-06

The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various...

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What's My Line?

as Self - Panelist
First aired: 1950-02-02

Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while...

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Moonlighting

as Orson Welles
First aired: 1985-03-03

After being duped and going bankrupt, model Maddie is convinced by David to become a partner in...

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Cinépanorama

as Self
First aired: 1956-02-04

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I Love Lucy

as Orson Welles
First aired: 1951-10-15

Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife....

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The Merv Griffin Show

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran...

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Shōgun

as Narrator
First aired: 1980-09-15

An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in complex political games in feudal Japan.

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The Steve Allen Show

as Self
First aired: 1956-06-24

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The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self
First aired: 1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...

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The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self / King Lear
First aired: 1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...

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Night Gallery

as Narrator
First aired: 1970-12-16

Rod Serling narrates an anthology of fantasy, horror and sci-fi stories from a set resembling a...

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Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

as Self
First aired: 1967-09-09

An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.

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Omnibus

as Self - Presenter
First aired: 1967-10-13

Omnibus was an arts-based BBC television documentary series, broadcast mainly on BBC1 in the...

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Omnibus

as King Lear
First aired: 1952-11-09

Omnibus is an American, commercially sponsored, educational television series.

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The Name of the Game

as Narrator
First aired: 1968-09-20

The Name of the Game is an American television series starring Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and...

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Dinah!

as Self
First aired: 1974-10-21

Dinah's show premiered 9 September 1974 and continued through to 4 September 1981. She started...

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The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

as Self
First aired: 1973-09-14

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is a NBC television special show hosted by entertainer Dean...

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National Geographic Specials

as Narrator
First aired: 1965-09-10

National Geographic Specials

TV Show page

Talking Pictures

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2013-01-05

A look back at television appearances by legends of the silver screen, using archive footage to...

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A Woman Called Moses

as Narrator (voice)
First aired: 1978-12-11

A television miniseries based on the life of Harriet Tubman, the escaped African American slave...

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Hallmark Hall of Fame

as Sheridan Whiteside
First aired: 1951-12-24

Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark...

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Orson Welles' Great Mysteries

as Self - Host
First aired: 1973-09-01

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries was a British television series The series was an anthology of...

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The American Film Institute Salute to ...

as Self
First aired: 1973-04-02

In 1973 the American Film Institute initiated its Life Achievement Award, to be presented to a...

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The Magic of David Copperfield

as uncredited
First aired: 1978-10-27

The annual specials of magic featuring the world's leading illusionist. David Copperfield weaves...

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Reflets de Cannes

as Self
First aired: 1954-03-25

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Orson Welles' Sketch Book

as Himself - Host
First aired: 1955-04-24

Orson Welles' Sketch Book is a series of six short television commentaries by Orson Welles for...

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Around the World with Orson Welles

as Host: Orson Welles
First aired: 1955-10-07

"Around The World With Orson Welles" (broadcast in France under the title: Le Carnet De Voyage...

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Around the World with Orson Welles

as Self (Host)
First aired: 1955-10-07

"Around The World With Orson Welles" (broadcast in France under the title: Le Carnet De Voyage...

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Scene of the Crime

as uncredited
First aired: 1985-04-14

Suspense anthology series hosted by Orson Welles who asks the audience to solve the crime...

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In the Land of Don Quixote

as Himself
First aired: 1964-01-01

Italian-language documentary travelogue series about Spain, made by Orson Welles.

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Doug Henning's World of Magic

as Self
First aired: 1975-12-26

Doug Henning's World of Magic was the first of seven annual prime-time television specials...

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