Doesn't sound like Orson is going to get very sympathetic treatment in this one, but at least it appears to be speaking to people who were there and not building on Chinese whispers...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3871523.stm
New Third Man documentary
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by Roger Ryan » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:16 am
This pretty much sounds like the usual story told about Welles' involvement in "The Third Man"; should make for an interesting documentary. About ten years ago, I was lucky enough to read some personal correspondence between Welles and Richard Wilson from this period. Wilson was trying to get Welles to commit to redubbing and recutting "MacBeth" before the studio did it for him, but Welles was being evasive, using his work on "The Third Man" as an excuse! As we know, Welles did eventually return to Hollywood to rework "MacBeth" himself.
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by Ecnerwal » Sat Jul 10, 2004 5:06 am
I saw the documentary last night at the NFT. Quite good overall - very interesting sound recordings of Carol Reed and Graham Greene, and some interviews with Guy Hamilton and Angela Allen, and made a few good points about filming in Vienna that haven't been in any books. But it used far too much footage from the film, considering everyone watching will have seen the film already.
As regards OW, it was extremely critical. Some of this was justified - they showed a video of Welles claiming he wrote all his own lines, clearly untrue. But a lot of it seemed rather harsh - they said he ran off to Paris and Rome (which is true), but gave the motive as him wanting to earn his pay for as little work as possible. It made it sound like he was only interested in money - nowhere did they point out that the money wasnt' for himself, but for funding his films. They also reported that he refused to work in the Vienna sewers, saying something along the lines of "I'm an American, and everything in america is clean, why should I have to work under such conditions?" This, to me, seems distinctly un-Wellesian.
At another point, Angela Allen referred to OW as 'his little Lordship'. And a cutter or runner at Shepperton Studios made a very damning speech about him, effectively suggesting he was stuck-up, and had to be treated delicately, saying that ever since making his first film, he had become Citizen Kane.
The only good thing they put in regarding Orson was an excerpt from an interview where he said what a great director Reed was, and how good he was at working with actors.
As regards OW, it was extremely critical. Some of this was justified - they showed a video of Welles claiming he wrote all his own lines, clearly untrue. But a lot of it seemed rather harsh - they said he ran off to Paris and Rome (which is true), but gave the motive as him wanting to earn his pay for as little work as possible. It made it sound like he was only interested in money - nowhere did they point out that the money wasnt' for himself, but for funding his films. They also reported that he refused to work in the Vienna sewers, saying something along the lines of "I'm an American, and everything in america is clean, why should I have to work under such conditions?" This, to me, seems distinctly un-Wellesian.
At another point, Angela Allen referred to OW as 'his little Lordship'. And a cutter or runner at Shepperton Studios made a very damning speech about him, effectively suggesting he was stuck-up, and had to be treated delicately, saying that ever since making his first film, he had become Citizen Kane.
The only good thing they put in regarding Orson was an excerpt from an interview where he said what a great director Reed was, and how good he was at working with actors.
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by Sir Bygber Brown » Sun Jul 18, 2004 9:11 pm
He WAS only interested in money - that's the only reason he was forced to do these other pictures, to fund his own independent ventures - which was Othello at this stage. What's wrong with that?
And also - its not such an extravagant claim to say he wrote "all" his lines... He only has about four lines! Its generally agreed that he wrote the cuckoo clock speech... But Orson has said that Reed gave him free range to write his own part... Which, if you'll remember, consists largely of that one ferris wheel scene (in terms of dialogue).
And also - who can blame these people in the doco for claiming Orson was difficult... its only an interesting story if comparisons can be made between off-screen antics and on-screen story, which was their thesis. They have to stick to it regardless of facts, or where's the story?
And also - its not such an extravagant claim to say he wrote "all" his lines... He only has about four lines! Its generally agreed that he wrote the cuckoo clock speech... But Orson has said that Reed gave him free range to write his own part... Which, if you'll remember, consists largely of that one ferris wheel scene (in terms of dialogue).
And also - who can blame these people in the doco for claiming Orson was difficult... its only an interesting story if comparisons can be made between off-screen antics and on-screen story, which was their thesis. They have to stick to it regardless of facts, or where's the story?
You may remember me from such sites as imdb, amazon and criterionforum as Ben Cheshire.
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