Journey into National Identity w/ S. Droessler

[Glenn Anders]

Let me add my admiration to that of Larry French's for Stefan Droessler's reconstruction (still in progress) of JOURNEY INTO FEAR. While scrupulous in keeping the integrity of his work on Welles' materials intact, he kindly shared with some of us what he was able.

A tall man, handsome, and kindly, Droessler pointed out how entertaining this version of JOURNEY INTO FEAR really is. As Simon Callow had noted in Hello Americans, the adaptation of Eric Ambler's early WWII spy novel was intended to have considerable satirical style, and Droessler's continuity comes forward along that line in a way I had not noticed before. And as Welles complained to Peter Bogdanovich, what he considered the most valuable material, the ethnic and political bickering and vagaries of the polyglot passenger list of the Motonavia Sistri Levende (a cattle boat of fools), was all cut out by RKO, leaving the disjointed thriller we've been looking at for over sixty years. Released at 69 minutes, the Studio version was both fishy and foul [sic]. Droessler's edit, 78-79 minutes -- and counting -- is much more satisfying; a kind of comic melodrama, full of philosophical observations and overtones.

It is not hard to see from Droessler's inserts to the script of JOURNEY INTO FEAR (and by Larry French's excellent article on the Wellesnet News Page) why RKO, the Breen Office, the Legion of Decency, and the State Department might have wanted so many changes made. The dialogue is full of ignorant and portentous ideas about the Balkans and the Middle East, expressed by the various characters. [No more so than those we have heard in America over the last decade.]

A revelation to me was how effective Frank Readick had become as the English Socialist, Mr. Mathews, in Droessler's version. Readick, for nearly 20 years, was a kind of shadow to Orson Welles. In fact, he had created The Shadow before Welles took over the role in Radio, even narrated, in 1931, a short subject as the magical character "with the power ot cloud men's minds" ("A Burglar to the Rescue"). [Ironically enough, Walter B. Gibson, author of the original Shadow pulp novels, had been a stage magician before he became a writer.] And The Shadow's distinctive laugh remained Readick's forever more because Welles admitted he could never duplicate it accurately.

Readick became one of the Mercury Players on Radio [Reporter Carl Phillips and Operator 2X2L, for instance, in "The War of the Worlds"], and here he is in JOURNEY INTO FEAR, holding his own with Agnes Moorehead, who plays Xanthippe, his shrewish Greek wife. Readick gets off some outrageous lines about how the cartels of the World run things, but his character is so funny that the lines slide right between our ears.

I also thought it was an interesting inside joke that the American Naval Engineer [not British, as in the novel] Howard Graham (Joseph Cotten) is an innocent "raised from the dead" (in the night club scene) like one of the Greek or Mesopotamian gods which the Nazi archaeologist, Professor Haller (Eustace Wyatt), rattles on about.

Another: Oo Lang Sang (Hans Conreid) the Magician, who makes Howard disappear, is shot presumably by Jack Moss (playing the Assassin Peter Banat). Moss, as we now know, was hired as the Mercury Theater business manager partly because he had at one time been a magician on the same bill with Welles.

And in a very real sense, we know, too, Jack Moss made Orson Welles disappear, first from Hollywood; and then, like the young god Welles had been, cut up into little pieces, from the Movies themselves!

Let's hope Stefan Droessler continues to find bits and pieces of JOURNEY INTO FEAR.

Glenn

[ToddBaesen]

It was a real treat to see Stefan's new version of JOURNEY INTO FEAR. He has certainly done a marvelous job of putting the American and European versions of the film together into one comprehensive whole. It now really takes a giant leap up in quality, making it very worth re-examing.

One big improvement: dropping the Joseph Cotten voiceover from the American version. It is quite terrible when compared to all the trenchant bits of dialogue that explain the plot and add character to all the eccentric passengers onboard the ship bound for Batum. What's strange is that Welles's reportedly added this narration during his one or two days of re-shooting in October of 1942. Perhaps it was the only way to make sense of the wholesale cuts inflicted by both RKO and the censors.

Also, Stefan is still looking for stills from all the cut scenes, and apparently, Welles secretary, Shifra Haran is among those who ended up being cut out of the film. She is listed as playing Mrs. Haller in some sources, and alternatively, as Mrs. Haklet in others.

[Store Hadji]

She's still there, for about 4 frames. She plays Mrs Haller, and can been glimpsed accompanying Eustace, while Joe and Dolores go for that long walk around the deck.

Actually, if Shifra went down with Welles to Rio (and she was certainly there by the time the jangadeiros were filmed,) then this scene could have been shot before he left, meaning Welles shot that long backwards tracking shot all over the ship. It's similar to some of his extended tracking/talking shots in other films. Unfortunately, it's cut up with inserts, apparently to cover spots where dialogue was removed, but even with the trims it's impressive. Looks like something Kubrick might have done 40 years later.

It sounds as though Stefan used the EU titles, since they actually include the name Welles, but did he start with Banat and the Victrola before the credits? I just hope he didn't use that cruddy map of Istanbul, which Welles removed from his "cut."

[Roger Ryan]

It sounds as though Stefan used the EU titles, since they actually include the name Welles, but did he start with Banat and the Victrola before the credits? I just hope he didn't use that cruddy map of Istanbul, which Welles removed from his "cut."

The reconstruction does feature Banat prepping in the hotel room prior to the credits (which was an idea Welles came up with during the Oct. '42 re-edit and one which significantly improved the pacing of the opening sequences). The map of Istanbul remains but placed after the credits prior to the fade up on the street scene in front of the Grahams' hotel.

Given the number of times Welles used narration in his films, I feel pretty certain he thought that the passages written for Cotten improved the film. They would not only cover some of the plot holes due to massive cutting, but also allow for the opening scenes to be condensed which is where Welles did the most re-editing. I think it's important to realize that this was still early enough in Welles' film career that the idea of molding a story in post-production was new to him. Personally, I agree with Todd and find "Journey..." more enjoyable without the narration; the letter-writing conceit of it always struck me as contrived. Even though the narration was a preparation for the Welles-shot closing scene, I think Stefan's reconstruction demonstrates that the closing scene plays just fine without the "preparation".

[Glenn Anders]

As you suggest, Roger, Simon Callow maintains in Hello Americans that the films following CITIZEN KANE suffer from the fact that Welles, for one reason or another, was unable to spend sufficient time on post production. He concludes that much of the strength of . . . KANE came from the work done after Principle Photography was completed, and that the failings of THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS and JOURNEY INTO FEAR result from their concepts not being carried out in that finishing process.

[The new RKO leadership, of course, did not like (or understand) the concepts to begin with.]

Now that you mention it, Hadji, I do remember Shifra Haran with Eustace Wyatt, but both are turned away from us as they pass Joseph Cotten and Dolores Del Rio on the deck of the Sistri Levende. Wyatt's Haller makes a remark over his shoulder to the other couple, which takes any attention we might have away from Miss Haran.

The map of the Balkans is definitely there in Stefan's compilation. Personally, I like that old conceit (love to see those countries burst into flames, etc -- better on a map than now in real life), and would like to see the frames doubled out to allow the map to register more fully with an audience. My impression is that Stefan has conscienciously assembled JOURNEY INTO FEAR as close as he can get it to Welles' original concept. Now it needs the "finish," which Callow felt necessary, to restore that seamless quality we so admire in the best of Welles' sequences.

I might note, Roger, that Stefan was extremely complimentary to you for your contributions at Locarno and elsewhere.

[ToddBaesen]

Since WB is apparently preparing a US DVD release of JOURNEY INTO FEAR, I wonder if they might do it as a deluxe three version set, as Criterion did with MR. ARKADIN. The U.S. version, The European cut, and Stefan Droessler's restored version.

WB has done this in the past, most notably with the two different versions of THE BIG SLEEP and just recently with the three versions of THE MALTESE FALCON. Since JOURNEY INTO FEAR is so short, all three versions could easily fit on two discs.

[Glenn Anders]

Baesen, I must say, that is an excellent suggestion.

Do we have any people who might make that proposal to Warner Brothers?

From my brief encounter with him, a couple of years ago, I remember that Rick Schmidlin was in talks with Warner Brothers about a Welles project. Perhaps, he would help launch our trimaran in commercial waters.

You are closer to Larry French than I am.

See what you can do.

Glenn

[Jeff Wilson]

Home Theater Forum is hosting a chat with Warner Bros' Home Video people on February 26; seems like a perfect chance to ask their plans for the film, including the possibility of including more than one version.