OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND - John Huston on making the film

[Sir Bygber Brown]

How bout an update on the status of Wind? Anyone heard anything recently?

[blunted by community]

no new news, just the same news over and over for the last 9 years; "yes, we have a new investor and hope to have it done soon."

[Harvey Chartrand]

The title of this film is very appropriate.
On the other side of the wind, there is nothing. Nothing but more wind.
Perhaps the title should be changed back to JAKE HANNAFORD.
Also, doesn't anyone on this message board think that THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is a dumb title (a bit artsy and full-of-itself)? Perhaps it was Oja Kodar's idea.

[Sir Bygber Brown]

Its sad blunted.

But Welles fans around 88 would have had no idea they would ever see any kind of version of his Don Quixote footage, or Othello - (but maybe these are bad examples - b.c for all the greatness spread throughout Othello, its still no Touch of Evil or Chimes!)

[blunted by community]

max, stone copied welles' style in JFK. on commentary track he credits F-For-Fake, and does not mention seeing 'Wind.'

i think among the theives that looked at 'wind' footage and stole something, we need to include don cammel* camel* camell*? frank mazzola, and clint and oliver. an unreleased film being borowed from. just shows you the power of welles.

[jbrooks]

A couple of points --

Sir Bygber Brown, although Beatrice's ad campaign touted Othello as a "Lost Masterpiece" -- it was never really lost. Prints existed and were shown at revival houses and on late night TV for years. Also, for what it's worth, I think Othello stands up quite well next to Touch of Evil and Chimes, and Kane and Ambersons, for that matter. I very much agreed with Vincent Canby's rave review in the NY Times upon its re-release in 1991 or 1992.

As for the Title "The Other Side of the Wind," Harvey -- I could be wrong -- but isn't that the title of the film-within-the-film that Hannaford is directing. Isn't it meant to be an arty and pretensious title?

[Sir Bygber Brown]

I'm just trying to think positive.

[ToddBaesen]

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The article on OSOTW in the current issue of Cineaste is quite interesting, in that it quotes from quite a lot of different people - many who have been heard from before, but it includes several new witnesses - including Frank Marshall, as well as quite a bit from Peter Viertel and John Huston (via Lawrence Grobel's book, "The Hustons").

It also adds yet another differing story about John Huston being asked to finish the picture. Oja asks him to finish it in 1986, but seeing Huston in his wheelchair, she has second thoughts about his stamina and ability to finish the film. Huston then suggested his son Danny could take over if he isn't up to the demands of finishing it...

This version is completely at odds with what producer Dominique Antoine reported. She said Huston didn't want to work on the film, period. Other reports say that despite his public praise for the picture, privately, Huston worked behind the scenes to make sure the film would never see the light of a projector - presumably because he didn't like whatever he had seen of his own performance (or maybe he felt like some that the film was too radical or experimental).

Also, there's a completely different version of why Rich Little left the film. According to Mercedes McCambridge, Welles essentially fired Little, while Frank Marshal recalls Little walking off the set due to other commitments and never returning...

After so many years, it now seems like a documentary exploring all the differing stories about the making of OSOTW might be more entertaining that the actual movie... if it's ever released. Such as documentary would obviously have to be structured like CITIZEN KANE, showing all the different facets of the production... and letting the viewer pick out which one's are closest to the truth.

Ironically, unless Beatrice Welles relents, a documentary is all that will ever be possible, in terms of seeing any footage from the film.


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[ToddBaesen]

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Here's some of OW's comments made to Peter Bogdanovich regarding OSOTW in 1970. It's interesting to note, that even in 1970, Welles says he had already been thinking about the script "for years." The original script about bullfighting entitled "The Sacred Beasts," was begun while Welles was living in Spain, around 1964, so the project has now been in the making for 40 years!

_

ORSON WELLES: (One night) I was sleepless, and then I suddenly thought, "I've got a story — I've worked on if for years — about an old director. And I'm crazy not to do it now, in preference to anything else." My character, Jake Hannaford, is one of the machos, the hairy-chests. It centers on a birthday party for an old Hollywood director.

PB: Would you play the director?

WELLES: Who should play it is John Huston. I can do it if I can't get Huston. In that case there's nobody else but me. But it really should be Huston, saying, "listen kid…"— it should be all that. He's meant to be older than Huston, more like Hawks, but he isn't Hawks, isn't John, isn't me, although the buffs all seek keys. I suppose you can say he wouldn't exist as a character if Hemingway hadn't existed. The director's unmasking as a man's man is part of the story. And he's half queer. He has a thing, where he's discovered male actors all his life. He's made five or six great male stars. And his thing is that he has to go to bed with every girl that the male star goes to bed with. And he has to finally destroy that male star.

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[ToddBaesen]

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Here's a preview of the Munich Museum presentation reel on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND that will be shown at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday Feb. 22nd:



It includes the following six scenes from OSOTW:


John Huston and Peter Bogdanovich in a car with two reporters questioning them from the back seat as they are driving to Jake's birthday party.

A sequence with Jake Hannaford's stooges in a yellow school bus, on their way to Jake's birthday party.

The long scene in the projection room with Norman Foster as Billy, watching rushes from Jake's movie, along with Max, the head of the studio. (also shown at the Welles AFI tribute).

John Huston's arrival with Peter Bogdanovich at his birthday party, accosted by reporters and Susan Strasberg as Juliette Riche. (also shown at the Welles AFI tribute and in THE ONE MAN BAND).

Oja Kodar and Bob Random having sex in a car, while driving through the rain. (also seen in THE ONE MAN BAND).

Henry Jaglom and Paul Mazursky in a short scene at Jake's birthday party.


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[blunted by community]

QUOTE:
This version is completely at odds with what producer Dominique Antoine reported. She said Huston didn't want to work on the film, period. Other reports say that despite his public praise for the picture, privately, Huston worked behind the scenes to make sure the film would never see the light of a projector - presumably because he didn't like whatever he had seen of his own performance (or maybe he felt like some that the film was too radical or experimental).

THIS SOUNDS LIKE TOTAL BUNK TO ME. SOUNDS LIKE FODDER FOR BRANIAC IN A SUPERMAN MOVIE. not only was huston in a wheelchair, he was attached to an oxygen tank. what the heck could he do behind the scenes, attached to an oxygen tank, dying on emphasyma, to see to it that the film never sees the light of day.

[Glenn Anders]

I'm with Blunted here. Everything I've ever read about the friendship between Welles and Huston suggests a frank and rather humerous respect of one and other.

Why would a nearly dead Huston sabotage the badly wounded OSOTW. It would not matter to him. He might hope to stay around just to enjoy the whole thing.

After all, if Huston never tried to sabotage TENTACLES (1977), why would he try to do it to Welles' film? He was a director; he understood these things.

The Egyptian Theater program looks tremendous.

Glenn

[ToddBaesen]

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Here is the program information for this weekends six programs of rare Welles material to be shown in Hollywood at the Egyptian Theater, with appearances by Oja Kodar, Gary Graver and Stefan Droessler, director of the Munich Film Archive. It's very tempting to fly to Los Angeles for the weekend!

Friday, February 20 – 7:00 PM
THE WELLES RARITIES Program 1: "It’s All Magic"
Orson Welles had a lifelong obsession with magic in all its incarnations, evident in this collection of rare movie and TV appearances. The program includes a clip from Edward Sutherland’s FOLLOW THE BOYS, (1944, Universal, 5 min.) with Orson Welles and Marlene Dietrich performing his stage magic show; a rarely seen episode of the "I Love Lucy" show, where Lucy meets Orson Welles (1956, CBS TV, 26 min.); restored material from the unfinished MAGIC SHOW he was filming from 1976 until the end of his life; and more. Stefan Droessler of the Munich Film Archive to introduce the screening.

Friday, February 20 – 9:30 PM
THE WELLES RARITIES Program 2: "People and Places"
All his life Orson Welles liked to travel, and in his films and television work he very often portrayed people and places in Europe for British or American audiences. In this program we see Welles visiting Paris, Italy and London, finding outsiders, film stars and typical Britains, who were interviewed (as well as occasionally impersonated!) by Welles himself. The episodes of ORSON WELLES’ LONDON (1968-71) are among the funniest comedy pieces he ever did. Also featuring: AROUND THE WORLD WITH ORSON WELLES: "Paris After Dark" (Saint Germain-Des-Pres)," (1955, Image Entertainment/Euro London Films, 28 min. Dir. Orson Welles); and more. Introduction to screenings by Stefan Droessler of the Munich Film Archive. Discussion following with actor Jonathan Lynn ("Orson Welles’ London").


Saturday, February 21 – 5:00 PM
THE WELLES RARITIES Program 3: "Obediently Yours: The Storyteller"
One of Orson Welles’ favorite roles was narrator, either on-or-off-camera -- it didn’t matter. In all the mediums and film forms, he loved to play this part: as invisible director in the CITIZEN KANE trailer (1941), interfering with the action as host in his legendary television project "THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" (1956, Desilu Productions/Viacom, 25 min.), or as pure storyteller in front of a camera in THE GOLDEN HONEYMOON (1971). Even his never-finished project DON QUIXOTE (1956- 71) is based on his narration. Stefan Droessler of the Munich Film Archive to introduce the screening.

Saturday, February 21 – 8:30 PM
THE WELLES RARITIES Program 4: "Stage and Theater"
Before and after gaining worldwide critical renown for his movies, Orson Welles excelled as a respected actor and director in theater. This program shows him on stage in Dublin, remembering the early days and reading from his theater play MOBY DICK REHEARSED. In 1971, at last he tried to film his play – playing all the parts by himself. As unknown as this film is his adaptation of Shakespeare’s THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, which survives only as a fragment. Introduction to screenings by Stefan Droessler of the Munich Film Archive.


Sunday, February 22 – 4:00 PM
THE WELLES RARITIES Program 5: "Unfinished Works" Orson Welles had more unfinished projects than any other major film director, something that has added immeasurably to his myth. This program gives a glimpse at some of the incomplete works behind the legend. You will see scenes and sequences of THE DEEP (1967 – 69), THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND (1972) and THE DREAMERS (1978 – 85). Introduction by Stefan Droessler of the Munich Film Archive.

Sunday, February 22 – 6:30 PM
THE WELLES RARITIES Program 6: "Looking Back"
The cinematic aesthetic behind Orson Welles’ creations, his filmmaking views and methods are explored by the master himself. In a British television series Welles tells the story of his "War Of The Worlds" radio broadcast, and at USC he discusses with the audience his film THE TRIAL. Plus, "The Dominici Affair," (1999, La Huit Prod., 52 min.) In 1955, Welles produced and directed a short series called "Around The World With Orson Welles" for British TV, but one episode, "The Tragedy Of Lurs," was never completed. The subject was the murders of an English family camping in the French countryside and the trial of a local farmer for the killings. Director Christophe Cognet chronicles the making of "The Tragedy Of Lurs," and includes a complete restoration of all available material from the episode directed by Welles.
Introduction to screenings by Stefan Droessler of the Munich Film Archive and FILMING THE TRIAL cinematographer Gary Graver.


We’re enormously pleased to welcome Stefan Droessler, director of the Munich Filmmuseum, which has amassed the world’s largest collection of rare Welles materials, working closely with the filmmaker‘s long-time companion Oja Kodar. Mr. Droessler will present six different programs, organized around various themes, using clips from TV shows directed by Welles, guest appearances and cameos in movies and on TV, scenes from his uncompleted projects, and more – most never before seen in Los Angeles.

[Sir Bygber Brown]

Thanks for that, Todd. Even for folks like me who're across the world from LA, its still great to read and know that this stuff is being screened. How dearly i'd love to see Fountain of Youth... Have many people seen it?

[jbrooks]

I saw "The Fountain of Youth" at the Museum of TV and Radio in New York a few years back. It's fantastic. Welles expertly combined techniques from radio, theater, and film to create a very original television production. I saw it paired up with the "I Love Lucy" episode Welles guest starred in. The juxtaposition was very helpful in revealing how groundbreaking and original "Fountain of Youth" was for the time.