A Welles Perormance

[Great Zucchini]

I once saw Mr. Welles give a TV performance in which he sat in front of a dressing table looking directly into the camera as though he were looking in the mirror and began applying makeup for a Shakesperean role - it might have been King Henry VIII. As he applied makeup and various pieces of costume he talked about the character he was about to play and slowly, he changed his manners, speech, behavior and appearance until, when he was done, he WAS the character. It might have been part of a variety show such as Ed Sullivan. It was the most impressive exhibit of acting genius I've ever seen. Does anyone remember this piece and where it appeared? Might it still be availabe to view. Thank you.

[Christopher]

I believe the transformation you saw involved the character of Shylock from Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. I last remember seeing this footage at the Film Forum in New York during an Orson Welles retrospective sponsored by the Munich Film Museum in 2004. Perhaps it was also shown at the 2005 retrospective in Locarno, but I don't remember. In any case, these retrospectives will continue to happen every few years -- and I hope very much that the next one will be somewhere in the United States -- which means that all or most of the Orson Welles footage held by the Munich Filmmuseum will be eventually on view.

[Vidamonte]

It is from Dean Martin Show. I saw it when Munich Film Museum showed their materials in Helsinki two years ago.
Also similar scene,where Welles transformed into Falstaff was shown.