Making Movies w Orson Welles: A Memoir by Gary Graver et al

[Kane76]

I just finished the book and for Welles fans it is a must read. I felt after reading it like I do whenever I read most books about Welles: I wanted to see all the films right then and there. In this case, I really want to see The Other Side of the Wind (does anyone know anything about its status?)

Sure, Gary isn't the writer Simon Callow is, but he writes with his heart and it's certainly great to get that first hand perspective on the last years of Welles' working life. Gary certainly was to be commended for his loyalty and dedication to Welles.

The problems with the book are secondary. It reads more like a long chat transcribed than a strict narrative. It's expensive and the photos, as keats mentioned, are not reproduced very well. But, I was sad when I finally came to the end.

I can't wait for Rick Schmidlin's book on TOE.

[tonyw]

I've ordered this book for our library and still waiting for it. However, to respond to one of Keats's points, Scarecrow is a direct-to-library press. But now many important books now appear in this area since both mainstream and university publishers are affected by market issues determining what they will publish. Often this avenue is the only way for people to get their work into print and Peter Tonquette's interview book on Welles is another example of something that would otherwise have languished in manuscript form.

[ToddBaesen]

Just picked up the new issue of PENNY BLOOD magazine and Harvey Chartrand's interview with Gary Graver makes a nice addition to the recent book by Gary Graver on WORKING WITH ORSON WELLES.

The interview runs five pages in the mag, and features some nice shots of both Welles and Graver, including a shot of Graver shooting what (I presume) is a scene from THE OTHER SIDE OF WIND, where a huge idiot board has been set up besides Graver as he points the camera towards the actors... unfortunately, the writing on the board is not readable. If it was, it would be possible to determine what movie he was shooting. Actually, it's very possible it could also be a production shot from one of the many solo readings Graver shot of Welles, such as his readings from Melville's MOBY DICK.

[Harvey Chartrand]

The same issue of Penny Blood features a cover story on occult thriller writer Dennis Wheatley, author of THE DEVIL RIDES OUT and THE HAUNTING OF TOBY JUGG, among many other novels of the supernatural. I was surprised to come across the following information, in which Orson Welles is mentioned:

"So unhappy was Dennis Wheatley with the final result (Hammer Film Productions' adaptation of his novel TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER) that he refused to allow Hammer to film any more of his books and in effect vetoed the making of the film's sequel, 'The Satanist', which was to have starred Christopher Lee again and Orson Welles. Yet, in spite of its reasonable performance at the box office both in the UK and America (where it was released in some areas as 'Child of Satan'), TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER proved to be the last of Wheatley's books to be filmed and the last horror film made by Hammer Studios."

Source: http://www.denniswheatley.info/films.htm

[Glenn Anders]

Interesting, Harvey.

I always thought that THE DEVIL RIDES OUT was one of the better Hammer films, in the genre. Too bad about the later projects.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hogmanay to all.

Glenn

[ToddBaesen]

I was also surprised to read Welles name in connection with Wheatley’s THE SATANIST, but I'm sure it was merely talk, as the film never got anywhere near the production stage. What would have been more interesting is if Hammer had thought of using Welles for TO THE DEVIL - A DAUGHTER. He would have fit into the way Wheatley described the de-frocked Canon Copley-Style in the book, and could have had a marvelous time playing a satanic version of his Cardinal Woosley. At the time, Hammer had even found the money to get a big name American actor to go alongside Christopher Lee, so Lee could have played the hero, as he did in THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, and acted against Welles as the obese and obscene Canon! Unfortunately, from the days when Lee was going to make TO THE DEVIL-A DAUGHTER with his own company, it was always the plan that he would play the part of the Satanic priest.

[ToddBaesen]

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Here is a bit of information I recently received from a friend who had talked to someone in Los Angeles who was Gary Graver's assistant on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND.

Obviously, because this info came to me second-hand, and I personally find most of it very hard to believe, I tend to think it comes from a crew member who Welles probably attacked, in a way which might have been very upsetting to her, so she probably has a grudge against Welles. But even when Welles was at his worst, I don't think he was ever capable of doing something as inexcusable as the rant Christian Bale gave to his cinematographer on the set of his latest film. Just listen to Welles talking to the idiot directors of the Pea commercial he was recording in England. Yes, Welles's is upset, and why shouldn't he be? All he's trying to do is improve the lame direction he's getting about reading his lines! Welles never even raises his voice, much less uses the F-word. Of course, it's a very stern rebuke to the director, but it's backed up with concrete suggestions and he never loses his cool. He simply walks out of the recording studio. In short, even when he was most upset, Welles never seemed to lose control of his emotions. Certainly Welles never talked this way to Gary Graver, who from all accounts I've read, Welles considered his good friend.

However, knowing there are members here who still like to hear all the bad stories about Welles attacks of megalomania and exploding like Christian Bale did on the set, I thought I would post these negative comments here, mostly in the hopes that some of Gary's friends or relatives who may read this board can either verify or refute their accuracy. I can't say who the comments come from myself, because I really don't know, beyond the fact that it was a female member of Gary's crew (and supposedly Gary had a mostly female crew), that worked with him on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND.

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"She (the unnamed source) does not like to talk about Welles, because of his treatment of Gary during the shooting of THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND. In fact, she basically hates Welles, because she claimed he worked Gary like a dog and treated him terribly throughout the production. She told me about one incident where Gary was holding a piece of equipment for so many hours that he fainted on the set!

She was also furious that Welles was mentioned so many times at Gary's wake, as it was apparently common knowledge among Gary's close friends and family how badly Welles had abused Gary throughout their long association.

So although Gary adored Welles, Welles may have only adored Gary because he worked for him for free. Another person close to the shooting said it was his belief that Welles never intended to finish OSOTW, but simply kept it and other projects in production as long as possible, in order to get investors to put up money which he then used (at least in part) towards shooting new footage so he would have something to show to his investors, but he mostly wanted to continue living in the lavish lifestyle to which he had become so accustomed."


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So is it actually possible Charles Higham was right and Welles really did have a "fear of completion?"

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[Alan Brody]

Thanks for that info Todd, very interesting about Welles deliberately duping the investors. If true, that sounds almost Falstaff-like ('I've misused the King's purse damnedly'). But then, TOSOTW was almost as much Oja's project as Welles's, and I doubt he would have screwed her over deliberately.

[tonyw]

Again, "Life imitates Art" as in CITIZEN KANE. Maybe VincentD'Onofrio may raise enough money to shoot a film about the making of TOSTW and interview members of the crew (played by actors) following the death of the director?

[Roger Ryan]

Welles could have funded his "lavish lifestyle" a lot more indulgently by not putting the money into projects like TOSOTW. It's quite possible, in fact, that he would have made more money and gotten more offers had he not been so committed to his own work. I have no doubt there was plenty of tension on the set of TOSOTW (as there is on most film sets, moreso when money and resources are tight), but I find it hard to believe that Graver felt himself to be so abused and yet continue to speak well of Welles for twenty years after his death.

[ToddBaesen]

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I came across this post comparing Welles to Christian Bale, and mostly agree with it, as it points out how somebody like Mr. Bale, who to my mind is a very minor actor to begin with, could justify his ravings, against Welles, who was badly ridiculed for telling basically incompetent commercial directors that they didn't know what they were doing when they were directing him.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2178625/posts

[Alan Brody]

Love that Christian Bale Dance Mix. Someone's gotta do that for Orson's radio rant sometime.

Again, "Life imitates Art" as in CITIZEN KANE. Maybe VincentD'Onofrio may raise enough money to shoot a film about the making of TOSTW and interview members of the crew (played by actors) following the death of the director?

Interesting idea. They could also write a script about the making of TOSOTW. I think it could make an interesting movie. D'Onofrio would be too young to play Welles, but I think Stacey Keach would be great, based on these stills from his King Lear theatre production a couple years ago:

[Glenn Anders]

Very true, Alan: Stacy Keach also acted in one of Orson Welles' final pictures: BUTTERFLY (1982). He provided some anecdotes from that experience, I believe, in Gary Graver's ACTING WITH ORSON WELLES (1993).

Glenn

[Alan Brody]

All the more reason for him to play Welles. I remember him in the Graver documentary telling some good anecdotes, including a funny one about Welles wearing a fake nose that turned to be the exact same shape as his real nose!

[Glenn Anders]

Yes, Alan, and here is another, taken from a TV Guide interview, a couple of years ago:

"TVGuide.com: 'One of Orson Welles' last on-screen roles was in Butterfly. What was it like working with him?'

"Keach: 'Oh, it was the best. I had the great privilege of going to dinner with him one night at the MGM Grand dining room. He ordered two sides of roast beef and four mashed potatoes — because he was on a diet. Also, this lady came up to him and said, "Mr. Welles, I've loved you so long. Can I have your autograph?" [In a deep, Wellesian voice] "Not while I'm eating, dear." But she waited, and he signed for her.'"

Glenn