I can hardly be called an unbiased reviewer when it comes to this book, since I contributed an interview with Gary Graver and Oja Kodar that serves as an afterward, but I must say in all candor, I was absolutely delighted when I received a copy of it today. First of all, having talked with Gary Graver extensively, I was wondering what more I could possibly find out about Gary’s work with Welles in a volume devoted to that subject.
Well, as it turns out, quite a bit!
I’ll offer some more detailed comments about the book after I’ve read it through completely, but just from my first impressions, this is obviously a must-have book for anyone with even the slightest interest in Welles later career (1970- 1985), and especially The Other Side of The Wind. I happen to think this is when Welles did some of his greatest work.
If you are interested in ordering a copy, it should be shipping shortly, as it has been printed and is on its way to retail outlets. Barnes and Noble appears to have the current lowest price for it on the Net, at $28.00.
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Making Movies with ORSON WELLES: A Memoir
By Gary Graver with Andrew J. Rausch
Foreword by Joseph McBride
Afterword (an Interview with Gary Graver and Oja Kodar) by Lawrence French
The Scarecrow Press
Pub Date: September 30, 2008
192 pages, Hardcover
List Price: $35.00
In 1958, Gary Graver moved from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles, California with dreams of an acting career in Hollywood. Soon after his arrival, he caught a double bill in a small theater on Hollywood Boulevard, the lower half of which was the recently released Touch of Evil. Upon viewing this noir classic, Graver decided he wanted to be a director and spent many years honing his craft, as both a cinematographer and a director, not to mention writer, actor, and producer–much like his idol, Orson Welles.
In 1970, when Graver learned that Welles was in town, he impulsively called up the director and offered him his services as a cameraman. It was only the second time in Welles’ career that he had received such an offer from a cinematographer, the other time being from Gregg Toland, who worked on one of the greatest films ever made, Citizen Kane.
In Making Movies with Orson Welles, Gary Graver recounts the highs and lows of the moviemaking business as he and one of the most important and influential directors of all time struggled to get films produced. The two men collaborated on more than a dozen projects, including F for Fake, Filming Othello, Moby Dick-Rehearsed, The Dreamers and their magnum opus, the still unreleased The Other Side of the Wind. Their close friendship and creative filmmaking partnership would endure for 15 years, until Welles’ death in October, 1985.
The book also includes an extensive filmography of Welles and Graver’s work together, much of which remains unavailable for viewing, along with 20 rare photos from Gary Graver’s personal collection. This fascinating memoir recalls what it was like to work with the legendary Orson Welles and offers advice and tales of caution for future filmmakers.
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Gary Graver, one of Orson Welles’ closest collaborators, has written a superb book on Welles. It is a captivating and insightful look at their extraordinary relationship, a must-have for Welles fans and academians alike.
—Frank Marshall, Producer, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
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About the authors
Gary Graver (1938-2006) was a respected cinematographer who worked on nearly 200 films. He served as cameraman on films by such diverse filmmakers as Paul Bartel, Budd Boetticher, John Cassavetes, Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg, and Orson Welles.
Andrew J. Rausch is the author of several books on film including Turning Points in Film History and Fifty Filmmakers: Conversations with Directors from Roger Avary to Steven Zaillian.