Before the start of the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, Orson Welles’ two “Venetian” films were screened in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the late filmmaker’s birth.
The long lost The Merchant of Venice (1969) and an early 1951 edit of his award-winning Othello were recently recovered and restored.
The 35-minute screening of The Merchant of Venice received a standing ovation from film-goers, according to La Stampa
By popular demand, additional showings were added for Sept. 3 and 11.
Initially shot by Welles as part of a planned CBS television special, Orson’s Bag, The Merchant of Venice was filmed in Eastman color. It was re-edited and restored using materials long thought lost but recently discovered by Cinemazero (Pordenone), which made headlines two years ago with the unearthing of Too Much Johnson. The restoration was undertaken by Cinemazero and the Munich Film Museum.
The Orchestra Classica di Alessandria performed the original unpublished score for The Merchant of Venice, by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, live. Lavagnino also composed the scores for Welles’ Othello and Chimes at Midnight.
Othello, restored by CSC – Cineteca Nazionale di Roma, is a longer, 96-minute Italian version of the film with dialogue written by Gian Gaspare Napolitano under Welles’ supervision. It was to be shown at the Venice festival in 1951, but it was withdrawn by Welles at the last minute because it was not quite ready yet. A new shorter version in English was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 1952 and won the Grand Prix.
The Venice Film Festival runs Sept. 2-12.
Screenings of the lost Welles ‘ #MerchantofVenice with orchestra #Venezia72 pic.twitter.com/3fkNDXqcWz
— Sara Prian (@Sary_Cult) September 1, 2015
Let’s do this. #Venezia72 #OrsonWelles pic.twitter.com/mQvUZKjnXi — Matic Majcen (@maticmajcen) September 1, 2015
Orson Welles in Venice. pic.twitter.com/v60emnHZCN
— Old Pics Archive (@oldpicsarchive) September 1, 2015
________ Post your comments on the Wellesnet Message Board.