The Free Library of Philadelphia will conclude its seven-part lecture series exploring the life and career of Orson Welles with a pair of talks in October.
Audience members are invited to listen to, question, and possibly meet guest speakers at the Parkway Central location. Tickets for Orson Welles & The Golden Age of Hollywood series are free. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/wellesFLP or email Dick Levinson at levinsonr@freelibrary.org.
The Philadelphia series, which kicked off in April, has featured such speakers as acclaimed author David Nasaw, Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips and Wellesnet’s Ray Kelly. Some of the presentations in the lecture series are available on the library’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@freelibraryofphilly
The final two talks and guest speakers are:
• The Crusader for Social Justice with actress-director Zuhairah McGill on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. McGill explores Welles’ commitment to hiring gifted African-American actors for psychologically complex, multi-dimensional roles at a time when Hollywood was offering Black performers comic roles that were both insulting and humiliating. Welles also campaigned against hate speech and participated in an effort to bring law enforcement officials guilty of racist and criminal conduct to justice.
• The Legacy of Orson Welles with National Public Radio film critic Bob Mondello on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. As a film critic for National Public Radio, Bob Mondello sees and comments on 300 films a year. Mondello was a new NPR employee at the time of Welles’ death in 1985. Preparing an on-air obituary for Welles was one of Mondello’s first assignments for the network.
The lectures will be held at Parkway Central’s Montgomery Auditorium on 1901 Vine Street in Philadelphia.
The Free Library of Philadelphia hosts numerous events each year. Chartered in 1891, its mission is “to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity.” Those wishing further information on registering for the in-person Orson Welles & The Golden Age of Hollywood lecture series may email Dick Levinson at levinsonr@freelibrary.org or register on EventBrite.
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