Given the fact that Citizen Kane has been at the top of every international poll as the greatest film every made since 1962, it seems like a good time to codify what real Welles scholars think are the great directors best films.
In 1999 Juan Cobos asked mostly Spanish and European film critics to do the same for his special Welles issue of Nickelodeon. For this Wellesnet poll, we will also limit the responses to 100 people, but in this case, any Welles admirer can post his own thoughts on Welles ten best films to be tabulated into the total.
I’m also going to invite all the many Welles scholars (Joe McBride, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Richard France, Stefan Drossler, Francois Thomas, Catherine Benamou, Robert Carrington, etc.), who frequent Wellesnet, to either send me their list of ten favorite Welles films, or post them on the messageoard site devoted to that subject. Once we have a total of 100 responses they will be added up and we will post the cumulative results, as well as Juan Cobos list of results in Nickeleondeon for interesting comparisons.
The Wellesnet messageboard thread, Favorite Welles Films – lay it down is where Wellesnet readers should post your own ten favorite Welles films. And since there are already about 20 ten best Welles film lists, anyone who wants to change their choices can do so be using the edit function. However, once we reach a total of 100 choices, we will compile the totals with whatever you have currently listed. Also, to ensure a uniform count I will only be counting lists with at least ten selections. Titles, however can be from any of Welles works, finished or unfinished, television, documentary or otherwise, but must contain at least ten titles.
Here is my own list of of favorite Welles films:
1. Chimes at Midnight
2. The Other Side of The Wind
3. Touch of Evil
4. The Magnificent Ambersons
5. Citizen Kane
6. The Lady From Shanghai
7. F For Fake
8. Othello
9. It’s All True
10 The Fountain of Youth
—Lawrence French