This Is Orson Welles

This Is Orson Welles contains extensive interviews between filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and Orson Welles, conducted over several years in the 1960s and 1970s. The book covers Welles's career from his early theater work through his pioneering radio broadcasts, landmark films, and later projects. Bogdanovich captures Welles's direct commentary on his creative process, working methods, and relationships with collaborators and studio executives. The conversations reveal the technical and artistic choices behind major works like Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, and Touch of Evil, while also documenting unrealized projects and career challenges. The text includes annotations by editor Jonathan Rosenbaum that provide context and fact-checking for Welles's recollections. Photographs and supplementary materials complement the interview transcripts. Through these intimate conversations, the book presents Welles as both an innovative artist and a complex figure who helped shape modern cinema while fighting against commercial pressures and artistic compromise. The work stands as a key primary source for understanding one of the 20th century's most influential filmmakers.

Readers value the book's interview format and direct insights from Welles himself, with many noting it shows a more personal side of the filmmaker. Several reviewers highlight how Welles corrects misconceptions about his career and provides behind-the-scenes details about his films. Readers appreciated: - Detailed discussions of technical filmmaking decisions - Welles' candid commentary on Hollywood figures - Historical context for his radio and theater work Common criticisms: - Bogdanovich's interruptions and self-promotion - Confusing chronological jumps - Lack of fact-checking on some of Welles' claims Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (50+ reviews) One reviewer noted: "The footnotes often contradict what Welles says in the interviews, making you question the reliability." Another wrote: "The conversations feel natural and unfiltered - you get Welles' personality and humor alongside the film history."

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🎬 The book was created from over 50 hours of recorded conversations between director Peter Bogdanovich and Orson Welles, spanning more than a decade of interviews. 🎭 During the writing process, Welles insisted on reviewing and editing the manuscript extensively, often rewriting his own quotes to make them more eloquent and precise. 📚 The first edition was published in 1992, seven years after Welles' death, and was later revised in 1998 with additional material that had previously been removed at Welles' request. 🎥 Bogdanovich kept the tape recorder running even during meals with Welles, capturing candid moments like the legendary director's detailed opinions about other filmmakers and his favorite restaurants. 🌟 The book reveals that Welles considered abandoning "Citizen Kane" multiple times during production and only completed it because Mercury Productions was contractually obligated to deliver a film to RKO.