Back to the Welles
Orson Welles talks to Huw Wheldon on the BBC show ‘Monitor’ (1960) about his work as actor, director and filmmaker, with clips from his films, ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘The Magnificent Ambersons.’
Also, recommended viewing: Huw Wheldon interviews Orson Welles, Peter O’Toole and Ernest Milton in this epic discussion of ‘Hamlet’ on the same BBC show from 1963. At the time this programme was made, Peter O’Toole was enjoying his first taste of stardom, having been nominated for an Oscar for his leading role in David Lean’s masterpiece, ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’ During the same year (1963), he would also star as ‘Hamlet’ in the National Theatre’s inaugural performance, directed by Laurence Olivier. O’Toole’s stage credentials were impeccable, as he had been recruited to the Royal Shakespeare Company by Peter Hall at the tender age of 26.
Required viewing: a vintage interview captures the artist reflecting on ‘Citizen Kane’ and expounding on directing, acting and writing and his desire to bestow a valuable legacy upon his profession. The scene is a hotel room in Paris. The year 1960. The star, Orson Welles. This is a pearl of cinematic memorabilia.