This Is Orson Welles
Encyclopedia
This Is Orson Welles is a 1992 book by Peter Bogdanovich
and Orson Welles
, two major film directors, one the legendary creator of Citizen Kane
, the other a former journalist-turned-popular-moviemaker of The Last Picture Show
fame. Welles is included as co-author because he had a more than usual say in the shaping of this book of interviews of himself: Bogdanovich would edit and arrange the material of recorded conversations after it had been transcribed and submit versions of each section to Welles.
, and Alfred Hitchcock
, and had directed Boris Karloff
in the low-budget film Targets
. They hit it off and eventually decided to do a book of interviews together, which began in Welles bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel and resumed as Bogdanovich joined Welles on location for Mike Nichols
' film Catch-22
in Guaymas
, Mexico, then continued sporadically at various places in Europe and the United States.
In 1974, Orson Welles cast Bogdanovich next to John Huston
in the role of Brooks Otterlake, a successful director, in the as yet unreleased film The Other Side of the Wind
. Welles filmed partly in Bogdanovich's home, which he shared with actress Oja Kodar
. In the second half of the 1970s both directors "drifted apart a bit".
The reasons the book came out so long after the interviews were conducted were mostly personal. After the murder of Bogdanovich's girlfriend Dorothy Stratten
, the book, says Bogdanovich, "was lost somewhere in the depths of a storage facility while I was going through a personal and financial crisis (leading to bankruptcy and a kind of general breakdown in the summer of 1985, just a few months before Orson died)."
Oja Kodar
received Bogdanovich's tapes in 1987, approximately twenty-five hours of interview. The material was transcribed by Bogdanovich, resulting in 1,400 pages, which were then edited by Jonathan Rosenbaum
into the 300 pages of interviews in the book. Some of the taped conversations were later released in truncated form on audiocassettes, including some material not in the book.
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola...
and Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, two major film directors, one the legendary creator of Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
, the other a former journalist-turned-popular-moviemaker of The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Show is a 1971 American drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from a semi-autobiographical 1966 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry....
fame. Welles is included as co-author because he had a more than usual say in the shaping of this book of interviews of himself: Bogdanovich would edit and arrange the material of recorded conversations after it had been transcribed and submit versions of each section to Welles.
Origin of the book
Peter Bogdanovich and Orson Welles met toward the end of 1968. Bogdanovich was then a writer of monographs on Welles, Howard HawksHoward Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
, and Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, and had directed Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
in the low-budget film Targets
Targets
Targets is a thriller film written, produced and directed by Peter Bogdanovich.-Plot summary:The story concerns a quiet insurance agent / Vietnam veteran, played by Tim O'Kelly, who murders his young wife, his mother and a grocery delivery boy at home and then initiates an afternoon shooting...
. They hit it off and eventually decided to do a book of interviews together, which began in Welles bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel and resumed as Bogdanovich joined Welles on location for Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols is a German-born American television, stage and film director, writer, producer and comedian. He began his career in the 1950s as one half of the comedy duo Nichols and May, along with Elaine May. In 1968 he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate...
' film Catch-22
Catch-22 (film)
Catch-22 is a 1970 satirical war film adapted from the book of the same name by Joseph Heller. Considered a black comedy revolving around the "lunatic characters" of Heller's satirical anti-war novel, it was the work of a talented production team which included director Mike Nichols and...
in Guaymas
Guaymas
Guaymas is a city and municipality located in the southwest part of the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The city is located 117 km south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and 242 miles from the U.S. border, and is the principal port for the state. The municipality is located in the...
, Mexico, then continued sporadically at various places in Europe and the United States.
In 1974, Orson Welles cast Bogdanovich next to John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
in the role of Brooks Otterlake, a successful director, in the as yet unreleased film The Other Side of the Wind
The Other Side of the Wind
The Other Side of the Wind is an unfinished film directed by Orson Welles, shot between 1969 and 1976, and starring John Huston, Bob Random, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg and Oja Kodar.-Summary:...
. Welles filmed partly in Bogdanovich's home, which he shared with actress Oja Kodar
Oja Kodar
Oja Kodar is a Croatian actress, screenwriter and director, best known as the girlfriend of Orson Welles for the last 24 years of his life.-Life:...
. In the second half of the 1970s both directors "drifted apart a bit".
The reasons the book came out so long after the interviews were conducted were mostly personal. After the murder of Bogdanovich's girlfriend Dorothy Stratten
Dorothy Stratten
Dorothy Stratten was a Canadian model and actress. Stratten was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for August 1979, Playmate of the Year in 1980 and was the second Playmate born in the 1960s. Stratten appeared in three comedy films and at least two episodes of shows broadcast on US network...
, the book, says Bogdanovich, "was lost somewhere in the depths of a storage facility while I was going through a personal and financial crisis (leading to bankruptcy and a kind of general breakdown in the summer of 1985, just a few months before Orson died)."
Oja Kodar
Oja Kodar
Oja Kodar is a Croatian actress, screenwriter and director, best known as the girlfriend of Orson Welles for the last 24 years of his life.-Life:...
received Bogdanovich's tapes in 1987, approximately twenty-five hours of interview. The material was transcribed by Bogdanovich, resulting in 1,400 pages, which were then edited by Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum is an American film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65...
into the 300 pages of interviews in the book. Some of the taped conversations were later released in truncated form on audiocassettes, including some material not in the book.