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. Orson Welles : interviews / edited by Mark W. Estrin. 157806208X (cloth : alk. paper) series Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, c2002.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1998.3.W45 A5 2002

This is a great source that gives the reader the opportunity to see Welles, as himself, talking objectively about the projects in his life that immediately follow the completion of Citizen Kane, including his return to England, a few of his subsequent projects in cinema, and his return to the theatre. This article is particularly interesting because, in contrast to other sources explored in this project, it captures Welles in a period when he is coming down from the rush of his early career. Here, Welles was just finishing a film version of Shakespeare’s Othello after his financial backers abandoned him and he decided to pour much of his own money into the project to ensure its completion. As a result, Welles expresses a great deal of frustration with the film industry and, somewhat sarcastically questions whether the effort required to make a film is actually worth it to express one’s vision.

Also, this interview gives some insight into the mind of Welles that is quite surprising considering his great success with Citizen Kane. Such surprising insight includes Welles’ comment that “I definitely prefer to act on the stage than before the camera… Even so, I prefer acting to directing, and I prefer writing to anything.” This seems somewhat counterintuitive considering the role Welles played as the director and lead actor in Citizen Kane and the fact that, by many accounts, he played a lesser role in the actual writing of the screenplay. Welles takes this point further by explaining that he thinks that critics in general pay too much attention to the visual elements of a film and do not consider heavily the story, which is also surprising considering the acclaim Kane received for its visual perfection.
belongs to Citizen Kane project
tagged england othello theatre writing by marcinuk ...and 1 other person ...on 10-APR-08