By Maia Borelli
Orson Welles (1915 - 1985) was one of the most accomplished artists of the 20th century; four of his films (Citizen Kane; The Magnificent Ambersons; Touch of Evil; Chimes at Midnight) are considered some of the greatest ever made. In fact, the American Film Institute twice named Citizen Kane as the best U.S. movie of all time. ("Rosabella" is the name given to "Rosebud" in the Italian version of the film.) Welles also gained worldwide notoriety in 1938 when his radio adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic with his listeners, and more fame being married once to Rita Hayworth. However, few know of Welles' decades-long experiences in Italy.
In this classic documentary we trace the story of the great actor/director's life in Italy and other countries in Europe through remarkable film footage, as well as impassioned interviews with those who lived and worked close with him at the time, including actress Suzanne Cloutier, his friend Alessandro Tasca di Cuto, Music Director Francesco Lavanino, Director Gary Graver (Making Movies with Orson Welles), Robert Perpignani, Oberdan Troiani, Giorgio and Rosalba Tonti, Arnoldo Foa, Mauro Bonanni, Renzo and Maurizio Lucidi, and Mariano Faggiani. We learn of his third and last wife of thirty years, actress Paola Mori, and their daughter Beatrice; also of his relationships with actresses Lea Padovani and Oja Kodar; we view rare footage of Citizen Kane, Macbeth, Othello, and the unfinished Don Quixote and Julius Caesar; and we close with his final appearance on The Merv Griffin Show the day before he died.
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