Orson Welles
Biografía
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio. Noted for his innovative dramatic productions as well as his distinctive voice and personality, Welles is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished dramatic artists of the twentieth century, especially for his significant and influential early work—despite his notoriously contentious relationship with Hollywood. His distinctive directorial style featured layered, nonlinear narrative forms, innovative uses of lighting such as chiaroscuro, unique camera angles, sound techniques borrowed from radio, deep focus shots, and long takes. Welles's long career in film is noted for his struggle for artistic control in the face of pressure from studios. Many of his films were heavily edited and others left unreleased. He has been praised as a major creative force and as "the ultimate auteur." After directing a number of high-profile theatrical productions in his early twenties, including an innovative adaptation of Macbeth and The Cradle Will Rock, Welles found national and international fame as the director and narrator of a 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds performed for the radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was reported to have caused widespread panic when listeners thought that an invasion by extraterrestrial beings was occurring. Although these reports of panic were mostly false and overstated, they rocketed Welles to instant notoriety. Citizen Kane (1941), his first film with RKO, in which he starred in the role of Charles Foster Kane, is often considered the greatest film ever made. Several of his other films, including The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Touch of Evil (1958), Chimes at Midnight (1965), and F for Fake (1974), are also widely considered to be masterpieces. In 2002, he was voted the greatest film director of all time in two separate British Film Institute polls among directors and critics, and a wide survey of critical consensus, best-of lists, and historical retrospectives calls him the most acclaimed director of all time. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Well known for his baritone voice, Welles was also an extremely well regarded actor and was voted number 16 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars list of the greatest American film actors of all time. He was also a celebrated Shakespearean stage actor and an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety shows in the war years.
Filmografía
WeirdWorld
Troy2000 (Archive footage) (2025)
Human Nature in Eleven Parts
Narrator "The Scorpion and the Frog" (archive footage) (2025)
The Scorpion and the Frog
Narrator (archive footage) (2025)
Othelo, O Grande
Self (archive footage) (2024)
The Battle of Grovers Mill
Radio Host (voice) (archival footage) (2024)
Aliens Uncovered: Close Encounters
Self (2024)
Jim Henson: la audacia de las ideas
Self (archive footage) (2024)
From Introduction to Orson Welles’s Falstaff: Chimes at Midnight
Falstaff (2023)
It's Pretty, but is it Art?
Self (voiceover) (2023)
Looking Back Before You Leap
General Zaroff (voice) (2023)
Clint Eastwood: la última leyenda
Self (archive footage) (2022)
American: An Odyssey to 1947
Self (archive footage) (2022)
Louis Armstrong: Black & Blues
Self (archive footage) (2022)
A Jangada de Welles
Himself (Archive Footage) (2022)
La Voz de Charlie Chaplin
Self (archive footage) (2021)
Tall Tales: The Ireland of Orson Welles
Self (2021)
Parkinson at 50
Self (archive footage) (2021)
Los amigos del barrio: Cómo llegamos a Barrio Sésamo
Self (archive footage) (uncredited) (2021)
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
Self (archive footage) (2021)
Hopper/Welles
Self (2020)
Natalie Wood: Entre bambalinas
Self (archive footage) (2020)
LIFE BEYOND
Self (voice) (2019)
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
(archive footage) (2019)
Al otro lado del viento
Journalist (uncredited) (2018)
Me amarán cuando esté muerto
Self (archive footage) (2018)
La mirada de Orson Welles
Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage) (2018)
Jeanne Moreau, l'affranchie
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage) (2018)
The Magic History of Cinema
(2017)
Embers & Dust
Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound) (2016)
Este es Orson Welles
Self (2015)
Orson Welles, el genio creador
Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage) (2014)
Alfonso Sansone - produttore per caso
Self (archive footage) (2014)
Jodorowsky's Dune
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage) (2013)
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage) (2013)
Magic Mirror Maze
(2012)
The Shadow Knows
Self (archive footage) (2012)
Final Cut: Ladies & Gentlemen
(archive footage) (2012)
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
Self (2011)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage) (2010)
Orson Welles: The Paris Interview
Himself (2010)
Hollywood sul Tevere
(2009)
Lucifer et moi
(archive footage 1982) (2009)
The Deep
Russ Brewer (2007)
Lost in "The Thinking"
Self (archive footage) (2005)
Orson Welles Talks With Roger Hill
(Self) (2005)
Cineastas contra magnates
Self (archive footage) (2005)
Druga strana Wellesa
Self (archive footage) (2005)
Brunnen
(2005)
Orson Welles Uncut
(2005)
The Hitch Hiker
Ronald Adams (2004)
The UFO Conspiracy
Self (archive sound) (2004)
L’Affaire Dominici par Orson Welles
Self (archive footage) (2003)
Histoires de festival
Self (archive footage) (2002)
Perdidos en La Mancha
Self (archive footage) (2002)
The Movie Movie (An Excerpt)
Archival Footage (2002)
A Huey P. Newton Story
Self (archive footage) (uncredited) (2001)
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
Narrator (2001)
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
Self (Archive footage) (2001)
Orson Welles en el país de don Quijote
Self (Archive footage) (2000)
Lon Chaney: A thousand faces
Self (archive footage) (2000)
Moby Dick
Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage) (2000)
One Man Band
Presenter / Various (1999)
Hi-Fi
(1999)
According to Occam's Razor
(1999)
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self - Roaster (archive footage) (1998)
Tudo é Brasil
Self (archive footage) (1997)
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
Self (archive footage) (1997)
Celebração - 100 Anos do Cinema Nacional
Self (1997)
The Battle Over Citizen Kane
Self (archive footage) (1996)
Orson Welles: The One-Man Band
Self (archive footage) (1995)
La Classe américaine
Self (archive footage) (1993)
It's All True
Self (1993)
Rosabella - La storia italiana di Orson Welles
(1993)
Working with Orson Welles
Himself (Archive Footage) (1993)
Don Quijote de Orson Welles
Self (1992)
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound) (1991)
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
Self (archive footage) (1990)
Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream
Self (archive footage) (1990)
A Linguagem de Orson Welles
Self (archive footage) (1990)
American Experience
Self (archive footage) (1988)
On the tracks of a filmmaker
Orson Welles (1988)
Someone to Love
Danny's Friend (1987)
Nem Tudo É Verdade
Himself (archive footage) (1986)
Transformers: La película
Unicron (voice) (1986)
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
Self (archive footage) (1986)
Scene of the Crime
(1985)
Luz de luna
Orson Welles (1985)
The Dreamers
Marcus Kleek (1985)
Orson Welles' Magic Show
Self (1985)
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon
Self (1984)
Almonds and Raisins
Narrator (1984)
El camino a Bresson
Self (1984)
The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail
Narrator (1984)
In Our Hands
Himself (1984)
The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh
himself (1984)
¿Dónde está Parsifal?
Klingsor (1984)
The Witching
Mr. Cato (1983)
Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?
Magician (uncredited) (1983)
The Psychic Connection
Narrator (1983)
King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands
Self - Narrator (1983)
Orson Welles à la Cinémathèque française
Himself (1983)
Notre Dame de la Croisette
Self (archive footage) (uncredited) (1983)
Hot Money
Sheriff Paisley (1983)
Slapstick (Of Another Kind)
Aliens' Father (voice) (uncredited) (1982)
Wagner e Venezia
Richard Wagner (voice) (1982)
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
Self (1982)
The Orson Welles Story
Self (1982)
Baryshnikov in Hollywood
Self - Narrator (1982)
Genocide
Narrator (voice) (1982)
Night of 100 Stars
Self (1982)
Doug Henning's World of Magic
Self - Special Guest (1982)
La marca de la mariposa
Judge Rauch (1982)
Let Poland Be Poland
Self (1982)
Magic with the Stars
Self - Host (1982)
The Quest for Fire Adventure
Narrator (1982)
A Gift of Harvest
Narrator (1981)
Brasil
Self (archive footage) (1981)
Search for the Titanic
Self - Host (1981)
El viaje encantado
Pippo (1981)
The New Deal for Artists
Narrator (voice) (1981)
La loca historia del mundo
Narrator (voice) (1981)
Tales of the Klondike
Narrator (1981)
Filming 'The Trial'
Self (1981)
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
Presenter / Narrator (voice) (1981)
Magnum
Robin Masters (voice) (1980)
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
Narrator (1980)
Shōgun
Narrator (1980)
El secreto de Tesla
J.P. Morgan (1980)
A un solo paso
English Narrator (1980)
The Greenstone
Narrator (voice) (1980)
The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis
Narrator (1979)
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
Self (1979)
To Try Again... and Succeed
Narrator (voice) (1979)
Filming Othello
Host (1979)
La película de los Teleñecos
Lew Lord (1979)
The Double McGuffin
Narrator (voice) (1979)
The Orson Welles Show
Self (1979)
The Greatest Adventure--The Story of Man's Voyage to the Moon
Narrator (1979)
A Woman Called Moses
Narrator (voice) (1978)
The Magic of David Copperfield
(1978)
Orson Welles at The Magic Castle
Self (1978)
Los jóvenes leones
Narratore (1978)
The Late Great Planet Earth
Self (1978)
Mysterious Castles of Clay
Narrator (1978)
Caesar's Guide to Gaming with Orson Welles
Himself (1978)
Tut: The Boy King
Himself - Host (1978)
It Happened One Christmas
Henry F. Potter (1977)
The Lions of Capitalism: Some Call It Greed
Narrator (1977)
The Force Beyond
Himself (archive footage) (1977)
Hot Tomorrows
Parklawn Mortuary (voice) (1977)
The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here?
Self (1977)
From Fiber to Fabric: Wool's a Natural
Narrator (1977)
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Narrator (1977)
El viaje de los malditos
José Estedes (1976)
NBC: The First Fifty Years
Self / Narrator (1976)
Cérémonie des César
Self - President (1976)
Bugs Bunny Superstar
Narrator (voice) (1976)
A Mother's Tale
Narrator (1976)
Doug Henning's World of Magic
Self (1975)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage) (1975)
Orson Welles - Das vermarktete Genie
Self (1975)
Magnificent Monsters of the Deep
Narrator (1975)
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice) (1975)
Who's Out There?
Host (1975)
The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art
Narrator (1974)
Une légende une vie: Citizen Welles
(1974)
Dinah!
Self (1974)
Diez negritos
Voice on Tape (1974)
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
Self (archive footage) (uncredited) (1974)
Power and Corruption
Himself (1973)
Kelly Country
Narrator (1973)
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self (1973)
Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
Self - Host (1973)
Fraude
Self (1973)
La quinta ofensiva
Winston Churchill (1973)
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self (1973)
The Cave
Narrator (1973)
The Cave: a parable told by Orson Welles
Narrator (1973)
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Sheridan Whiteside (1972)
La isla del tesoro
Long John Silver (1972)
El hechicero
Mr. Cato (1972)
Get to Know Your Rabbit
Mr. Delasandro (1972)
Malpertuis
Cassavius (1972)
Jeanne Moreau : Vive le cinéma !
Self (1972)
Future Shock
Narrator (1972)
La década prodigiosa
Théo Van Horn (1971)
Un lugar seguro
The Magician (1971)
Dirigida por John Ford
Narrator (voice) (1971)
The Silent Years
(1971)
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self (1971)
Centinelas del Silencio
(1971)
فروغ جاودان
Narrator (1971)
Freedom River
Narrator (1971)
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Happy Prince
(1970)
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. I – Selections from George Ade, Thomas Wolfe, Mark Twain
(1970)
An Evening with Orson Welles: American Heritage, Vol. II – Clarence Darrow
(1970)
An Evening with Orson Welles: Two Wise Old Men – Socrates and Noah
(1970)
An Evening with Orson Welles: My Little Boy
(1970)
An Evening with Orson Welles: The Golden Honeymoon
(1970)
Galería nocturna (Night Gallery)
Narrator (1970)
Is It Always Right to Be Right?
Narrator (1970)
Waterloo
Louis XVIII (1970)
The Enemy Before Us
Narrator (1970)
Trampa 22
Brigadier General Dreedle (1970)
Empiecen la revolución sin mí
The Narrator (1970)
La carta del Kremlin
Bresnavitch (1970)
The Merchant of Venice (Rushes)
Shylock (1970)
A Horse Called Nijinsky
Narrator (1970)
Upon This Rock
Michelangelo (voice) (1970)
Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dali
Narrator (voice) (1969)
The Merchant of Venice
Shylock (1969)
La batalla del río Neretva
Četnik (1969)
¿Cuál de las trece?
Markan (1969)
La Estrella del Sur
Plankett (1969)
Kampf um Rom II - Der Verrat
Justinian (1969)
Tepepa
Colonel Cascorro (1969)
To Build a Fire
Narrator (voice) (1969)
La invasión de los bárbaros
Justinian (1968)
The Name of the Game
Narrator (1968)
Una Historia Inmortal
Charles Clay (1968)
Castillo de naipes
Leschenhaut (1968)
Around the World of Mike Todd
Self - Narrator (1968)
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest (1968)
Portrait: Orson Welles
Self (1968)
Oedipus the King
Tiresias (1968)
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self (1968)
Viena
Himself (1968)
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
Jonathan Lute (1967)
Beggars Would Ride
Narrator (1967)
Omnibus
Self - Presenter (1967)
Le désordre a vingt ans
Self (1967)
Casino Royale
Le Chiffre (1967)
The Sailor from Gibraltar
Louis de Mozambique (1967)
Diez días que estremecieron al mundo
Narrator (1967)
Un hombre para la eternidad
Cardinal Wolsey (1966)
¿Arde París?
Konsul Nordling (1966)
Orson Welles in Spain
Himself (1966)
Campanadas a medianoche
Falstaff (1965)
Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees
Self - Narrator (voice) (1965)
Americans on Everest
Narrator- Self (1965)
National Geographic Specials
Narrator (1965)
La conquista de un imperio
Akerman, Marco's Teacher (1965)
Profile No. 6: Orson Welles
(1965)
A King's Story
Narrator (1965)
The Finest Hours
Narrator (voice) (1964)
Nella terra di Don Chisciotte
Himself (1964)
Hollywood and the Stars
Self (archive footage) (1963)
Hotel Internacional
Max Buda (1963)
Rogopag
The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta") (1963)
Der große Atlantik
Narrator (English) (1962)
The Merv Griffin Show
Self (1962)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self - Guest Host (1962)
El proceso
Albert Hastler (1962)
La Fayette
Benjamin Franklin (1962)
Tempo
Self (1961)
Rey de reyes
Narrator (voice) (uncredited) (1961)
Los tártaros
Burundai (1961)
Survival
Narrator (1961)
Austerlitz
Robert Fulton (1960)
An Arabian Night
Storyteller (1960)
Una grieta en el espejo
Hagolin / Lamerciere (1960)
Cinq colonnes à la une: Hong Kong vue par Orson Welles
Self (narrator) (1960)
David y Goliat
King Saul (1960)
High Journey
Narrator (1959)
Escala prohibida
Captain Hart (1959)
Impulso criminal
Jonathan Wilk (1959)
Les Seigneurs de la forêt
Narrator (voice) (1958)
Las raíces del cielo
Cy Sedgewick (1958)
The Fountain of Youth (TV)
the narrator (1958)
Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina
Self - Host (1958)
Colgate Theatre
(1958)
South Seas Adventure
Narrator (1958)
Los Vikingos
Narrator (voice) (uncredited) (1958)
El largo y cálido verano
Will Varner (1958)
Sed de mal
Police Captain Hank Quinlan (1958)
Sangre en el rancho
Virgil Renchler (1957)
Out of Darkness
Self - Narrator (1956)
Moby Dick
Father Mapple (1956)
The Steve Allen Show
Self (1956)
Cinépanorama
Self (1956)
Orson Welles and People: Camille, the Naked Lady and the Musketeers
Self - Narrator (voice) (1956)
Around the World with Orson Welles
Host: Orson Welles (1955)
The Land of the Basques
Himself (1955)
Ford Star Jubilee
Oscar Jaffe (1955)
Mister Arkadin
Gregory Arkadin (1955)
Moby Dick—Rehearsed
An Actor Manager /Father Mapple /Ahab (1955)
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
Self - Host (1955)
Orson Welles' Sketch Book
Himself - Host (1955)
Napoleón
Sir Hudson Lowe (1955)
Tres casos de asesinato
Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment) (1955)
Trouble in the Glen
Sanin Cejador y Mengues (1954)
Reflets de Cannes
Self (1954)
Si Versalles pudiera hablar
Benjamin Franklin (1953)
King Lear
King Lear (1953)
L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù
Captain Perella, the Beast (1953)
Return to Glennascaul
Narrator (1953)
Omnibus
King Lear (1952)
El enigma de Manderson
Sigsbee Manderson (1952)
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Sheridan Whiteside (1951)
Otelo
Othello (1951)
Te quiero, Lucy
Orson Welles (1951)
Désordre
Self (1950)
La rosa negra
Bayan (1950)
What's My Line?
Self (1950)
The Miracle of St. Anne
The Director (1950)
El Príncipe de los Zorros
Cesare Borgia (1949)
El tercer hombre
Harry Lime (1949)
Cagliostro
Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro (1949)
Macbeth
Macbeth (1948)
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self (1948)
La dama de Shanghai
Michael O'Hara (1947)
Duelo al sol
Narrator (voice) (uncredited) (1946)
Battle for Survival
Narrator (1946)
El extraño
Prof. Charles Rankin (1946)
Mañana es vivir
John Andrew MacDonald (1946)
Mexico City, Old and New
Narrator (1945)
Sueños de gloria
Orson Welles (uncredited) (1944)
Know Your Ally: Britain
Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger) (1944)
Alma rebelde
Edward Rochester (1943)
Show-Business at War
Self (1943)
Estambul
Colonel Haki (1943)
El cuarto mandamiento
Narrator (voice) (1942)
Ciudadano Kane
Charles Foster Kane (1941)
La familia Robinson suiza
Opening Narrator (uncredited) (1940)
Citizen Kane Trailer
himself (1940)
The Green Goddess
Rajah/Narrator (1939)
Too Much Johnson
Keystone Kop (1938)
The Spanish Earth
Narrator (voice) (1937)
Corazones del tiempo
Death (1934)
Twelfth Night
Narrator (1933)
Something Else
Voyage of the Brigantine Yankee
Narrator