Orson Welles
Directing
🎂 1915-05-06
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. 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.
Cast credits(319)
Self
1962
Self - Guest Host
1962
Self
1962
Self
1948
Robin Masters (voice)
1980
Self
1956
Self - Panelist
1950
Self - Guest
1968
Narrator
1968
Self
1956
Self - Presenter
1967
King Lear
1952
Orson Welles
1985
Narrator
1965
Self
1973
Self - Host
1973
Narrator
1980
Self (archive footage)
1988
Sheridan Whiteside
1951
Self (archive footage)
1963
Narrator
1970
Orson Welles
1951
1978
Self (archive footage)
2013
Self
1973
Oscar Jaffe
1955
Himself
1964
Narrator
1961
Narrator (voice)
1978
Self
1974
Himself - Host
1955
Narrator
1981
Self
1968
1968
1961
1971
Charles Foster Kane
1941
Host: Orson Welles
1955
Self (Host)
1955
Harry Lime
1949
Le Chiffre
1967
Self
1971
Self (archive footage)
1975
Narrator
1981
Lew Lord
1979
Self
1975
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1961
Unicron (voice)
1986
Father Mapple
1956
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1958
Police Captain Hank Quinlan
1958
Self
1954
Brigadier General Dreedle
1970
1985
Michael O'Hara
1947
Cardinal Wolsey
1966
Will Varner
1958
Konsul Nordling
1966
Edward Rochester
1943
Prof. Charles Rankin
1946
Louis XVIII
1970
Albert Hastler
1962
Narrator (voice)
1942
Narrator (voice)
1982
Long John Silver
1972
Voice on Tape
1974
Self (archive footage)
2024
2021
Jonathan Wilk
1959
Self (archive footage)
2022
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1946
1958
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021
2002
Self (archive footage)
2013
Colonel Cascorro
1969
Akerman, Marco's Teacher
1965
Journalist (uncredited)
2018
Robert Fulton
1960
Macbeth
1948
(archive footage)
2012
Bayan
1950
Sigsbee Manderson
1952
Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
1949
Othello
1951
José Estedes
1976
Sir Hudson Lowe
1955
Gregory Arkadin
1955
Self (archive footage)
2002
King Saul
1960
Virgil Renchler
1957
Benjamin Franklin
1954
Judge Rauch
1982
Colonel Haki
1943
Falstaff
1965
Self (archive footage)
2018
Self
1973
Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
2014
John Andrew MacDonald
1946
Théo Van Horn
1971
Self (archive footage)
2022
Self (archive footage)
2021
Charles Clay
1968
Self (archive footage)
2020
The Narrator
1970
Self
1982
Cy Sedgewick
1958
Henry F. Potter
1977
Self (archive footage)
2018
Presenter / Narrator (voice)
1981
Justinian
1968
The 'Director' (segment "La ricotta")
1963
ÄŒetnik
1969
Pippo
1981
Shylock
1969
Markan
1969
The Magician
1971
Max Buda
1963
Cassavius
1971
Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment)
1955
Self (archive footage)
1997
Self
1978
Narratore
1978
Leschenhaut
1968
Mr. Cato
1972
Cesare Borgia
1949
Self (archive footage)
1993
Klingsor
1984
Self
1992
Self (archive footage)
1986
Self - Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast (archive sound)
1991
Bresnavitch
1970
Himself (Archive Footage)
2022
Aliens' Father (voice)
1982
Narrator
1958
(archive footage)
2019
Sheriff Paisley
1983
Genghis Khan / Bayan (archive footage)
2010
Death
1934
Self - Roaster (archive footage)
1998
Host
1982
Narrator (voice)
1971
Self
1982
Self (archive footage)
2022
Orson Welles (uncredited)
1944
Self - Narrator
1982
Self (archive footage)
1990
Winston Churchill
1973
Opening Narrator
1940
1984
Mr. Delasandro
1972
Self - Narrator
1968
the narrator
1958
J.P. Morgan
1980
Self
1997
Self (archive footage)
2006
Narrator
1972
Self
1943
Louis de Mozambique
1967
Captain Hart
1959
Plankett
1969
Burundai
1961
(archive footage)
2003
Self - Special Guest
1982
Narrator
1979
Narrator
1971
Narrator (voice)
1975
Self (archive footage)
2000
Narrator (voice)
1981
Narrator
2001
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
Tiresias
1968
King Lear
1953
Self
1984
Self (archive footage)
2021
Self - Narrator (voice)
1965
Self
1967
Russ Brewer
2007
Justinian
1969
Self (archive footage)
1995
Danny's Friend
1987
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
1970
Himself (archive footage)
1977
Jonathan Lute
1967
Sheridan Whiteside
1972
Self - Host
1958
Winston Churchill / George Bernard Shaw
1971
Narrator (voice)
1937
Self (archive footage)
1990
Himself (Archive Footage)
1993
Self
1981
Self - Narrator
1983
1999
Keystone Kop
2013
Self - Filmmaker / Various Roles (archive footage)
2018
Self (archive footage)
1981
Self
2024
Self (archive footage)
1996
Captain Perella, the Beast
1953
Narrator
1953
Himself
1968
Narrator/Bob (helpful taxi passenger)
1944
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2001
2017
Self
2015
Sanin Cejador y Mengues
1954
Self (Archive footage)
2000
1993
Narrator
1983
Himself (archive footage)
1986
Narrator
1970
Self
2020
Self
1993
Self (archive footage)
2005
Self (archive footage)
2005
Self
1979
Benjamin Franklin
1962
Narrator
1967
Self
1979
Narrator / Nag / Chuchundra (voice)
1975
Narrator
1973
Marcus Kleek
1985
Storyteller
1960
Self
1972
Himself
2011
Captain Ahab / Starbuck / Ishmael (archive footage)
2000
2005
Parklawn Mortuary (voice)
1977
Self
1950
Ele Mesmo (Imagem de Arquivo)
2024
Narrator
1984
Hagolin / Lamerciere
1960
Himself
1966
Self (archive footage)
2012
1971
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2018
Self (archive footage)
1997
Host
1978
Narrator (voice)
1980
Narrator (voice)
1969
Orson Welles
1988
Himself (Archive footage)
2022
Self (archive footage)
1990
Narrator (English)
1962
Self (Archive footage)
2001
Professor Richard Pierson / Self (voice) (archive sound)
2016
(Archive footage)
2025
1999
Narrator
1965
Self
1985
Narrator
1978
Narrator (voice)
1969
Narrator
1945
Narrator
1979
Narrator
1977
Narrator
1970
1965
Himself
2010
Richard Wagner (voice)
1982
Ronald Adams
2004
Self (archive footage)
2014
2012
General Zaroff (voice)
2023
Host
1975
Narrator
1946
Narrator
1933
Radio Host (voice) (archival footage)
2024
Self
2021
Self (archive footage)
2003
1974
Self / Narrator
1976
Narrator
1971
Narrator "The Scorpion and the Frog" (archive footage)
2025
Self
1982
Narrator (voice)
1964
Narrator
1979
Self
1975
Michelangelo (voice)
1970
Narrator
1977
Narrator
1970
Self (voiceover)
2023
Narrator
1977
Narrator
1985
Self - Host
1955
Narrator
1974
Narrator
1959
Narrator (voice)
1979
Himself
1955
Self
1968
Himself
1984
Narrator
1982
Narrator (archive footage)
2025
Self (archive audio)
2004
English Narrator
1980
Falstaff
2023
Narrator
1975
himself
1984
Narrator
1967
Narrator
1973
Narrator
Narrator- Self
1965
Self
1982
Self - Narrator
1956
Mr. Cato
1983
Narrator (voice)
1958
(Self)
2005
Narrator
1981
Himself - Host
1978
Narrator
1973
Himself (host)
1981
Himself
1978
Self (archive footage)
2005
(archive footage 1982)
2009
Himself
1973
Himself
1983
An Actor Manager /Father Mapple /Ahab
1955
Narrator
1980
Crew (22)
Directing (47)
Director
1973
Director
1964
Director
1955
Director
1968
Director
1961
Director
1941
Director
1955
Director
1958
Director
1947
Director
1946
Director
1962
Director
1942
Director
1958
Director
2018
Director
1948
Director
1951
Director
1955
Director
1965
Director
1973
Director
1968
Director
1969
Director
1992
Director
1934
Director
1958
Director
2007
Director
1970
Director
1958
Director
1971
Director
1981
Director
2013
Director
1968
Director
2020
Director
1993
Director
1979
Director
1985
Director
2000
Director
1978
Director
1986
Director
1985
Director
1933
Director
2003
Director
1955
Director
1960
Director
1955
Director
1984
Director
2005
Director
1955
Writing (54)
Screenplay
1973
Writer
1955
Screenplay
1968
Writer
1961
Screenplay
1941
Writer
1955
Screenplay
1958
Screenplay
1947
Scenario Writer
1966
Co-Writer
1946
Screenplay
1962
Screenplay
1942
Writer
1972
Story
1947
Screenplay
1958
Screenplay
2018
Screenplay
1948
Screenplay
1951
Screenplay
1955
Story
1955
Screenplay
1943
Screenplay
1965
Writer
1973
Screenplay
1968
Screenplay
1969
Writer
1999
Screenplay
1992
Writer
1934
Writer
1958
Original Concept
2007
Screenplay
2007
Screenplay
2002
Writer
1949
Writer
1970
Writer
1958
Writer
1971
Screenplay
2013
Writer
1968
Writer
1979
Writer
1997
Writer
1985
Theatre Play
2000
Writer
1978
Writer
1986
Writer
1985
Adaptation
1933
Original Story
2024
Writer
1976
Original Concept
2008
Original Concept
Writer
1998
Characters
2014
Original Concept
1997
Writer
1955
