Orson Welles and His Last Film

If you are a fan of the great Orson Welles and are curious about his last film, The Other Side of the Wind, please don’t miss director Morgan Neville’s revealing documentary, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead. Although the title comes from a Welles quote he denies saying, it’s still an appropriate title for this unusual film. It reminds me of another relevant quote by Welles -- “Nobody who takes on anything big and tough can afford to be modest.”

Neville’s documentary deals with the last fifteen years of Welles’ life, which were devoted to making a movie about an aging director trying to complete his last great film (art imitating life?). The always wonderful Alan Cumming serves as narrator, and clips of scenes from The Other Side of the Wind are shown as well as comments from people connected with the film who are still around, including co-writer Oja Kador and acclaimed filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich and Henry Jaglom.               

Orson Welles, we won’t forget you.

This documentary seems true.

Your last film’s ups and downs we see.

Unfinished by you. A mystery.

Lots of toil as the years went by,

but funding problems might be why.

Or to keep filming was your goal

because it formed part of your soul.

Starting at top, then going down.

Hollywood is a ruthless town.

Times a-changing, perhaps too fast.

Will films of yours be ones to last?

  

Fortunately, Netflix is also releasing at the same time a restored version of footage from Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind, which makes a fascinating double feature for cinema buffs everywhere. John Huston looks magnificent in the lead role of Jake Hannaford, while Bogdanovich manages to hold his own as a rising young filmmaker and friend who learns about betrayal. (It’s interesting to note that comic/impressionist Rich Little was Welles’ first choice for that part.) Also, the documentary indicates that Welles thought about portraying Jake himself. What a treat that would have been!

As a confirmed movie addict, I really enjoyed this documentary. It shows filmmaker Welles with warts and all. And it reinforces my belief that he loved making movies more than anything else. Below are two of my favorite quotes by Orson Welles to prove my case.            

A movie in production is the best electric train set a boy could ever have.

The cinema has no boundary; it is a ribbon of dreams.

(Released by Netflix; not rated by MPAA.)

A Night To Remember

Talk about a stroll down memory lane. No, I take that back. Watching Brave New Jersey was more like a time travel trip to a special 1938 October night when my cousins and I were enjoying our weekly ride in the backseat of Uncle Frank’s car. After about fifteen minutes, we got a bit rowdy so Aunt Elizabeth said, “Turn on the radio, Frank. Maybe that will calm these kids down.”

But instead of calming us down, the program we heard just happened to be the infamous Orson Welles’ dramatization of Martian attacks. Unfortunately we got in after the announcement at the beginning of the show. And, of course, like many other listeners who tuned in late  -- we thought this was a news broadcast. Well, you can imagine how frightened we were!

Uncle Frank decided that we would head to the hills and hide from the monsters. By the time we arrived in the small mountain community near our town, we heard the announcer explain about this dramatization – and we couldn’t stop laughing all the way home.     

Brave New Jersey is so much fun.

You’ll chuckle lots before it’s done.

It’s based on facts about a prank

that we have Orson Welles to thank.

His hoax fooled folks in days gone by.

It made them fear and scream and cry.

This comedy shows a small town

in panic searching space men down.

Though not one creature can be found,

these folks still try to hold their ground.

Some lives are changed by this big night.

For the better? Yes, that is right.

The film excels production-wise.

Period look should win a prize.

The actors fit their roles with ease.

Their funny actions aim to please!

Director/writer Jody Lambert uses the impact of the Welles radio broadcast as the backdrop for his amusing movie. He deserves kudos for putting together a wonderful, diverse cast and crew to create a film that looks as real as possible. The sets, costumes, autos, and hair/makeup made me feel like I was back in 1938. (Full disclosure: I’m one of the few folks still living who remember what things were like during that time period.)       

Brave New Jersey proves that nostalgia can be exciting as well as fun.        

Just 45 Minutes from Broadway

How I wish I could be at the Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica on October 17th! That’s the opening date for Henry Jaglom’s new play, Just 45 Minutes from Broadway, starring the exciting young actress Tanna Frederick. After seeing Frederick in Jaglom’s wonderful film Irene in Time, I’m eager to watch her perform on stage as well as on the big screen.

I also admire Jaglom for the way he puts women front and center in his films, This acclaimed writer/director boasts an impressing resumé packed with such movies as Hollywood Dreams (also starring Frederick), Someone To Love, Venice/Venice and Eating. Jaglom’s plays include the award-winning Room 322 and A Safe Place – his debut theatre piece first written for the Actors’ Studio and later made into a film with Jack Nicholson, Tuesday Weld and Orson Welles.

The Gala Opening Night performance of Just 45 Minutes from Broadway will be followed by a reception with hors d’oeuvres, libations and music. All proceeds from this event will be donated to support the children’s outreach programs at the non-profit Edgemar Center.

For reservations, please call 310-392-7327

Online ticketing: www.edgemarcenter.org

Charlton Heston: A Personal Memory

As a film fan saddened by Charlton Heston’s recent death, I would like to share a personal memory of him.

When Charlton Heston received his 1995 Lifetime Achievement Award in San Diego, one of the multiplexes honored him by showing a different one of his films on each of its 24 screens. But Touch of Evil, my favorite, was missing. I expressed my disappointment to Heston as he held court in the huge lobby. Not expecting to hear anything more about my concern, I felt pleased when he later announced to the group during his acceptance speech that program officials had not been able to secure a proper print of Touch of Evil. Evidently, Heston was disappointed too, probably because he wanted fans to view this Orson Welles classic on the big screen.

“People see most of their movies at home on television today instead of in movie theaters,” he complained. “And the emotional impact is not the same.”

I couldn’t agree more.

After meeting the elegant Charlton Heston at this event, I realized how gracious and perceptive he could be. May he rest in peace.