What is it that makes Orson Welles such a great filmmaker?

Answer 1

Orson Welles is famous because he was a famous director who directed some of Shakespears most famous plays and when he hired his cast he hired one particular person who he would later fire in front of everybody to show that he was in charge of everything. :)

Answer 2

The Word "Great" is debatable. And as I doubt any renown Film Makers are in the house, and as only a Film Maker would know, as "It takes one to know one" for Example, no one could judge a Musical Recital, without knowing Music, such as composition, harmony, scales, pitch, etc. when you say this band or that band is Great. or that film or this film is Great, it's purely a matter of what gives YOU Pleasure, or inspiration. But as for What makes a"Great Film Maker" you are talking about what technicaly it takes., and of course that would be Experience. here is a brief article I found on the web, as you will see, he was somewhat a failure at first, not Great at all according to the article: His first film to be seen by the public was Citizen Kane (1941), a commercial failure losing RKO $150,000, but regarded by many as the best film ever made. Many of his next films were commercial failures and he exiled himself to Europe in 1948. In 1956 he directed Touch of Evil (1958); it failed in the U.S. but won a prize at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. In 1975, in spite of all his box-office failures, he received the American Film Institute's Lifetime AchievementAward, and in 1984 the Directors Guild of America awarded him its highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award. His reputation as a film maker has climbed steadily ever since.So you tell me,,what makes him such a Great Film Maker?

Answer 3

Orson Welles directed several films and portions of films, some of them uncredited. His most famous directorial efforts were Citizen Kane, Othello, Macbeth, Touch of Evil, and The Lady from Shanghai.

Answer 4

Orson Welles has: Played Death in "The Hearts of Age" in 1934. Played Narrator (English version) (later replaced by Ernest Hemingway) in "The Spanish Earth" in 1937. Played Keystone Kop in "Too Much Johnson" in 1938. Played Opening Narrator in "Swiss Family Robinson" in 1940. Played Kane in "Citizen Kane" in 1941. Played Narrator in "The Magnificent Ambersons" in 1942. Played Narrator in "Tanks" in 1942. Played Colonel Haki in "Journey Into Fear" in 1943. Played himself in "Show-Business at War" in 1943. Played Edward Rochester in "Jane Eyre" in 1943. Played Himself - Leader of His Wonder Show in "Follow the Boys" in 1944. Played Narrator in "Duel in the Sun" in 1946. Played Professor Charles Rankin in "The Stranger" in 1946. Played Narrator in "Battle for Survival" in 1947. Played Macbeth in "Macbeth" in 1948. Played himself in "Toast of the Town" in 1948. Played Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro in "Black Magic" in 1949. Played Harry Lime in "The Third Man" in 1949. Played Cesare Borgia in "Prince of Foxes" in 1949. Played Bayan in "The Black Rose" in 1950. Played himself in "I Love Lucy" in 1951. Played Othello in "The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice" in 1952. Played himself in "Reflets de Cannes" in 1952. Played King Lear in "Omnibus" in 1952. Played himself in "Today" in 1952. Played himself in "Press Conference" in 1953. Played himself in "Person to Person" in 1953. Played Narrator in "Return to Glennascaul" in 1953. Played Sanin Cejador y Mengues in "Trouble in the Glen" in 1954. Played Lord Mountdrago ("Lord Mountdrago" segment) in "Three Cases of Murder" in 1955. Played Himself - Host in "Around the World with Orson Welles" in 1955. Played Gregory Arkadin in "Mr. Arkadin" in 1955. Played Oscar Jaffe in "Ford Star Jubilee" in 1955. Played Father Mapple in "Moby Dick" in 1956. Played Himself - Narrator in "Out of Darkness" in 1956. Played Himself - Narrator in "Orson Welles and People" in 1956. Played himself in "The Steve Allen Show" in 1956. Played Himself - Host in "Portrait of Gina" in 1958. Played Police Captain Hank Quinlan in "Touch of Evil" in 1958. Played himself in "Monitor" in 1958. Played Will Varner in "The Long, Hot Summer" in 1958. Played Supplemental Narrator in "South Seas Adventure" in 1958. Played Cy Sedgewick in "The Roots of Heaven" in 1958. Played Narrator in "The Vikings" in 1958. Played Captain Hart in "Ferry to Hong Kong" in 1959. Played Narrator in "High Journey" in 1959. Played Jonathan Wilk in "Compulsion" in 1959. Played King Saul in "David e Golia" in 1960. Played Robert Fulton in "Austerlitz" in 1960. Played Storyteller in "An Arabian Night" in 1960. Played himself in "Orson Welles: The Paris Interview" in 1960. Played Narrator in "King of Kings" in 1961. Played himself in "Biography" in 1961. Played himself in "Pariser Journal" in 1961. Played himself in "Tempo" in 1961. Played Burundai in "I tartari" in 1961. Played Benjamin Franklin in "La Fayette" in 1961. Played himself in "The Merv Griffin Show" in 1962. Played Himself - Host in "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1962. Played himself in "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1962. Played himself in "The Jack Paar Program" in 1962. Played Himself - Guest Host in "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1962. Played Max Buda in "The V.I.P.s" in 1963. Played Himself - Narrator in "National Geographic Specials" in 1964. Played Narrator in "National Geographic Specials" in 1964. Played himself in "Nella terra di Don Chisciotte" in 1964. Played Narrator in "The Finest Hours" in 1964. Played Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" in 1965. Played himself in "The Dean Martin Show" in 1965. Played Falstaff in "Campanadas a medianoche" in 1965. Played Long John Silver in "La isla del tesoro" in 1965. Played himself in "The Levin Interview" in 1966. Played himself in "Late Show London" in 1966. Played Cardinal Wolsey in "A Man for All Seasons" in 1966. Played himself in "The Jackie Gleason Show" in 1966. Played himself in "The Joey Bishop Show" in 1967. Played Le Chiffre in "Casino Royale" in 1967. Played Narrator in "Ten Days That Shook the World" in 1967. Played Louis de Mozambique in "The Sailor from Gibraltar" in 1967. Played Albert Hastler - The Advocate in "Romy - Portrait eines Gesichts" in 1967. Played himself in "Laugh-In" in 1967. Played himself in "The Dick Cavett Show" in 1968. Played Tiresias in "Oedipus the King" in 1968. Played Mr. Charles Clay in "Histoire immortelle" in 1968. Played Narrator in "The Name of the Game" in 1968. Played himself in "Vienna" in 1968. Played himself in "Portrait: Orson Welles" in 1968. Played Himself - Narrator in "Around the World of Mike Todd" in 1968. Played Emperor Justinian in "Kampf um Rom I" in 1968. Played Leschenhaut in "House of Cards" in 1968. Played Narrator (segment "Silent Snow, Secret Snow") in "Night Gallery" in 1969. Played Plankett in "The Southern Star" in 1969. Played himself in "The David Frost Show" in 1969. Played Colonel Cascorro in "Tepepa" in 1969. Played Chetnik Senator in "Bitka na Neretvi" in 1969. Played Himself - Guest Host in "The David Frost Show" in 1969. Played Justinian in "Kampf um Rom II - Der Verrat" in 1969. Played Narrator in "To Build a Fire" in 1969. Played Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" in 1969. Played The Narrator in "Start the Revolution Without Me" in 1970. Played Bresnavitch in "The Kremlin Letter" in 1970. Played Michelangelo in "Upon This Rock" in 1970. Played Narrator in "A Horse Called Nijinsky" in 1970. Played Brig. Gen. Dreedle in "Catch-22" in 1970. Performed in "The Golden Honeymoon" in 1970. Played Himself - Guest in "The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine" in 1971. Played himself in "V.I.P.-Schaukel" in 1971. Played Himself - Honorary Award Recipient (pre-recorded) in "The 43rd Annual Academy Awards" in 1971. Played himself in "Parkinson" in 1971. Played The Magician in "A Safe Place" in 1971. Played Himself - Host in "The Silent Years" in 1971. Played Narrator (English) in "Centinelas del silencio" in 1971. Played Cassavius in "Malpertuis" in 1971. Played Narrator in "Directed by John Ford" in 1971. Played Narrator in "Freedom River" in 1971. Played Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" in 1972. Played Mr. Cato in "Necromancy" in 1972. Played Himself - Narrator in "The Shah of Iran" in 1972. Played Narrator in "Future Shock" in 1972. Played Mr. Delasandro in "Get to Know Your Rabbit" in 1972. Played himself in "The ABC Comedy Hour" in 1972. Played Sheridan Whiteside in "The Man Who Came to Dinner" in 1972. Played Himself - Commentator in "Kelly Country" in 1973. Performed in "Great Mysteries" in 1973. Played himself in "The Tomorrow Show" in 1973. Played Himself - Host in "Great Mysteries" in 1973. Played U. N. Owen in "Ein Unbekannter rechnet ab" in 1974. Played himself in "The American Film Institute Salute to Orson Welles" in 1975. Played himself in "Orson Welles - das vermarktete Genie" in 1975. Performed in "Underwelles" in 1975. Played himself in "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" in 1975. Played Himself - Interviewee in "Arena" in 1975. Played Narrator in "Bugs Bunny Superstar" in 1975. Played Narrator in "The New Deal for Artists" in 1976. Played himself in "America at the Movies" in 1976. Played himself in "The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Muhammad Ali" in 1976. Played himself in "The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Frank Sinatra" in 1977. Performed in "The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art" in 1977. Played Narrator in "The Lions of Capitalism" in 1977. Played Henry F. Potter in "It Happened One Christmas" in 1977. Played Narrator in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" in 1977. Played Narrator in "Some Call It Greed" in 1977. Played Parklawn Mortuary in "Hot Tomorrows" in 1977. Played Narrator in "Mysterious Castles of Clay" in 1978. Played himself in "The Magic of David Copperfield" in 1978. Played Himself - Host in "Tut: The Boy King" in 1978. Played Narrator in "A Woman Called Moses" in 1978. Played Narrator in "Il grande attacco" in 1978. Played Himself - Comedian in "Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Betty White" in 1978. Played Himself (commenting on The War of the Worlds radio broadcast) in "The Force Beyond" in 1978. Played himself in "Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jimmy Stewart" in 1978. Played himself in "The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: George Burns" in 1978. Played Narrator in "NBC: The First Fifty Years - A Closer Look, Part Two" in 1978. Played Othello in "The South Bank Show" in 1978. Played Narrator in "The Eleven Powers: The Festival of Eka Dasa Rudra" in 1979. Played Lew Lord in "The Muppet Movie" in 1979. Played Narrator in "The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis" in 1979. Played Narrator in "The Double McGuffin" in 1979. Played himself in "The Orson Welles Show" in 1979. Played Narrator in "Shogun" in 1980. Played Himself - Narrator in "A Step Away" in 1980. Played himself in "Sinatra: The First 40 Years" in 1980. Played Narrator in "The Greenstone" in 1980. Played Narrator (original version) in "Shogun" in 1980. Played Robin Masters in "Magnum, P.I." in 1980. Played J.P. Morgan in "Tajna Nikole Tesle" in 1980. Played himself in "Real Heroes" in 1981. Played Narrator in "Tales of the Klondike" in 1981. Performed in "Search for the Titanic" in 1981. Played himself in "This Is Your Life: 30th Anniversary Special" in 1981. Played Narrator in "History of the World: Part I" in 1981. Played himself in "Notre Dame de la Croisette" in 1981. Played Narrator in "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow" in 1981. Played himself in "Let Poland Be Poland" in 1982. Played himself in "The 7th Los Angeles Film Critics Awards" in 1982. Played Judge Rauch in "Butterfly" in 1982. Played Narrator in "The Quest for Fire Adventure" in 1982. Played himself in "Baryshnikov in Hollywood" in 1982. Played Himself - Host in "Magic with the Stars" in 1982. Played himself in "Night of 100 Stars" in 1982. Played Narrator in "Genocide" in 1982. Played Richard Wagner in "Wagner e Venezia" in 1982. Performed in "The Moviemakers" in 1983. Played Himself - Narrator in "King Penguin: Stranded Beyond the Falklands" in 1983. Played Sheriff Paisley in "Hot Money" in 1983. Played himself in "The American Film Institute Salute to John Huston" in 1983. Played Narrator in "Physic Connection" in 1983. Played Himself - Host in "Scene of the Crime" in 1984. Played Narrator in "Almonds and Raisins" in 1984. Played himself in "De weg naar Bresson" in 1984. Played Himself - Narrator in "Amazon" in 1984. Played himself in "In Our Hands" in 1984. Played himself in "The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh" in 1984. Played himself in "Scene of the Crime" in 1984. Played Pippo in "Gurikku no bouken" in 1984. Played Narrator in "The Last Sailors: The Final Days of Working Sail" in 1984. Played himself in "Moonlighting" in 1985. Played himself in "Arsenal" in 1985. Played Lew Lord in "The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years" in 1986. Played Unicron in "The Transformers: The Movie" in 1986. Played himself in "Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story" in 1987. Played himself in "Biography" in 1987. Played himself in "The American Experience" in 1988. Played himself in "The American Film Institute Salute to Jack Lemmon" in 1988. Played himself in "With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film" in 1990. Played himself in "Hollywood Mavericks" in 1990. Played Himself - Domestos Creeping Dirt commercial in "Washes Whiter" in 1990. Played himself in "Stars and Stripes" in 1990. Performed in "Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream" in 1990. Played himself in "The Complete Citizen Kane" in 1991. Played Professor in War of the Worlds Broadcast in "Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio" in 1991. Played Himself (in new version) in "Don Quijote de Orson Welles" in 1992. Played himself in "The Magic of David Copperfield XIV: Flying - Live the Dream" in 1992. Played himself in "Jean Renoir: Part Two - Hollywood and Beyond" in 1993. Played himself in "Working with Orson Welles" in 1993. Played himself in "Modern Marvels" in 1994. Played Himself (explaining that the broadcast was of the H.G. Wells story) in "The War of the Worlds: Great Books" in 1994. Played himself in "The Universal Story" in 1995. Played Police Captain Hank Quinlan in "Get Shorty" in 1995. Played himself in "The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies" in 1995. Played himself in "Orson Welles: The One-Man Band" in 1995. Played himself in "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" in 1995. Played himself in "Zweig: A Morte em Cena" in 1995. Played himself in "Welles and Hearst" in 1996. Played himself in "UFO: Down to Earth" in 1997. Played Himself - Roaster in "The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts" in 1998. Played himself in "Martian Mania: The True Story of The War of the Worlds" in 1998. Performed in "Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary: No Guts, No Glory" in 1998. Played Himself (discusses War Of The Worlds broadcast) in "The Great Depression" in 1998. Played Shylock in "Shylock" in 1999. Played himself in "The Best of Film Noir" in 1999. Played himself in "The 20th Century: A Moving Visual History" in 1999. Performed in "ABC 2000: The Millennium" in 1999. Played himself in "Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth" in 2000. Played himself in "Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces" in 2000. Played himself in "A Huey P. Newton Story" in 2001. Played himself in "Pulp Cinema" in 2001. Played himself in "Lost in La Mancha" in 2002. Performed in "Apple Jack" in 2003. Played himself in "Rita" in 2003. Played himself in "UFO Files" in 2004. Played himself in "The Ultimate Film" in 2004. Played himself in "Shadowing the Third Man" in 2004. Played Ronald Adams in "The Hitch Hiker" in 2004. Played Himself - Actor in "The UFO Conspiracy" in 2004. Played himself in "Cineastas contra magnates" in 2005. Played himself in "Druga strana Wellesa" in 2005. Played himself in "The Day That Panicked America" in 2005. Played himself in "The Originals" in 2005. Played himself in "Brunnen" in 2005. Played himself in "Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream" in 2005. Played himself in "Horror Business" in 2005. Played himself in "Lost in the Thinking" in 2005. Played himself in "Edge of Outside" in 2006. Played himself in "Searching for Orson" in 2006. Played himself in "Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows" in 2007. Played Jonathan Wilk in "Strictly Courtroom" in 2008. Performed in "Lucifer et moi" in 2008. Played himself in "Prodigal Sons" in 2008. Performed in "O.W. Kenosha" in 2009. Played himself in "Hollywood sul Tevere" in 2009. Played Voice of the Elephant Lamp in "Jucy" in 2010. Played Narrator in "Christmas Tails" in 2011. Played Young Gordon in "Ninja the Mission Force" in 2012. Played himself in "The Man Who Pursued Rosebud: William Alland on His Career in Theatre and Film" in 2012. Played himself in "Shakespeare Uncovered" in 2012. Played himself in "Charmed Lives: A Family Romance" in 2014.