Orson Welles: The Eye of a Poet

[JackFavell]

Hey, sorry about that.... Jeff Bailey is great. Really.

I suspect that one day I'll rue my original crack - I only said it because Grimesy was so sure of himself, so determined to look down on men going soft in the movies.

[JackFavell]

Another sign from Welles. The camera pans to it after Quinlan leaves Grande in Janet Leigh's hotel room. It says: "STOP. Forget something? Leave key at desk."

[CineMaven]

Hey, sorry about that.... Jeff Bailey is great. Really. I suspect that one day I'll rue my original crack - I only said it because Grimesy was so sure of himself, so determined to look down on men going soft in the movies.

Okay okay. But quit throwing me straight lines for me to pounce on. My restraint is very weak and I'm trying to turn over a new Message Board leaf. (Methink Grimes doth protest too much). Watch Stanwyck tonight at 8:00pm.

[JackFavell]

Will do. I missed The Gay Sisters the last time it was on, I'm not missing it tonight.

[ChiO]

Chio = I'm sure you are being facetious.... I can't believe you don't like TOE. Did Welles think of it as a minor picture on the way to something else?

TOUCH OF EVIL is my #2 Film Noir and #2 Welles film. Yeah, I like it.

I'm not most pleased when people tell me how much the liked that crane shot in Touch of Evil. I don't want to be remembered for "great shots."

Then came Touch of Evil and a tremendous high point -- I thought I had it made and was going to stay and do a whole series of pictures with Universal.

And just for you, JackF:

PB: You don't approve of Vargas using Menzies at the end to betray Quinlan?
OW: No, and I think it's terrible what Menzies does. Betrayal is a big thing with me, as you know from Chimes at Midnight -- it's almost a prime sin.
PB: You must disapprove, then, of Cotten's betrayal of Harry Lime in The Third Man.
OW: Of course...What an actor -- Joseph Calleia. (Welles go on to explain that, of course, Quinlan is not better than Vargas, and that is because Quinlan has betrayed his profession. And, oh by the way, Lloyd Bridges had been his first choice for Menzies.)

-- This Is Orson Welles (Welles & Bogdanovich)

[JackFavell]

Oooh, Thanks for that tidbit, ChiO! It makes me so happy that Welles recognized Calleia's talent. So many people don't even know who he is.

Gosh, I think Lloyd Nolan is spot on casting, but could he show all those sides of Menzies? The weakness of him? I just don't know.

I'm not most pleased when people tell me how much the liked that crane shot in Touch of Evil. I don't want to be remembered for "great shots."

Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't be picking out my favorite shots here..... It's just so much fun to dig around in the movie.

It's so sad that Welles couldn't have gotten some standing out of his work on Touch of Evil. He did everything they wanted him to, proved himself, and still nothing came of it. That reputation for profligacy stuck with him anyway. Would he have made more movies? Tempting to think that it would have been the best thing for him to get a contract but maybe that would have meant his movies would have been butchered more. Would they have been better or worse?

[ChiO]

I think Lloyd Nolan is spot on casting

Nothing against Lloyd Nolan, but it was Lloyd Bridges that Welles wanted initially as Menzies.

That reputation for profligacy stuck with him anyway.

That unfounded reputation is perhaps the cruelest myth of all. He directed and wrote TOUCH OF EVIL for free. He was paid only as an actor.

[JackFavell]

Wow! I read that post twice, once last night, and once again this morning before I replied to it, and both times I swear I read Lloyd NOLAN. Whether it was actually there or not, I saw what I wanted to see. Hey, was it my brain tricking me, or did you alter your post?

Now I have to try to imagine Lloyd Bridges in the part.... hmmmm.

Nope... I like Joe too much to be open-minded about other actors twice. I just can't do it!

[JackFavell]

I woke up this morning, switched on TCM, then switched over to our other early morning watch, I LOVE LUCY, and who should be showing off his prestidigitation but the master himself.....

[youtube][/youtube]

Who knew?

[ChiO]

You forgot Laurence Olivier! And better than Herman Schlupp, too.

Thanks for this.

[JackFavell]

Get out of town! Larry was on I Love Lucy? No WAY!

[ChiO]

Maybe, but I doubt it. It was an allusion to Lucy rattling off all the Shakespearian actors that she thought Orson was better than: Gielgud, Evans, Richardson.... To which Orson responds: "You forgot Laurence Olivier."

[JackFavell]

I know, I was just goofing on you - Welles was a lot better than Herman Schlupp!

[ChiO]

Don't goof on me. I have no sense of humor...or, for Alison, humour.

[JackFavell]

On the contrary.... You HAVE to have a great sense of humo(u)r to appreciate Tim Carey.