Philosophy
This is a documentary of Orson Welles' filming of Shakespeare's Othello.
Internet Archive...
Filming Othello is a 1978 documentary film directed by and starring Orson Welles about the making of his award-winning 1952 production Othello. The film, which was produced for West German television, was the last completed feature film directed by Welles.
PLOT
Filming Othello begins with Welles sitting behind a moviola. He directly addresses the camera and announces: "This is to be a conversation, certainly not anything so formal as a lecture, and what we're going to talk about is Othello, Shakespeare's play and the film I made of it." Welles initially conducts a monologue where he recalls the events that lead up to the creation of Othello and some of the problems that plagued the production. As the film progresses, he switches to a conversation in a restaurant between himself and two of the film’s co-stars, Micheal MacLiammoir (who played Iago) and Hilton Edwards (who played Brabantio). The three men talk at length about the making of Othello. Welles then resumes his monologue from his position behind the moviola. He then runs footage on the moviola of a question and answer session he conducted during a 1977 screening of Othello in Boston. Welles concludes the film in his position as a monologuist, proclaiming: "There are too many regrets, there are too many things I wish I could have done over again. If it wasn't a memory, if it was a project for the future, talking about Othello would have been nothing but delight. After all, promises are more fun than explanations. In all my heart, I wish that I wasn't looking back on Othello, but looking forward to it. That Othello would be one hell of a picture. Goodnight."
PRODUCTION
Filming Othello was made between 1974 and 1978. It was intended to be the first in a series of documentaries directed by Welles on the creation of his classic films. However, the second film in the proposed series, on the making of The Trial, was never completed.
Filming Othello was shot in 16mm, with Gary Graver as the cinematographer. Welles shot the footage of his conversation with MacLiammoir and Edwards in Paris, France, in 1974, and shot the footage of his part of their conversation two years later in Beverly Hills, California. Footage was also shot of Welles visiting Venice, Italy, but it was not included in the final print and is now considered lost.
Filming Othello uses clips from Othello, but the footage is not accompanied by the film’s dialogue track.
DISTRIBUTION
Filming Othello was first shown at the 1978 Berlin Film Festival. It was first screened in the U.S. in 1979 at the Public Theater in New York, where it played on a double bill with Othello.
Filming Othello [Wikipedia]
Watch or download...
Filming of Othello [1978]
- “too Much Johnson”...richard Brody's Comments
"“Too Much Johnson,” All Welles" by Richard Brody November 26th, 2013 The New Yorker News of the rediscovery and preservation of sixty-six minutes of footage shot by Orson Welles in 1938 made me both eager and skeptical. The film was intended to...
- Orson Welles' Film “too Much Johnson” Discovered
Arlene Francis with a photo of Joseph Cotten in a scene from "Too Much Johnson." "Early Film by Orson Welles Is Rediscovered" by Dave Kehr August 7th, 2013 The New York Times In 1941, Orson Welles made his debut as a feature film director with “Citizen...
- Two Movie Memorabilia Items To Be Auctioned
"Orson Welles' Citizen Kane Oscar up for auction" December 13th, 2011 BBC NEWS The Oscar awarded to Orson Welles for writing Citizen Kane is to be auctioned in Los Angeles later this month. The gold statuette, which Welles won for best screenplay...
- Voices...h. G. Wells And Orson Welles
I have recently made two posts regarding H. G. Wells and I thought that you might like to hear his voice. Audio...H. G. Wells and Orson Welles [October 28th, 1940] H. G. Wells and the "sexual revolution"? Tono-Bungay"...the feel good elixir Evil/good...companions...
- Deceased--cécile Aubry
Brigitte [Bridget] Bardot Cécile Aubry August 3rd, 1928 to July 19th, 2010 I opened this post with a well-known movie star and personality...Brigitte [Bridget] Bardot who is around 76 now. But, I don't remember Cécile Aubry...the precursor...
Philosophy
Bill Speare's "Othello" via Orson Welles
This is a documentary of Orson Welles' filming of Shakespeare's Othello.
Internet Archive...
Filming Othello is a 1978 documentary film directed by and starring Orson Welles about the making of his award-winning 1952 production Othello. The film, which was produced for West German television, was the last completed feature film directed by Welles.
PLOT
Filming Othello begins with Welles sitting behind a moviola. He directly addresses the camera and announces: "This is to be a conversation, certainly not anything so formal as a lecture, and what we're going to talk about is Othello, Shakespeare's play and the film I made of it." Welles initially conducts a monologue where he recalls the events that lead up to the creation of Othello and some of the problems that plagued the production. As the film progresses, he switches to a conversation in a restaurant between himself and two of the film’s co-stars, Micheal MacLiammoir (who played Iago) and Hilton Edwards (who played Brabantio). The three men talk at length about the making of Othello. Welles then resumes his monologue from his position behind the moviola. He then runs footage on the moviola of a question and answer session he conducted during a 1977 screening of Othello in Boston. Welles concludes the film in his position as a monologuist, proclaiming: "There are too many regrets, there are too many things I wish I could have done over again. If it wasn't a memory, if it was a project for the future, talking about Othello would have been nothing but delight. After all, promises are more fun than explanations. In all my heart, I wish that I wasn't looking back on Othello, but looking forward to it. That Othello would be one hell of a picture. Goodnight."
PRODUCTION
Filming Othello was made between 1974 and 1978. It was intended to be the first in a series of documentaries directed by Welles on the creation of his classic films. However, the second film in the proposed series, on the making of The Trial, was never completed.
Filming Othello was shot in 16mm, with Gary Graver as the cinematographer. Welles shot the footage of his conversation with MacLiammoir and Edwards in Paris, France, in 1974, and shot the footage of his part of their conversation two years later in Beverly Hills, California. Footage was also shot of Welles visiting Venice, Italy, but it was not included in the final print and is now considered lost.
Filming Othello uses clips from Othello, but the footage is not accompanied by the film’s dialogue track.
DISTRIBUTION
Filming Othello was first shown at the 1978 Berlin Film Festival. It was first screened in the U.S. in 1979 at the Public Theater in New York, where it played on a double bill with Othello.
Filming Othello [Wikipedia]
Watch or download...
Filming of Othello [1978]
- “too Much Johnson”...richard Brody's Comments
"“Too Much Johnson,” All Welles" by Richard Brody November 26th, 2013 The New Yorker News of the rediscovery and preservation of sixty-six minutes of footage shot by Orson Welles in 1938 made me both eager and skeptical. The film was intended to...
- Orson Welles' Film “too Much Johnson” Discovered
Arlene Francis with a photo of Joseph Cotten in a scene from "Too Much Johnson." "Early Film by Orson Welles Is Rediscovered" by Dave Kehr August 7th, 2013 The New York Times In 1941, Orson Welles made his debut as a feature film director with “Citizen...
- Two Movie Memorabilia Items To Be Auctioned
"Orson Welles' Citizen Kane Oscar up for auction" December 13th, 2011 BBC NEWS The Oscar awarded to Orson Welles for writing Citizen Kane is to be auctioned in Los Angeles later this month. The gold statuette, which Welles won for best screenplay...
- Voices...h. G. Wells And Orson Welles
I have recently made two posts regarding H. G. Wells and I thought that you might like to hear his voice. Audio...H. G. Wells and Orson Welles [October 28th, 1940] H. G. Wells and the "sexual revolution"? Tono-Bungay"...the feel good elixir Evil/good...companions...
- Deceased--cécile Aubry
Brigitte [Bridget] Bardot Cécile Aubry August 3rd, 1928 to July 19th, 2010 I opened this post with a well-known movie star and personality...Brigitte [Bridget] Bardot who is around 76 now. But, I don't remember Cécile Aubry...the precursor...