On the 40th anniversary of his death, the Cinémathèque Française organizes a retrospective exhibition on Orson Welles, entitled “My name is Orson Welles”. It takes place in Paris from October 8, 2025, to January 11, 2026.
“In 1938, television didn’t exist: series were broadcast on the radio. On October 30th, Welles and his actors produced an adaptation of The War of the Worlds, a science fiction novel. He mischievously interrupted the story with fake “Breaking News”: he made listeners believe that Martians were actually invading the United States. Some listeners believed it, and panic ensued! The episode made him instantly famous.”
“Jonathan Rosenbaum claims that this was and remains the most famous radio programme of all time, worldwide. Broadcast by CBS on 30 October 1938, 6 million people were listening that night; an estimated 1200000 were involved in the panic. After the scandal, for which he had to apologise publicly, Welles was wooed by RKO Pictures and offered exceptionally generous terms to direct Citizen Kane.”
“Citizen Kane tells the story of the rise and fall of a press magnate, as recounted by those who knew him. Structured around an investigation into Kane’s mysterious last word (“Rosebud”), the first feature film by writer, producer, and director George Welles (aged 25) offers a torrent of stylistic innovations, securing its status as a paragon of modern cinema.” In this exhibition, we learn the meaning of “Rosebud”.
“From its fragmented narrative to the masterful use of depth of field by cinematographer Gregg Toland, Citizen Kane was threatened with censorship by its primary model (William Randolph Hearst, the formidable media tycoon and protector of the charming Marion Davies), immediately hailed as a genius by some and vilified by others, often in Hearst’s pocket.”
Orson Welles filmed “Lady from Shanghai” in 1946 with actress Rita Hayworth, to whom he was married.
“To provoke the public, Welles had more than one trick up his sleeve. Married to Rita Hayworth, a major film star after her success in the ultra-seductive role of Gilda, he cast her in The Lady from Shanghai as the wicked and manipulative Elsa Bannister. Welles had her abundant red hair, which had made her famous, cut off and dyed it platinum blonde. At the end of the film, her face, in close-up, is multiplied in the reflections of a maze of mirrors.”
The Orson Welles’ movie “Lady from Shanghai” tells the story of the encounter between Michael O’Hara (Orson Welles) and a married woman, Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth). “He falls madly in love with her. She gets him a job on her husband’s yacht, a wealthy older man. Michael finds himself embroiled in a murder case…”
“The third man” directed by Carol Reed in 1949 is a Film noir movie which is set in post-war Vienna. “
“An American writer investigates the death of his friend Harry Lime, based on a screenplay by Graham Greene. Although he appears on screen for only about ten minutes, Orson Welles haunts every scene. Both invisible and omnipresent, he imprints his evocative charisma. Opposite him, Joseph Cotten delves into a web of secrets and manipulations.”
“Anton Karas’s haunting zither accompanies the expressionistic lighting, culminating in the most famous scenes, from the Ferris wheel to the oblique shots in the sewers. The indelible images of a dark thriller, winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, which has only grown in stature over time.”
The film “A Touch of Evil” is an adaptation of Whit Masterson’s novel of the same name. Starring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles, and Akim Tamiroff.
“A touch of evil” speaks of politics, power, and manipulation. It explores the porous borders between Mexico and the United States, between crime and the law.”
Sources : IMDB, cinematheque.fr/exposition.html, https://www.cinematheque.fr,https://www.cinematheque.fr/film/42543.html, cinematheque.fr/film/, sortiraparis.comand https://www.cinematheque.fr/exposition.html
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