Orson Welles at Work

Orson Welles at Work is an in-depth, behind-the-camera survey of the work of one of the world's most acclaimed cinematic visionaries. Under-appreciated in his lifetime, Orson Welles (1915-1985) was an exceptional filmmaker whose legend has been fuelled by myriad myths and stories. Having gained unrivalled access to European and American archives in order to provide an uncommonly detailed account of the man and his diverse projects, authors Jean-Pierre Berthome and Francois Thomas sort the facts from the fiction in this new study.
Providing a fresh and insightful view of the director and his work, this book examines the entirety of Welles's career, from his theatrical beginnings to his very last years, and offers analyses of all his creative works, including the feature films, short films, unfinished works and his programmes for television. In addition the book recounts the various stages of each of the twelve completed feature films (from conception and pre-production, through filming and editing, to critical reception and beyond), including the celebrated Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and Touch of Evil (1957-8). Discussion of all the works is supported by over 400 illustrations of on-set photographs, screenplays and scripts, contracts, sketches, storyboards, models, production reports, memos and correspondence, some of which has been uncovered by the authors' latest research.

Francois Thomas is a professor at Paris 3.