Orson Welles in Focus
Texts and Contexts

James N. Gilmore (Edited by), Sidney Gottlieb (Edited by), James Naremore (Foreword by), Vincent Longo (Contributions by), James Naremore (Contributions by), Marguerite Rippy (Contributions by), Craig Simpson (Contributions by), Matthew Solomon (Contributions by)

9780253032942

Hardback, published 8 February 2018

256 pages, 15 b&w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.499 kg

"This is a fascinating collection, several of the contributions making the reader wish for more."—Film International
"Anyone who thinks they know Welles will have their eyes opened [by this book]."—Paul Heyer, author of The Medium and the Magician: Orson Welles, the Radio Years

Through his radio and film works, such as The War of the Worlds and Citizen Kane, Orson Welles became a household name in the United States. Yet Welles's multifaceted career went beyond these classic titles and included lesser-known but nonetheless important contributions to television, theater, newspaper columns, and political activism. Orson Welles in Focus: Texts and Contexts examines neglected areas of Welles's work, shedding light on aspects of his art that have been eclipsed by a narrow focus on his films. By positioning Welles's work during a critical period of his activity (the mid-1930s through the 1950s) in its larger cultural, political, aesthetic, and industrial contexts, the contributors to this volume examine how he participated in and helped to shape modern media. This exploration of Welles in his totality illuminates and expands our perception of his contributions that continue to resonate today.

Foreword / James Naremore
Introduction: The Totality of Orson Welles / Sidney Gottlieb and James N. Gilmore
1. The Death of the Auteur: Orson Welles, Asadata Dafora, and the 1936 Macbeth / Marguerite Rippy
2. Revisiting "War of the Worlds": First-Person Narration in Golden Age Radio Drama / Shawn VanCour
3. Old-Time Movies: Welles and Silent Pictures / Matthew Solomon
4. Orson Welles's Itineraries in It's All True: From "Lived Topography" to Pan-American Transculturation / Catherine L. Benamou
5. Orson Welles as Journalist: The New York Post Columns / Sidney Gottlieb
6. Progressivism and the Struggles Against Racism and Anti-Semitism: Welles's Correspondences in 1946 / James N. Gilmore
7. Multimedia Magic in Around the World, Orson Welles's Film-and-Theater Hybrid / Vincent Longo
8. "The Worst Possible Partners for Movie Production": Orson Welles, Louis Dolivet, and the Filmorsa Years (1953-56) / François Thomas
9. Presenting Orson Welles: An Exhibition Challenge / Craig S. Simpson
Index