Orson Welles

The Profile

Orson Welles (1915–1985) was an American director, actor, writer, and producer who transformed cinema with Citizen Kane (1941) and continued innovating with The Magnificent Ambersons, Touch of Evil, Othello, and Chimes at Midnight. He first gained national fame with the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds and worked across stage, radio, and film in the U.S. and Europe.

Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin; died in Los Angeles. Co-wrote Citizen Kane (Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, 1942). Led the 1938 The War of the Worlds broadcast. Noted for deep focus, complex flashbacks, and long takes. Frequent disputes over final cut at RKO; later created major works in Europe.

The reviews celebrate Orson Welles as a transformative force in cinema, praising Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, Othello, and Chimes at Midnight for technical audacity and narrative depth. They spotlight his clashes with studios (notably at RKO), the truncated Magnificent Ambersons, and the unfinished Brazil project It’s All True. Public facts recall his 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast and lifelong innovations across stage, radio, and film. Overall sentiment is intensely admiring.