Despite the System

Revealing the facts rather than the myths behind Orson Welles's Hollywood career, this history fills in the gaps behind the drama of one of the most well-known American filmmakers. Exploring why Welles's films, as released, never matched his youthful masterpiece Citizen Kane, this historical investigation delves into the enemies that hounded him, his unwaning faith in his audience, and the brilliance of his films--before they were butchered by the studios. Based on shooting scripts, schedules, internal memos, interviews, articles, lectures, and personal correspondence, this work creates a concrete picture of his struggles and successes, bringing to life the intelligent, perceptive, and passionate man who, for all his failings as a person, was utterly uncompromising in his art.--From publisher description.

First sentence: At the end of March 1939 Europe lay less than six months away from its second universal conflict in a generation, after German chancellor Adolf Hitler reneged on a previous promise made to British prime minister Neville Chamberlain at Munich, annexing the Czechoslovakian rump into his ever-expanding vision of a Greater Germany.

Year

2005

Language

English

Publisher

Chicago Review Press

Editions

2

Pages

416

ISBN

9781556526206

Data source: Wikidata