First published 2013
Film historian Peter Biskind presents intimate conversations between Orson Welles and director Henry Jaglom, captured on recordings made during their regular lunches in Welles' final years. These previously lost tapes sat forgotten in a garage until their recent discovery. The conversations reveal Welles without filters, sharing personal secrets and reflecting on his turbulent Hollywood career. He discusses encounters with Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, Laurence Olivier, David Selznick, and Rita Hayworth. The aging director emerges as both cynical and romantic, bitter about career disappointments yet still planning new film projects. His commentary ranges across politics, literature, cinema, and the failings of colleagues. Welles proves himself a natural provocateur and storyteller, delivering irreverent observations with sharp wit. These recordings capture a cultural giant wrestling with professional setbacks while maintaining his restless intellect and humor.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, film
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: memoir, personal-reflections
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
320 pages · Hardcover · Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt (NY)