First published 1987
Barbara Leaming presents the complete life of Orson Welles, the American artist who transformed multiple entertainment mediums. Drawing from two years of extensive interviews with Welles himself, Leaming traces his journey from precocious childhood through his triumphant New York theater years and Hollywood success with Citizen Kane, widely considered America's finest film. The biography follows Welles through his later European exile and final years, concluding with his death. Leaming conducted thorough archival research and interviewed Welles's contemporaries to construct this comprehensive portrait. The book reveals how Welles changed theater, frightened radio audiences nationwide, and created cinema history. Leaming offers readers access to Welles's own voice and perspective on his extraordinary career, providing insights into the man behind the artistic innovations that shaped twentieth-century popular culture.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, american, 21st-century, film
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: biographical-fiction
Setting: New York, Hollywood, Europe
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
576 pages · Paperback · Penguin