1961-70

RoGoPaG (1962): Director: Roberto Rossellini, Jean-Luc Godard, Pier Paulo Pasolini, Ugo Gregoretti. Starring: OW (in Pasolini short) A collection of four short films by the directors named above, all vaguely related. OW appears in the short directed by Pasolini, Cream Cheese, which has OW appearing as a film director in a throwaway cameo. OW is dubbed into Italian for fear that his own spoken Italian might not be acceptable to Italian audiences, at least according OW in the This is Orson Welles book. Was banned in Italy for quite a while due to the "blasphemous" nature of Pasolini's short. Kino Video released this last year on video. It is rather dreary going for the most part. Pasolini's short has a bizarre appeal to it, though.

Marco the Magnificent (1964): Director: Denys De La Patelliere; Starring: Horst Bucholz, Anthony Quinn, Omar Shairf, Akim Tamiroff, Elsa Martinelli. Listed at 115 and 100 minutes. Story of the explorer's life, with various big name actors making brief appearances. Welles does this, playing a Venetian. Not on video.

Is Paris Burning? (1965): Director: Rene Clement; Starring: OW, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Alain Delon, Robert Stack, Gert Frobe, Kirk Douglas. 173 minutes. Huge telling of the occupation of France during WW2. Somewhat sloppy and meandering. OW appears as the Swedish consul. Available on video.

A Man for All Seasons (1966): Director: Fred Zinneman; Starring: OW, Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw. Music by Georges Delerue. 120 minutes. Highly acclaimed and successful film based on Robert Bolt's play about Sir Thomas More. OW appears as Cardinal Wolsey, in an excellent performance. Widely available on video.

The Sailor From Gibraltar (1966): Director: Tony Richardson; Starring: OW, Jeanne Moreau, Vanessa Redgrave, Ian Bannen. 91 minutes. Based on a novel by Marguerite Duras, this film revolves around Moreau, who is searching for a sailor she knew many years ago. She eventually gives up the search. OW appears as Louis of Mozambique, who counsels Moreau on her problem.

Oedipus the King (1967): Director: Philip Saville; Starring: Christopher Plummer, Donald Sutherland, Cyril Cusack. 97 minutes. So-so version of the famed play, with OW appearing as Tiresias. Not on video.

Casino Royale (1967): Director: several, including John Huston. Starring, OW, Woody Allen, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, numerous cameos. Music by Burt Bacharach. 130 munites. Startlingly unfunny James Bond spoof which has OW appearing as a villain, Le Chiffre, a master spy also adept at baccarat. Some like this film a lot, but I found it largely a mess. It has moments, just not enough of them. Widely available on video and often on TV.

I'll Never Forget What's 'Is Name (1967): Director: Michael Winner' Starring: OW, Oliver Reed, Michael Hordern, Marianne Faithfull. 99 minutes. Well-received film about Reed, a rising ad executive who tries to start his life over again, but finds that to be not so easy. OW is the head of the ad agency where Reed works. A nice little film, with Welles in great-yet-evil man mode. Available on DVD from Anchor Bay Video, with commentary by Winner.

House of Cards (1968): Director: John Guillermin; Starring: OW, George Peppard, Inger Stevens. 105 minutes. Peppard plays an ex-boxer living in Europe who gets tangled up in a plot involving a fascist organization led by Welles's character. Have never seen this, and it doesn't sound promising. Not available on video.

The Southern Star (1968): Director: Sidney Hayers; Starring: OW, Ursula Andress, George Segal. 102 minutes. Based on a Jules Verne novel, this film details a comic-adventure search for a large diamond with some decent location work in Senegal and other locales. Not on video.

The Last Roman (1968) Director: Robert Siodmak; Starring: Laurence Harvey, Honor Blackman, Sylva Koscina, Klaus Kinski. Period piece about the fall of ancient Rome; originally two parts, edited down to 94 minutes.

Tepepa (aka Blood and Guns) (1968) Director: Giulio Petroni; Starring: Tomas Milian, Jose Torres, John Steiner. A spaghetti western, originally released at 136 minutes, cut to 103 for its stateside release. Released on video many years ago, now out of print. The uncut version pops up on eBay now and again.

Battle of Neretva (1969) Director: Veljko Bulajic; Starring: Yul Brynner, Curt Jergens. 102 minutes. An epic about the Nazi invasion of Yugoslavia. Cut from three hours to under two.

12+1 (1970): Director: Nicolas Gessner; Starring: Sharon Tate, Vittorio De Sica, Vittorio Gassmann, Tim Brooke Taylor. 95 minutes. Notable for Sharon Tate's performance, her last before her murder at the hands of Charles Manson's gang. A comedy about the search for treasure contained within an antique chair. Also known as The Thirteen Chairs.

Catch-22 (1970): Director: Mike Nichols; Starring Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkel, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, Buck Henry. 121 minutes. Nichols' plainly states he was the wrong man to bring this absurdist war novel to the screen, but it still has its moments, even if it doesn't completely hold together. Welles plays General Dreedle. On video and DVD.

Waterloo (1970): Director: Sergei Bondarchuk; Starring: Rod Steiger, Christopher Plummer, Virginia McKenna, Dan O'Herlihy. 123 minutes, cut from 4 hours-plus. Another epic, about the legendary fall of Napoleon at Waterloo. A hot item on the online auction circuit, for whatever reason. Out of print on video.

Upon This Rock (1970): Director: Harry Rosky; Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Edith Evans, Ralph Richardson. 90 minutes. A TV movie in which Welles appeared as Michaelangelo.

A Safe Place (1970): Director: Henry Jaglom; Starring: Tuesday Weld, Jack Nicholson. 94 minutes. A somewhat experimental film about a woman who creates a dream world in which she does not grow up. Video availability unknown, presumably out of print if ever released.

The Kremlin Letter (1970): Director: John Huston; Starring: Max von Sydow, Micheal Macliammoir, Richard Boone, Bibi Andersson. Listed at 121 and 113 minutes. Another film with old crony Huston, this Cold War thriller was poorly received and rarely surfaces even on TV. Weirdly, George Sanders appears in drag as a female impersonator. Welles played a corrupt Russian official and seems to have been praised for his performance in what was not a popular film. Not on video.