The Special Collections of The Hatcher Graduate Library presents
ORSON WELLES AND THE ART OF ADAPTATION IN RADIO, THEATRE AND FILM
An exhibit highlighting ORSON WELLES extraordinary vision and artistry in interpreting the works of others. On display at the Special Collections Library at the Univ. of Michigan will be material from the Orson Welles collection.
Professor Catherine Benamou, author of the recent book on It’s All True is curator of the exhibit, which will be on view from September 20 until December 1, 2007.
An opening reception (free and open to the public) will be held Thursday, September 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. Professor Benamou will be on hand to discuss some of the rare items on display, such as original scripts, correspondence, and photographs spanning Welles career from the 1930’s up until the late 1950’s.
The exhibit will feature many rare treasures from the Orson Welles collection at the University of Michigan that were acquired from the many papers Welles entrusted to his close associates Oja Kodar and Richard Wilson.
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Included are scripts, correspondence and rare photographs relating to Welles adaptations of the following works to the medium of radio, stage and the screen:
War of the Worlds – Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast adapted from the H. G. Wells novel.
Featured events include:
* On October 30th at 8 p.m. the library will be holding a 69th commemorative party to celebrate Welles’ original radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, by playing the best known copy available (from Richard Wilson’s archive) of the show, and hold a collective reading of the fan mail Welles received that remained unopened until 2000. Any and all readers and listeners are welcome to attend.
Heart of Darkness – Welles’ radio show and unrealized film adapted from the Joseph Conrad novel.
Items featured include:
* Audio of the This Is My Best radio version of Welles’ Heart of Darkness.
* Rare stills and production photos of the RKO film version of Heart of Darkness Welles planned to shoot before he switched to Citizen Kane.
* Early screenplay material for Heart of Darkness.
The Magnificent Ambersons – Welles’ radio show and film adapted from the novel by Booth Tarkington.
Items featured include:
* Frame enlargements from the scenes cut from The Magnificent Ambersons, taken from Orson Welles’ own personal papers.
* Screenplay material for The Magnificent Ambersons.
* Rare stills and production photos
* The smoking gun evidence as to what actually happened to the workprint of The Magnificent Ambersons that RKO sent to Welles while he was shooting It’s All True in Brazil. Prof. Benamou will provide the full textual details of the story after the exhibit closes on December 1.
Macbeth – Welles’ theatre productions, audio recordings and the Republic studios film, all adapted from the play by William Shakespeare.
Items featured include:
* Rare footage of the 1936 Harlem Macbeth from a WPA documentary, along with TV commentaries by Welles.
* Audio of some unbroadcast sound material, including a
self-reflexive spoof recorded by Mercury Theater members in April, 1940, titled The Follies of Macbeth.
* For the first time, color and black and white photographs of the Salt Lake City theatrical production of Macbeth (1947) will be on display, along with related documents.
* Welles editing instructions for the film version of Macbeth (1948).
* Screenplay material and production photos for the film version of Macbeth.
Touch of Evil – The Universal film adapted from a novel by Whit Masterson and a previous screenplay by Paul Monash.
Items featured include:
* Early screenplay material for Touch of Evil.
* Rare stills and production photos.
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DATES: September 20 – December 1
LOCATION: Special Collections Library, seventh floor of the Hatcher Graduate Library, 920 N. University, Ann Arbor.
HOURS: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday – Friday;
10 a.m.-noon, Saturdays.