WELLESNET MESSAGE BOARD

Todd: I just want to say I totally respect your Welles scholarship and your opinion. I agree that Franco's DQ is a mess. It looks TERRIBLE. I find it almost unwatchable. It should never, ever have been done the way it was done. And Oja Kodar should have been there as an active consultant since it wa...

Franco helped Welles shoot the complex scene, which Welles also appears in. He was one of several Spanish assistants Welles utilized. I doubt if he edited the scene, though. He was a second unit director. According to the Franco chapter in the book IMMORAL TALES, Welles later became enraged with Fra...

The CINEMATHEQUE FRANCAISE in Paris will be showing 35mm prints Franco's version of DON QUIJOTE and Welles's FALSTAFF (which Franco worked on as a 2nd unit dir) this summer as part of their huge Jess Franco Retrospective. For both Welles and Jess Franco fans here is a listing from the CF site: [I'll...

Someone above writes that Franco's version shouldn't be seen. As bad as the footage looks, as poorly integrated as the dubbed voices are, and no matter who disagrees with the editing, it should indeed be seen for illustrative, historical purposes as well as a kind of progress report. I recently went...

TOPAZ is a very underrated film and has a number of interesting similarities to MR ARKADIN, both deal with the "secret" meaning of the Cold War and both have final scenes where the truth is revealed at an airport. I interviewed an actor who worked on FRENZY in a small role which remains in...

I am going to quote from McBride's 2006 WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO OW? In the first place I would like to say I believe that all the extant footage in FE in Madrid, Cinemateque Francaise, with OK and MB's footage should be deposited in a safe facility and a restoration should begin. That place could be a...

The only LEGAL version of DQ the film is Jess Franco's edit. The Rights Holder would have to authorize another version and MB would have to purchase/license the rights from Oja Kodar. I don't think he'll be able to legally put out a version unless he clears it with her and Spain. He may be breaking ...

I questioned Jess about this in 2004 and 2005. He talked for two hours or more about the project and his frustration. First of all, Orson discussed with Jess how he had planned to edit DQ during the production of CHIMES. He wanted to consult with a Spaniard about this for a specific reason. Not only...

Many thanks. That's the most thorough chronlogy assembled which I have read. It's still difficult for me to believe OW "lost" that print a second time in the early 70s. Could he have perhaps hidden it away or given to someone else for safekeeping? It would seen THAT "lost" print ...

Thanks for the link. I hadn't seen this footage before. Interesting the way he cuts between the child's POV and the gallery and DQ up there slashing away at the peplum, a genre in which OW was appearing in in the 60s to finance DQ: DAVID AND GOLIATH, THE TARTARS, etc. Does anyone know what film is u...

Kumel's performance on the commentary, and both docs is a very clever blend of false modesty (he claims to "detest" his own best movie, DOD) and attacks on others. I lost count how many other film professionals he bad mouthed. On the commentary, during the the scene in the VENUS CLUB, he s...

Welles, with Ford and Eisenstein, is the greatest, and most influential film director of the 20th century. He hovers slightly above them, and Hitch, because he didn't have the luxury of corporate/Studio or State support, after 1950, with the exception of TOE. He worked against the System and made fi...

Sorry if I offended anyone. I was perhaps a bit over the top in my wording. But, I don't think that Orson would approve of finding scapegoats to blame for his unfinished works. The post above makes a good point about the footage. If Mauro Bonanni never wanted to edit it and can't or won't or be allo...

I have talked with Jess Franco in detail about his work with and for 0rson Welles and what happened once DQ fell into his hands. First, of all, Jess did NOT seek out involvement in this project. His producer was given footage by Ms Kodar who told him she wanted Franco to put it together. He was told...

In order of preference. CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT: My all time favorite Shakespeare film also. That's because it captures the spirit of Shakespeare's writing over several plays better than any single adaptation. And because of Orson's performance, his greatest ever. TOUCH OF EVIL: with MEMO soundtrack. MR....