The Other Side Of The Wind script - the one published at Locarno Fest

[Vidamonte]

I read the script of "The Other Side Of The Wind" and I must say that I would like to see it released according to version in this book that was published in Locarno. I would have no trouble at all accepting it, although I know that done by somebody else it would not come out exactly like Welles had done it, but maybe close enough what Welles thought at the time this version of script was written. Giorgio Cosetti writes in this book, that it was Welles' conscious choice not to finish this work: imagining it always alive and available for remodelling. I have seen the 30-40 minutes that Munich Film Museum shows around and what I could imagine of the rest...how it would be cut, use of sound etc. - fascinating stuff.
And what a great ending.

I know not many of you have read this, but those who have...any thoughts?

[Roger Ryan]

I think the screenplay is wonderful as well. I found it interesting how Welles would work in subtle (and maybe not so subtle) allusions to his own life; I was particularly struck by the teacher from the "Clivedale Boarding Academy For Boys" who calls Johnny Dale his "star pupil" (shades of Todd School For Boys, Roger Hill and Orson himself?). However, as pointed out by Gosetti in his exceptional essay on the project, Welles didn't actually shoot this version of the screenplay. The 40 minutes or so of film that Welles edited himself does not necessarily correspond to what was written. The description of how the studio projection room scene is to be intercut into the other sequences sounds like a great idea, but the very long scene between Max David and Billy as edited by Welles gives no indication where those intercuts should come. Elsewhere, the scene between Hannaford, Otterlake and Riche as shot and edited plays quite differently from what was written. Without seeing everything that Welles shot for this project (and supposedly not even Bogdanovich has seen everthing), we won't know how close to the published screenplay Welles intended to conform.

[jollytinker]

I've been combing through trying to get a copy of the book. It's not shown up anywhere yet. Anyone on the board have an extra copy from Locarno they want to sell ?

[stefan]

There are still some copies of the bilingual version (Frech/English) of the Locarno book "The Other Side of the Wind" available. (For the festival a limited number of bilingual copies were printed, later only a French version will be available through Cahiers du Cinema.) You can get a copy by emailing the festival: info@pardo.ch
The festival is also discussing to publish the lectures of the workshops. You can support this idea by showing your interest in an email to the same address.

[tonyw]

Today's London TIMES contains a report from Venice in which John Huston's son has announced that THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND may appear soon with all the warring parties having come to an agreement.

Apparently, Oja and Peter are going to work on this together.

I know we have heard this all before and should not raise our hopes too high but, who knows?

[R Kadin]

Dalya Alberge Timesonline:
Welles, who had edited 50 minutes of the film, asked his close friend, Peter Bogdanovich, the actor and director who starred in it, to finish the film should anything happen to him. He gave him extensive editing notes.

With Kodar, who also appeared in the film, Bogdanovich has fulfilled that promise.

"Has fulfilled", as in "It's done; all that's left is the distribution." That's absolutely incredible news, if the reporter has the facts right. Now, how do we convince the powers that be that there's a lucrative enough audience out there to let this labour of love fulfill its rightful destiny - soon and in a theatre near you..?

[Wilson]

Locking this, as we have a new "all things OSOTW" thread in the Film section.