THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND Thread - 2015-2017

[RayKelly]

There are three known versions of the TOSOTW workprint. From what was described to me by several of the 30 or so audience members at Woodstock, what was shown at the private screening was #3 on this list.
1.) Approximately 40 minutes of Welles edited footage: Party scenes in color and black and white; the screening room scene, which runs longer than the AFI version; film-within-a-film scenes on the studio lot; sex in the car. during a rainstorm.
2.) A 95 minute assembly using the Welles edited footage and with other scenes edited by Frank Mazzola. It has the opening narration done by Gary Graver and runs roughly in chronological order.
3.) The 40 minutes of Welles footage with title cards and opening narration done by Graver. Video copies were made and shown to potential investors by Graver. Someone uploaded a fair to good quality dub of this version to a Russian-based bit torrent site a few years back.

[tonyw]

It does seem to be the case that the different versions of the workprint bear more than a passing resemblance to the different versions of ARKADIN released on Criterion DVD though with more variations. They also have parallels with TOUCH OF EVIL as well as support the critical assumption that most of Welles's work are "works in progress" in one way or another. Even if TOSOTW gets a final version, I suppose it will not satisfy everyone and we will be dealing with different claims for the validity of different versions?

[jbrooks]

Thanks for that break-down, Ray. Very interesting. Does any version of the workprint include the material that leaked on vemo last year? The leak was said to be connected to Henry Jaglom, but he later said that wasn't correct. That footage included the Jaglom-Mazursky and Hopper stuff as well as the great black and white scenes of Jake's cronies discussing his finances and then Jake interrogating Dale's old teacher. Is that stuff in the workprint?

[Roger Ryan]

Perhaps Ray can provide more info, but neither the Munich Filmmuseum's "Scenes From THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND" (which I believe is close to the first work-print version listed above) nor the 40-minute work-print excerpts privately screened in Woodstock contain the material which was briefly uploaded to Vimeo last year (I've not seen the 95-minute assembly).

The content of the "#3" work-print assembly: Graver introduces the cast in the same rapid manner as Altman did in his film NASHVILLE then reads Welles' opening narration under stills and freeze-frames; a brief collection of shots showing various Hannaford cronies leaving the studio; the full version of the projection room sequence with a lot of the "film-within-the-film" interpolated; the arrival of Hannaford and the confrontation with Ms. Riche (as seen in the "One-Man Band" doc); sex in the car (full version); two dwarfs carrying a large trunk down a hallway and up stairs (with Welles audible on soundtrack giving direction); Edmond O'Brien announcing through a bull-horn that the power has gone out in Hannaford's house and that lamps will be provided shortly; a hanger-on attempting to lead a sing-along to "The Glow Worm"; a "film-within-the-film" segment showing a nude Oja and Bob Random running through a deserted studio back-lot; Paul Stewart walking through the party commenting on how many freaks have shown up; Hannaford blowing out the candles on his birthday cake; Hannaford and Lili Palmer's character discussing how Hannaford "threw John Dale away" and how his film may not be able to be completed; Hannaford commenting on atrocities the "white settlers" enacted on the "Indians" while holding a bone from a human finger; a final "film-within-the-film" segment showing a nude Oja on the studio back-lot puncturing holes in a piece of scenery with a knife.

[jbrooks]

Thanks, Roger. It's curious that the vimeo material isn't in the known work prints. That is some of the most exciting bits of the film that I've seen. Huston's performance really comes alive in that material and I love the black & white.

[RayKelly]

Thanks for that break-down, Ray. Very interesting. Does any version of the workprint include the material that leaked on vemo last year? The leak was said to be connected to Henry Jaglom, but he later said that wasn't correct. That footage included the Jaglom-Mazursky and Hopper stuff as well as the great black and white scenes of Jake's cronies discussing his finances and then Jake interrogating Dale's old teacher. Is that stuff in the workprint?

I checked with someone familiar with the 95-minute workprint when the leaked footage appeared on YouTube and Vimeo in 2013. I was told that with the exception of a single shot or two the "Jaglom leak" footage could be found in the 95-minute workprint.

[jbrooks]

Thanks, Ray. And thanks for all the work on the site. It must be like a full time job these days.

[RayKelly]

Thanks, Ray. And thanks for all the work on the site. It must be like a full time job these days.

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, it has been very busy, which is both exhausting and rewarding.
BTW, I noticed something in Filip Jan Rymsza's interview with NPR and FilmFestivals.com (see http://www.wellesnet.com/making-the-pitch-for-the-other-side-of-the-wind-at-cannes/).
He mentioned Welles leaving behind five linear feet of scripts, letters and memos to editors, 40 minutes of non-sequentially edited footage and a "loose assembly."
During some future interview with Filip Jan Rymsza I will have to ask exactly what that means.

[Roger Ryan]

I'm thinking that "loose assembly" could very well be the 95-minute Graver/Mazzola assembly. I don't think Mr. Rymsza was inferring that the "loose assembly" was all of Welles' work.

[Le Chiffre]

Another scene in the work print that I was struck by shows John Dale walking through an empty studio lot as a strong wind begins to pick up. It obviously comes near the end of the film, as the title card before it says "A storm blows over the studio sets" or something like that. The scene is accompanied by a wistful sounding song by a female singer in a foreign language. I couldn't tell which language, maybe Spanish. It would be interesting to find out what the song is, and if it was selected by Welles or not.

[RayKelly]

The Indiegogo drive, which was supposed to have been a 40-day campaign, has been extended to 60 days.
They have collected $234,000 in the past 23 days.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/finish-orson-welles-last-film#/story

[RayKelly]

The Other Side of the Wind producers have identified potential matching funds in Europe IF the Indiegogo drive reaches $1M in the next 30 days.
http://www.wellesnet.com/the-other-side-of-the-wind-crowdfunding-campaign-revises-goal-investors-may-match-funds/

[dmolson]

The new perimeters of the indiegogo campaign leaves more questions than answers. Are the new-found potential investors a resurfacing of interested parties, has the less-than-hoped for fund raising run stirred up more linked offers, and why - I would think people would be less likely to buck up if the campaign fell short.
And what is the status of all the goodies offered, with this new revelation? I haven't heard whether the 'gifts' would be offered if the goal fell short, and if they plan on honouring the gifts without reaching the original goal, what is the financial impact of that? Printing up t-shirts, house coats, burning DVDs etc all add up. Was the expense forecasts for these items one reason behind the $2m original goal, or is there other means that we're planned (ie contra, separate donors who offered just these services)?

[RayKelly]

The new perimeters of the indiegogo campaign leaves more questions than answers. Are the new-found potential investors a resurfacing of interested parties, has the less-than-hoped for fund raising run stirred up more linked offers, and why - I would think people would be less likely to buck up if the campaign fell short.
And what is the status of all the goodies offered, with this new revelation? I haven't heard whether the 'gifts' would be offered if the goal fell short, and if they plan on honouring the gifts without reaching the original goal, what is the financial impact of that? Printing up t-shirts, house coats, burning DVDs etc all add up. Was the expense forecasts for these items one reason behind the $2m original goal, or is there other means that we're planned (ie contra, separate donors who offered just these services)?

The purpose of the Cannes visit was to attract attention in the European press, which has largely ignored the TOSOTW deal since it broke in the US media last fall, and meet with European investors and distributors. It was successful on both counts.
The Indiegogo website states 10 percent of money collected is earmarked to fund "perks." Some will cost the producers a few bucks (printing up T-shirts or a robe), while some of the bigger perks cost them virtually nothing (name in the credits or an old film canister).
If TOSOTW is completed in 2015, the premiere will happen in 2015 and DVDs made shortly thereafter. If Indiegogo fails and this drags until 2016, donors will not be going to the premiere until 2016 and DVDs will be delayed.

[jbrooks]

My read is that they've given up hopes of getting this done in 2015. Now the talk is of maybe getting it done within Welles' "centennial year," which I read as meaning before May 6, 2016. Even that seems overly ambitious to me.