"DONATIONS TO HELP KEEP WELLESNET ALIVE ON THE INTERNET"

[Glenn Anders]

The night was wet and chilly as I sat morosely sipping a Jameson's in "The Geary Club," where I now hang out, a place closer to home than "The Ha-Ra Club," since Cruel Carl has gone on a secret mission to Cambodia, and Genial Jerry is on hiatus after an accident. Morose, I say, too, because one wing of THE MILES AND IRMA[sic] ARCHER MEMORIAL INFORMATION CENTER -- "The Colonade Apartments" -- was burnt down mysteriously, last week, allegedly by a 64 year-old small time meth cooker. [Hammet would have loved that touch.]

I coughed; the smoke inhalation was still bothering my lungs.

As if by signal, denizens of the Geary Club stubbed out their butts, and Lily, its gorgeous petite Hungarian/Austrian bartendress, turned to me, her image multiplied in the mirrors of the backbar. "Herr Anders," she purred, "I haf a message left here vor you by zat very cute leprechaun-guy you brought in a vew times."

"Todd Baesen?"

"Ach, no! Baesen ist grosse!"

"Larry French, then, Lily. You know, my dear, distinguished journalist that he is, Larry occasionally looks like a Tenderloin drunk with that scraggly beard and Gypo Nolan cap he wears."

"Ja! Ja! Zat von," she cried, laughing delightfully, touching her black Lulu bob, adjusting the strap of a sports bra under her teddy. "He ist a crack-up!"

I took the note out of her fingers (it was scrawled on the back of an old bar receipt [mine], from Restorante Orson), and read the following words:

"Glenn: I hope that this information reaches you or Todd Baesen quickly; it is for your eyes only. Time is of the essence!

"People looking at the post about donations to Wellesnet on the main page of our new enterprise may notice that the offer for the following Orson Welles’ screenplays has now been deleted:

"HEART OF DARKNESS - November 30, 1939 - 186 pages
AMERICAN (Early draft of CITIZEN KANE) - no date - 268 pages
CITIZEN KANE - June 18, 1940 - 166 pages
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS - October 7, 1941 - 181 pages
THE STRANGER - no date - 150 pages
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI - August 17, 1946 - 166 pages
TOUCH OF EVIL - February 5, 1957 - 132 pages
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND - no date - 160 pages

"I talked with Larry French and he told me this is because, although donations have been coming in at a slow pace, the “Estate of Orson Welles” actually called HIM and asked HIM to remove the offer to send out Welles’s screenplays for a $5.00 donation!

"It seems a bit curious, as the “Estate” apparently doesn’t realize that all of the Welles’s screenplays in question are available elsewhere on the internet for free download, and this offer was just meant as a "thank you" for people who care about keeping Wellesnet on the internet. Of course, the "Estate" has always seemed to be more about preventing the spread of information about Welles and his legacy then in helping it thrive!"

[The message was unsigned.]

"Wait a minute, Lily," I said. "This note is obviously not from Larry French, nor from Todd Baesen! But if not --from whom? What does it mean?"

"I haf no idea, mein herr," she whispered, tilting her dark eyes up toward mine, sliding a fresh glass of Jameson's into my hand. "I only pour ze viskey here. I'm neither ze social secretary of your . . . vat do you call it? Vellesnet? Nor am I a secret agent, zo zumtimes you treat me as zutch. You should haf asked Carl before he vas assigned to Cambodia. He'z probably vell beyond ze Khyber Pass, by now. Him und zat high powered rifle of hiz!"

And there you have it, Wellesnetters: Another enigma. A fresh one!

Be assured that good grey Larry French will take care of your interests, even if Toddy Baesen might not.

Immediately, I asked Lily for a pen and scrawled a cheque for thirty dollars, made out to "Wellesnet.com."

Then, staggered out past all those mirrors.

As I made my way back to my little art deco apartment in the early hours, I scrutinized each dark figure who approached me. You never know what sinister minion you may meet on the Streets of San Francisco, these days. I was half-looking really for a wandering sailor, perhaps one who might give me cover while I escaped America in the coming revolution, caused by the secret meaning of the words I'd just been given.

Then, there he was! the very man I was looking for: So like Todd Baesen -- but not Baesen, at all.

"Hey, sailor, what ship?" I hailed him.

"My ship's THE CIRCE, the finest ever to ply the Trade Winds." he muttered in a thick Irish brogue. "What might you be askin' of me and my fine fitted schooner?"

"I'm interested in a little target practice," I said. "You know all about that, don't you, fella? We just need to find a hill here in Frisco. I know a fellow named Larry French, lives on a hill here in San Francisco. What about it, fella?"

"I'm thinkin' I've met you and this man, Larry French, somewhere before . . . what is it? Mr --?"

"Grisby. George Grisby. Though some people call me . . . Glenn Anders."

"Mr. Grisby, it is then, for now. The name me mither gave was Michael O'Hara, but since the end of The Troubles, I go by the name, 'Lee Gordon.' You know, a bright, guilty world, it is, even after midnight here in San Francisco. It'll be gettin' darker yet, I'm thinkin' -- before the dawn."

Last thoughts before I drifted off to sleep were of how I should import this development to two of the innocent victims, Robin Pappas and Nellie McKay, this Saturday evening, on a downtown express to a sidewalk empire.

My life, more than ever, seemed irrevocably enmeshed with that of Larry French . . . and Todd Baesen.

The more things changed, the more they were the same . . . .

What about your lives, shipmates?

Glenn Anders

[tonyw]

I made a donation last week and, as far as I understand it, anyone who does so will get a copy of any requested screenplay.

[Nepenthe]

Glenn,

Is it true that for every $85 donation to Wellesnet, you get a Wellesnet T-shirt?

[Glenn Anders]

Sh! tonyw.

Peace! nepenthe.

I understand that Burt "Tugboat" Johnson (an alias of my son) and Michael O'Hara will soon be off-loading your rewards down by Rockaway Beach in Pacifica, Ca, where the bootleggers used to work for Joe Kennedy out here.

Say no more . . . .

Glenn

[Le Chiffre]

Bootleggers? Ah, you're importing some Nikka Whiskey for us!

[tonyw]

I used Beatrice as a prime example of internet copyright issues to out technology-made Dean of Library Affairs who wants to remove hard copies from out library. Recently, a contact helped me out of a problem with PARS wanted $800 for a George Romero interview when the author was quite happy to let me have it for free. Fortunately, it has been replaced with something better. The previous PARS representative lived entirely in the internet and did not want to use phone, FAX, writing etc at all.

[Alfred Willmore]

Would it be reasonable for us to agree an amount that would appropriate be for a Wellesnet "membership"?

Only LFrench and perhaps Todd Baeson would need to know who is a paid member. And there would be no actual difference in status.

Some members (I was not, in fact, born with the name, 'Alfred Willmore') could even send in a money order with the name they use on Wellesnet, in order to maintain anonymity.

To avoid Enhanced Attention and Extraordinary Interest from "The Estate of O.W.", there would be no Orson bobble heads as premiums, just the inner satisfaction of knowing that You Belong.

So could we just agree as Old World Gentlemen on what a fair amount of contribution would be to consider oneself truly a Member?

[RKadin]

Thanking donors for their funds received in response to this call would be a well-advised courtesy.

[Glenn Anders]

KWITE KORRECIT, RKADIN!

Larry French asks me to convey thanks to all who have contributed so far.

Tony and Alfred: I must report that Burt "Tugboat" Johnson, who is handling the lighter operation from the CIRCE at Rockaway Beach, has been told that the sum accepted on the Boardwalk there as a suitable contribution is $25 in cheque, money order or paypal, but that Mr. French would turn away no reasonable sum. Skipper Michael O'Hara, thinking back to his time at Fortalesa, and in the Spanish Civil War, does not wish to create a class structure, and Mr. French concurs. Sharks, after all, are everywhere in our waters now.

Meanwhile, the schnapps is flowing at the Geary Club, in San Francico, this evening. Lovely Lily has been dancing on the bar, crying out: "Das Giants are vunderbar! Lilianne wants to hear it vor Citizen Cain!"

Todd Baesen was observed trying to pour Asbach Uralt into her slipper. Unfortunately, he poured most of it upon himself.

Glenn Anders (aka, George Grisby)

[Alfred Willmore]

Re: "The Estate of Orson Welles" claiming the right to kill scholarship at The Lilly and in other places:

I don't like seeing The Estate assert, unchallenged, rights that it may not actually be entitled to.

So let's begin the process of responding to these claimed rights by offering as a "Thank You Premium" for Wellesnet Membership, something The Estate can't use as a basis for one of its common practices - and then we can go from there.

Anything from the Federal Theater Project is definitely in The Public Domain. Wellesnet can, for example, offer the Dr. Faustus script as a premium reward for membership.

So, Mr. French, could you please send me a pdf of something/anything from Dr. Faustus as a premium for my membership dues.

Thank you.

[The Night Man]

Horray for the Wellesnet message board, back from the ashes. Every member here should prove their mettle and ante up to help keep the discussion going. Remember, Wellesnetters, each donation will entitle you to a genuine Cease & Desist Order direct from the estate of Orson Welles!

[ToddBaesen]

Thanks Night Man for making that interesting point.

Anyone interested in making a stand or taking "a declaration of principles" against how The Estate of OW has been handled, can now send in as little as 5.00 to Wellesnet and get a totally "unauthorized" script by Orson Welles, which has been officially banned by the Estate!

[The Night Man]

Actually, Todd, my statement was meant facetiously, because, as far as I know, those scripts are not in fact being disseminated. Not that that should discourage anyone from donating. The renewed availability of the message board should be reward enough.

[Alfred Willmore]

V o t e . O r s o n . and, Keep the Donations Coming.

and just think, You Too may get a genuine Cease & Desist Order direct from the estate of Orson Welles!