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The new Taschen picture book on Orson Welles is a major disappointment. While the book does contain many rare stills in high quality reproductions, how could Taschen reduce the importance of the greatest director in cinema history to what amounts to a footnote? ���
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The�size of this book is about half of what they have allotted for many other far less important directors than Welles.�For instance, how could anyone at Taschen justify a bigger volume on�Paul Verhoven, in� this same series? �������
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It’s sheer stupidity by whoever was responsible at Taschen. Having published a�beautiful coffee table book on Stanley Kubrick that costs $200. and weights about ten pounds, it seems inconceivable that the same publisher wouldn’t want to�do that same kind of coverage for�a book about Orson Welles. Especially given the kind of documentation and multitude of Welles scholars than are available to consult.� But even if they didn’t want to make that kind of fabulous book about�Welles – and let’s face it, who would be a better candidate – �this volume�has to be considered disgraceful, simply because of what Taschen has devoted to many other directors in their larger $20. picture volumes (which include Roman Polanski, John Ford, Luis�Bunuel, Stanley Kubrick, Fellini and Antonioni). �
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I presume the blame lies at the doorstep of the series editor, Paul Ducan. He apparently cut author F. X. Feeney’s original text to the bare bones, leaving only a flimsy two page essay on Welles. But what is far worse, is the failure to identify many important Welles collaborators and co-stars in the picture captions throughout the book. It was obviously a rush job, without any�attempt to even try and identify�anyone in the pictures besides Welles himself. � Among the unidentified: Cameramen Gregg Toland and Russell Metty, actors and directors like Everett Sloane and Carol Reed, etc,�etc.
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Verdict: �A case of sheer editorial incompetence.
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But at $10.00 it’s still worth having simply for the great pictures, even if they are improperly captioned.
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A few pages from the book can�be viewed here:��
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http://www.taschen.com/paes5.htm�