The Smiley Smile Message Board

This recently-completed film is absolutely incredible, and the parallels of unfinished genius between this film and SMiLE are many. Incredible, pieced-together, often erratic, but always brilliant pieces of art by two titans of their realms, both of whom had emotional problems and overate to cope.

I cannot recommend the film highly enough, it's streaming on Netflix (along with a documentary that also needs to be seen, called "They'll Love Me When I'm Dead").

That's great news! Thanks a lot for the heads up, CD. :)

I saw the documentary and the premise of the film is fascinating.
It's maddening how the film powers that be stopped supporting Welles. Was it because of Citizen Kane and its thinly veiled connection to Hearst?
But have to decide whether I'll watch it. Guess I could fast forward through the weird sex scenes.

Um...what's precisely special about OW? & CK? Everybody praises but they don't answer in simple way, without getting too elaborate, why the film is great & this specific actor-director great. Why film industry people must support him & nobody else?

It will take a while to answer about Welles and Citizen Kane. Hopefully someone else can chime in; if not, I can answer tomorrow .
What I meant by film industry not supporting him, the production companies came to not like his style of filmmaking . So while Kane was out of the country the powers that be made a lot of changes to his movie The Magnificent Ambersons which he thought hurt the film. He had trouble getting financing for his films from the US companies. He didn't have the means to produce the movies himself (as opposed to someone like Charlie Chaplin who used his own money to make his films).

It's 2 days now since the last reply. When will you be answering?
Sth. doesn't make sense - you say it's "maddening", then give reason that they didn't like his "style of filmmaking". What's maddening about it? It's perfectly fine reason. Then it isn't about Welles, it could be anybody who didn't do, say, standard filmmaking. The implication in reply seems as if he's the single director/ individual who they didn't support. There should be millions & half examples like that in film industry. I frankly don't believe Welles is unique case with it.

Again, hoping that someone else would chime in as I am no "expert" on the guy. I'm mainly familiar with his earlier career before he left the US to make movies.
He showed much talent at an early age. At age 21 or 22 he co-founded the Mercury Players (Vincent Price was an early member). They became well known in the later 1930s for their plays on Broadway as well as radio plays. For the latter Welles became famous (or infamous) for his take on "The War of the Worlds." There were people who actually thought the eastern US was being invaded .
 as for Citizen Kane, it's subjective, but I consider it to be a great film. Great story, wonderful ensemble acting from Welles and the Mercury theater Players, and the incredible black and white cinematography by Gregg Toland and music by Bernard Herrmann (who also worked with Hitchcock). It all comes together as a most satisfying movie watching experience.
I know this answer will probably not satisfy you. Any other Citizen Kane fans out there who could add something?
As for his later career, yes other artists have had to put up with non cooperation from the "company suits" who don't care for art but only the Bottom Line. Thought it not very nice of them to wait until Welles was out of the country to mess up his film.

I don't trust Orson Welles in his old age to make anything but sh*t.
The only big fat guy I trust is Sergio Leone.


Old Orson is as limp as  old Charles chaplin, Charles Chaplin was better than him Come to think of it, he had to score many of his silent films in old age ---an effort which he should be  noted for.

Smile is City Lights  /Citizen Kane.

Yes, I don't care about Welles, talented or not. I shan't see the "newest" abomination raved by the OP. Not everything people rave about is liked by me, to be perfectly frank. Ha.