Simon Callow's biography of Orson Welles

[Belle]

I have only just learned about this new biography on Welles and haven't read it. The one I did read was written more than 25 years ago by Barbara Leaming and, if Callow is right, that was probably inaccurate! But, if I was publicizing a third biographical edition I'd almost certainly be an expert with something new to say - especially on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Orson Welles. I long ago formed the view that Welles was an exuberant narcissist, with bullying tendencies.

This article is interesting and Callow obviously writes well:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts/arts-fe ... a-failure/

And I learned a new word: "avoirdupois"!!

[John F]

Callow started as an actor - I saw him in "Amadeus" at the National Theatre as "Mozart" opposite Paul Scofield as "Salieri." He also did a one-man show about Charles Dickens. I've read his memoirs, full of interesting behind-the-scenes stuff, but none of his other books.

[piston]

Pretty rough childhood. No wonder he didn't believe in "nous"!

[jbuck919]

Thanks, Bella. The article itself is a worthy read and I've bookmarked it to go through again at something less than my usual mad dash. (If there's a problem it's that Welles is so interesting I want to go on to the next thing, like that interview with Bogdanovich.)