Ocean State Libraries

"In the history of American popular culture, there is no more dramatic story--no swifter or loftier ascent to the pinnacle of success and no more tragic downfall--than that of Orson Welles. In this magisterial biography, Patrick McGilligan brings young Orson into focus as never before. He chronicles Welles's early life growing up in Wisconsin and Illinois as the son of an alcoholic industrialist and a radical suffragist and classical musician, and...

"With the approach of the 75th anniversary of Citizen Kane in May 2016, Harlan Lebo has written the full story of Orson Welles' masterpiece film. The book will explore: --Welles' meteoric rise to stardom in New York and the real reason behind his arrival in Hollywood --Welles' unprecedented contract with RKO Studios for total creative control and the deeper issues that impeded his work instead --The dispute over who wrote the script --The mystery...

"Orson Welles at Work is an in-depth, behind-the-camera survey of the work of one of the world's most acclaimed cinematic visionaries. Under-appreciated in his lifetime, Orson Welles (1915-1985) was an exceptional filmmaker whose legend has been fuelled by myriad myths and stories. Having gained unrivalled access to European and American archives in order to provide an uncommonly detailed account of the man and his diverse projects, authors Jean-Pierre...

"There have long been rumors of a lost cache of tapes containing private conversations between Orson Welles and his friend the director Henry Jaglom, recorded over regular lunches in the years before Welles died. The tapes, gathering dust in a garage, did indeed exist, and this book reveals for the first time what they contain. Here is Welles as he has never been seen before: talking intimately, disclosing personal secrets, reflecting on the highs...

On the evening of October 30, 1938, radio listeners across the United States heard a startling report of a meteor strike in the New Jersey countryside. With sirens blaring in the background, announcers in the field described mysterious creatures, terrifying war machines, and thick clouds of poison gas moving toward New York City. As the invading force approached Manhattan, some listeners sat transfixed, while others ran to alert neighbors or to call...

The Trial - In Orson Welles' brilliant adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel, Josef K. (Psycho's Anthony Perkins) wakes up one morning to find that he has been arrested. Nobody tells him what he has been accused of, however, and Josef is forced to look beyond the judicial system to prove his innocence. However, clearing his name proves to be nearly impossible in this nightmarish story from one of the greatest literary legends of the last century. - from...