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Orson Welles

Orson Welles

62 movies on Netflix

Biography

Orson Welles was a filmmaker and actor who worked in theater, radio and film. Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he directed Federal Theatre Project productions in New York, including a 1936 Macbeth with an African-American cast, and founded the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman. His 1938 radio broadcast of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds convinced some listeners that Martians were invading and drew Hollywood interest. Making his film debut with Citizen Kane (1941), Welles wrote, produced, directed and played the lead; the film came to be ranked among the greatest ever made. He also directed The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Touch of Evil (1958), The Trial (1962) and Chimes at Midnight (1965). He played Rochester in Jane Eyre (1943), Harry Lime in The Third Man (1949) and Cardinal Wolsey in A Man for All Seasons (1966). His honors included an Academy Award, three Grammy Awards and the Academy Honorary Award in 1970.

70years old at death

  • Born Kenosha
  • Died Los Angeles
  • Star sign: TaurusThe sign runs April 20 to May 20
  • George Orson Welles (birth name)Also credited as George Welles

Movie Career

Films
62
Career span
82 years1940 to 2022

Genres

First and latest

Photos

  • Orson Welles, photo 1 of 3
  • Orson Welles, photo 2 of 3
  • Orson Welles, photo 3 of 3

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  1. Big break

    Welles's 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast, which convinced some listeners a Martian invasion was happening, made the 23-year-old notorious and brought Hollywood offers, including what is called the greatest contract ever offered a filmmaker.

  2. A first

    Welles was 20 when the play opened on April 14, 1936, at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem, and he was hailed as a prodigy.

  3. Behind the camera

    In 1937 Welles and Houseman left the Federal Theatre Project and set up a repertory company, the Mercury Theatre, whose name came from the iconoclastic magazine The American Mercury.

  4. Behind the camera

    Welles's 1946 Broadway musical Around the World, adapted from Jules Verne with music by Cole Porter, ran out of money and he promised Columbia's Harry Cohn a film for no fee in exchange for finishing funds.

  5. Getting ready for a role

    Welles talked Republic Pictures into letting him make a low-budget Macbeth before 1948. It used stylized sets and costumes, and actors lip-synced to a pre-recorded soundtrack, a cost-cutting trick he used to make an epic from B-movie resources.

Orson Welles movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top of the page, the section list
  1. Citizen Kane1941 Drama, Mysteryas Charles Foster Kane

    IMDb rating 8.2497K votes

  2. Touch of Evil1958 Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Thrilleras Police Captain Hank Quinlan

    IMDb rating 7.9116K votes

  3. The Third Man1949as Harry Lime

    IMDb rating 8.1197K votes

  4. The Lady from Shanghai1947as Michael O'Hara

    IMDb rating 7.537K votes

  5. The Stranger1946as Prof. Charles Rankin

    IMDb rating 7.331K votes

  6. The Magnificent Ambersons1942as Narrator

    IMDb rating 7.629K votes

  7. The Trial1962as Albert Hastler

    IMDb rating 7.627K votes

  8. F for Fake1973as Himself - Narratorvoice

    IMDb rating 7.720K votes

Most often with

John Huston directed four of these films. Joseph Cotten appears in seven of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top of the page, the section list
Joseph Cotten, 7 films togetherSee the 7 films with Joseph CottenErskine Sanford, 5 films togetherSee the 5 films with Erskine SanfordAkim Tamiroff, 4 films togetherSee the 4 films with Akim TamiroffWilliam Alland, 4 films togetherSee the 4 films with William AllandHerbert Lom, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Herbert LomAgnes Moorehead, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Agnes MooreheadJohn HustonDirector, 4 filmsSee the 4 films by John Huston

Films together

  • Joseph Cotten7 films together, 1941 to 2013
    Joseph Cotten's page
    • Too Much Johnson2013IMDb rating 5.6Welles as Keystone KopCotten as Augustus Billings
    • F for Fake1973IMDb rating 7.7Welles as Himself - NarratorvoiceCotten as Himself - Special Participant
    • Touch of Evil1958IMDb rating 7.9Welles as Police Captain Hank QuinlanCotten as Coroner
    • Othello1951IMDb rating 7.5Welles as OthelloCotten as Senator
    • The Third Man1949IMDb rating 8.1Welles as Harry LimeCotten as Holly Martins
    • The Magnificent Ambersons1942IMDb rating 7.6Welles as NarratorCotten as Eugene Morgan
    • Citizen Kane1941IMDb rating 8.2Welles as Charles Foster KaneCotten as Jedediah Leland / Screening Room Reporter
  • Erskine Sanford5 films together, 1941 to 2013
    Erskine Sanford's page
    • Too Much Johnson2013IMDb rating 5.6Welles as Keystone KopSanford as Frederick
    • Macbeth1948IMDb rating 7.4Welles as MacbethSanford as Duncan
    • The Lady from Shanghai1947IMDb rating 7.5Welles as Michael O'HaraSanford as Judge
    • The Magnificent Ambersons1942IMDb rating 7.6Welles as NarratorSanford as Roger Bronson
    • Citizen Kane1941IMDb rating 8.2Welles as Charles Foster KaneSanford as Herbert Carter / Screening Room Reporter
  • Akim Tamiroff4 films together, 1949 to 1962
    Akim Tamiroff's page
    • The Trial1962IMDb rating 7.6Welles as Albert HastlerTamiroff as Bloch
    • Touch of Evil1958IMDb rating 7.9Welles as Police Captain Hank QuinlanTamiroff as 'Uncle' Joe Grandi
    • Mr. Arkadin1955IMDb rating 7.1Welles as Gregory ArkadinTamiroff as Jakob Zouk
    • Black Magic1949IMDb rating 6.4Welles as Joseph Balsamo aka Count CagliostroTamiroff as Gitano
  • William Alland4 films together, 1941 to 1996
    William Alland's page
  • Herbert Lom3 films together, 1950 to 1974
    Herbert Lom's page
  • Agnes Moorehead3 films together, 1941 to 1943
    Agnes Moorehead's page
    • Jane Eyre1943IMDb rating 7.4Welles as Edward RochesterMoorehead as Mrs. Reed
    • The Magnificent Ambersons1942IMDb rating 7.6Welles as NarratorMoorehead as Fanny Minafer
    • Citizen Kane1941IMDb rating 8.2Welles as Charles Foster KaneMoorehead as Mary Kane
  • John HustonDirector, 4 films, 1956 to 1970
    All films by John Huston
  • Also three films together7 more actors
    • Jeanne MoreauThe Immortal Story (1968), Chimes at Midnight (1965) and The Trial (1962)
    • Peter BogdanovichThey'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018), The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996) and Directed by John Ford (1971)
    • John HustonThey'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018), Casino Royale (1967) and Moby Dick (1956)
    • Harry ShannonTouch of Evil (1958), The Lady from Shanghai (1947) and Citizen Kane (1941)
    • Ray CollinsTouch of Evil (1958), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and Citizen Kane (1941)
    • Grégoire AslanTwelve Plus One (1969), The Roots of Heaven (1958) and Mr. Arkadin (1955)
    • Everett SloanePrince of Foxes (1949), The Lady from Shanghai (1947) and Citizen Kane (1941)

    When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Orson Welles's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

Top of the page, the section list

Combined worldwide box office

$196 million

19 of the 62 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 62 films: 19 worldwide figure; 6 us gross only; 6 never in cinemas; 31 figure not found.

  • 19Worldwide figure
  • 6US gross only
  • 6Never in cinemas
  • 31Figure not found

Top grosser

Casino Royale1967as Le Chiffre$41.7 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 89% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    Casino Royale1967as Le Chiffre
    $42M21.3% of the total
  2. 2
    History of the World: Part I1981as Narrator (voice)
    $32M16.2% of the total
  3. 3
    A Man for All Seasons1966as Cardinal Wolsey
    $28M14.5% of the total
  4. 4
    Catch-221970as General Dreedle
    $25M12.7% of the total
  5. 5
    Citizen Kane1941as Charles Foster Kane
    $23M11.9% of the total
  6. 6
    Moby Dick1956as Father Mapple
    $10M5.3% of the total
  7. 7
    The Transformers: The Movie1986as Unicron (voice)
    $10M5.1% of the total
  8. 8
    Jane Eyre1943as Edward Rochester
    $3.5M1.8% of the total
The Long, Hot Summer (1958), $3.5 millionTomorrow Is Forever (1946), $3.2 millionThe Stranger (1946), $3.2 millionWaterloo (1970), $3.1 millionTouch of Evil (1958), $2.2 millionCompulsion (1959), $1.8 millionThe Lady from Shanghai (1947), $1.6 millionHearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991), $1.4 millionThe Third Man (1949), $1.2 millionJodorowsky's Dune (2013), $662,736The Trial (1962), $94,243

$22.0 millionfrom the other 11 films with a worldwide figure, 11% of the total

Awards

Nine awards and honors from 1942 to 1982, four of them major.

Top of the page, the section list
Orson Welles's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Academy Awards
1970Honorary AwardHonorary
1942Best Writing, Original ScreenplayCitizen KaneWon
Cannes Film Festival
1952Palme d'OrWon
Venice Film Festival
1970Golden LionWon
Other honors
1982Commander of the Legion of HonourWon
1975AFI Life Achievement AwardWon
1974Honorary doctorate from the University of Paris-VIIHonorary
National Board of Review Award for Best FilmWon
Star on Hollywood Walk of FameHonored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

Top of the page, the section list