William Alland
Biography
William Alland was an American actor, producer and writer who worked mainly in Westerns and science-fiction and monster films, often with director Jack Arnold. He entered movies as an actor and was best remembered for playing reporter Jerry Thompson in Orson Welles's Citizen Kane (1941), the journalist investigating the meaning of Rosebud. In that role his face was seldom shown clearly, a detail discussed by critic Roger Ebert. Alland also delivered the News on the March newsreel narration in the film and later provided similar voice work for F for Fake (1974) and the BBC documentary The Complete Citizen Kane (1991). On radio he acted with The Mercury Theatre on the Air and wrote for Doorway to Life, winning a Peabody Award as its producer. He produced science-fiction and monster features such as This Island Earth, It Came From Outer Space, Tarantula! and the Creature from the Black Lagoon films, and directed Look in Any Window. He died in 1997.
81years old at death
- Born Delmar
- Died Long Beach
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Movie Career
- Films
- 6
- Career span
- 55 years1941 to 1996
Genres
- Drama50%, 3 films
- Crime33%, 2 films
- Mystery33%, 2 films
- Comedy17%, 1 film
- Documentary17%, 1 film
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Getting ready for a role
In Citizen Kane, Alland played reporter Jerry Thompson. The camera never moves in for a close-up of his face, and for most of his scenes he turns his back to it; when his face does appear, it is in long-shot and usually in shadow.
Early training
While still in his early 20s, Alland came to Manhattan and enrolled in classes at the Henry Street Settlement House. It was there that he made the acquaintance of Orson Welles.
William Alland movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Orson Welles directed three of these films. Orson Welles appears in four 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.
Films together
Orson Welles's page
Harry Shannon's page
Erskine Sanford's page
Everett Sloane's page
Ruth Warrick's page
Gus Schilling's page
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.