Orson will be best remembered and praised for his film Citizen Kane (1941). He co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film before his 26th birthday. While many of his films received critical acclaim, they never approached critical acclaim Kane realized even though the film was a monumental box office flop. The American Film Institute continues to rank it as the greatest American movie ever produced.
The principal character Charles Foster Kane is loosely patterned as a parody of the life and times of newspaper publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst (1863 – 1961). Nevertheless, the portrayal of him as a quintessential opportunist of his day and unabashed purveyor of his brand of yellow journalism so rattled Hearst that he unsuccessfully attempted to prevent its release to movie theater chains, mainly through ad hominen attacks on Welles credibility.
The War of the Worlds radio broadcast he narrated on October 30, 1938, rattled listeners’ sensibilities to such an extent that it sparked an immediate outbreak of mass pandemonium. Nevertheless, he gained instant fame for the performance.
His Broadway adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar he produced in 1937 received critical acclaim. He pursued his passion for Shakespearean drama as both the director and star of several film versions of the plays, such as Hamlet.
He was a direct paternal descendant (non-agnatic) of John Collins (1606 – 1670). He and his brother Deacon Edward (1603 – 1689) immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. They hailed from Bramford, Suffolk, England.
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AFI Top Men Actors of All Time
1. Humphrey Bogart (1899 – 1957)
3. Jimmie Stewart (1908 – 1997)
9. Spencer Tracy (1900 – 1967)
12. Gregory Peck (1916 – 2003)
16. Orson Welles (1915 – 1985)
George Orson Welles
1915–1985
BIRTH 6 MAY 1915 • Kenosha, Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
DEATH 10 OCT 1985 • Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Ancestry.com citation/Lineages
8th cousin 3x removed IVES-COLLINS
9th cousin 4x removed HEAD-WILCOX-COOKE-BARTLETT-SPRAGUE-TRIPP-OUTWATER-COLLINS
9th cousin 5x removed HEAD-LITTLE-WARREN-BARTLETT-SPRAGUE-TRIPP-OUTWATER-COLLINS
SOURCES
Orson Welles and Peter O’Toole on Hamlet YouTube video
John Collins Ives WikiTree
The Patricians, A Genealogical Study – Ebook Editions US$5.95
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Steven Wood Collins (1952 – ) Antiquarian, Genealogist, Novelist
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