Orson Welles-A Classic Renaissance man of the Movie Scene
George Orson Welles was born on May 6th, 1915 was born to a wealthy inventor by the name of Richard Head Welles, and his concert pianist wife, Beatrice Ives in Kenosha Wisconsin. Orson was one of two children and he saw his older brother Richard suffer from a serious learning disability, followed by schizophrenia, leading to his being institutionalized in 1927 for pretty much the remainder of his life. By the time Orson was born, his parents were already suffering a collapsing marriage as the older of the two son’s condition was taking its toll on the family and homelife. What many people may not know about Orson Welles, is that at 18 months old he was declared a child prodigy. It was this finding that eventually paved the way for Orson Welles to become one of the worlds greatest entertainers and had a huge impact on what the industry of film making is today.
At the very young age of six, Orson was already in concerts as he was taught piano and violin by his mother. He was in theater productions because he was fluent in Shakespeare and he was an avid magic nut being taught the art by none other than the Vaudevillians. With all of this talent under his belt, Orson was destined for stardom. It was the divorce of his parents that lead Orson to the windy city of Chicago, and his mothers pursuit of Orsons future in entertainment that gave him the breaks that he was facing. Until Orson’s mother passed away of Jaundice, on May 10th 1924, she did everything possible for him to succeed. It was then at the age of 15 when his father too passed away from alcoholism, this left Orson in the care of the family doctor by the name of Dr Maurice Bernstein. This doctor was in fact the very same person who deemed Orson the prodigy in the first place and convinced Orson’s mother to move Orson to Chicago to study the arts.
Bernstein later enrolled Orson in the very high scale and prestigious Todd School of Illinois. This was a moved that proved to be very beneficial to Orson as this was the start of a very productive theater career. He first performed for a crowd in 1931 in at the Gate Theater, which is famous for its plays and productions. Making his first ever appearance in Dublin, Ireland gave Orson Welles much exposure and acclaim. This eventually led him back to the United States yet in much better position for success. He hosted a radio show in 1934, and took many small and supporting roles during this time. Orson Welles first trip to the silver screen was basically not meant for public release, and was of the silent movie variety. This film did, however, sees the light of day in the public spotlight and carved a path for Orson Welles to become a star in his own right.
Throughout Orson Welles’ stellar career, he has won critical acclaim for his work in theater, radio broadcasting, movies, and production and direction of movies. His career has taken him to many worldly locations and he has worked with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. The films that Orson Welles did appear in have become some of the best films ever made according to the movie and entertainment industry. Much of his works have allowed for the advance and development of theater and movie studios alike. With his dedication to the finest of workmanship during his tenor as an actor Orson Welles has solidified his spot on the all time most appreciated actors of his generation, and will forever be remembered as one of the greats that set the stage for many more to succeed.
Orson Welles died on October 10th, 1985, and left behind him a legacy for all involved in the entertainment business to follow as a true and respected blueprint. There were very few actors prior to Orson Welles that gave the industry the strength to succeed, and there will unlikely be another that could fill the role that this big time star partook. Orson Welles was a great performer and will always be remembered as one of the best all around entertainers the world has ever known.
