Orson Welles
Citizen Kane, transformed cinema and radio
Most quoted
"I hate to be a failure. I hate and regret the failure of my personal life. I've been married three times. I've been a father. I've been a lover. I've been a friend. I've been a lot of things. I've been a lot of things that I'm not now. I've been a lot of things that I'm not now. I've been a lot of things that I'm not now."
"I believe that television is going to be the test of the modern world, and that in this new opportunity to see beyond the range of our vision we shall discover either a new and unbearable disturbance of the general peace or a saving radiance in the sky. We shall stand or fall by television—of that I am quite sure."
— from Speech: 'The Mercury Theatre on the Air', 1938
"In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love—they had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
— from Film: The Third Man (as Harry Lime), 1949
All quotes by Orson Welles (351)
I've always been drawn to characters who are flawed and complex.
The only way to predict the future is to create it.
I believe in magic. I believe in the power of imagination.
The greatest tragedy in life is to have talent and not use it.
I'm not afraid of failure. I'm afraid of not trying.
The world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
I've always been a rebel. I don't like to follow the rules.
I'm a firm believer in the power of collaboration.
The only thing that matters is the work itself.
I've always been fascinated by power and corruption.
The best way to get over a bad experience is to make a good one.
I'm not interested in making films that are politically correct. I'm interested in making films that are honest.
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
I've always been a bit of a showman.
The true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.
I believe in the power of the individual to change the world.
The most important thing in a film is the story.
I've always been a bit of a wanderer.
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.
I'm not interested in making films that are perfect. I'm interested in making films that are alive.
Contemporaries of Orson Welles
Other Film & Theaters born within 50 years of Orson Welles (1915–1985).