Orson Welles, Vol. 3: One-Man Band

In the riveting and wonderfully wrought third volume of Callow's ambitious four-part biography of Orson Welles (after Orson Welles, Vol. 2: Hello Americans), the biographer and actor examines the forces that led to Welles's self-imposed exile from America. Beginning in 1947 as Welles prepares to film Othello and ending in 1965 following the release of another Shakespeare adaptation, Chimes at Midnight, this entry pursues Hollywood's enfant terrible through the difficult period that nonetheless spawned some of his greatest films, including Touch of Evil. Published 101 years after Welles's birth, Callow's book is a genuine gift to film buffs and historians. Drawing on previously published materials, extensive interviews, and diary excerpts, Callow provides new insight into Welles's character and a deeper appreciation of his broad talent. Despite the author's evident admiration for his subject, this isn't a fawning homage but a warts-and-all look at Welles's life and at the creative processes that allowed him to flourish in film, theater, radio, and television. Callow's acting background and flair for drama transform his research into an immersive, engaging, and immensely readable portrait of Welles, revealing a complicated man and innovative artist whose own life mirrored the Shakespearian tragedies of which he was so fond. (Apr.)