Out of Print Gems: Orson Welles' "Julius Caesar"

Orson Welles enjoyed an ascent to fame that befitted his monumental talent. Soon after his infamous War of the Worlds broadcast of Halloween 1938, he signed a movie contract that gave him total control over films he would make for RKO; he immediately proceeded to make Citizen Kane, commonly named the greatest movie ever made. Even before then, though, Welles had already established himself as a rising star of both theater and radio - arenas he would combine with his Mercury Theater on the Air.

Welles' first work with the Mercury Theater (as a stage company) was a controversial but well-received production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, which he transposed into contemporary, fascist Italy. In July 1938, Welles and his company recorded a comparatively traditional version of the play for Columbia's "Entré" division, edited only for time. Welles' familiarity with Shakespeare is evident throughout his body of work - he adapted both Macbeth and Othello and based Chimes at Midnight on five of his plays - and it shows in his reduction of Julius Caesar to its essence, leaving a version that really excites and lasts exactly an hour and a half. Welles himself narrates stage directions and plays Cassius; his inimitable voice and typically dynamic performance superbly complement those of the rest of the Mercury cast, who are every bit as great here as in Citizen Kane or The Magnificent Ambersons. It's a worthy interpretation of one of Shakespeare's great political tragedies and a wonderful, overlooked highlight of Welles' remarkable career.

Interested parties can download the recording here. [Contact me if you would like to access the file but the link doesn't work.]