Home / Me and Orson Welles

Me and Orson Welles

Year:

2009

Duration:

114 min | Canada:107 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Genres:

Drama

IMDB rate:

6.8

Director:

Richard Linklater

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 9 wins & 19 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 2009-12-04

Filming Locations: England, UK

Earnings

Budget: $25,000,000

Opening Weekend: $63,638 (USA) (29 November 2009)

Gross: $1,186,957 (USA) (21 February 2010)

Cast

Actor

Character

Kelly Reilly

Me and Orson Welles

Christian McKay

Orson Welles

Zac Efron

Richard Samuels

Zoe Kazan

Gretta Adler

Megan Maczko

Evelyn Allen

Simon Lee Phillips

Walter Ash

Patrick Kennedy

Grover Burgess

Shane James Bordas

Conspirator

Alessandro Giuggioli

Conspirator

Harry Macqueen

Conspirator

Rhodri Orders

Conspirator

James Tupper

Joseph Cotten

Thomas Arnold

George Duthie

Aidan McArdle

Martin Gabel

Simon Nehan

Joe Holland

Claire Danes

Sonja Jones

Daniel Tuite

William Mowry

Iain McKee

Vakhtangov

Michael J. McEvoy

Epstein

Eddie Marsan

John Houseman

Travis Oliver

John Hoyt

Jo McInnes

Jeannie Rosenthal

Leo Bill

Norman Lloyd

Ben Chaplin

George Coulouris

Al Weaver

Sam Leve

Garrick Hagon

Dr. Mewling

Aaron Brown

Longchamps Kid #1

Emily Allen

Virginia Welles

David Garbutt

Mercury French Horn Player

Jay Irving

Mercury Percussion Player

Steven Parry

Mercury Trumpet Player (as Steve Parry)

Marlene Sidaway

Grandmother Samuels

Imogen Poots

Lorelei Lathrop

Robert Wilfort

Radio Director

Michael Brandon

Les Tremayne

Saskia Reeves

Barbara Luddy

Nathan Osgood

Radio Announcer

Janie Dee

Mrs. Samuels

Eddi Reader

Singer

Jools Holland

Band Leader

Gilson Lavis

Drummer

David Swift

Double Bass

Mark Flanagan

Guitar

Fayyaz Virji

Trombone

Michael Rose

Tenor Sax

Phil Veacock

Alto Sax & Clarinet

Nick Lunt

Baritone Sax

Jason McDermid

Trumpet

John Young

Longchamps Kid #2

Victoria Jane Appleton

Classmate

Greg Bennett

Hobo

Cosmo Currey

Cast

Lexie Lambert

Lizzy (uncredited)

John Patten

Theatre Owner (uncredited)

Chris Wilson

Studion Foley Artist (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The part of Lucius in "Julius Caesar" that was played by the character Richard Samuels in the film was actually played on the production's opening night by an actor named Arthur Anderson, who was making his Broadway debut. Anderson is best known as the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun, the mascot of General Mills' Lucky Charms cereal, a part he played for 29 years.

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Lindsay Lohan was the top choice to play Muriel Brassler. She screen tested for the role and was close to signing a deal shortly before filming began. However, the producers found her to be impossible to insure due to her ongoing legal troubles at the time of production. They decided to replace her with Kelly Reilly.

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The author of the source material did not know anything about Arthur Anderson (the original actor who played Julius Cesar). He based it on the premise of a still photo of the teenage Anderson playing alongside Welles opening night. In reality, Anderson did not get fired and not only made it through the entire run of the show but was cast in two more of Welles' plays.

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Goofs

A common mistake in movies and TV, fire sprinklers are activated individually - a match held to one would only cause that particular sprinkler head to open, and not all of the sprinklers as shown in the movie.

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When Orson finds Richard on the park bench, Orson's collar is up in the wide shot, but only half-up in the following close-up shots.

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Richard accompanies Orson to 485 Madison Ave (CBS) for a "recording session" for a radio show ("The First Nighter" program). At this time (1937) and until the late 40s network programs were broadcast live, never recorded. Most programs were produced live twice, once for the East Coast and three hours later from the West Cost.

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Quotes

Sonja Jones: What are you doing here?

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Orson Welles: Cinna is Shakespeare's indictment of the intelligentsia. He's a lofty, Byronic figure.

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Orson Welles: Do you know Booth Tarkington's "The Magnificent Ambersons?" Tarkington was a family friend. The character of Eugene, the inventor, is based on my father who died when I was fifteen. My mother when I was nine. "Ambersons" is about how everything gets taken away from you.

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