The Orson Welles Story

This documentary traces Orson Welles' career from his early stage work and radio breakthroughs to his film projects, stitching together archival footage, excerpts and contemporary interviews to sketch his professional life. Rather than offering a chronological biography, it layers memories and commentary, letting colleagues and Welles himself illustrate his innovations in performance, storytelling and production. The film pays attention to his theatrical beginnings, the famous radio broadcasts that shocked audiences, and his film ambitions, while noting the recurring problems he faced in getting projects funded and completed. It moves at a measured pace, aiming to inform viewers about the arc of his public life without sensationalizing his private struggles.

Released in 1982 for television, the program is narrated by Leslie Megahey and features appearances by Orson Welles alongside figures such as Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Wise and Micheál Mac Liammóir, combining firsthand testimony with archival clips to build its portrait.

There are no widely reported major awards or high-profile nominations attached to The Orson Welles Story, and it does not appear on most mainstream awards lists, though it has been cited by some researchers and fans as a useful archival compilation of Welles material.

As a cultural artifact, the film helped keep Welles in public view during the early 1980s, offering accessible footage and commentary that scholars and enthusiasts have used when revisiting his legacy. It reinforced familiar images of Welles as an ambitious, sometimes embattled auteur and contributed to the steady stream of retrospectives that kept his name in film and theatre conversations.

Critical and viewer responses tend to emphasize the film's informational value and archival material, noting its focus on themes like creative ambition, theatrical technique, innovation in radio, and the fraught relationship between artists and studio systems. Audience reactions are generally positive among those who seek a concise, interview-led overview rather than an exhaustive biography.