“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
Few quotes have come to be more associated with Orson Welles than these words, a monologue from the movie, Someone to Love (1987), in which Orson Welles plays himself.
Someone to Love was written and directed by Henry Jaglom. However, these famous lines were added by Welles to be spoken by himself in character.
The movie is presented as a pseudo-documentary about a filmmaker who is hosting a Valentines Day party at a theatre that’s been scheduled for demolition. It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987, a year and a half after Welles’ death.
Orson Welles: Mini-Bio
George Orson Welles, born on 6th May 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and his first motion picture, Citizen Kane (1941), is frequently listed as one of the greatest movies ever made. It was released when Welles was only twenty-five.
Before distinguishing himself as a filmmaker, Welles had already risen to national prominence as a Broadway producer and one of the highest-paid radio actors in the world. His 1938 radio production of War of the Worlds was one of the most famous and controversial broadcasts in radio history.
Although Citizen Kane was a critical success, it was a box office failure. William Randolf Hearst had seen the movie as a damning criticism of himself and had used his vast (news media) influence to impede its release. Many theatres refused to screen it.
Welles would make relatively few movies for a man of his gifts. He often struggled to find the necessary finance and took on acting jobs to fund his own productions. Othello (1951) is a case in point.
The Lady from Shanghai (1947) and Touch of Evil (1958) are two of Welles’ other memorable films.
In later life, Welles became a popular talk show guest. He died on 10th October 1985, only hours after appearing on The Merv Griffin Show.
References:
Ratcliffe S. (Editor). Someone to Love. Oxford Reference. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191866692.001.0001/q-oro-ed6-00020182. Published 2018. Accessed May 5, 2021.
Someone to Love (1987 film) – Wikipedia. En.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Someone_to_Love_(1987_film). Accessed May 5, 2021.
Welles, O., Bogdanovich, P. and Rosenbaum, J., 1998. This is Orson Welles. [New York]: Da Capo Press.