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The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day has heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow.
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
I got to see Orson Welles’ Chimes At Midnight, his take on a backstory for Shakespeare’s Falstaff by condensing Henry IV (parts 1 and 2), Henry V, Richard II and Merry Wives of Windsor into one story, at Butt-Numb-A-Thon last year, a rare 35mm presentation of one of Welles’ more hard-to-see films. I’m not sure having it run about 2/3rds of the way through a 24 hour film fest was the best way to see it, but there’s no denying that Orson Welles was a powerhouse of personality in every single thing he did.
His Falstaff is so full of boisterous energy that it’s impossible not to like him in this movie.
Welles was a legend and there’s no better proof of his theatrical iconography than the below picture taken on the set of Chimes at Midnight. This is one of those images that I wish I had in a giant file size so I could blow it up to 24X36, frame it and put it up on the wall.
Thanks to again to reader “Delta” for sending this one along. Photo credit goes to Nicolas Tikhomiroff!
If you have a behind the scenes shot you’d like to submit to this column, you can email me at quint@aintitcool.com.
Tomorrow’s behind the scenes pic is screaming. A good deal of dramatic situations begin with screaming.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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And first.
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July 5, 2011, 10:17 p.m. CST
And you almost expect Marv and Dwight to walk into that photo.
by Spaderific
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Great pic! It's these pics that make this column worthy of my left click.
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Masterful pic of the master himself.
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July 5, 2011, 10:46 p.m. CST
That's got to be the coolest portrait of a directer I've ever seen.
by The_Genteel_Gentile
Mythic.
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that makes me hard--and the pic just blew my load.
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Like God himself.
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July 5, 2011, 11:20 p.m. CST
My dumb-ass first thought it was "Star Trek: Undiscovered Country"!
by Fah-Cue
Movies take books. Checkmate.
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Simply awesome.
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They're digging in the wrong place!! <p>
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July 6, 2011, 12:18 a.m. CST
Great portrait of the greatest director there ever was.
by ExcaliburFfolkes
Count me in with Quint. I wish I had a poster-sized copy of this photo to hang on the wall.
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Here are some other CHIMES photos by Tikhomiroff: http://www.magnumphotos.com/Catalogue/Nicolas-Tikhomiroff/1968/Film-Chimes-at-Midnight-by-US-director-Orson-WELLES-NN143511.html
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It seems that ever since Quint commented that Choppah might not be a complete idiot in the Jaws interview thread, he has become a complete social-media-megalomaniac. Or has he always been this active in the threads and I just missed it the past couple years?
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That's awesome. I wonder if he'd sell a poster-print version of this image?
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nice!
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The man could be a magician with the lens.
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...or preferably the side of my house to really do it justice
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July 6, 2011, 4:09 a.m. CST
Fantastic movie. One of Orson Welles best. It was even his own personal favorite. And it's even inspirational in movies you wouldn't guessed.
by AsimovLives
CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT is very influencial on SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. How, you ask? The battle scene in CHIMES was shot in a very unusual way at the time, all handheld, very shaky-cam style. Spielberg is a fan of the movie, and he took inspiration form it to shot the Omaha beach battle sequence from this movie. Yeah!
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Pitchman for Rosebud Frozen Peas... filled with country goodness and green pea-ness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1PJTY9AVA
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we will sell no wine before its time.
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July 6, 2011, 11:01 a.m. CST
Orson Welles really WAS The Most Interesting Man in the World
by cymbalta4thedevil
Stay Thirsty My Friends.
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Info is here: http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.CollectorPrints_VPage&l1=1&l2=5&XXAPXX=SubPanel0 A poster would likely be expensive, but Magnum Photo is the cream of the crop when it comes to professional photography, so you'd end up with a true collector's item.
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It isn't fun playing the "see if I can guess what he's referring to" game anymore, although I do appreciate the spirit behind it.
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Who cares if it is a planned or posed picture? It is awesome. Definitely one of my top 3 behind the scenes pics you guys have ever posted.
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What's your fucking point? This column is not called "Candid pic of the day."
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July 6, 2011, 4:49 p.m. CST
And to think he ended his career advertising frozen peas...
by Turd_Has_Risen_From_The_Gravy
Tragic. What's even more tragic about Welles is the amount of unrealized, unfinished or just plain butchered productions he was involved in. Even though he's obviously well regarded his career was a fraction of what it could have given his talents. Probably the most potential wasted of any artist in film history.
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Orson Welles: "We know a remote farm in Lincolnshire, where Mrs. Buckley lives. Every July, peas grow there." Do you really mean that? Director 1: Uh, yes, so in other words, I--I--I'd start half a second later. Welles: Don't you think you really want to say "July" over the snow? Isn't that the fun of it? D 1: It's--if--if you can (laughs) if you can make it almost when that shot disappears, it'll make more-- Welles: I think it's so nice that--that you see a snow-covered field and say "every July peas grow there". "We know a remote farm in Lincolnshire, where Mrs. Buckley lives. Every July, peas grow there." We aren't even in the fields, you see? (pause) We're talking about them growing and she's picked them. (clears throat) What? D 1: ...in July. Welles: I don't understand you, then. When must--what must be over for "July"? D 1: Uh, when we get out of that snowy field-- Welles: Well, I was out! We were onto a can of peas, a big dish of peas when I said "in July". D 1: Oh, I'm sorry, Orson. Welles: Yes, always. I'm always--past that! D 1: You are? Welles: Yes! Wh--that's about where I say "in July". Director 2: Can you emphasize a bit "in"? "In July." Welles: Why? That doesn't make any sense. Sorry. There's no known way of saying an English sentence in which you begin a sentence with "in" and emphasize it. Get me a jury and show me how you can say "in July" and I'll... go down on you. That's just idiotic, if you'll forgive me by saying so. D 2: (indistinct chatter) Welles: That's just stupid. "In July"? I'd love to know how you emphasize "in" in "in July"... Impossible! Meaningless! D 1: I think all they were thinking about was that they didn't want to-- Welles: He isn't thinking. D 1: Orson, can we just do one last time-- Welles: Yeah. D 1: ...and it was my fault. I should--I said "in July". If you could leave "every July"-- Welles: You didn't say it. He said it. D 1: ...I said "every July". Welles: Your friend. "Every July"? D 1: ...so after this shot... Welles: No, you don't really mean "every July"? D 1: ...it is, but it's... Welles: But that's--that's bad copy. It's in July. Of course it's every July! There's too much directing around here. Part Two: Fish Fingers Welles: Norway. Fish finger, nor, Findus, Norway. "We know a certain fjord in Norway, near where the cod gather in great shoals. There, Jan Stan--, Stangdilan," shit! D 1: A fraction more on the--on that shoals thing, 'cause you rolled it round very nicely. Welles: Yeah, roll it round and I have no more time. You don't know what I'm up against. Because it's full of--of--of things that are only correct because they're grammatical, but they're tough on the ear. You see, this is a very wearying one, it's unpleasant to read. Unrewarding. "Because Findus freeze the cod at sea and then add a crumb, crisp..." ooh, "crumb, crisp coating." D 1: (indistinct chatter) Welles: Ah, that's tough. "Crumb, crisp coating." D 2: (indistinct chatter) Welles: I think, no, because of the way it's written, you need to break it up because it's not--it's not as conversationally written. What? D 1: Take "crumb" out. D 2: (sounds like) That's the word. Welles: Take "crumb" out. Good. _____________________ Part Three: Beef Burgers Welles: Here under protest is "beef burgers." "We know a little place in the American Far West, where Charlie Briggs chops up the finest prairie-fed beef and tastes..." This is a lot of shit, you know that? You want one more? D 2: I do, actually... Welles: More on "buck beef"? D 1: You--you missed the first "beef", actually completely. Welles: What do you mean, missed it? D 1: You--you're emphasizing "prairie-fed"-- Welles: But you can't emphasize "beef", that's like he's wanting me to emphasize "in" before "July". Come on, fellas, you're losing your heads! I wouldn't direct any living actor like this in Shakespeare! Will you do this, it's impossible! D 1: Orson, you did six last year, and by far and away the best, and I know the--the reason-- Welles: The right reading for this is the one I'm giving it! D 1: For the moment. Welles: I spent... twenty times more for you people than any other commercial I've ever made. You are such pests! Now, what is it you want? D 1: Now, I think-- Welles: In your depths of your ignorance, what is it you want? Whatever it is you want, I can't deliver it because I just don't see it. D 1: That was absolutely fine, it really was. Welles: Here, you-- (crumples script, stands up) This isn't worth it. No money is worth listening to... (leaves studio)
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I'm sure Welles was still a perfectionist right to the end, even when he was doing such lowly things.
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it's still an awesome photo the famous Hitch photo with him pointing and gesturing action is also staged. It's awesome in the age of the invisible studio director, you had two guys trying to cultivate an image of cool. I wish more directors had this kind of PR mentality.
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Chimes is definitely an under-seen and underrated film by Welles. I had to watch a copy in my college's library media room back in the 90s. Hopefully it is more accessible today. The battle scene with the knights being hoisted onto their horses was by far the best medieval battle I have ever seen on film.
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Indeed.
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