Orson Welles never comfortably fit in Hollywood.
His debut feature, Citizen Kane, may well hold the distinction as the most acclaimed film ever made, but its success did little to deter the onslaught of problems that would plague much of his subsequent career.
The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, and Touch of Evil (to name but a few) were all re-edited against his wishes, and while recreations approximating Welles’ vision have emerged for some of these examples, many exist only as crude imitations of their intended form.
That The Magnificent Ambersons is still regarded as a masterpiece even in this state is a testament to his prowess as a filmmaker (while also bolstering his reputation as Hollywood’s most revered maverick), but unfortunately the same cannot be said about the project that Welles himself described as the “biggest disaster” of his career: Mr.
Arkadin.
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