From the Spring 2014 McHenry County Living Magazine "Woodstock Celebrates 80 Years of Orson Welles" by Peter Gill.
Orson Welles came to Woodstock, Illinois, as an eleven-year-old boy in 1926 and lived at the Todd School for Boys, a boarding school founded in 1847. he left the town in 1934, embarking on an incredible radio/theater/film career which included the "Big Scare" of his 1938 "War of the Worlds" to what some consider the greatest film of all time "Citizen Kane" in 1941.
But, it was in Woodstock where he made his professional director debut at the Woodstock Opera House (still standing on the famous Square).
Welles was born in nearby Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1915. His parents divorced and his mother died when he was just eight. Three years later, his father enrolled him at the exclusive and rich Todd School. This is where he met his teacher and mentor, Headmaster Roger Hill. This man, more than anyone else, was the reason for Welles' success.
He graduated from Todd School in 1931 at age 16 and traveled abroad where he made his debut as an actor in Ireland. He returned to Woodstock and began his career in earnest.
This year and next (Welles' 100th birthday), there will be many Orson Welles events in town to celebrate his life.
Stuff You Didn't Know. --DaCoot
No comments:
Post a Comment