Popular Culture

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Welles had high-brow tastes, but because he was legendary for Citizen Kane and because he had such a strong and colorful personality, he became the object of a few tributes and pop culture references near the end of his life and thereafter

Mork and Mindy
In this sitcom starring Robin Williams as a humanoid alien, Mork from Ork, which aired from 1978-’82, Mork would end each episode by giving a report to his Orkian boss, Orson. Orson, as was the case with his namesake for some of his career, appeared only in voice over. The frequent jokes as to his large stature serve as the clues that he was, indeed, meant as a reference to the Citizen Kane director.

SCTV
John Candy of SCTV had a recurring Welles impression, sometimes lampooning the commercials that dotted Welles’ late career, and sometimes just caricaturing Orson’s imperious nature.

Anno Dracula
In this series of horror novels by British author Kim Newman, Orson Welles is a recurring character.

Pinky and the Brain
Maurice LaMarche, who voiced Brain on Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, has a solid Welles impersonation, and thought of Welles when auditioning for the part of the Brain. One Pinky and the Brain sketch recounts the infamous “frozen peas tape” incident, in which Welles throws a tirade at once hyper-articulate and non-sensical when challenged by the director.

Ed Wood
In this 1994 Tim Burton film about one of the worst directors in history, a character Orson Welles (Vincent D’Onofrio) drops in to give some advice. This is not based on a real event: Welles never met Wood.

The Simpsons
This legendary social satire animated series featured Welles in its 2006 annual Halloween episode. The show parodies Welles’ 1938 The War of the Worlds broadcast, and were able to nab Maurice LaMarche for the voicing.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
In this Pulitzer-prize winning novel by Michael Chabon, the protagonists make it to the premiere of Citizen Kane, where they are lucky enough to meet Welles.

Comments

  1. Wyrdo the SaneMarch 18, 2014 at 12:15 PM

    Something to add to your list. A fictionalized Orson Welles and that "legendary The War of the Worlds broadcast" appear as an important part of the plot of the Big Finish Doctor Who story Invaders From Mars:
    http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Invaders_from_Mars_%28audio_story%29


    --
    Furry cows moo and decompress.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 26, 2014 at 9:50 AM

    Did Orson Welles ever mention how the first Bond Film changed the language of the cinema?

    ReplyDelete

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