The Dreamers (unfinished film)
Encyclopedia
The Dreamers is an unfinished and unreleased film project directed and produced between 1980 and 1982 by Orson Welles
.
, the Croatian
actress and writer who was Welles' companion in his later years, collaborated on a screenplay based on two stories from Karen Blixen
, The Dreamers and Echoes. Henry Jaglom
, the U.S. filmmaker who directed Welles in the 1971 feature A Safe Place
, made inquiries to potential investors to back this project, which was originally called Da Capo. Northstar Productions, a company created by filmmaker Hal Ashby
, provided Welles with funding to complete the script, but declined to pursue the project after reading the completed script.
Welles shot 20 minutes of 35mm footage based on the screenplay, using his Hollywood home as the set for the film.
It remains unclear whether Welles intended the footage to be used strictly as a test reel to pique the interest of potential investors, or whether Welles planned to complete production of the screenplay. Kodar has stated that Welles was prepared to go forward with a full production after the screenplay was rejected by the BBC
and Miramax, but cinematographer Gary Graver
, who shot the footage, has stated Welles never intended to self-finance the film and would not have gone further on the project without outside financing.
opera
diva who mysteriously disappeared after losing the ability to sing.
The second segment was shot in color and features Kodar as Pellegina, who declares her farewell to her merchant friend while announcing that she is disappearing to seek a new anonymous life. Part of the Kodar footage was shot outdoors in the garden of Welles' home.
No other actors appear in the footage. Kodar would later recall Welles toying with the idea of casting Timothy Dalton
, Peter Ustinov
, Oliver Reed
, Bud Cort
, and Jeanne Moreau
. However, Graver later stated that Welles was planning to use younger and lesser known British actors.
's Munich Filmmuseum, and it has been made public in several film festivals and retrospectives of Welles' work. Parts of the footage were included in the documentary Orson Welles: The One-Man Band and as a special feature on the Criterion DVD release of Welles' 1973 feature F for Fake
.
In 1994, Peter Bogdanovich reportedly planned to make The Dreamers, but the production never came about. In 1996, the rights to the Dinesen source material was purchased from Kodar by Andy Howard, who was Welles' business manager during the final years of his life. To date, Howard has not brought Welles' concept of The Dreamers to the screen.
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
.
Production history
In 1979, Welles and Oja KodarOja Kodar
Oja Kodar is a Croatian actress, screenwriter and director, best known as the girlfriend of Orson Welles for the last 24 years of his life.-Life:...
, the Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
actress and writer who was Welles' companion in his later years, collaborated on a screenplay based on two stories from Karen Blixen
Karen Blixen
Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke , , née Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author also known by her pen name Isak Dinesen. She also wrote under the pen names Osceola and Pierre Andrézel...
, The Dreamers and Echoes. Henry Jaglom
Henry Jaglom
- Life and career :Born January 26, 1941 in London, England to Simon and Marie Jaglom, Henry Jaglom trained with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York, where he acted, wrote and directed off-Broadway theater and cabaret before settling in Hollywood in the late 1960s...
, the U.S. filmmaker who directed Welles in the 1971 feature A Safe Place
A Safe Place
A Safe Place is a 1971 film starring Jack Nicholson, Tuesday Weld, Orson Welles and Phil Proctor and directed by Henry Jaglom....
, made inquiries to potential investors to back this project, which was originally called Da Capo. Northstar Productions, a company created by filmmaker Hal Ashby
Hal Ashby
Hal Ashby was an American film director and film editor.-Birth and early years:Born William Hal Ashby in Ogden, Utah, Ashby grew up in a Mormon household and had a tumultuous childhood as part of a dysfunctional family which included the divorce of his parents, his father's suicide and his...
, provided Welles with funding to complete the script, but declined to pursue the project after reading the completed script.
Welles shot 20 minutes of 35mm footage based on the screenplay, using his Hollywood home as the set for the film.
It remains unclear whether Welles intended the footage to be used strictly as a test reel to pique the interest of potential investors, or whether Welles planned to complete production of the screenplay. Kodar has stated that Welles was prepared to go forward with a full production after the screenplay was rejected by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Miramax, but cinematographer Gary Graver
Gary Graver
Gary Graver was an American film director and cinematographer. He was a prolific film-maker but is perhaps best known as Orson Welles' final cinematographer. Under the pseudonym of Robert McCallum he also directed adult films.Graver was born and raised in Portland, Oregon...
, who shot the footage, has stated Welles never intended to self-finance the film and would not have gone further on the project without outside financing.
The footage
The footage for The Dreamers consists of two segments running 10 minutes each. The first segment was shot in black-and-white and involves Welles in costume and make-up as a 19th century Dutch-Jewish merchant who recounts the story of Pellegrina Leoni, an ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
diva who mysteriously disappeared after losing the ability to sing.
The second segment was shot in color and features Kodar as Pellegina, who declares her farewell to her merchant friend while announcing that she is disappearing to seek a new anonymous life. Part of the Kodar footage was shot outdoors in the garden of Welles' home.
No other actors appear in the footage. Kodar would later recall Welles toying with the idea of casting Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
, Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
, Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
, Bud Cort
Bud Cort
Bud Cort is an American film and stage actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his portrayals of Harold in Hal Ashby's 1971 film Harold and Maude and the titular hero in Robert Altman's 1970 film Brewster McCloud...
, and Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau is a French actress, singer, screenwriter and director.She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française...
. However, Graver later stated that Welles was planning to use younger and lesser known British actors.
Aftermath
Welles never acquired financial backing for this project and a full production of The Dreamers never came to fruition. The surviving footage is archived in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Munich Filmmuseum, and it has been made public in several film festivals and retrospectives of Welles' work. Parts of the footage were included in the documentary Orson Welles: The One-Man Band and as a special feature on the Criterion DVD release of Welles' 1973 feature F for Fake
F for Fake
F for Fake is the last major film completed by Orson Welles, who directed, co-wrote, and starred in the film. Initially released in 1974, it focuses on Elmyr de Hory's recounting of his career as a professional art forger; de Hory's story serves as the backdrop for a fast-paced, meandering...
.
In 1994, Peter Bogdanovich reportedly planned to make The Dreamers, but the production never came about. In 1996, the rights to the Dinesen source material was purchased from Kodar by Andy Howard, who was Welles' business manager during the final years of his life. To date, Howard has not brought Welles' concept of The Dreamers to the screen.