Beyond the Frame

Orson Welles reads from Charles Lindbergh’s “The Spirit of St. Louis” in this, supposedly the last footage of the great artist before he died.

Welles sent this filmed letter to his longtime London manager Bill Cronshaw in 1984, who was dying of aids at the time. Cronshaw was also married to Welles longtime London secretary, Mrs. Rogers. In LA, Stefan revealed that Orson’s line “Don’t Cry Baby” was directed at his cat, apparently sitting beside him, just off screen. A very sad piece, not only because Welles was sending it to his dying friend, but also because Welles himself looks very frail and is obviously not in the best of health. Below is the prologue, which I think, quite appropriately, can also be applied to Welles:

OW: “There are never many, never enough of them, but there are men born into the world with a gaze fixed on the widest possible horizon. Men who can see without strain beyond the most distant horizon into that unconquered country we call the future. Here are some words by one such man, which I’d like to dedicate to another such man”.

~ cinephilearchive