SimilarScreen
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

20146.51h 32m

Overview

The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible independent creator: a musical prodigy, an excellent painter, a master of theater and radio, a modern Shakespeare, a magician who was always searching for a new trick to surprise his audience, a romantic and legendary figure who lived only for cinema.

Directed by Chuck Workman
Written by Chuck Workman
Produced by Charles S. Cohen
Box OfficeBudget: $814K0

Top Cast

Simon Callow

Simon Callow

Self - Actor and Welles' Biographer

C

Christopher Welles

Self - Orson's Oldest Daughter

J

Joanne Hill Styles

Self - Orson's Classmate

Norman Lloyd

Norman Lloyd

Self - Actor

Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor

Self - Stage and Film Director

Paolo Cherchi Usai

Paolo Cherchi Usai

Self - G. Eastman House Curator

Peter Bogdanovich

Peter Bogdanovich

Self - Filmmaker

J

James Naremore

Self - Writer and Film Scholar

Elvis Mitchell

Elvis Mitchell

Self - Film Critic

J

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Self - Film Critic

Themes & Keywords

cinema on cinemamovie businessbiographycinema historyportrait of an artisthollywood historyportrait of a filmmaker

About Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles is a documentary film released in 2014 exploring themes of cinema on cinema, movie business, biography, cinema history, portrait of an artist, hollywood history. Directed by Chuck Workman, it stars Simon Callow, Christopher Welles, Joanne Hill Styles. The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible independent creator: a musical prodigy, an excellent painter, a master of theater and radio, a modern Shakespeare, a magician who was always searching for a new trick to surprise his audience, a romantic and legendary figure who lived only for cinema.

Movies Similar to Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

Discover titles like Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

If you enjoyed Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles.

The Eyes of Orson Welles
58% Match

A poetic journey into the visual world of the legendary filmmaker and actor Orson Welles (1915-85) that reveals a new portrait of a unique genius, both of his life and of his monumental work: through his own eyes, drawn by his own hand, painted with his own brush.

Corman's World
52% Match

A chronicle of the long career of American filmmaker Roger Corman, the most tenacious and ingenious low-budget producer and director in the US film industry, a pioneer of independent filmmaking and discoverer of new talent.

Altman
42% Match

Altman(2014)

Movie6.6/10

Robert Altman's life and career contained multitudes. This father of American independent cinema left an indelible mark, not merely on the evolution of his art form, but also on the western zeitgeist. With its use of rare interviews, representative film clips, archival images, and musings from his family and most recognizable collaborators, Altman is a dynamic and heartfelt mediation on an artist whose expression, passion and appetite knew few bounds.

Milius
39% Match

Milius(2013)

Movie7.0/10

The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.

QT8: The First Eight
37% Match

A detailed account of the life and artistic career of legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, from his early days as a video club manager to the scandalous fall in disgrace of producer Harvey Weinstein. A story about how to shoot eight great movies and become an icon of modern pop culture.

De Palma
36% Match

De Palma(2016)

Movie7.0/10

An intimate conversation between filmmakers, chronicling De Palma’s 55-year career, his life, and his filmmaking process, with revealing anecdotes and, of course, a wealth of film clips.

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies
35% Match

The definitive documentary on the history of nudity in feature films from the early silent days to the present, studying the changes in morality that led to the use of nudity in films while emphasizing the political, sociological and artistic changes that shaped that history. Skin will also study the gender inequality in presenting nude images in motion pictures and will follow the revolution that has created nude gender equality in feature films today.

Andrey Tarkovsky. A Cinema Prayer
32% Match

An account of the life and work of Russian filmmaker Andrey Tarkovsky (1932-86) in his own words: his memories, his vision of art and his reflections on the fate of the artist and the meaning of human existence; through extremely rare audio recordings that allow a complete understanding of his inner life and the mysterious world existing behind his complex cinematic imagery.

Salinger
32% Match

Salinger(2013)

Movie6.3/10

An in-depth investigation into the private world of the American writer J. D. Salinger (1919-2010), who lived most of his life behind the impenetrable wall of a self-imposed seclusion: how his dramatic experiences during World War II influenced his life and work, his relationships with very young women, his obsessive writing methods, his many literary secrets.

Finding Vivian Maier
31% Match

Vivian Maier's photos were seemingly destined for obscurity, lost among the clutter of the countless objects she'd collected throughout her life. Instead these images have shaken the world of street photography and irrevocably changed the life of the man who brought them to the public eye. This film brings to life the interesting turns and travails of the improbable saga of John Maloof's discovery of Vivian Maier, unravelling this mysterious tale through her documentary films, photographs, odd collections and personal accounts from the people that knew her. What started as a blog to show her work quickly became a viral sensation in the photography world. Photos destined for the trash heap now line gallery exhibitions, a forthcoming book and this documentary film.

Becoming Cary Grant
31% Match

For the first time one of Hollywood's greatest stars tells his own story, in his own words. From a childhood of poverty to global fame, Cary Grant, the ultimate self-made star, explores his own screen image and what it took to create it.