Orson Welles in the film "The Third Man"

varying in their strength and their success, but each time he was the great artistic pillar within them. It is enough for me to mention the film "The Third Man," which Carol Reed directed in Vienna, and the film "Cagliostro," directed by Gregory Ratoff.

All this so that Shakespeare's two plays, "Macbeth" and "Othello," might see the light on the screen. And if you wish me to tell you about Macbeth, I will say this: one of the editors of the film magazine "The French Screen" had attacked the film on the sole ground of Welles's statements about his understanding of Shakespeare, which differs from the English understanding generally. That same week the film was shown in Paris, and when the magazine's next issue appeared, the editor-in-chief bowed before Welles's genius and apologized.

There comes to my mind here an anecdote that took place in Venice, at one of its film congresses. Jean Cocteau — the French writer, poet, and artist — had come there to show his film "Beauty and the Beast," and in Venice he met Welles, who had come in his turn to show his film "Macbeth."

Rita Hayworth after her separation from Welles; on the right, her daughter by him, "Rebecca" — the strong resemblance to her father is noticeable — and Yasmin, Rita's daughter by Aly Khan.

Finding no cinematic atmosphere there in which he could feel at ease, Welles decided to withdraw from the congress; whereupon Cocteau did nothing less than follow suit, declaring: "A film congress from which Welles withdraws has no value in my eyes!"

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As for his film "Othello," whose making took three years — during which Welles endured great financial difficulties that forced him to break off the work and then return to it once the necessary money was secured — Welles presented it in the name of Morocco, where most of its exterior shooting was done, and it was shown at the Cannes congress... And while the men of the press and the cinema were applauding his new masterpiece, which won the first prize, Welles was resting at the farm of his friend Cocteau... the great Cocteau who once said: I wish I could be Welles's "profile"!