Where was Orson Welles's 1951 Othello filmed?
The film was shot on location in Morocco, Venice, Tuscany, and Rome, as well as at the Scalera Studios in Rome. Filming took place erratically over three years beginning in 1949.
Questions about Othello (1951 film)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Did Orson Welles's Othello win any major awards?
Othello won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival, the precursory name for the Palme d'Or. The film premiered at Cannes on the 10th of May 1952 under the Moroccan flag.
How many versions of Orson Welles's Othello exist?
Three versions have seen theatrical release. An Italian-language version premiered in Rome on the 29th of November 1951, Welles supervised a European English-language cut that premiered at Cannes in 1952, and a different 93-minute American cut was released on the 12th of September 1955. A 1992 restoration supervised by Beatrice Welles constitutes a third distinct version.
Why did it take so long to film Orson Welles's Othello?
The original Italian producer declared bankruptcy on one of the first days of shooting, leaving Welles to fund the film himself. He stopped and restarted production at least three times over three years, financing it between shoots by taking acting roles in other films such as The Third Man in 1949.
What was wrong with the 1992 restoration of Othello?
Critics including Jonathan Rosenbaum argued the restoration team was unaware of Welles's original 1952 European cut and based their work on the American version instead. The music was transcribed by ear from a poor-quality print rather than from composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino's surviving score papers. The opening Gregorian chanting and one entire scene were also missing from the theatrical release.
Who played Iago in Orson Welles's Othello?
Micheál Mac Liammoir played Iago. He also wrote a memoir about the production titled Put Money in Thy Purse, documenting the chaotic three-year shoot.