Retour à Glennascaul

This short, nominated for an Academy Award, was adapted from a ghost story Welles once heard and was filmed during a financially-enforced sabbatical during the filming of Othello. It is remarkably moody and quite creepily atmospheric. It is essentially a finger-exercise for Welles, but it is a comment on Welles (and, sadly, on other directors) that his finger-exercises are more interesting and worthwhile than some director's magnum opus. Glad to see it's available. Recommended.

It's a short and quite simple but it's well done and has the right amount of atmosphere to work. Wish Orson had directed it, but it's still fun.

This fine little film might be entirely unremembered were it not for the appearance of Orson Welles in the movie's frame and as the narrator throughout. The story is quite predictable to anyone who has ever heard a ghost story told aloud, but manages to deliver a chill anyway. Oddly, the least effective part of the script is that given over to Welles narration. The photography, however, is so good throughout as to approach perfection. The performances are all competent, though Welles can be faulted for chewing the scenery in the old Mercury Theatre manner.

Travelling through Dublin by car, Orson Welles (playing himself) gives a lift to a stranded man, who recounts a similar but strange occurrence of his own. Not particularly gripping as a ghost story; however, the detail is quite nice…and Mr. Welles' genial presence entirely welcome. Even so, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences thought it enough of a novelty at the time to deem it worthy of an Oscar nomination in the "Best Two-Reel Short Subject" category in 1953 – one that was eventually won by an obscure Walt Disney 'True-Life Adventure' documentary, BEAR COUNTRY! What is interesting to modern audiences in general and Welles scholars in particular is that the short under review was literally shot when the great man was taking a break from the filming of OTHELLO (1952) – an event which is captured in its very opening scenes! In fact, it was co-produced by Micheal MacLiammoir and writer/director Edwards who, were not only portraying Iago and Brabantio in Welles' exceptional filming of Shakespeare's tragedy, but had been Welles' theatrical cohorts in the late 1930s when he was just starting out. The restored version of the short – retitled ORSON WELLES' GHOST STORY – was overseen by genre producer Richard Gordon and introduced by the ubiquitous Peter Bogdanovich.

This great film is now available as part of the restored version of Othelo DVD.

Glennascaul means "Glen of the shadows" or "Glen of the ghosts". The true significance will become clear as you watch.

A fine example of what can be acheaved with very little money but a great deal of talent.

Orson Wells appears in the film at the start and also narrates it. His narration is first class - few actors have ever shown a similar ability to place so much into a few inflections of the voice.

I won't say anything about the plot as I do not want to spoil anything. It is a truly great example of what can be done with not a lot of money and a short viewing time.

Best watched late at night in a dark room - first rate.