Relationships and family Orson Welles

orson welles , chicago-born actress , socialite virginia nicolson (1916–1996) married on november 14, 1934. couple separated in december 1939, , divorced on february 1, 1940. after bearing welles s romances in new york, virginia had learned welles had fallen in love mexican actress dolores del río.

infatuated since adolescence, welles met del río @ darryl zanuck s ranch after moved hollywood in 1939. relationship kept secret until 1941, when del río filed divorce second husband. openly appeared in new york while welles directing mercury stage production, native son. acted in movie journey fear (1943). relationship came end, among other things, due infidelities of welles. del río returned méxico in 1943, shortly before welles married rita hayworth.

welles married rita hayworth on september 7, 1943. divorced on november 10, 1947. during last interview, recorded merv griffin show on evening before death, welles called hayworth 1 of dearest , sweetest women ever lived … , long time together—i lucky enough have been longer of other men in life.

in 1955, welles married actress paola mori (née countess paola di girifalco), italian aristocrat starred raina arkadin in 1955 film, mr. arkadin. couple began passionate affair, , married @ parents insistence. wed in london may 8, 1955, , never divorced.

croatian-born artist , actress oja kodar became welles s longtime companion both , professionally 1966 onward, , lived of last 20 years of life.

welles had 3 daughters marriages: christopher welles feder (born march 27, 1938, virginia nicolson); rebecca welles manning (december 17, 1944 – october 17, 2004, rita hayworth); , beatrice welles (born november 13, 1955, paola mori).

welles thought have had son, british director michael lindsay-hogg (born may 5, 1940), irish actress geraldine fitzgerald, wife of sir edward lindsay-hogg, 4th baronet. when lindsay-hogg 16 mother reluctantly divulged there pervasive rumors father welles, , denied them—but in such detail doubted veracity. fitzgerald evaded subject rest of life. lindsay-hogg knew welles, worked him in theatre , met him @ intervals throughout welles s life. after learned welles s oldest daughter chris, childhood playmate, had long suspected brother, lindsay-hogg initiated dna test proved inconclusive. in 2011 autobiography lindsay-hogg reported questions resolved mother s close friend gloria vanderbilt, wrote fitzgerald had told welles father. 2015 welles biography patrick mcgilligan, however, reports impossibility of welles s paternity: fitzgerald left u.s. ireland in may 1939 , son conceived before return in late october, while welles did not travel overseas during period.

after death of rebecca welles manning, man named marc mckerrow revealed son, , therefore direct descendant of orson welles , rita hayworth. mckerrow s reactions revelation , meeting oja kodar documented in 2008 film prodigal sons. mckerrow died on june 18, 2010.

despite urban legend promoted welles, not related abraham lincoln s wartime secretary of navy, gideon welles. myth dates first newspaper feature ever written welles— cartoonist, actor, poet , 10 —in february 19, 1926, issue of capital times. article falsely states descended gideon welles, member of president lincoln s cabinet . presented charles higham in genealogical chart introduces 1985 biography of welles, orson welles s father richard head welles (born wells), son of richard jones wells, son of henry hill wells (who had uncle named gideon wells), son of william hill wells, son of richard wells (1734–1801).

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