Early life Orson Welles

orson welles @ age 3 (1918)

george orson welles born may 6, 1915, in kenosha, wisconsin, son of richard head welles (b. richard hodgdon wells, november 12, 1872, near st. joseph, missouri; d. december 28, 1930, chicago, illinois) , beatrice ives welles (b. beatrice lucy ives, september 1, 1883, springfield, illinois; d. may 10, 1924, chicago). named after paternal great-grandfather, influential kenosha attorney orson s. head, , brother george head. alternative story of source of first , middle names 1 told george ade, met welles s parents on west indies cruise toward end of 1914. ade traveling friend, orson wells (no relation), , 2 of them sat @ same table mr. , mrs. richard welles. mrs welles pregnant @ time, , when said good-by, told them had enjoyed company if child boy, intended name them - george orson. welles s birth announcement , picture of him young boy among george ade s papers @ purdue university.

despite family s affluence, welles encountered hardship in childhood. parents separated , moved chicago in 1919. father, made fortune inventor of popular bicycle lamp, became alcoholic , stopped working. welles s mother, pianist, played during lectures dudley crafts watson @ art institute of chicago support son , herself; oldest welles boy, dickie , institutionalized @ age, because had learning difficulties. beatrice died of hepatitis in chicago hospital may 10, 1924, after welles s ninth birthday. gordon string quartet, had made first appearance @ home in 1921, played @ beatrice s funeral.

after mother s death, welles ceased pursuing music. decided spend summer watson family @ private art colony in wyoming, new york, established lydia avery coonley ward. there played , became friends children of aga khan, including 12-year-old prince aly khan. then, in welles later described hectic period in life, lived in chicago apartment both father , dr. maurice bernstein, chicago physician had been close friend of both parents. welles briefly attended public school before alcoholic father left business altogether , took him along on travels jamaica , far east. when returned settled in hotel in grand detour, illinois, owned father. when hotel burned down, welles , father took road again.

during 3 years orson lived father, observers wondered took care of whom , wrote biographer frank brady.

in ways, never young boy, know, said roger hill, became welles s teacher , lifelong friend.

orson welles in 1926: cartoonist, actor, poet , 10

welles briefly attended public school in madison, wisconsin, enrolled in fourth grade. on september 15, 1926, entered todd seminary boys, expensive independent school in woodstock, illinois, older brother, richard ives welles, had attended ten years before expelled misbehavior. @ todd school, welles came under influence of roger hill, teacher later todd s headmaster. hill provided welles ad hoc educational environment proved invaluable creative experience, allowing welles concentrate on subjects interested him. welles performed , staged theatrical experiments , productions there.

orson welles (fourth left) classmates @ todd school boys (1931)

todd provided welles many valuable experiences , wrote critic richard france. able explore , experiment in atmosphere of acceptance , encouragement. in addition theater school s own radio station @ disposal. welles first radio experience on todd station, performed adaptation of sherlock holmes written him.

on december 28, 1930, when welles 15, father died of heart , kidney failure @ age of 58, alone in hotel in chicago. shortly before this, welles had announced father stop seeing him, believing prompt father refrain drinking. result, orson felt guilty because believed father had drunk himself death because of him. father s left orson name guardian. when roger hill declined, welles chose maurice bernstein.

following graduation todd in may 1931, welles awarded scholarship harvard university, while mentor roger hill advocated attend cornell college in iowa. rather enrolling, chose travel. studied few weeks @ art institute of chicago boris anisfeld, encouraged him pursue painting.

welles return woodstock, place named when asked in 1960 interview, home? welles replied, suppose s woodstock, illinois, if s anywhere. went school there 4 years. if try think of home, s that.

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