Welles' Quixote

Scroll down a bit and find an audio report (from PRI's Studio 360) on the long and strange history of Orson Welles' film production of Don Quixote. Self financed and languorously shot over a period of twenty odd years, it was the film masterpiece that never was, and most probably never will ever be completed to anyone's satisfaction. Not that some haven't tried to piece together Welles' footage that sits in various libraries, cinematheques, and personal collections throughout the world, most notably Eurotrash icon Jesus Franco. Franco, who served as second unit director on Welles' Chimes at Midnight, assembled what material was available (mainly in Spanish collections) and produced Don Quixote de Orson Welles in 1992. It was almost universally reviled on release, although some suggest it was Franco's participation (and his reputation as a cheapo porn director) that engendered the disdain (critic Jonathan Rosembaum called Franco "biggest hack in all of Spanish cinema!"). At any rate, this was the first time I've heard anything about Jess Franco on an American public radio program, and it contains some audio clips from Succubus and Venus in Furs! More importantly, there are clips from the Quixote soundtrack itself, with Welles voicing both Quixote and Sancho Panza. A very interesting listen. You can also find some screen captures of some European DVD editions of Don Quixote de Orson Welles here, courtesy of the great DVD Beaver.