One Man Band

Despite his funny performance in "Catch-22", I never quite considered Orson Welles a comedian. "London", which consists of five segments, changed my mind. It opens with a compilation of quotes by Winston Churchill. Very funny, but nothing compared to the rest, as the other episodes would make Monty Python go green with envy. The funniest segment is 'Swinging London'. Can you imagine Orson Welles as a dancing bobby, a one-man-band or the Chinese owner of a strip club? Well, 'Swinging London' has him not only in these three roles, but also in drag: as a disgruntled housewife and as a woman selling violets - and filthy postcards. It's just plain hilarious. Too bad that the sound of the middle segment ('Four Clubmen', all played by Welles, of course) is lost, but that one looks funny, too.

The production quality of this is atrocious which only adds to humor and the shorts are hilarious. His Winston Churchill impersonation is spot on and walks the fine line between a lampoon and an accurate portrayal;too often do comedians go so far with 'comedy' that they lose all resemblance to who they are mocking.

The Tailors featuring Charles Gray is quite frankly absurd,and probably an over the top portrayal of Orson's experience with English tailors.

Stately Homes alternates between about 10-15 years as Orson interviews himself and is ridiculous and very deep at once. Orson the reporter and Orson the king are symbolic of how he saw himself (reporter) and the public's perception (king).

One Man Band is definetly the funniest, and for one scene only. Orson dressed up as an old lady selling violets and 'nice filthy postcards 'on the side of the street is the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Just the thought has me laughing in stitches.

It's also sad Orson was reduced to this considering the depths of talent. But that's what he was a one man band, who led the show on his own performing anywhere he could. Playing past the chimes at midnight,down to the last note,the last tune. And though they weren't the best tunes,they where his.

Because Orson Welles was one of the greatest cinematic geniuses of all time, and produced so little, the temptation is to see everything he ever made. Unfortunately, a lot of what one hopes will be hidden gems turn out to instead be cheap, poorly conceived shorts of the quality of a mediocre student film.

The first part of London is Welles doing a bunch of Churchill quotes. It's choppy and haphazardly filmed. This is followed by some attempt at Monty Pythonesqe humor with Welles dressed as a flower lady. It's neither funny nor coherent.,

I gave up in the middle of that second sequence. It's just all so wretched.