Rabbit Magic

 

 (imdb)

GET TO KNOW YOUR RABBIT-1972-Crazy counterculture comedy about an executive (Tom Smothers) who quits his high-pressure job to become a tap-dancing magician trained by Mr. Delasandro (Orson Welles).

He's hounded by his boss (John Astin) to come back. He goes on the road and is pretty much a success at gin mills and strip joints. He meets a “terrific looking girl” (Katherine Ross) and they have an affair. Later he gets pulled back into the corporate lifestyle but has his way in the end. Allen Garfield, Charles Lane, King Moody and M.Emmett Walsh are also in it. Timothy Carey appears un-billed as a cop.

Director Brian De Palma made this offbeat comedy the same year as SISTERS and two years after HI MOM! His next movie would be PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE IN 1974.

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From Nasa

 

( Amazon)

WHO'S OUT THERE?-1975-This is a NASA produced short (29 mins), hosted by Orson Welles who talks about his “War Of The Worlds” radio show, quotes HG Welles and says we act better out in space than we ever did on Earth. Film of a group of scientists (including Nobel prize winner George Wake and pothead Carl Sagan) discussing alien life is also shown. Gary Graver was one of the cinematographers. 

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Welles Meets Mr. Big

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NECROMANCY-1972-Laurie (Pamela Franklin) and Frank (Michael Ontkean) Brandon decide to move to the country to forget about their stillborn child. On their drive to the town called Lilith they are almost in a collision but manage to avoid the other car which plummets off a cliff and explodes. While Frank goes for the police Laurie checks out the fiery crash. She finds a doll and takes it with her. When their car runs out of gas (?), Frank leaves Laurie alone to get some. She hears a voice and wanders around until she comes to some kind of funeral for a young boy. But she looks closer she sees herself in the coffin. Then the scene vanishes and she's alone in front of a tombstone. 

Finally they meet Frank’s new boss Mr. Cato (Orson Welles with glasses & fake nose) a toy manufacturer who likes “the black arts”. Laurie takes an immediate dislike to Cato and the town. His assistant Priscilla (Lee Purcell) tells Laurie that Cato’s son is dead and Cato won't accept it. She also says Cato not only owns the town, he owns the people too. At party, the people talk about astrology and use tarot cards while Cato smiles and drinks wine. Laurie has some weird visions. Later Cato reveals to Laurie that he believes she has a power to bring back the dead and wants her to bring back his son! After refusing to join the local coven and seeing a young boy no one else can see, she gets locked in the basement and is terrorized by rats. But it all seems to be an illusion and hubby is a witch too. In the end Laurie kills herself and is brought back to life. Somehow Cato’s son comes back to life and Laurie is put in his coffin and buried alive. But it all seems to be a dream with the happy couple getting ready to go to Lilith and disaster. 

This modern day supernatural nonsense was the product of Mr. BIG himself Bert I. Gordon who also co-wrote the script.

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Jack London

TO BUILD A FIRE-1969-Very good but depressing UK adaptation of Jack London's short story of the same name. A doomed man (Ian Hogg) tries to cross snow bound mountain in -70 degree weather with only his dog. It doesn't turn out the way he expected. Orson Welles narrates. Writer/director David Cobham made many documentary shorts before this.

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Orson Welles on French Television

THE IMMORTAL STORY-1968-Orson Welles’ first color film (and second to last directorial effort) is a beautifully shot and narrated story. Welles is very good as Charles Clay, a ruthless Portuguese businessman in 19th century Macao. Growing bored with life he decides to make a sailor’s legend come true by manipulating two people, an innocent sailor (Norman Eshley) and his ex-business partner’s daughter (Jeanne Moreau) into enacting it.

This is an underrated film that is sometimes overlooked but it contains some of Welles the director’s best work. Roger Coggio is Clays’ assistant who helps in the scheme. It's based on a novel by Isak Dinesen.

Moreau was in Truffaut’s THE BRIDE WORE BLACK the same year. Eshley showed up in the George Pal fantasy THE LOST CONTINENT a year later.

Originally made for French TV, it was later released in theaters slightly edited. A new restored version was shown on TCM. Not counting his unfinished projects, Welles would direct and complete only one more film the fascinating F FOR FAKE in 1974.

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