Actor, Producer, Writer and Director of science fiction and western films. As an actor, he played the reporter who investigates the life of the newspaper tycoon in Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941). In his early 20s, he arrived in Manhattan, New York and took courses at the Henry Street Settlement House, where he met Orson Welles. He also lent his voice to Welles' "The War of the Worlds." He won a Peabody Award as producer of "Doorway to Life." His role as reporter Jerry Thompson in "Citizen Kane" (1941) is unusual because the camera never closes up on his face; in fact, for the majority of his scenes in the film, he had his back to the camera, and whenever his face can be seen, it is always in long-shot and almost always clouded in shadow. As noted by film critic Roger Ebert on the DVD commentary of "Citizen Kane," he once reportedly told an entire audience of people that they would probably recognize him if he were to show his back to them. Behind the camera, his greatest fame came from producing science fiction movies at Universal and Paramount Pictures in the 1950s.
Actor, Producer, Writer and Director of science fiction and western films. As an actor, he played the reporter who investigates the life of the newspaper tycoon in Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941). In his early 20s, he arrived in Manhattan, New York and took courses at the Henry Street Settlement House, where he met Orson Welles. He also lent his voice to Welles' "The War of the Worlds." He won a Peabody Award as producer of "Doorway to Life." His role as reporter Jerry Thompson in "Citizen Kane" (1941) is unusual because the camera never closes up on his face; in fact, for the majority of his scenes in the film, he had his back to the camera, and whenever his face can be seen, it is always in long-shot and almost always clouded in shadow. As noted by film critic Roger Ebert on the DVD commentary of "Citizen Kane," he once reportedly told an entire audience of people that they would probably recognize him if he were to show his back to them. Behind the camera, his greatest fame came from producing science fiction movies at Universal and Paramount Pictures in the 1950s.
Bio by: Grave Tag'r
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