Orson Welles' pioneering, influential cinema was imaginative, ambitious and technically daring. His baroque cinematic style created a dense moral universe in which every action had tangled--and usually tragic--human repercussions. Before his dramatic arrival in Hollywood, Welles had carved a considerable reputation in theater and radio. At 18 he was a successful actor at the experimental Gate Theatre in Ireland; at 19, he made his Broadway debut as Tybalt in "Romeo and Juliet." A series of collaborations with director/producer John Houseman led to their participation in the New York Federal
Born with anomalies of the spine which caused Welles pain throughout his life
Moved to Chicago as a child
First stage appearance, a walk-on bit in the Chicago Opera's production of "Samson and Delilah" at age five; then played "Madame Butterfly"'s child "Trouble"
Parents separated when Welles was six; traveled after divorce
1927
Became ward of Chicago doctor, Maurice Bernstein, at age 12 (date approximate)
