The Other Side of the Wind

It's the story of a famous film director (played by none other than the masterful director/actor John Huston) who is desperately trying to finance his magnum opus. Welles shot the film sporadically between 1970 and 1976. Excerpts of the script have appeared on the internet, and it would seem that the episodic nature of the film's genesis may be intrinsic to its subject—a tale of films within films, a sort of Hollywood Rashomon exploring truth and objectivity.

The Other Side of the Wind was co-written by Welles and his companion, Oja Kodar, who also plays a role. A completed version exists; editing had proceeded as late as 1999, when Ms. Kodar and the film's cinematographer, Gary Graver, approached the well-known film editor Frank Mazzola to assist in the sculpting of some 400,000 feet (approximately 74 hours) of film. Mazzola's cut is said to be in the neighborhood of 2 hours long, down from Welles's asserted 2 1/2 hour work print version.

The original production was partially financed by SACI, an Iranian company and—somehow—the Iranian government has refused to relinquish the rights. Just another corollary to Murphy's Law, Hollywood-style.

Here are the acknowledged credits:

The Other Side Of The Wind

Directed by Orson Welles. Scenario by Orson Welles & Oja Kodar. Produced by Dominique Antoine. Cinematography by Gary Graver (in 35mm, 16mm, Super 8, Eastmancolor & b/w). Production Managers: Frank Marshall & Larry Jackson. Associate Producer: Neil Canton. Production design: Polly Platt. Production Company: SACI (Teheran), Les Films de Astrophore (Paris). Filmed in Los Angeles, Carefree, Arizona, Paris and Orvilliers, France between 1970 and 1976.

Cast: John Huston (Jake Hannaford), Peter Bogdanovich (Brooks Otterlake), Oja Kodar (the Actress), Bob Random (John Dale), Lilli Palmer, Norman Foster (Billy), Edmond O' Brien (Pat), Susan Strasberg (Juliette Rich), Mercedes McCambridge (Maggie), Cameron Mitchell (Matt), Cathy Lucas (Marvis Hensher), Howard Grossman (Charles Higgam), Tonio Sellwart (The Baron), Dan Tobin (Teacher), Gene Clark (Projectionist), Joseph McBride (Mr. Pister). With appearances by Paul Mazursky, Paul Stewart, John Carroll, Dennis Hopper, Claude Chabrol Stephan Audran, Beny Rubin, Greg Sterra, Curtis Harrington, Richard Wilson and others.

Addendum: The Other Side of the Wind will finally be released--after 40 years--on Netflix and in select theaters on November 2, 2018.

1. Hecho en Mejico
   
2. Entrances
   
3. Sam's Song
   
4. Hemingway and Fortuna
   
5. Hummingbird on the Left
   
6. The Long and Drunken Afternoon
   
7. Safe in the Lap of the Gods
   
8. Quetzal Birds in Love
   
9. Angela in Paradise
   
10. And the machine ran backwards