Othello is a 1951 tragedy directed and produced by Orson Welles, who also adapted the Shakespearean play and played the title role. Recipient of the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival, the film was distributed by United Artists when it was released in the United States in 1955. Othello was filmed on location over a three-year period in Morocco, Venice, Tuscany and Rome as well as at the Scalera Studios in Rome.
U.S. theatrical release poster (1955)
Orson Welles and Suzanne Cloutier in Othello
George Orson Welles was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time.
1937 portrait by Carl Van Vechten
Orson Welles at age three (1918)
Welles's birthplace in Kenosha, Wisconsin (2013)
Welles with his mother, Beatrice Ives Welles