Prodigy. Iconoclast. Genius. Exile. Orson Welles remains one of the most discussed figures in cinematic history. In the centenary year of Welles's birth, James Naremore presents a revised third edition of this incomparable study, including a new section on the unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind. Naremore analyzes the political and psychological implications of the films, Welles's idiosyncratic style, and the biographical details--both playful and vexing--that impacted each work. Itself a historic film study, The Magic World of Orson Welles unlocks the soaring art and quixotic methods of a master.

James Naremore is Chancellors' Professor Emeritus at Indiana University. His books include On Kubrick, The Films of Vincente Minnelli, More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts, Acting in the Cinema, Sweet Smell of Success, and An Invention without a Future: Essays on Cinema