During a recent Paul Schrader-led discussion of Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons (‘42), Facebook commenter Dan Leo wondered why Welles didn’t play George Amberson Minafer instead of the under-talented, charisma-challenged Tim Holt.
HE response: Welles as young George Minafer? Too fat for that.
Even at age 26, Welles, who had seemed slender** and fresh-faced and unmistakably young man-ish in 1941’s Citizen Kane, which began filming in June 1940 when he had just turned 25…Welles had noticably gained weight during the filming of Ambersons (10.28.41 to 1.22.42).
Look at the on-set Amberson photos…the proof is clearly in the pudding. At a time when most young men are delighted to be in their trim, athletic, well-toned, glow-of-youth prime, the mustachioed Welles was already on his way to Lardbucket Land.
Every morning Welles probably looked into his bathroom mirror and muttered “not fat enough…I want to look seriously fleshy and large-breasted…I want be bigger boobed than Lana Turner or Rita Hayworth!…I want to be Baby Huey or maybe even Sidney Greenstreet or, you know, some kind of Wisconsin sumo wrestler…I want to be Oliver Hardy’s slightly less girthy kid brother now but in 15 years, upon reaching my early 40s, I want to look like a dessicated, beard-stubbled, Mexican border-town detective…I could call him Hank Quinlan.”
Flush with success and with easy access to anything he felt like stuffing or shoving or cramming into his mouth, Welles, ruled by ravenous appetites, ate like Henry VIII (huge sizzling steaks, a dozen fried eggs for breakfast, gallons of ice cream with chocolate syrup, mashed potatoes covered in melted butter and steaming hot gravy, crème brulee, tapioca pudding, more steaks).
** Welles reportedly had to wear a corset for some Kane scenes (i.e., the early New York Inquirer portions) , as his slovenly marshmallow physique made him look besotted and almost middle-aged.
