The Bootleg Files: Orson Welles’ Moby Dick

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 714: “Moby Dick” (Orson Welles’ unfinished 1971 project).

LAST SEEN: Three brief clips are on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Sometimes, the only way to enjoy Welles’ work is via bootleg video.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

Orson Welles had a lifelong fascination with Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” and pursued adaptations of this epic novel interpretation throughout his career. He produced radio versions of the tale in 1938 and 1946, taking on the role of Captain Ahab. John Huston wanted Welles to play Ahab in his 1956 film version, but Warner Bros. insisted on a star with a bigger box office draw, so Gregory Peck was recruited to play Ahab while Welles had a showy supporting part as Father Mapple.
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Moby Dick: The Radio Play (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Phil Hall

Cinema Crazed’s Phil Hall makes his playwriting debut with this radio drama based on the Herman Melville masterpiece. This is the second of a two-part presentation, directed and produced by J. Timothy Quirk and presented via the syndicated radio program “Nutmeg Chatter.”

The episode can be heard via this link.

Moby Dick: The Radio Play (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Phil Hall

Cinema Crazed’s Phil Hall makes his playwriting debut with this radio drama based on the Herman Melville masterpiece. This is the first of a two-part presentation, directed and produced by J. Timothy Quirk and presented via the syndicated radio program “Nutmeg Chatter.”

The episode can be heard via this link.

The Bootleg Files: The Sea Beast

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 682: “The Sea Beast” (1926 silent film adaptation of “Moby-Dick”).

LAST SEEN: We cannot confirm last exhibition of this film.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Only on a DVD of dubious heritage.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Warner Bros., which owns the copyright, has never released it for digital home entertainment.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe some day.

In 1851, Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick” was published. During Melville’s lifetime, the book was a commercial failure – only 3,200 copies were sold in the 40 years between its initial release and the author’s death 1891. It was not until the 1920s that literary scholars re-evaluated the work and recognized its importance as a work of literary art.
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