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William Alland

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William Alland
Born(1916-03-04)March 4, 1916
Delmar, Delaware,U.S.
DiedNovember 11, 1997(1997-11-11)(aged 81)
Occupation(s)Producer, writer, actor
Notable workLook in Any Window

William Alland(March 4, 1916 – November 11, 1997)[citation needed]was an American actor, film producer and writer, mainly ofWesternand science-fiction/monster films, includingThis Island Earth,It Came From Outer Space,Tarantula!,The Deadly Mantis,The Mole People,The Colossus of New York,The Space Children,and the threeCreature from the Black Lagoonfilms. He worked frequently with directorJack Arnold.Alland is also remembered for his acting role as reporter Thompson, who investigates the meaning of "Rosebud" inOrson Welles'sCitizen Kane(1941).

Biography

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Alland was born inDelmar, Delaware.[1]

Alland entered films as an actor, perhaps best remembered as the reporter Jerry Thompson, who investigates the life of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane inOrson Welles'sCitizen Kane(1941).[1]He also directed the filmLook in Any Window.

In his early 20s, Alland arrived inManhattanand took courses at theHenry Street SettlementHouse, where he metOrson Welles.He lent his voice to Welles'sThe War of the Worlds.Alland won aPeabody Awardas producer ofDoorway to Life.[2]

William Alland (left) withPaul Stewartin a publicity still forCitizen Kane(1941) that shows Alland's face, never clearly seen in the film

Alland's role as reporter Jerry Thompson inCitizen Kane(1941) is unusual because the camera never closes up on his face; in fact, for the majority of his scenes in the film, he shows his back to the camera, and whenever his face can be seen, it is always in long-shot and almost always clouded in shadow. As noted by film criticRoger Eberton the DVD commentary ofCitizen Kane,Alland once reportedly told an audience that they would probably recognize him if he were to show his back to them. In addition to his role as Thompson inCitizen Kane,Alland announces the "News on the March" newsreel segment, a spoof of the then-popularMarch of Timenewsreels. In later years, Alland twice provided voiceovers for pastiches of thisNews on the Marchsegment: once for the 1974 Orson Welles filmF for Fakeand again for a 1991Arenadocumentary for the BBC titledThe Complete Citizen Kane.

In 1953, Alland appeared before a meeting of theHouse Un-American Activities Committeein Los Angeles, acknowledging that he had been a member of theCommunist Partyand naming other people who were involved with the party. The meeting was held behind closed doors, but Alland talked with reporters after his appearance. He said that he was a party member from 1946 to 1949.[3]Alland was a decorated combat pilot in the Air Force, flying 56 missions in the Pacific.[4]

On radio, Alland wrote forDoorway to Life[5]and acted onThe Mercury Theatre on the Air.[5]: 448 

He died of complications of heart disease.[6]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^abThomson, David (November 25, 1997)."William Alland: An obituary from Xanadu".The Guardian.England, London. p. 18.RetrievedJune 30,2020– viaNewspapers.com.
  2. ^"Variety, November 13, 1997".
  3. ^"Film Producer Says He Was Red, Lists Others".The Los Angeles Times.November 24, 1953. p. 1.RetrievedJune 30,2020– viaNewspapers.com.
  4. ^"Film producer".The Los Angeles Times.November 24, 1953. p. 10.RetrievedJune 30,2020– viaNewspapers.com.
  5. ^abDunning, John (1998).On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio(Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 207.ISBN978-0-19-507678-3.
  6. ^"William Alland; Movie Producer, Actor".Los Angeles Times.November 13, 1997.
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