Othello (Orson Welles stage production) Desdemona - or Shakespeare, according to which newspaper you read." Othello (Orson Welles stage production) Othello was a 1951 production of William Shakespeare's play of the same name, which was produced, directed by and starring Orson Welles in his first appearance on the London stage. In 1948, Orson Welles began work on a self-financed film of "Othello", which was not completed until 1952. Filming was sporadic, and he frequently stopped the production to take on other acting jobs (including "The Third Man") to raise more funds. In 1951, Welles had completed principal photography, but was still trying to raise money
Othello negro face. And the hips. I did all that. I copied him exactly. Except I had a pony tail. I played him as an Arab. I stuck a pony tail on with a bell on the end of it. I thought that would be nice. Every time I moved my hair went wild." British blacking-up for Othello ended with Gambon in 1990, however the Royal Shakespeare Company didn't run the play at all on the main Stratford stage until 1999, when Ray Fearon became the first black British actor to take the part, the first black man to play Othello