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Speaking of Orson Welles and unfinished projects, here's Alejandro Jodorowsky talking about the casting for DUNE, taken from "The Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky:
"For the role of the baron Harkonnen, a vulgar, cruel giant, I thought of Orson Welles. I knew he was in France but that he had become embittered at the lack of producers interested in his own work, and it was said that he wanted nothing more to do with film. Where could I find him? No one seemed to know. I had heard that the master had a passion for gourmet food and drink. I got an assistant to telephone all the best restaurants in Paris and find out if Orson Welles was a customer.
After countless calls, a small restaurant, Chez le Loup, told us that he came there once a week, though not on any specific day. I decided to dine there every night beginning on Monday. It was a discreetly elegant place with a fine menu and a superb wine selection. The owner himself took orders. Almost all the walls were decorated with Renoir reproductions. The one exception was a wall with a window. In front of it there was a broken chair. When I asked the owner about it, he said: 'We are very proud of that piece of litter. One evening, Orson Welles sat in that chair and he ate so much that it broke'
I returned every night. Finally, on Friday, the great man arrived, wrapped in an enormous black cape. I watched him with the same fascination as a child at the zoo. His appetite and his thirst were stupendous. I saw him devour nine different dishes and drink six bottles of wine. For dessert, I sent him a bottle of cognac that the owner had assured me was his favorite brand. When it came, he looked around and amiably invited me to his table.
For a half hour, I listened to his monologue before daring to speak of the role. No sooner did I bring up the subject than he answered: 'Acting doesn't interest me. I detest contemporary cinema. It's not an art; it's a nauseating industry, a vast mirage born of prostitution.' My disappointment was immense, and I swallowed with difficulty. How could I inspire enthusiasm in him so that he would agree to work with me?
I was tense and seemingly at a total loss for words when suddenly I heard myself say: 'Mr. Welles, during the entire month that the filming of your role will require, I promise you to hire the head cook of this very restaurant. Every evening, he will prepare all the dishes you desire accompanied by any wines and liquors that please you.'
With a big smile, he agreed to sign the contract."
Quite a missed opportunity.
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