Before making one of the greatest films of all time, Orson Welles watched this western with John Wayne 40 times.

When the name of Orson Welles is mentioned, it is very common to talk about his first feature film, which is considered by many movie buffs and film experts to be the greatest film ever made.

Inspired by John Ford

Signed in 1941, when the young filmmaker was still only 25 years old, Citizen Kane often sits at the top of lists of the greatest monuments of the Seventh Art. Known for its countless innovations in staging and its breathtaking conclusion, it has inspired many directors and screenwriters.

But as we learn in a biography by Simon Callow, Orson Welles himself was heavily inspired by other film classics before creating his own. As recently recalled Article from ColliderBefore making Citizen Kane, the young director actually watched John Ford’s legendary western starring John Wayne: Fantastic Ride about forty times.

“It was like going to school.”

“Every night after dinner for about a month, I would run Fantastic Reed, often with a few technicians or studio department heads, asking questions. ‘How did they do that?’ Why did they do that? It was like going to school.”We can read between the pages of Simon Callow’s work.

The Fantastic Ride, often cited as one of the greatest westerns of all time, tells the story of the ill-fated adventures of a group of travelers who hit a stagecoach as they attempt to cross the vast plains of Arizona and hostile Apache territory. Nominated for Oscars in 7 different categories, John Ford’s film is still ranked among the top 10 best Westerns by the American Film Institute.

(re)discover the trailer for the film…