A darkly comic fable about vanity and desire, "The Fountain of Youth" follows a newly married couple whose relationship is destabilized by the arrival of a potion that promises centuries of youth and beauty—but in a quantity sufficient for only one person. As temptation and resentment grow, the gift becomes a catalyst for moral and emotional collapse. Written, directed, and narrated by Orson Welles and based on John Collier’s short story “Youth from Vienna,” the film uses stylized narration and experimental visual techniques to construct a compact essay on human vanity. (Note: Originally produced in 1956 as a television pilot and broadcast once in 1958 as part of NBC’s Colgate Theatre anthology series (S1E5); it later achieved independent archival and cultural status, including a 1958 Peabody Award.)
Directed by Orson Welles
short film
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.5 / 5
Cast
Marjorie Bennett
journalist
Madge Blake
journalist
Billy House
Albert Morgan
Rick Jason
Alan Brody
Nancy Kulp
Stella Morgan
Joi Lansing
Carolyn Coates
Dan Tobin
Humphrey Baxter
Orson Welles
the narrator
Crew
Orson Welles
Director
Orson Welles
Writer
Orson Welles
Producer
Desi Arnaz
Executive Producer
Orson Welles
Production Design
Orson Welles
Music Arranger
Popular Reviews
1 review
Julie Andrews
6.8★ · 03/25/24
Orson and Desi kinda ate with this. For 54k, it was every underwhelming but I felt like it had potential. And I could tell it was filmed in 1956 because Joi and Orson were on I Love Lucy around this time.
Orson and Desi kinda ate with this. For 54k, it was every underwhelming but I felt like it had potential. And I could tell it was filmed in 1956 because Joi and Orson were on I Love Lucy around this time.