Orson Welles - The Fountain of Youth - 1958

This minor, virtually unseen entry in Orson Welles’ filmography really deserves more exposure. It’s a sly little morality play very reminiscent of an episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents“, but done with far more flair & skill. Mixing a standard 1950’s style of TV play with still imagery, blending voice-over with the spoken dialogue & Welles himself addressing the audience, ’The Fountain Of Youth’ is years ahead of its time. The tale itself is the sort of clever short story with a dark twist ending that might have been written by Roald Dahl & published by Playboy, then adapted for TV. It involves a jilted lover taking his revenge on a beautiful couple with a promise of eternal youth that tears them apart.