RKO 281 (TV 1999)

Orson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane, despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst.

Director:

Benjamin Ross

Writers:

John Logan, Richard Ben Cramer (documentary "The Battle Over Citizen Kane"),

Stars:

Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liev Schreiber	...	Orson Welles
James Cromwell	...	William Randolph Hearst
Melanie Griffith	...	Marion Davies
John Malkovich	...	Herman Mankiewicz
Brenda Blethyn	...	Louella Parsons
Roy Scheider	...	George Schaefer
Liam Cunningham	...	Gregg Toland
David Suchet	...	Louis B. Mayer
Fiona Shaw	...	Hedda Hopper
Anastasia Hille	...	Carole Lombard
Roger Allam	...	Walt Disney
Simeon Andrews	...	John Houseman
William Armstrong	...	Mr. Lewis
Jay Benedict	...	Darryl Zanuck
Ron Berglas	...	David O. Selznick

Storyline

Coming to Hollywood as a celebrated boy genius featuring a spectacular career arc in New York including his "War of the Worlds" radio hoax, Orson Welles is stymied on the subject for his first film. After a dinner party at Hearst Castle, during which he has a verbal altercation with Hearst, Welles decides to do a movie about Hearst. It takes him some time to convince co-writer Herman Mankiewicz and the studio, but Welles eventually gets the script and the green light, keeping the subject very hush-hush with the press. When a rough cut is screened, Hearst gets wind of the movie's theme and begins a campaign to see that it is not only never publicly screened, but destroyed.

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Plot Keywords:

film director | movie studio | reference to thomas ince | director | reference to david o selznick | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some graphic sexual images

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

RKO 281: The Battle Over Citizen Kane

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Sign, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Pictures, WGBH, Scott Free Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the script are various other narratives of Orson Welles' work with his Mercury Theatre and his move from New York plays to Hollywood movies (mostly under the supposed "VOICE" character).

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Goofs

When Welles and Mankiewicz are discussing the origin of the word "Rosebud," it is clear that both actors are mouthing the word "vagina", but in the audio, they both say "pussy".

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Quotes

Marion: Did you need any of them?
William Randolph Hearst: I wanted them.
Marion: And there is the difference between want and need.

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Connections

References Citizen Kane (1941)

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Soundtracks

"By The Fireside"
Written by Ray Noble, Jimmy Campbell and Reginald Connelly (as Reg Connelly)
Performed by Al Bowlly with Ray Noble and His Orchestra
Courtesy of Castle Music Ltd. by arrangement with Celebrity Licensing, Inc.

User Reviews

Glimpses of Greatness, Greed and Grandeur

If you are into vintage movies, vintage America and conspiracy theories, then this is an entertainment for you.

Many other reviews here have outlined the strengths and weaknesses of the film re the truth about the making of Kane, and the relative attributions of credit, blame and opprobrium. I'd like to inject a good word for Roy Scheider's portrayal of RKO boss George Schaefer: His character's struggle to find the right balance between keeping his east coast money men happy, his obvious liking for Welles and the desire to make good movies is very well portrayed.

Something I really enjoyed was the portrayal of Welles' and Mank's visit to the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, California. That is a fascinating place, which saw so many famous and talented people visit during Hearst's time there. There's a movie about the lifetime of that place to be made by someone, though I don't think anyone has ever attempted it? Apparently they didn't use the real location for RKO281 - a lot of it seems to have been done in London. Was that cost, or did the Hearst Castle trustees refuse....? Anyway, if you're up for a good tale woven around some known facts, but not sticking to them too tightly, take the RKO281 ride, you'll have fun. Just don't let it become your true picture of Mr Welles, Mr Hearst or (most of all) Mr Mankiewicz.