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Citizen Kane

  • 19411941
  • PGPG
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
434K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,445
275
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead, and Dorothy Comingore in Citizen Kane (1941)
Watch the trailer for the Orson Welles classic Citizen Kane.
Play trailer3:46
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Mystery

Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'

IMDb RATING
8.3/10
434K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,445
275
  • Director
    • Orson Welles
  • Writers
    • Herman J. Mankiewicz(original screen play)
    • Orson Welles(original screen play)
    • John Houseman(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Orson Welles
    • Joseph Cotten
    • Dorothy Comingore
Top credits
  • Director
    • Orson Welles
  • Writers
    • Herman J. Mankiewicz(original screen play)
    • Orson Welles(original screen play)
    • John Houseman(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Orson Welles
    • Joseph Cotten
    • Dorothy Comingore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.6KUser reviews
    • 266Critic reviews
    • 100Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #93
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 11 wins & 13 nominations total

    Videos4

    Citizen Kane: Trailer
    Trailer 3:46
    Citizen Kane: Trailer
    'Mank' Disputes Who Wrote 'Citizen Kane'
    Clip 3:00
    'Mank' Disputes Who Wrote 'Citizen Kane'
    6 Movie & TV Podcasts When You Need a Binge Break
    Clip 4:16
    6 Movie & TV Podcasts When You Need a Binge Break
    John Landis on Citizen Kane
    Featurette 4:41
    John Landis on Citizen Kane

    Photos175

    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles and Dorothy Comingore in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Agnes Moorehead, George Coulouris, Harry Shannon, and Buddy Swan in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles, Baudelio Alva, Sonny Bupp, Mitchell Ingraham, Philip Morris, Francis Sayles, Ruth Warrick, Gene Chervow, James Brought, and T. Lockwood Arbright in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles and Ruth Warrick in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles and Dorothy Comingore in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles and Dorothy Comingore in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Orson Welles, Loretta Agar, Irene Crosby, Margaret Davis, Juanita Fields, Pauline Easterday, and Frances Deets in Citizen Kane (1941)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Orson Welles
    Orson Welles
    • Kaneas Kane
    Joseph Cotten
    Joseph Cotten
    • Jedediah Lelandas Jedediah Leland…
    Dorothy Comingore
    Dorothy Comingore
    • Susan Alexander Kaneas Susan Alexander Kane
    Agnes Moorehead
    Agnes Moorehead
    • Mary Kaneas Mary Kane
    Ruth Warrick
    Ruth Warrick
    • Emily Monroe Norton Kaneas Emily Monroe Norton Kane
    Ray Collins
    Ray Collins
    • James W. Gettysas James W. Gettys
    Erskine Sanford
    Erskine Sanford
    • Herbert Carteras Herbert Carter…
    Everett Sloane
    Everett Sloane
    • Mr. Bernsteinas Mr. Bernstein
    William Alland
    • Jerry Thompsonas Jerry Thompson
    Paul Stewart
    Paul Stewart
    • Raymondas Raymond
    George Coulouris
    George Coulouris
    • Walter Parks Thatcheras Walter Parks Thatcher
    Fortunio Bonanova
    Fortunio Bonanova
    • Matisteas Matiste
    Gus Schilling
    Gus Schilling
    • The Headwaiteras The Headwaiter…
    Philip Van Zandt
    Philip Van Zandt
    • Mr. Rawlstonas Mr. Rawlston
    Georgia Backus
    Georgia Backus
    • Miss Andersonas Miss Anderson
    Harry Shannon
    Harry Shannon
    • Kane's Fatheras Kane's Father
    Sonny Bupp
    Sonny Bupp
    • Kane IIIas Kane III
    Buddy Swan
    • Kane - Age Eightas Kane - Age Eight
    • Director
      • Orson Welles
    • Writers
      • Herman J. Mankiewicz(original screen play)
      • Orson Welles(original screen play)
      • John Houseman(contributing writer) (uncredited)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A group of reporters are trying to decipher the last word ever spoken by Charles Foster Kane, the millionaire newspaper tycoon: "Rosebud." The film begins with a news reel detailing Kane's life for the masses, and then from there, viewers are shown flashbacks from Kane's life. As the reporters investigate further, the viewers see a display of a fascinating man's rise to fame, and how he eventually fell off the top of the world. —Zack H. / edited by Rob
    • newspaper publisher
    • rosebud
    • new york
    • narcissism
    • materialism
    • 486 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Radio's Most Dynamic Artist . . The Man At Whose Voice A Nation Trembled . . . Now the screen's most exciting NEW star ! ORSON WELLES in the picture Hollywood said he'd never make
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Mystery
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Despite all the publicity, the film was a box-office flop and was quickly consigned to the RKO vaults. At 1941's Academy Awards the film was booed every time one of its nine nominations was announced. It was only re-released to the public in the mid-'50s.
    • Goofs
      During the picnic scene towards the end, Welles had to shoot against a back-projection because a location shoot was too costly and time-consuming. The stock footage used for the exterior was taken from King Kong (1933), hence on closer inspection the four birds that fly by are in fact very definite pterodactyls. RKO told Welles to take the pterodactyls out of the shot, but he liked them, and decided to keep them.
    • Quotes

      Mr. Bernstein: Old age. It's the only disease, Mr. Thompson, that you don't look forward to being cured of.

    • Crazy credits
      In a very rare move the director's credit is shown on the same card as the cinematographer's. This was Orson Welles's personal decision to show his thanks to cinematographer Gregg Toland for his enormous contributions to the film, meaning equal rights.
    • Alternate versions
      The Italian-language version cut an overwhelming number of scenes, leading to "complete" versions of the film to be circa half of the time in English and only the remaining half in Italian.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Projectionist (1970)
    • Soundtracks
      It Can't Be Love
      (uncredited)

      Written by Charlie Barnet and Haven Johnson

      Arranged by The King Cole Trio

      Performed by Raymond Tate, Buddy Collette, Buddy Banks, CeePee Johnson, and Alton Redd

    User reviews1.6K

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Giant of its field
    Any art becomes harder to appreciate as time passes. We look at statues and paintings from, lets say the Ancient Greece, and we appreciate them for their aesthetic, their style and the craftsmanship that went into making them. Yet we often know very little about why or even how they were made. Were they political in their time, like art often is nowadays, or were they made simply to feed the artist, like some of the greatest works of art in history have sometimes been made? And if we somehow found out that a painting of a human figure in some prehistoric cave was actually a political satire of the rival clan chief, would it add value to the work?

    I ponder this because I don't think I fully get Citizen Kane, or if I even can get it without a degree in history. Back in its days, the film was widely applauded for its groundbreaking style and its cinematographic feats. Orson Welles put himself on the map by pulling off tricks and visuals that had never been seen before. He also based the story of one Charles Foster Kane on a real life business tycoon William Randolph Hearst, a polarizing figure back then, thus tying the film to the days of its release.

    And I view this film and I must admit that it didn't blow me away. The cinematography is brilliant and impressive, but I've seen most of the tricks already in newer films, and thus their impact is lessened. And while it's an interesting character study about the meaning of contentment, wealth and American ideals, I was left with the impression that I was missing something. And I think it's that I have no real life parallels to compare this film to. Especially seeing as I'm not an American.

    Is it still a good film? Oh, definitely. It's a pioneer of its field, its themes are very deep, it's beautiful on the technical level and even the story, while rather slow, does keep you interested through the capturing presence of Welles' acting. I do recommend seeing it, though I must admit that I respect it more than I like it.
    helpful•5
    0
    • Vartiainen
    • Jun 8, 2016

    FAQ6

    • What is 'Citizen Kane' about?
    • Is 'Citizen Kane' based on a book?
    • Is this film based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 5, 1941 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • American
    • Filming locations
      • Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • RKO Radio Pictures
      • Mercury Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $839,727 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,627,530
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,645,133
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 59 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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