Citizen Kane (1941)

Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance.

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Herman J. Mankiewicz (original screen play), Orson Welles (original screen play)

Stars:

Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore

Top Rated Movies #73 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Cotten	...	Jedediah Leland / Screening Room Reporter
Dorothy Comingore	...	Susan Alexander Kane
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mary Kane
Ruth Warrick	...	Emily Monroe Norton Kane
Ray Collins	...	James W. Gettys
Erskine Sanford	...	Herbert Carter / Screening Room Reporter
Everett Sloane	...	Mr. Bernstein
William Alland	...	Jerry Thompson
Paul Stewart	...	Raymond
George Coulouris	...	Walter Parks Thatcher
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Matiste
Gus Schilling	...	The Headwaiter / Screening Room Reporter
Philip Van Zandt	...	Mr. Rawlston
Georgia Backus	...	Miss Anderson
Harry Shannon	...	Kane's Father

Storyline

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, we 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.

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Plot Keywords:

new york | narcissism | materialism | newspaper publisher | suicide attempt | 

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Taglines:

I hate him! I love him! He's a scoundrel! He's a saint! He's crazy! He's a genius!

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

American

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$839,727 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$216,239, 5 May 1991, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,585,634

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures, Mercury Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film score of Bernard Herrmann. He would go on to be one of Hollywood's top film composers from the 40's to the 70's, scoring (among others) several of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous works.

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Goofs

The long dolly shot from outside the Kane house in Colorado and all the way back inside through two rooms, ending on the far side of a table, could not have been achieved with the table in place and, instead, the table had to be moved into position once the camera was past. It's an almost perfect illusion except that the hat on the table is still wobbling slightly (from the sudden movement) by the time it comes into shot.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Charles Foster Kane: Rosebud...

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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 Toland for his enormous contributions to the film, meaning equal rights.

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Alternate Versions

Some of the Turner prints have the famous RKO logo removed and replaced with the Turner logo.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 4 July 2013 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Theme
(uncredited)
from RKO's Nurse Edith Cavell (1939)
Music by Anthony Collins
Performed in a "News On The March" sequence

User Reviews

Most important movie ever made

Kane "Citizen Kane" (1941) was Orson Welles' film debut, and in it he created an enduring masterpiece that is considered by many to be the greatest movie ever made.

Story:

Shortly after "Citizen Kane" opens, we see aged newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane (Welles) softly drawl the word "Rosebud" and die. Sensing that there's a story behind Kane's dying word, a magazine editor shows a reporter a newsreel obituary that chronicles how Kane created a business empire, married a U.S. President's niece, ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York, divorced his first wife and married a second, collected art, built a fabulous estate called Xanadu, and divorced his second wife. The reporter is then assigned the task of ferreting out the significance of "Rosebud." As the reporter's investigation progresses, fascinating details about Kane emerge.

My opinion:

Citizen kane is maybe for a lot of people (myselve not included) not a real entertaining movie, But there is no doubt about it that aws one of the most important movies ever made.

The visual style of "Citizen Kane" looks stunningly fresh and inventive even today, and the unconventional narrative structure of the Oscar-winning screenplay still seems daring. Welles' portrayal of a character who gradually ages from 25 to old age is unexcelled, and the movie's supporting cast, most of whom had worked previously with Welles on stage and radio productions, is superb. In short, everything came together in "Citizen Kane" to make it one of the greatest character studies ever captured on film.

Citizen kane is also one of my favorites and is listed in my top 5 of all time: 9.5 / 10 Masterpiece !!!