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IMDbPro

Citizen Kane

  • 19411941
  • PGPG
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
445K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,555
4
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
DramaMystery
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
445K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,555
4
    • 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
    • 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
    • 204Critic reviews
    • 100Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #95
    • Won 1 Oscar

    Videos4

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

    Photos177

    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    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, Demetrius Alexis, Baudelio Alva, Gene Coogan, Art Dupuis, Richard Elmore, Rudy Germane, Sam Harris, Jack Jahries, Gene Chervow, Alva Baudena, James Brought, and T. Lockwood Arbright 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)

    Top cast

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

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    Storyline

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    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 the 1941 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-1950s.
    • 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
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    A great piece of cinema, a magnificent example of storytelling
    I've heard so much told about Citizen Kane and Orson Welles, so I finally decided to get the film, and find out if it really is all that it's cracked up to be... I must say, it's great. The plot is great, and the way it's told is amazing. The story is first summed up in a matter of minutes, about 15, to be more accurate, and then the rest of the film has characters telling the story through flashbacks and retelling. We hear just about every opinion about Charles Foster Kane, apart from his own. The story is told after his death, and we see everything important that leads up to it, and only in the very end do we understand him, only then do we fully understand who he was, and what made him so. The ending also reveals one of the very most important things in any man or woman... one thing that everyone needs and knows of. I won't reveal it here, as it would almost be a crime to spoil the experience of this film to anyone. The acting is excellent; Welles himself is stellar as Kane, and his impressive appearance, along with his commanding voice, makes the character a forceful sight, nay, experience. The characters are well-written and credible. The character of Kane is probably the most well-rounded and perfectly built up I've seen in a movie, ever. The cinematography is excellent... the editing is great. I can't praise the angles, pans, zooms and transitions enough... it just has to be experienced. Now, for the one thing I can criticize in the film; the pacing. It's only two hours long, but it feels like much, much more. There were portions of the film where it felt like it didn't move at all. When there weren't great dialog or something equally as good in the film, it dragged terribly. There were too many scenes where the dialog seemed pointless, as well, I think. It didn't seem to be leading to anything. However, this criticism is so minor, due to the ending more than making up for it, that I still give this film a perfect score. I can't do anything but agree with its placing at the top of the top #250 films of all time, here on IMDb. As I'm writing this, it's #11. That's pretty much what it deserves, in my opinion. Not higher, not lower. Not the greatest film of all time(that pretty much still belongs to The Godfather, I think... at least, I haven't seen a better film than that, yet), but definitely far up there. I recommend this to any fan of film in general, and anyone who thinks they can understand it; it has a truly profound point that any man(and woman) should know of(preferably through seeing the film for themselves). Don't let the fact that it's old and black & white deter you from seeing this masterpiece. A true cinematic masterpiece, in every sense of the word. 10/10
    helpful•193
    85
    • TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews
    • Oct 21, 2004

    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)
      • United States
      • Official Facebook
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
    • 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

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 59 minutes
      • Black and White

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