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Citizen Kane Overview:

Citizen Kane (1941) was a Drama - Mystery Film directed by Orson Welles and produced by Orson Welles and George Schaefer.

SYNOPSIS

Welles's greatest achievement, and a landmark of cinema history. The narrative charts the rise to power of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately leave him alone in his castlelike refuge. Every aspect of the production marked an advance in film language: the deep-focus, deeply shadowed cinematography; the discontinuous narrative (in a screenplay by Herman Mankiewicz); the innovative use of sound and score; the ensemble acting forged in the fires of Welles's Mercury Theater. Essential viewing. The laserdisc contains a second audio track with commentary by a noted film historian, and the 50th anniversary release includes the restored original movie plus the 30-minute documentary Reflections on Citizen Kane, featuring the recollections of the actors and editors along with commentary by other filmmakers.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Citizen Kane was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1989.

Academy Awards 1941 --- Ceremony Number 14 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorOrson WellesNominated
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Perry Ferguson, Van Nest Polglase; Interior Decoration: Al Fields, Darrell SilveraNominated
Best CinematographyGregg TolandNominated
Best DirectorOrson WellesNominated
Best Film EditingRobert WiseNominated
Best PictureMercuryNominated
Best WritingHerman J. Mankiewicz, Orson WellesWon
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Citizen Kane BlogHub Articles:

Book Review--Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane

By KC on Mar 8, 2017 From Classic Movies

Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane Patrick McGilligan Harper, 2015 The universally acclaimed Citizen Kane (1941) alone would have assured Orson Welles a solid place in entertainment history. That the 25 years leading up to that unique cinematic achievement were fi... Read full article

The 75th Anniversary Of CITIZEN KANE

By Dan Day Jr. on May 3, 2016 From The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog

This week marks the 75th anniversary of the theatrical premier of CITIZEN KANE. I don't think I need to tell you that this is one of the most renowned and famous films of all time. Orson Welles' magnum opus remains a stunning cinematic achievement, and the title of the film itself has become a gener... Read full article

Review: Citizen Kane (1941)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Mar 15, 2016 From 4 Star Films

“That’s all he ever wanted out of life… was love. That’s the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane. You see, he just didn’t have any to give.” – Jedediah Leyland It might seem rather trite to attempt to write anything on Citizen Kane, but as someone who can admitte... Read full article

Citizen Kane (1941) – Updated

By 4 Star Film Fan on Mar 15, 2016 From 4 Star Films

“That’s all he ever wanted out of life… was love. That’s the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane. You see, he just didn’t have any to give.” – Jedediah Leyland It might seem rather trite to attempt to write anything on Citizen Kane, but as someone who can admitte... Read full article

Review: Citizen Kane (1941)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Mar 15, 2016 From 4 Star Films

“That’s all he ever wanted out of life… was love. That’s the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane. You see, he just didn’t have any to give.” – Jedediah Leyland It might seem rather trite to attempt to write anything on Citizen Kane, but as someone who can admitte... Read full article

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Citizen Kane Quotes:

Leland: [about Kane's "Declaration of Principles"] I'd like to keep that particular piece of paper myself. I have a hunch it might turn out to be something pretty important. A document...
Bernstein: Sure!
Leland: ...like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and my first report card at school.
Susan: Love! You don't love anybody! Me or anybody else! You want to be loved - that's all you want! I'm Charles Foster Kane. Whatever you want - just name it and it's yours! Only love me! Don't expect me to love you
Reporter: [at beginning of news reel on Charles Foster Kane's death] In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree.
Charles Foster Kane III: Mother, is Pop governor yet?
Emily: Not yet, Junior.
Bernstein: Who's the busiest man? Me? I've got nothing but time! What do you wanna know?
See More Quotes from Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane Facts
In an attempt to recoup some of its losses after its initial box-office flop, RKO distributed this film in January 1942 on a double bill with The Little Foxes starring Bette Davis.
For this movie Orson Welles, along with cinematographer Gregg Toland, pioneered "deep focus", a technique that keeps every object in the foreground, center and background in simultaneous focus. This brought a sense of depth to the two-dimensional world of movies.
Apparently, holding less of a grudge than anyone might think, William Randolph Hearst's son said in 1985 that he had enjoyed the film and that Welles could visit his grandfather's San Simeon estate anytime he pleased - "on my tab," a noble feat as Welles died that year.
It is widely believed that Ted Turner had plans to colorize the film, but that wide public outcry led to his decision not to. The rumor came from a tongue-in-cheek comment from Turner that he would colorize the film in order to bait critics of the process. In actuality, Orson Welles had the rights to the film, and Turner couldn't have colorized the film even if he had wanted to. Nonetheless, the controversy over the potential alteration of this film was one of the catalysts that eventually led to the film industry requirement that all future video and TV releases of films that have been altered in any way - including the standard conversion from widescreen to "pan and scan" - must carry a disclaimer indicating the film has been "modified from its original version." It is also widely believed that when he heard about it, Welles supposedly roared, "Tell Ted Turner to keep his crayons away from my movie!" However, being that he owned the rights to the film, it is highly unlikely that he ever made any such statement.
The film showcased a technique called "universal focus." To get the image of Kane and the poster picture during the speech sequence, short lenses were used. At the same time, the key light (the main lights) were gradually increased to get both images sharp and clear.
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