Citizen Kane (1941)

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Herman J. Mankiewicz (screenplay) and
Orson Welles (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 May 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

365 days in the making - and every minute of it an exciting NEW thrill for you !

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Rosebud | Reporter | Newspaper | Power | Flashback

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Joseph Cotten	...	Jedediah Leland
Dorothy Comingore	...	Susan Alexander Kane
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mary Kane
Ruth Warrick	...	Emily Monroe Norton Kane
Ray Collins	...	James W. Gettys
Erskine Sanford	...	Herbert Carter
Everett Sloane	...	Mr. Bernstein
William Alland	...	Jerry Thompson
Paul Stewart	...	Raymond
George Coulouris	...	Walter Parks Thatcher
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Signor Matiste
Gus Schilling	...	The Headwaiter
Philip Van Zandt	...	Mr. Rawlston
Georgia Backus	...	Bertha Anderson
Harry Shannon	...	Kane's Father
Sonny Bupp	...	Charles Foster Kane III
Buddy Swan	...	Kane, age eight
Orson Welles	...	Charles Foster Kane
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don Ackerman	...	Man at party in Everglades (uncredited)
Loretta Agar	...	Dancing Girl (uncredited)
Demetrius Alexis	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Peter Allen	...	Man in senate investigating committee (uncredited)
William Alston	...	Man at Xanadu Great Hall (uncredited)
Baudelio Alva	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
T. Lockwood Arbright	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Man at boat dock (uncredited)
Michael Audley	...	Man in projection room (uncredited)
Walter Bacon	...	City room employee (uncredited)
Richard Baer	...	Hillman (uncredited)
Harry A. Bailey	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Alva Baudena	...	Extra in Newsreel (uncredited)
Charles Bennett	...	Entertainer (uncredited)
Joan Blair	...	Georgia (uncredited)
Danny Borzage	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Robert Brent	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
James Brought	...	Extra in Newsreel (uncredited)
William Calkins	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Porter Chase	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Gene Chervow	...	Extra in Newsreel (uncredited)
J.J. Clark	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Dorothy Cleveland	...	Person in front of 'Chronicle' building (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb	...	Inquirer Reporter (uncredited)
Eddie Coke	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Nat 'King' Cole	...	Pianist in 'El Rancho' (uncredited)
Gene Coogan	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Gino (uncredited)
Herbert Corthell	...	City Editor (uncredited)
Charles Cross	...	Man at opera (uncredited)
Thomas A. Curran	...	Teddy Roosevelt (uncredited)
Louise Currie	...	Reporter at Xanadu (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	Boss printer (uncredited)
Ed Dahlen	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Ernie Daniels	...	Hireling, Chicago Inquirer (uncredited)
Coy Danz	...	Nurse on hospital roof (uncredited)
Margaret Davis	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Tim Davis	...	Copy boy (uncredited)
Donna Dax	...	House maid (uncredited)
Marie Day	...	Insert bit (uncredited)
Gayle DeCamp	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Frances Deets	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Carl Deloro	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
George DeNormand	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Petra R. de Silva	...	Newswoman (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Man in projection room (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Ward Heeler (uncredited)
Robert Dudley	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Lou Duello	...	Man at opera (uncredited)
Suzanne Dulier	...	French maid (uncredited)
Art Dupuis	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Pauline Easterday	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Al Eben	...	Solly (uncredited)
John Eckert	...	Driver of car (uncredited)
Jack Egan	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Carl Ekberg	...	Adolf Hitler (uncredited)
Dick Elmore	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Edith Evanson	...	Leland's Nurse (uncredited)
Carl Faulkner	...	Hermann Goring (uncredited)
Juanita Fields	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jack Floyd	...	Hireling, Chicago Inquirer (uncredited)
Ray Flynn	...	City room employee (uncredited)
Monty Ford	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Jean Forward	...	Opera Singer (uncredited)
Olin Francis	...	Expressman (uncredited)
Louise Franklin	...	Maid (uncredited)
Al Frazier	...	Gorilla man (uncredited)
Guy Gada	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Gloria Gale	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Captain Garcia	...	General (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Man at Xanadu Great Hall (uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Rudolph Germaine	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Bob Gladman	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Renee Godfrey	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Jerry Gordon	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Peter Gowland	...	Guest (uncredited)
Jimmy Grant	...	Man at party in Everglades (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Joseph (uncredited)
Ernest Grooney	...	Man on hospital roof (uncredited)
Jack Gwynne	...	Man on hospital roof (uncredited)
Bobby Haines	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Frank Haney	...	City room employee (uncredited)
Harry Harris	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Newspaper man (uncredited)
Edward L. Hemmer	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Cliff Herd	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Bryan 'Slim' Hightower	...	Fish driver (uncredited)
Harlan Hoagland	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
John Huettner	...	Man at Xanadu Great Hall (uncredited)
Mitchell Ingraham	...	Politician (uncredited)
Jack Itay	...	Man at Madison Square Garden (uncredited)
Jack Jahries	...	Extra in Newsreel (uncredited)
Walter James	...	Ward Heeler (uncredited)
George W. Jimenez	...	Waiter at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Clayton Jones	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Edna Mae Jones	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Jones	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Alexander Julian	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Bill Kane	...	Man on hospital roof (uncredited)
Arthur Kay	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Ivy Keene	...	Driver of car / woman in loggia scene (uncredited)
E. Kerry	...	Person in front of 'Chronicle' building (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Reporter at Wedding (uncredited)
Laura Knight	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Alan Ladd	...	Reporter smoking pipe at end (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Carmen Laroux	...	Maid in corridor in Xanadu (uncredited)
Perc Launders	...	Man in projection room (uncredited)
Walter Lawrence	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Bob Lawson	...	City room employee (uncredited)
Bert LeBaron	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
David Ledner	...	Extra in Newsreel (uncredited)
Adam Linke	...	Druggist (uncredited)
J.D. Lockhart	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Mary Lorraine	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ellen Lowe	...	Miss Townsend (uncredited)
Ludwig Lowry	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Buck Mack	...	Man (uncredited)
Evelyn Mackert	...	Woman at boat dock (uncredited)
James T. Mack	...	Prompter (uncredited)
Teddy Mangean	...	Man on roof (uncredited)
Herman J. Mankiewicz	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Jack Manolas	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Joe Manz	...	Jennings (uncredited)
Loretta Marsh	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Mickey Martin	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Clyde McAtee	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Major McBride	...	Shadowgraph man (uncredited)
Lee McCluskey	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
John McCormack	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Charles Meakin	...	Civic leader (uncredited)
Hercules Mendez	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Jim Merritt	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Buddy Messinger	...	Man at boat dock (uncredited)
E.G. Miller	...	Neville Chamberlain / Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Irving Mitchell	...	Dr. Corey (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Man at Xanadu Great Hall (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Politician (uncredited)
Jack Morton	...	Butler (uncredited)
Louis Natheaux	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Frances E. Neal	...	Ethel (uncredited)
Lillian Nicholson	...	Woman at opera (uncredited)
Leda Nicova	...	Dancer (uncredited)
George Noisom	...	Copy boy (uncredited)
Joseph North	...	Male secretary (uncredited)
John Northpole	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Male secretary (uncredited)
Arthur O'Connell	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Man at Madison Square Garden (uncredited)
Paddy O'Flynn	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Lillian O'Malley	...	Person in front of 'Chronicle' building (uncredited)
Edward Peil Jr.	...	Civic leader (uncredited)
Gerald Pierce	...	Copy boy delivering message in Chicago hotel room (uncredited)
Thomas Pogue	...	Man (uncredited)
J.R. Ralston	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Jack Raymond	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Terrance Ray	...	Man at boat dock / man at Madison Square Garden (uncredited)
William Reed	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Guy Repp	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jolane Reynolds	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Sam Rice	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Verne Richards	...	City room employee (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Myrtle Rishell	...	Big governess (uncredited)
Jack Robbins	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Don Roberts	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
George Rogers	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Victor Romito	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Benny Rubin	...	Smather (uncredited)
Shimen Ruskin	...	Hireling (uncredited)
Edward Ryan	...	Man in Inquirer city room (uncredited)
Jack Ryan	...	Man at Madison Square Garden (uncredited)
Robert Samven	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Walter Sande	...	Reporter at Xanadu (uncredited)
Jack Santoro	...	Man at Xanadu Great Hall (uncredited)
Francis Sayles	...	Politician (uncredited)
Ruth Seeley	...	Dancer (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Hireling (uncredited)
Brent Shugar	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Bruce Sidney	...	Newsman (uncredited)
Guy Smith	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Roy Smith	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Vince Speaker	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
George Sperry	...	City room employee (uncredited)
Sam Steele	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Ralph Stein	...	Hireling, Chicago Inquirer (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Man at Madison Square Garden (uncredited)
Landers Stevens	...	Investigator (uncredited)
Dimas Sutteno	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Jack Taylor	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Norman Taylor	...	Man in senate investigating committee (uncredited)
Bob Terry	...	Extra in Newsreel (uncredited)
Karl Thomas	...	Jetsam (uncredited)
Robert B. Tobin	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Gregg Toland	...	Interviewer in 1935 Newsreel (uncredited)
Kathryn Trosper	...	Reporter at Xanadu (uncredited)
Fred Trowbridge	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Glen Turnbull	...	Flotsam (uncredited)
Gohr Van Vleck	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Harry J. Vejar	...	Portugese laborer (uncredited)
Tim Wallace	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)
Ken Weaver	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Charles West	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Larry Wheat	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Patrick Whitney	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jan Wiley	...	Reporter at Xanadu (uncredited)
Bill Wilkens	...	Man on roof (uncredited)
Larry Williams	...	Man singing at Inquirer party (uncredited)
Tudor Williams	...	Chorus Master (uncredited)
Richard Wilson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Vivian Wilson	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Roland Winters	...	Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)
Vera Winters	...	Woman in projection room (uncredited)
Arthur Yeoman	...	Speaker (uncredited)
Louis Young	...	Newsreel extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Orson Welles

Writing credits
Herman J. Mankiewicz		(screenplay) and
Orson Welles		(screenplay)

Produced by
Orson Welles	....	producer
George Schaefer	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland

Film Editing by
Robert Wise

Casting by
Rufus Le Maire		(uncredited)
Robert Palmer		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup department head (uncredited)
Layne Britton	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
Maurice Seiderman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Pandro S. Berman	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)
J.R. Crone	....	production manager (uncredited)
Lee S. Marcus	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward Donahue	....	first assistant director (uncredited)
Fred Fleck	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Perry Ferguson	....	associate art director
Allan Abbott	....	sketches and graphics (uncredited)
Harold Barry	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Chesley Bonestell	....	background painter (uncredited)
Hilyard M. Brown	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Ross Dowd	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
A. Roland Fields	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)
Claude Gillingwater Jr.	....	sketches and graphics (uncredited)
Holt D. Lindslay	....	paint foreman (uncredited)
John B. Mansbridge	....	draftsman (uncredited)
Charles Ohmann	....	principal sketch artist (uncredited)
Tom Peer	....	drapery (uncredited)
Van Nest Polglase	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)
Albert Pyke	....	sketches and graphics (uncredited)
Charles Sayers	....	property master (uncredited)
F.T. Thompson	....	propmaker foreman (uncredited)
W.A. Wilde	....	production buyer (uncredited)
D.E. Wise	....	greensman (uncredited)
J.B. Zokovich	....	plasterer (uncredited)
Maurice Zuberano	....	sketches and graphics (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bailey Fesler	....	sound recordist
James G. Stewart	....	sound recordist
John Aalberg	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)
Harry Essman	....	special sound effects (uncredited)
Terry Kellum	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
James Thompson	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Edward Ullman	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
T.K. Wood	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Russell A. Cully	....	visual effects cinematographer (uncredited)
Linwood G. Dunn	....	optical effects (uncredited)
Fitch Fulton	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Mario Larrinaga	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Bill Leeds	....	optical printer (uncredited)
Pete Love	....	optical printer (uncredited)
Douglas Travers	....	montage effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Eglinton	....	camera department head (uncredited)
Eddie Garvin	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ralph Hoge	....	grip (uncredited)
Alexander Kahle	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bill McLellan	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Earl Miller	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bert Shipman	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Harry J. Wild	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Harry L. Wolf	....	camera department (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Claire Cramer	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Earl Leas	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Margaret Van Horn	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Houseman	....	editorial supervisor (uncredited)
Mark Robson	....	associate editor (uncredited)
I.J. Wilkinson	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Bernard Herrmann	....	conductor
Ralph Bekher	....	music editor (uncredited)
Anthony Collins	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Dave Dreyer	....	music supervisor (uncredited)
Bernard Herrmann	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Alfred Newman	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Nathaniel Shilkret	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Max Steiner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Frank Tours	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Mischa Violin	....	music copyist (uncredited)
Roy Webb	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Elroy G. Cline	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)
Jack Rubens	....	picture vehicles coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Rita Alexander	....	secretary (uncredited)
William Alland	....	assistant: Mr. Welles (uncredited)
Vicki Anderson	....	stand-in: Dorothy Comingore (uncredited)
Arthur Appell	....	choreographer (uncredited)
John Barada	....	stage manager (uncredited)
Leda Bauer	....	script reader: New York (uncredited)
Howard Benedict	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
L. Bessinger	....	script reader: Hollywood (uncredited)
Elmore Draper Blake	....	layout man: newspapers (uncredited)
Phoebe Campbell	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Bob Crosby	....	dance double: Orson Welles (uncredited)
H.G. Cunningham	....	machine shop foreman (uncredited)
Alex Davidoff	....	translator: Russian newspapers (uncredited)
Sid Davis	....	photo double: Orson Welles (uncredited)
Herbert Drake	....	publicist: Mercury Theatre (uncredited)
H. Emolieff	....	film export manager (uncredited)
Jean Forward	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Miriam Geiger	....	production advisor (uncredited)
Winifred Hablam	....	production secretary (uncredited)
John Hamilton	....	production insurance (uncredited)
Ross Hastings	....	legal advisor (uncredited)
George Havens	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Charles Hayes	....	stand-in: Orson Welles (uncredited)
Molly Herman	....	pre-production assistant (uncredited)
G.B. Hobe	....	production accountant (uncredited)
John Houseman	....	assistant: Mr. Welles (uncredited)
John Huettner	....	stand-in: Orson Welles (uncredited)
Roberta Johnson	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Ivy Keene	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Amalia Kent	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
William Knutson	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Perc Launders	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Rufus Le Maire	....	talent coordinator: Los Angeles (uncredited)
C. Margotis	....	translator: Greek newspapers (uncredited)
S. Barret McCormick	....	press representative (uncredited)
J.B. McDonough	....	business manager (uncredited)
Elizabeth McGaffey	....	researcher (uncredited)
Ivy R. McLean	....	public relations: RKO Radio Pictures (uncredited)
Russell Metty	....	special consultant (uncredited)
James Moore	....	talent coordinator (uncredited)
Howard Nelson	....	maintenance (uncredited)
J.J. Nolan	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Marie Osborne	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Roy S. Otto	....	projectionist (uncredited)
Fleta Preston	....	secretary (uncredited)
Ernest Reyer	....	opera designer (uncredited)
Sid Rogell	....	backlot manager (uncredited)
Sid Rogell	....	production executive (uncredited)
Ann Rogers	....	secretary: Mr. Welles (uncredited)
Ed Ryan	....	stand-in (uncredited)
H. Schilling	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Louis Shapiro	....	location manager (uncredited)
Ed Sojin Jr.	....	translator: Chinese newspapers (uncredited)
Katherine Stanley	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Ralph Stein	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Jack Swain	....	laboratory technician (uncredited)
Kathryn Trosper	....	secretary (uncredited)
Blanche Walters	....	pre-production secretary (uncredited)
Arthur Willy	....	talent director: New York (uncredited)
Richard Wilson	....	assistant: Mr. Welles (uncredited)
H. Winnicar	....	studio teacher (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mercury Productions
• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2000) (Spain) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Éditions Montparnasse (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Art Theatre Guild (1966) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Constantin Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (????) (Portugal) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (2007) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• ARC (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Cosmic Publishing (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• First Trading (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• GP Museum Soft (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• GP Museum Soft (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• I.V.C. (1999) (Japan) (DVD)
• I.V.C. (2000) (Japan) (VHS)
• I.V.C. (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS) (as Nostalgia Merchant)
• Nippon Sports Publishing (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Orustak Pictures (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• PSG (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Radio Filmes (Portugal)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Tohokushinsha Film (1991) (Japan) (VHS)
• Tone (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Lowry Digital Images  digital restoration (2001) (re-release)
• RKO Newsreel Dept.  editing: "News on the March"

Also Known As:

American (USA) (working title)
John Citizen, U.S.A. (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Ireland:12 (DVD rating) (2003) | Israel:PG | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1985) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mercury Productions

Trivia:

In the scene where Bernstein enters the Inquirer amidst a pile of boxes and luggage, some of the boxes are labeled "891" and "LOT 891." Unit 891 was the WPA theater company Orson Welles directed for (and starred with) before shooting this picture.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Russian newspaper "Bednota," featured in the movie's opening newsreel, had been merged with "Socialisticheskoe Zemledelye" in 1931, long before Kane's death in 1941. The character for E (or the number 3) is used in place of the character for Z in several places, and the letter N is drawn like a Latin N (as opposed to a Cyrillic/Greek N which looks like an H).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Charles Foster Kane: Rosebud.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: There's No Disgrace Like Home (#1.4)" (1990)

Soundtrack:

A Hot Time in the Old Town

The march of time...

Citizen Kane is majestic, elegant and noble. It begins at the end, we see a man of obvious wealth and power breathe his last, and then the mysteries of his life are unraveled via a series of anecdotes, barely remembered scenes and highly subjective memories. The boldness of this approach cannot be overemphasized. At the time that this film was made Hollywood was for the most part used to creating straight-forward stories with clearly identified heroes and villains. Kane dared to present Man as he is, rife with confusions, internal contradictions and uncertainty.

As the film progressed, we see Kane, loosely based on William Randolph Hearst, the famous newspaper tycoon slowly sacrifice his ideals in order to build his financial empire, losing his friendships with those who believed in him until ultimately he looses everything he has, his marriage, his friends, and his integrity. Though he is the richest man in the world he lives his remaining isolated in his privately built mountain estate where he has surrounded himself with material pleasures, alone and despairing, one senses that he welcomes death. The film takes the view that wealth and power are inherently destructive of human values. Kane himself states `If I hadn't been born rich I might have been a really great man.

What is so masterful about Kane is its ambiguity. We never are certain if Kane really did believe in the values that he professed. At the same time that he sets himself up as above the world, he longs for the affection of the common people. This is symbolized by his exploitative, and patronizing love for a chorus girl, Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore). Her character is given a paper-thin characterization, the only obvious flaw in a nearly perfect movie.

Orson Wells gives a bravura performance as Kane, both identifying with and condemning the man. This film was his first venture into movie making after the infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast that threw America into an uproar. Wells, a child prodigy, had a background in Shakespearian theater, offering modernized adaptations of the Classics, a bold and unusual gesture at the time. He brought that kind of sweeping tragic romantic sensibility to his first film.

Unconstrained by Hollywood's traditions, he broke all the rules. The deep focus photography that gives Kane its theatrical look was one of his innovations. A mastery of sound, gained from years of working in the radio was another. Kane is an avalanche of technical innovation, unmatched in any other Hollywood film.

Despite the film's pessimistic outlook, it is studded by moments of joy, beauty and emotional truth. The supporting cast of characters, most of them regulars from Wells' Mercury Theater are also superb. Joseph Cotton is memorable as Jed Leland Kane's close friend who believes in him more then he does. And Everet Slone is wonderful as Kane's would be mentor Mr. Bernstien.

So many scenes in this movie linger forever in the memory, one is left with a stirring vision of the frailty of the human condition, the film gives us no easy answers and while being fiercely critical of many of it's characters is universal in it's compassion and sympathy, this is perhaps the most vital ingredient for great art.

Kane was one of the most controversial films ever made. Hearst, offended by his portrayal, offered RKO a small fortune to destroy the film. When that didn't work his newspapers embarked on a campaign of defamation against Wells, thus proving that the film's criticism of the power and corruption of the press were precisely on target. Wells was never given a free hand to direct how he liked again and American Cinema was deprived of the one of the greatest geniuses to adopt it as a medium of self-expression.

It's influence, was immediate, incalculable and mostly unacknowledged, the film was a box office and critical failure due to Hearst's efforts and it was not until years later that this film got the respect it deserved. Nowadays there is not one living film director of serious artistic intent that has not been deeply influenced by Citizen Kane. It's not just a masterpiece it's a creative touchstone.

Of course there were other talents at work in making Kane, Hermann Mankiewicz's efforts on the script were indispensable and Bernard Hermann, the composer most famous for working with Hitchcock provided the films beautiful music. Still, the film remains most obviously the work of Orson Wells, a veritable hall of mirrors reflecting the great artist's dreams, obsessions and fears. Citizen Kane is not just one of the great works of cinema it is one of the greatest artistic creations of the century