Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
	Original 1941 logo
Directed by	Orson Welles
Produced by	Orson Welles; Richard Baer (associate - uncredited)
Written by	Orson Welles; Herman J. Mankiewicz
Starring	Orson Welles; Joseph Cotten; Ruth Warrick; Everett Sloane; George Coulouris; Ray Collins; Agnes Moorehead
Production; company	Mercury Productions; RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (theatrical); Paramount Pictures (1991 re-release); Warner Bros. (DVD)
Release date	May 1, 1941
Running time	119
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$686,033 (estimated)

Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama movie starring Orson Welles in his first full-length movie. There are rumors that its story is based on the life of the famous businessmen William Randolph Hearst, Howard Hughes, and Samuel Insull. Welles said that his character, Kane, was based on more than one famous person. In F for Fake (1974), he said that Kane was going to be based on Hughes but that Welles became inspired by Hearst.

Welles worked closely with his cinematographer, Gregg Toland, who was in charge of the camera and the lights. Together, they worked on a new style, "deep focus." Usually, if something close to the camera is in focus, everything that is far away is out of focus. In deep focus, every object is in focus at the same time.

Its working title, before the movie was finished, was RKO 281.

Many have called Citizen Kane the best movie of all time. In 1998, it was number one on the American Film Institute's list of 100 Years... 100 Movies.

It is in some ways is like The Power and the Glory (1933).

The last living crew member was director Robert Wise. Also known for making The Sound of Music (1965), he died on September 14, 2005.

Citizen Kane Media

Welles's 1938 radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" caught the attention of RKO
Orson Welles at his Hollywood home in 1939, during the long months it took to launch his first film project
The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded by Orson Welles and John Houseman in 1937. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs, films, promptbooks and phonographic recordings.
Sound stage entrance, as seen in the Citizen Kane trailer
Cinematographer Gregg Toland wanted to work with Welles for the opportunity of trying experimental camera techniques that other films did not allow.
Aerial view of Otto Hermann Kahn's Oheka Castle that portrays the fictional Xanadu
Welles fell ten feet (3 m) while shooting the scene in which Kane shouts at the departing Boss Jim W. Gettys; his injuries required him to direct from a wheelchair for two weeks.
Trailer of the 1941 American film.
Kane ages convincingly in the breakfast montage, make-up artist Maurice Seiderman's tour de force
Incidental music includes the publisher's theme, "Oh, Mr. Kane", a tune by Pepe Guízar with special lyrics by Herman Ruby.