I always gagged on that silver spoon – Charles Foster Kane
An impressive figure in the world of theatre and broadcasting Orson Welles had caught the world’s attention in 1938 with his adaptation of H.G. Wells’ ‘War of the Worlds’. Styled as a series of news bulletins this broadcast proved Welles’ pedigree as a dramatist and innovative artist, thanks in no small part to the reports of panicked listeners believing the bulletins to be genuine. This project would, however, pale in comparison to his cinematic debut and in 1939 he signed a contract with RKO Pictures which would lead to the release of ‘Citizen Kane’ in 1941.
In a move unheard of before now RKO promised the 24 year old Welles a budget of $500,000 and practically full control—including casting and final cut—over his directorial debut. After his initial ideas proved unviable as films, including an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’, Welles and screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewick began work on the biographical film of the fictional multimillionaire and newspaper owner, Charles Foster Kane.
The resulting movie has come to be regarded by many critics as the greatest film ever made, topping the ‘Sight & Sound’ list of greatest movies for five out of six decades. Despite this high praise ‘Citizen Kane’ was a commercial failure with takings at the box office falling short of recouping the movie’s final bill of $839,727. Furthermore the film proved to be a curse for Welles as his cinematic career spiralled away into oblivion in the wake of ‘Citizen Kane’. What makes ‘Citizen Kane’ so great? And why couldn’t its greatness save Welles career?
In one of cinema’s most iconic opening scenes Welles introduces us to the figure of Charles Kane in the final moments of his lonely life. As his last remaining strength ebbs away Kane whispers the name ‘Rosebud’. Newsreel reporter Jerry Thompson is intrigued by Kane’s choice of final word and embarks on a quest to uncover who or what Rosebud is. This provides the narrative engine for Welles’ movie as we journey with Thompson back through Kane’s life.
Like many of the great American tales the story of ‘Citizen Kane’ revolves around the American Dream. Born into a poor family in Colorado the life of the young Charles Kane drastically changes when a rich seam of gold is found in a mine acquired by his mother. With the means now available to her Kane’s mother arranges for her only son to be raised on the East Coast by the banker Mr. Thatcher, away from her violent husband. Though done out of the kindness of his mother’s heart this sending away cuts Kane deeply, leaving a scar that affects him the rest of his life.
It is through the unpublished memoirs of Mr Thatcher that Thompson, and by extension the audience, learns of Kane’s childhood and early years. At the age of 25, however, Kane is granted full control over his own inheritance and he breaks from Thatcher, who he blames for ripping him from his family. Kane uses his vast wealth to enter the publishing world and buys the ‘New York Inquirer’. Using his own wealth to attract leading journalistic talent and keep the newspaper afloat, Kane soon turns the ‘Inquirer’ into his own sensationalist mouthpiece.
His wealth and media influence isn’t, however, able to provide Kane with any real solace. As the movie progresses Thompson speaks to more of Kane’s old friends and associates, painting an ever more vivid portrait of the man and his life. We see his campaign for the Governorship of New York dashed when his opponent uses the same yellow journalism employed by the ‘Inquirer’ to expose Kane’s infidelities with a singer named Susan. Though this costs him his marriage it does afford Kane a brief spell of happiness as he goes on to marry Susan. His megalomania, however, brings a sorry end to this relationship too as he drives Susan away and locks himself away from the world.
Throughout ‘Citizen Kane’ we are shown the picture of a man rich in wealth yet poor in friendship and happiness. Together with Thompson we visit those who knew Kane and listen to them trace the dwindling of his fortune and the loss of what few friends and companions he ever had. In the end we are left with the image of a man isolated by his own anger and selfishness. Kane has been left to die alone and the meaning of his final words is lost as soon as they are spoken.
Welles great movie is a damning account of the misery that we can visit upon ourselves. Despite being given every opportunity in life Kane’s selfishness and hubris scuttles every chance he has at happiness. It is not surprising then that the real life newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst took offence at the clear correlations between himself and Charles Foster Kane. Though Mankiewicz had used Hearst as a model to create one of the greatest characters in cinematic history the cost of this choice was considerable.
Though inspired by the media mogul Kane had been a shadow of Hearst. While the former had bought some influence and standing with his one newspaper Hearst had a media empire with over 20 newspapers alone. This empire had been used to influence politics and public opinion across the US, and even played a part in the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898. When wind of the movie’s content reached Hearst he turned this vast machine on ‘Citizen Kane’.
All publications in the Hearst chain were banned from mentioning ‘Citizen Kane’ in any way and the film industry was pressured into offering RKO $805,000 to destroy all copies of the movie. Though the studio stood by Welles and the release of ‘Citizen Kane’ went ahead Hearst had dealt it a savage blow. RKO retaliated with a massive publicity campaign. This was to prove fruitless and the day went to Hearst as he successfully had ‘Citizen Kane’ banned in many movie theatres across America.
‘Citizen Kane’ proved a commercial failure for RKO and when it came time to produce Welles’ next movie, ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’, the studio refused him the same degree of freedom he had enjoyed with ‘Citizen Kane’. For Welles this movie was to mark the highpoint in his career. The backlash from Hearst had proven Welles a liability that no amount of genius could overcome. Though he had revolutionised the cinematic world and onscreen storytelling with ‘Citizen Kane’, Welles Hollywood career slowly dwindled away during the rest of the 20th century.
Today Welles is ranked alongside Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubric, Federico Fellini, and others as one of the greatest directors of history. ‘Talking History’ looks at the history of the silver screen and possibly its greatest achievement. Join Patrick as he talks with a panel of experts about the history and lasting legacy of ‘Citizen Kane’. Is this the greatest movie ever made? Why was it so controversial and how did it change the world of cinema? What exactly is it that makes ‘Citizen Kane’ such an important and great work?
