Theatrical release poster (Style B) by William Rose
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film directed by, produced by, and starring Orson Welles. Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay. Citizen Kane is frequently cited as the greatest film ever made.[1]
Kane was the only film made under Welles's original contract with RKO Pictures, which gave him complete creative control.[2]: 223 Welles's new business manager and attorney permitted the contract to lapse. In July 1941,[3][4] Welles reluctantly signed a new and less favorable deal with RKO[2]: 223 under which he produced and directed The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), produced Journey into Fear (1943), and began It's All True, a film he agreed to do without payment. In the new contract Welles was an employee of the studio[5] and lost the right to final cut, which later allowed RKO to modify and re-cut The Magnificent Ambersons over his objections.[2]: 223 In June 1942, Schaefer resigned the presidency of RKO Pictures and Welles's contract was terminated by his successor.[6]
The European release of Kane was delayed until after World War II, premiering in Paris in 1946. Initial reception by French critics was influenced by negative views from Jean-Paul Sartre and Georges Sadoul, who criticized Hollywood's cultural sophistication and the film's nostalgic use of flashbacks. However, critic André Bazin delivered a transformative speech in 1946 that shifted public opinion. Bazin praised the film for its innovative use of mise-en-scène and deep focus cinematography, advocating for a filmic realism that allows audiences to engage more actively with the narrative. Bazin's essays, especially "The Technique of Citizen Kane," played a crucial role in enhancing the film's reputation, arguing it revolutionized film language and aesthetics. His defense of "Citizen Kane" as a work of art influenced other critics and contributed to a broader re-evaluation of the film in Europe and the United States.
In the U.S., the film was initially neglected until it began appearing on television in the 1950s and was re-released in theaters. American film critic Andrew Sarris was significant in reviving its reputation, describing it as a profoundly influential American film. Over the decades, "Citizen Kane" has been consistently ranked highly in critical surveys and polls, often cited as the greatest film ever made.
The film's narrative structure, cinematography, and themes have influenced countless filmmakers and films worldwide, asserting its place as a cornerstone in the history of cinema. Notable film directors and critics have acknowledged its impact on their work and the broader film landscape, underscoring its enduring legacy in both theory and practice.
^The Sight & Sound Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time
"1952 Critics' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"As the Critics Like It". Sight & Sound. Vol. 22, no. 2. British Film Institute. October–December 1952. p. 58.
"1962 Critics' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"Top Ten". Sight & Sound. Vol. 31, no. 1. British Film Institute. Winter 1961–1962. p. 10.
"1972 Critics' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"Top Ten 72". Sight & Sound. Vol. 41, no. 1. British Film Institute. Winter 1971–1972. pp. 12–13.
"1982 Critics' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"Top Ten 1982". Sight & Sound. Vol. 51, no. 4. British Film Institute. Autumn 1982. p. 243.
"1992 Directors' and Critics' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"Top Ten: 250 Verdicts". Sight & Sound. Vol. 2, no. 8. British Film Institute. December 1992. pp. 18–30.
"2002 poll introduction". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"2002 Critics' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"2002 Directors' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"2012 Critics' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
"2012 Directors' poll". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 11 August 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
^ abcLeaming, Barbara (1985). Orson Welles, A Biography. New York: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-618-15446-3.
^Wilson, Jeff (November 29, 2006). "Jack Moss: The Man Who Ruined Welles?". Wellesnet. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
^French, Lawrence (March 2, 2012). "The Memos—Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons turns 70: Triumph or Tragedy?". Wellesnet. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
^Brady, Thomas (November 16, 1941). "Genius Under Stress: Spending RKO's Money Worries Orson Welles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
^"The Memos Part X: George Schaefer resigns as RKO president ..." Wellesnet.com. July 5, 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
and 27 Related for: Legacy of Citizen Kane information
CitizenKane is a 1941 American drama film directed by, produced by, and starring Orson Welles. Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay. Citizen...
CitizenKane is a 1941 American drama film directed by, produced by, and starring Orson Welles. Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay. The...
sources for CitizenKane, the 1941 American motion picture that marked the feature film debut of Orson Welles, have been the subject of speculation and...
The CitizenKane trailer is a four-minute, self-contained, "making of" promotional short film by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre, released in 1940...
authorship of the screenplay for CitizenKane, the 1941 American motion picture that marked the feature film debut of Orson Welles, has been one of the film's...
2015. Mark Cousins, The eyes of Orson Welles, 2018. Danny Wu, American: An Odyssey to 1947, 2022. The legacyofCitizenKane (included in the Criterion...
of techniques such as deep focus, examples of which can be found in his work on Orson Welles' CitizenKane (1941), William Wyler's The Best Years of Our...
worldwide fame for his collaborations with Orson Welles on three films, CitizenKane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), and Journey into Fear (1943)...
2015-01-15. CitizenKane: The Classic Film Scores of Bernard Herrmann. WorldCat. OCLC 3527017. CitizenKane: The Classic Film Scores of Bernard Herrmann...
She made her film debut in CitizenKane, and years later celebrated her 80th birthday by attending a special screening of the film. Ruth Warrick was born...
Tom Kane (born 1962) is a retired American voice actor. He is best known for his work in animation and video games, most notably the Star Wars franchise...
Sarah Kane (3 February 1971 – 20 February 1999) was an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. She is known for her plays that deal with...
Retrieved August 13, 2020. Brown, David W. (May 3, 2011). "'CitizenKane' at 70: The Legacyof the Film and Its Director". The Atlantic. Archived from the...
cancer) of the jaw in 1961. By the time of her death, her popular association with the character of Susan Alexander Kane in the film CitizenKane (1941)...
used by Simon at this time, because of his fondness for the film CitizenKane. For earlier recordings of "The Sound of Silence" and "He Was My Brother":...
Blethyn portrayed Parsons in RKO 281 aka Citizen Welles, a 2000 motion picture about the making ofCitizenKane and the relation between Orson Welles, William...
Y Z List of Canadian poets List of Canadian playwrights List of Canadian short story writers List of Canadian science fiction authors List of Canadian...
the episode "The Last Letter of Dr. Bronson" with Laird Cregar and in 1944, "Portrait without a Face". In CitizenKane (1941), Coulouris played Walter...
Guild of America in February 1989 successfully fought off an attempt by Turner Entertainment Co. to colorize CitizenKane. Given the terms of Welles's...
'Mank,' the new movie about the Jewish screenwriter who brought us 'CitizenKane'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved February 24, 2021. Bonnett, Margie...
issue of Harper's "Raising Kane", book-length essay on the making ofCitizenKane published in the February 20, 1971 and February 27, 1971 issues of The...
voices Sarah Kerrigan in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and the expansion sets Heart of the Swarm and Legacyof the Void. Helfer voices Black Cat in The Spectacular...
saved 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust". CNN. Retrieved 20 May 2023. Choa, Kane Errol. "Tales from Holocaust survivors who escaped to Manila". The Philippine...
Caius Kane. Their second child, Sagan Cyrus, was born in May 2021. Mason came out as bisexual in December 2019. Mason is a naturalized U.S. citizen, having...
Paul Kane (September 3, 1810 – February 20, 1871) was an Irish-born Canadian painter whose paintings and especially field sketches were known as one of the...
Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30...
Welles' Mercury Players, as one of his principal performers in 1937. She also had notable roles in films such as CitizenKane (1941), Dark Passage (1947)...
Global Information