The Battle Over Citizen Kane

• 1939: Hollywood at the top of fame
• Hearst controlled most of the media outlets
• movie scandalized Hearst
• film was possibly almost destroyed
• did social experiments to see how people would react
• Orson wanted to shock people
• had never directed anything and was dealing with inexperienced actors
• 24 when he started Citizen Kane
• had lots of experience on Broadway
• to get from radio job to the theater, Kane used ambulances
• 1937: Welles formed his own company- The Mercury
• no applause for Nazi production
• 23 years old- on Times magazine cover and congratulated
• Hearst was elected to Congress but would never attend
• newspaper wars: Hearst controlled the newspapers
• public began to hate Hearst
• Citizen Kane followed the downfall of Hearst’s career

DocudramaRKO 280

• Orson didn’t like Hearst and would defy him

Orson Welles Interview on Citizen Kane

• politics attempted to destroy the movie
• was meant to attack society on a social level
• wanted authority, not money
• confidence from ignorance
• lost editing control
• cinematographer was unconcerned with the success of the movie