Citizen Kane

Orson Welles was only 24 years old when he, along with Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the script of the film "Citizen Kane".

Before his appearance in Hollywood in 1926, Mankiewicz criticized pieces for The New Yorker magazine.

According to wells, the prototype of Kane was also a Chicago financier Gary Fowler McCormick, who spent a lot of money on his mistress and second wife, Polish singer Hanna to Walska, and one of the founders of General Electric, the Chicago magnate Samuel insull on, built for his mistress, a singer of Opera in Chicago.

Even while in school wells wrote the play "the March" (Marching Song), which has not been delivered. In it he told about how to treat known to man different people, one way or another connected with his life.

Mankiewicz wrote the first draft in about six weeks

The film received rave reviews from film critics, but flopped at the box office. This is largely due to the fact that William Randolph Hearst was forbidden to mention about this picture in their Newspapers, which at that time accounted for the bulk of printed materials in the United States.

The attentive viewer might notice that the camera always looks at Kane and Leland from the bottom up, while a "weak" characters like Susan Alexander, from top to bottom. This style of filming Orson Welles borrowed from John Ford, who used this approach two years earlier in "Stagecoach" (1939).

In order to give the news release shown at the beginning of the film, grainy look, Robert wise (editor) pulled the film from the footage on the stone floor and the cheesecloth filled with sand. However, the idea of the editor did not understand some of the theater owners, demanding the replacement of copies of the film because of the terrible quality of the first ten minutes.

The journalist interviewing an elderly Kane, the cameraman, Gregg Toland.

Film debut of Agnes Moorhead.

During the filming of Orson Welles broke his ankle and was forced for two weeks to direct the film from a wheelchair.

By American Film Institute the film won first place in the list of the best movies of all time.

The phrase Kane's "Rosebud" took the 17th place in the list of "100 best phrases in the history of cinema" by American Film Institute.

Production number of the film, which he got at the Studio, RKO, — 281.

The original negatives of the film were burned during a fire that occurred in the 1970s.

One of the voices of the reporters watching the news at the beginning of the film belongs to Joseph Cotto.

Alan Ladd had played a small role, playing one of the reporters at the end of the film.

In one scene, Kane says, "don't believe everything you hear on the radio." It is possible the link to the radio show of Orson wells "war of the worlds", which many perceived as a real story with the landing of aliens.

Initially, the scene with Charles Bennett and the "chorus girls" was supposed to happen in a brothel, but the Studio did not allow the shooting of such scenes. However, this fact does not bother Orson Welles who deliberately put this scene in the script, in order to distract the censors from other elements.

Almost the entire cast of the film consisted of the actors of the troupe the Mercury Theatre founded by Orson Welles at the age of 21 years. This troupe was doing radio dramas of famous literary works, among which was "the Count of Monte Cristo", "treasure Island", "the 39 steps", "Abraham Lincoln", "war of the worlds", etc.

The character of Joseph Cotto (Leland) based on newspaper criticism of Ashton Stevens.

William Randolph Hearst was so enraged by the film, called Orson Welles a Communist in order to prevent the release of pictures on the screens.

In the opening scene of the film (after the news) in the background, among the reporters, you notice Joseph Cotto.

In the film, Gregg Toland often used lens with anti-reflective coating that was new to the film industry of the time.

A piece of Opera, which trains Susan, — "Una voce poco fa" from "Il barbiere di Siviglia" by Gioachino Rossini.

According to popular rumors that Ted Turner was going to remake the picture of black and white in color, but because of the extremely negative reaction of the audience he abandoned his ideas. The controversy around the change of the original appearance of the painting was one of the factors leading to the adoption of the new rules with the release of the film on video or broadcast on television: if the movie was altered from the version that ran in theaters in the beginning of must appear the caption says that the picture was altered from the original version.

The crowd, looking for Kane when he says his speech is actually a static photograph. In order to give the illusion of motion, with the help of pins were pierced with hundreds of holes behind which equipment all the time, moved the lighting.

After the release of the film, Orson Welles apologized for the way that was portrayed Marion Davies in the role of Susan Alexander, said, Marion is a wonderful woman.

Version of Entertainment Weekly, the film took 2nd place in the list of "Greatest films of all time".

In the script of the film was attended by the storyline, according to which Susan Alexander was cheating on her husband, and Caine learned about the affair. These scenes were finished the storyboard, but they were never removed.

The name of Mr Bernstein was never pronounced in the course of the film.

During filming Orson Welles received a warning from William Randolph Hearst, according to which the latter had intended to discredit the Director with the help of photos that Orson will be captured in the company of a naked woman in a hotel room. On that day, wells did not return to the hotel, in order to avoid possible unpleasant photo shoot. But it is not known exactly whether this threat is true or fiction.

The shooting of the film began in late June 1940 and ended on 23 October of the same year. Initially the film was to be released in February 1941, but due to a series of scandals surrounding the painting, the premiere was delayed until may 1, 1941.

The character "Mr. Bernstein" got its name in honor of Orson Welles guardian Dr. Maurice Bernstein.

According to the magazine Total Film the film was ranked 6th in the list of "100 greatest movies of all time".

The agreement reached between Orson Welles and the Studio RKO, gave him unprecedented freedom for the Director debutant: he had to write the script, produce, direct and play in two films for the Studio, while he picked up the cast and crew. He also had the right to the final installation of his paintings. Studio head George Schaefer could only stop shooting if the film's budget will exceed $500,000 (the budget of "Kane" was overspent by $200,000), but no one except wells had no right to see the current dailies.

The RKO Studio head George Schaefer proposed to change the name of the movie with "American" to "Citizen Kane".

One of the possible names that were considered Orson Welles for his picture, — "John q".

A lengthy scene in which Leland is interviewed at the nursing home, was the first scene Joseph Cotto, filmed for a Hollywood movie. As Orson Welles broke his ankle, had to amend his schedule. Initially, the scene with the old Leland had to be removed one of the last. That though as-that to help the actor, his whole monologue was recorded on cards that were read by Joseph. However, due to the huge amount of makeup and contact lenses, he almost didn't see anything. So Cotto had to learn all his lines in just a few hours.

In order to get rid of the Studio bosses at least in the first days of filming, wells said that the film crew and actors are in rehearsals, when in fact the shooting was in full swing. Trick Orson was disclosed only a few days.

In the opening scene of the film (after showing the news) all the characters present in the room, were played by actors who performed the main male role in the film, including Joseph Cotto and Orson Welles.

In the words of Orson Welles, the fact that Dorothy Comingore was pregnant when the shooting began, gave him some advantages: for example, in disputes with the Studio Orson used this argument as a confirmation of their intentions to finish shooting in time. When watching the film is almost impossible to notice that Dorothy is pregnant, because she either sits at the table, or wearing a loose long dress.

For this film from Orson Welles and cameraman Gregg Toland, first used the "deep focus": a special way of shooting, allowing to shoot objects both in the foreground, middle and background in simultaneous focus.

Although the biography of the character and the prototype is not perfectly aligned in the picture are verbatim quotes Hirst. For example, Kane word for word repeats the telegram Hearst to his correspondent in Cuba: "do Not leave. You provide the illustrations, and I'll provide the war" ("Please remain. You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war").

Of particular importance in the film is the castle as Kane's Xanadu, the prototype of which served as a magnificent residence Hearst in California.

Among the fans of the film are such figures of cinema as Roger Corman, Christopher Nolan, Theo Angelopoulos, Terry Gilliam, Neil Jordan, David Lynch, Krzysztof Kieslowski, John Schlesinger, Paul Schrader, Martin Scorsese, Oliver stone, king Vidor, John Wu, Krzysztof Zanussi, Roger Ebert.

In 2015, according to a poll of BBC "Citizen Kane" was named best American film. In the survey participated 62 film critic.

Decades went debate about what contribution to the script was made by Welles and Mankiewicz. According to various sources, each of the authors expressed in scenario your view on the biography and the fate of the characters. Wells used in scenario facts from his personal life, Mankiewicz, creating an image of Charles foster Kane, gave him the traits of William Randolph Hearst, the famous publishing tycoon. There were rumors that Hearst's most pissed off that the film is not once mentioned "rosebud" (just as many have argued, the tycoon called the private parts of his mistress Marion Davies).

The scene where Kane destroys Susan's room was shot in one take. After filming the hands of Orson Welles were covered in blood and bruises.

During the scenes where Kane first buys his newspaper and says he will be bankrupt in 60 years, you can see Orson Welles at the age of 25 years. In all other scenes the actor was present makeup, which made him older.