Citizen Kane film controversy
The controversy surrounding the film "Citizen Kane" primarily revolves around its perceived parallels to the life of William Randolph Hearst, a powerful newspaper magnate. Directed by Orson Welles, who co-wrote the script with Herman Mankiewicz, the film begins with the death of its protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, and follows a reporter's investigation into the meaning of Kane's last word, "Rosebud." Hearst, recognizing the film's unflattering portrayal of his life, especially in its depiction of a ruthless newspaperman and his obsession with a young actress, launched a campaign to suppress the film's release. This included instructing his many newspapers to ignore the production company, RKO Pictures, and creating pressure that led to initial doubts about the film's distribution. Although the film was eventually released, Hearst's campaign negatively impacted its commercial success and Welles's recognition, as he did not receive any Academy Awards for what is now considered one of the greatest films in American cinema. The controversy highlights the intersection of media power, artistic expression, and the influence of personal vendettas in the film industry.
Citizen Kane film controversy
Type of work: Film
Released: 1941
Director: Orson Welles (1915-1985)
Subject matter: Pseudodocumentary life story of fictional newspaper mogul Charles Foster Kane
Significance: Newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst regarded Welles’s film as an unflattering portrayal of his own life and tried to suppress it
In collaboration with Herman Mankiewicz, Orson Welles wrote the script for Citizen Kane. He also directed the film and played the title role. The film opens with the death of a powerful newspaperman named Kane. The rest of the film follows a reporter’s quest to understand the significance of Kane’s last word, “Rosebud”—which seems to be a lament for the childhood taken from him when he inherited the fortune that made his fabulous newspaper career possible.
When William Randolph Hearst, then one of the most powerful newspapermen in the United States, learned that Citizen Kane closely mirrored his own life, he launched a vigorous campaign to prevent its being shown. In addition to the fact that both Kane and Hearst were both ruthless newspaper tycoons, parallels between the men are both clear and unflattering. For example, Kane’s obsessive desire to see his untalented young wife become an opera singer resembles Hearst’s wish for his young (but truly talented) mistress, Marion Davies, to become a film star. Likewise, Kane’s excessively opulent private palace in Florida, “Xanadu,” recalls Hearst’s palatial estate at San Simeon, California.
To prevent Citizen Kane’s release, Hearst ordered his many newspapers not to publish anything about the film’s production company, RKO Pictures. At first, Will Hays, the head of the Motion Picture Association, expressed doubts that Citizen Kane could be released and RKO cancelled its scheduled opening. However, Hays’s office eventually let the film be released. Nevertheless, Hearst’s campaign clearly damaged the film’s commercial success; it may also have contributed to Welles’s receiving no Academy Awards for the film that many critics now regard as the finest American film ever made.