Orson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane (1941), despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 12 wins & 28 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Liev Schreiber | ... |
Orson Welles
|
|
| James Cromwell | ... |
William Randolph Hearst
|
|
| Melanie Griffith | ... |
Marion Davies
|
|
| John Malkovich | ... |
Herman Mankiewicz
|
|
| Brenda Blethyn | ... |
Louella Parsons
|
|
| Roy Scheider | ... |
George Schaefer
|
|
| Liam Cunningham | ... |
Gregg Toland
|
|
| David Suchet | ... |
Louis B. Mayer
|
|
| Fiona Shaw | ... |
Hedda Hopper
|
|
| Anastasia Hille | ... |
Carole Lombard
|
|
| Roger Allam | ... |
Walt Disney
|
|
 |
Simeon Andrews | ... |
John Houseman
|
|
|
William Armstrong | ... |
Mr. Lewis
|
| Jay Benedict | ... |
Darryl Zanuck
|
|
| Ron Berglas | ... |
David O. Selznick
|
|
|
|
Paul Birchard | ... |
Top Brass #2
|
|
|
Neil Conrich | ... |
Mr. Thomson
|
|
|
Michael Cronin | ... |
Joseph Willicombe
|
|
|
Sarah Franzl | ... |
Dorothy Comingore
|
| Briony Glassco | ... |
Script Girl
|
|
|
|
Louis Hammond | ... |
Flunkie #2
|
|
|
Aaron Keeling | ... |
Young Orson Welles
|
| Joseph Long | ... |
Harry Cohn
|
|
|
|
Gareth Marks | ... |
Top Brass #1
|
|
|
Olivier Pierre | ... |
Sam Goldwyn
|
| Roger Rose | ... |
News Reader
|
|
| Rolf Saxon | ... |
Flunkie #1
|
|
| Adrian Schiller | ... |
Paul Stewart
|
|
| Kerry Shale | ... |
Bernard Herrmann
|
|
| Cyril Shaps | ... |
Jeweller
|
|
|
|
Tusse Silberg | ... |
Welles's Mother
|
| Toby Whithouse | ... |
Sound Technician
|
|
| Tim Woodward | ... |
Jack Warner
|
|
| Angus Wright | ... |
Joseph Cotten
|
|
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
|
|
Melissa Hartzel | ... |
Showgirl
|
| Zak Shukor | ... |
Butler
|
|
|
|
Bobby Valentino | ... |
Clark Gable
|
| Lucy Cohu | ... |
Dolores Del Rio (uncredited)
|
|
| Anthony Maddalena | ... |
Production Designer (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Tim Packham | ... |
New York Police Officer (uncredited)
|
Directed by
| Benjamin Ross | ||
Written by
| John Logan | ... | (written by) |
| Richard Ben Cramer | ... | (documentary "The Battle Over Citizen Kane") (in part) and |
| Thomas Lennon | ... | (documentary "The Battle Over Citizen Kane") (in part) |
Produced by
| Su Armstrong | ... | producer |
| Diane Minter Lewis | ... | co-executive producer |
| Ridley Scott | ... | executive producer |
| Tony Scott | ... | executive producer |
| Chris Zarpas | ... | co-executive producer |
Music by
| John Altman | ||
Cinematography by
| Mike Southon | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Alex Mackie | ||
Editorial Department
| Aaron Coot | ... | dailies operator |
| Iain Erskine | ... | first assistant editor |
| Bruce Everett | ... | post-production consultant |
| Allan John | ... | laboratory liaison |
| Helen Paszyn | ... | cutting room trainee |
| Mike Stainer | ... | color timer (as Michael Stainer) |
Casting By
| Lora Kennedy | ||
| Joyce Nettles | ||
Production Design by
| Maria Djurkovic | ||
Art Direction by
| Lucinda Thomson | ||
Set Decoration by
| Tatiana Macdonald | ... | (as Tatiana Lund) |
Costume Design by
| Stewart Meachem | ||
Makeup Department
| Elaine Browne | ... | senior hair artist / senior makeup artist |
| Lesley Noble | ... | makeup artist/hair stylist |
| Demelza Rogers | ... | hair stylist: dailies / makeup artist: dailies |
| Roseann Samuel | ... | chief hair designer / chief makeup designer |
| Aileen Seaton | ... | hair artist: Ms. Griffith / makeup artist: Ms. Griffith |
| Karen Z.M. Turner | ... | hair artist / makeup artist |
| Christina Webster | ... | makeup artist: dailies |
Production Management
| Stephen Barker | ... | post-production supervisor |
| Tracey Gibbons | ... | post-production supervisor |
| Nigel Gostelow | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| David Daniels | ... | first assistant director |
| Toby Ford | ... | second assistant director |
| Barney Hughes | ... | co-third assistant director |
| Jo Schotting | ... | third assistant director |
Art Department
| Mark Adams | ... | chargehand painter |
| Brian Aldridge | ... | dressing props |
| Matt Amos | ... | painter |
| Alan Bailey | ... | prop master |
| Alan Briant | ... | dressing props |
| Gary Bunn | ... | art department coordinator: UK |
| Anthony Caron-Delion | ... | draughtsman |
| David Chappell | ... | carpenter |
| Liliana Cifonelli | ... | art department runner |
| Nick Connor | ... | art department runner |
| John Davies | ... | stand-by painter |
| Neil Dickson | ... | stagehand |
| Judy Ducker | ... | production buyer |
| Billy Edwards | ... | stand-by propman |
| Dave Fisher | ... | stand-by chargehand |
| Martin Foley | ... | art department assistant |
| Anthony Hill | ... | painter |
| Peter Hodge | ... | stand-by stagehand |
| Clare Holland | ... | scenic painter |
| Tony Hoskins | ... | carpenter |
| Paul Inglis | ... | stand-by art director |
| Graham Jones | ... | carpenter |
| Josh Jones | ... | stand-by carpenter (as Joshua Jones) |
| Mark Keene | ... | carpenter |
| Tony Knight | ... | props runaround |
| Clifford Lay | ... | stagehand |
| Nicholas Lloyd | ... | carpenter |
| Karen Long | ... | storyboard artist |
| Goggi Lund | ... | signwriter |
| David Martin | ... | stagehand |
| Sarah Millar | ... | construction accountant |
| Clive Mitchell | ... | carpenter |
| Nick Mollo | ... | dresser (as Nicholas Mollo) / storeman (as Nicholas Mollo) |
| Eddie Murphy | ... | carpenter |
| Matthew Parsons | ... | painter (as Matt Parsons) |
| Brian Pickett | ... | stand-by rigger |
| Stelios Polychronakis | ... | graphic artist |
| Ian Ritchie | ... | carpenter |
| Stuart Rushbrook | ... | carpenter (as Stewart Rushbrook) |
| Russell Sargent | ... | carpenter |
| Geoff Stainthorp | ... | chargehand carpenter |
| Robin Thistlewaite | ... | construction manager (as Robin Thistlethwaite) |
| Keith West | ... | props runaround |
| Chris White | ... | carpenter |
| David Williams | ... | carpenter |
Sound Department
| Nick Adams | ... | supervising sound editor |
| Gordon Brown | ... | dialogue editor |
| Sophie Cornet | ... | assistant sound editor |
| Jonathan Cronin | ... | adr editor |
| Clive Derbyshire | ... | sound recordist |
| Mike Dowson | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Diane Greaves | ... | foley artist (as Dianne Greaves) |
| Michelle Greaves | ... | foley artist |
| John Griffith | ... | foley editor |
| Eddy Joseph | ... | additional supervising sound editor |
| Peter Margrave | ... | sound maintenance engineer |
| Ted Swanscott | ... | foley mixer |
| Mark Taylor | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Paul Wrightson | ... | sound effects editor |
| Roberto Cappannelli | ... | re-recording mixer (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Stuart Murdoch | ... | special effects |
| Dan Wright | ... | special effects assistant (as Daniel Wright) |
Visual Effects by
| Steven Begg | ... | visual effects supervisor (as Steve Begg) |
| Steve Boag | ... | optical crew: Cine Image |
| Martin Bullard | ... | optical crew: Cine Image |
| Angus Cameron | ... | digital effects supervisor: The Magic Camera Company |
| Rob Dunbar | ... | visual effects |
| John Goodinson | ... | designer: Cine Image |
| Charles Green | ... | optical crew: Cine Image |
| Robin Huffer | ... | 3D animator: The Magic Camera Company |
| Antony Hunt | ... | executive producer: The Magic Camera Company (as Anthony Hunt) |
| Rick Mietkowski | ... | effects cameraman: The Magic Camera Company / rostrum cameraman: The Magic Camera Company |
| Lynn Perez | ... | Domino operator: The Magic Camera Company |
| Daniel Pettipher | ... | 2d digital supervisor: The Magic Camera Company |
| Ed Plant | ... | 2D digital artist: The Magic Camera Company |
| Matthew Symonds | ... | designer: Cine Image (as Matt Symonds) |
| Angie Wills | ... | digital effects producer: The Magic Camera Company |
Stunts
| Gabe Cronnelly | ... | stunt performer |
| Sarah Franzl | ... | stunt performer |
| Steve Griffin | ... | stunt performer (as Steve 'Street' Griffin) |
| Richard Hammatt | ... | stunt coordinator |
| Paul Herbert | ... | stunt performer |
| Lee Sheward | ... | stunt coordinator |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Qaiser Azim | ... | camera trainee |
| Stuart Barell | ... | clapper loader: "a/b" camera (as Stuart Barrell) |
| Geoff Brown | ... | electrician |
| Micky Brown | ... | gaffer |
| Peter Casey | ... | generator operator |
| Giles Christopher | ... | focus puller: "a" camera |
| Alfie Emmins | ... | electrician |
| Danny Espey | ... | electrician |
| Jon Euesden | ... | electrician |
| Ian Jackson | ... | camera operator |
| Andy Kendall | ... | crane grip |
| Dean Kennedy | ... | electrician |
| Sam McCourt | ... | video assistant |
| Steve Mcleod | ... | best boy (as Steve McLeod) |
| Stephen Morley | ... | stills photographer |
| Michael O'Donoghue | ... | focus puller: "b" camera |
| Malcolm Sheehan | ... | key grip (as Malcolm J. Sheehan) |
Casting Department
| Kristy Carlson | ... | casting associate: US (as Kristy Sager) |
| Louise Cross | ... | casting associate: UK |
| Brendan Donnison | ... | adr voice casting: Lyps Inc. |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Amanda Derby | ... | costume assistant |
| Ali Goss | ... | costume supervisor |
| Tim Guthrie | ... | wardrobe master |
| Kate Burnett | ... | Costume Assistant (uncredited) |
Location Management
| Sam Breckman | ... | location manager |
| Piers Dunn | ... | unit location manager |
| Duncan Muggoch | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| John Altman | ... | conductor / orchestration |
| Matt Barr | ... | music assistant |
| Mark Berrow | ... | musician: violin |
| Richard Bissill | ... | musician: French horn |
| P.J. Bloom | ... | music coordinator |
| Chris Dibble | ... | recording engineer |
| Andrew Glen | ... | music editor (as Andy Glen) |
| Isobel Griffiths | ... | music contractor |
| The John Altman Big Band | ... | music performer: big band music |
| Evyen Klean | ... | music consultant |
| Tony Lewis | ... | music assistant |
| Richard Mather | ... | assistant engineer |
| Graham Read | ... | music preparation |
| Toby Wood | ... | score recording engineer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Heather Storr | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| Gary Birmingham | ... | transportation captain |
| Lia Bourne | ... | driver: artiste's trailers |
| Colin Bressington | ... | driver: standby props |
| Ravi Dube | ... | transportation coordinator (as Ravi Dubé) |
| Denis Greening | ... | unit driver |
| David Gwyther | ... | unit driver |
| Colin Jeffrey | ... | driver: camera truck |
| Townsley Knott | ... | driver: wardrobe truck (as Townley Knott) |
| John Morris | ... | driver: make-up bus |
| Enyo Mortty | ... | unit driver |
| Sean O'Connor | ... | unit driver |
| Simon Saunders | ... | unit driver |
| James Shawyer | ... | driver: construction |
| John Smith | ... | unit driver |
| John Tiny Topping | ... | driver: dining bus (as Tiny Topping) |
| Tony Wadsworth | ... | stand-by driver: construction |
Additional Crew
| Betty Ainslie | ... | assistant accountant |
| Colette Appleby | ... | stand-in |
| Tex Avery | ... | security personnel |
| Roger Charles | ... | assistant accountant |
| David Church | ... | stand-in |
| Ginger Corbett | ... | unit publicist |
| Bob Corff | ... | voice teacher |
| Richard Ben Cramer | ... | consultant |
| Penny Dyer | ... | dialogue coach |
| Michael Epstein | ... | consultant |
| Tracey Gibbons | ... | assistant to producers |
| Julia Hallawell | ... | unit publicist |
| Ruth Halliday | ... | stock footage researcher |
| Ann Hummel | ... | archive consultant |
| Paul Jackson | ... | health and safety advisor |
| Bryan Jacobs | ... | stand-in |
| Carrie Johnson | ... | unit nurse |
| Ed Kashiba | ... | production associate (as Edwin Kashiba) |
| Debbie Kaye | ... | animal supplier |
| Thomas Lennon | ... | consultant (as Tom Lennon) |
| James Linton | ... | stand-in |
| Sharon Moran | ... | assistant production coordinator |
| Tom Moran | ... | assistant: Mr. Scott |
| Hugh O'Conor | ... | assistant: Mr. Ross |
| Debbie Pelham | ... | catering assistant |
| Stefano Priori | ... | production accountant |
| Deborah Ricketts | ... | stock footage researcher |
| Megan Roberts | ... | floor runner |
| Quinny Sacks | ... | choreographer |
| Dominic Sakakini | ... | catering manager |
| John Sargent | ... | post-production accountant |
| Rob Seager | ... | assistant accountant |
| Phillip Small | ... | catering provider |
| Paul Smith | ... | production assistant |
| Emily Stewart | ... | production assistant |
| Katharine Tidy | ... | home economist |
| Duncan Trillo | ... | magic consultant |
| Thomas A. White | ... | representative: The Estate of Orson Welles, Beverly Hills, California |
| Rob Wicks | ... | security personnel |
| Suzie F. Wiesmann | ... | production coordinator (as Suzie [Ford] Wiesmann) |
| Danny Wilde | ... | chef |
| Catherine Charlton | ... | dialect coach: adr (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Anne Koch | ... | acknowledgment: excerpts from the radio play 'War Of The Worlds' by Howard Koch, copyright 1940, copyright renewed, courtesy of |
| Shelgren Kyra | ... | the producers wish to thank for their assistance (as Kyra Shelgren) |
| Don Ray | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
- HBO Pictures (presents)
- WGBH (in association with)
- Scott Free Productions (producer)
- Labrador Films
- BBC Film (in association with)
Distributors
- Home Box Office (HBO) (1999) (United States) (tv)
- Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2000) (United States) (DVD)
- Sherlock Media S.L. (2000) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Vértice 360 (2000) (Spain)
- Cinemien (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2001) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (2011) (United States) (DVD) (Blu-ray included in "Citizen Kane: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition")
- Warner Home Video (2011) (United States) (DVD) (included in "Citizen Kane: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition")
- Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2012) (United States) (DVD) (dvdr)
- K2 Entertainment (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Homescreen (Netherlands) (video)
- K2 Entertainment
- NHK-BS2 (2003) (Japan) (tv)
- New Films International
- Opening Distribution (France)
- SPO (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
- mediacs AG (Germany) (DVD)
Special Effects
- The Magic Camera Company (visual effects by)
Other Companies
- Shepperton Studios (movie studio)
- A1 Animals (animals supplied by)
- ARRI Media (camera equipment supplied by)
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) (under license from: use of ©Oscar® statuette)
- American Theater Collection, George Mason University Libraries (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- Animals Okay (animals supplied by)
- British Movietonews (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- C.T.S. Studios (music recorded and mixed at)
- Castle Hill Productions (provided by: footage from 'Stagecoach')
- Cine Image Film Opticals (opticals and titles)
- Clips and Footage (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- Condé Nast Publications (the producers wish to thank for their assistance: magazines courtesy of)
- Corbis Images (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- Edit Hire (New Technology) (editing equipment)
- Estate of Orson Welles (under license from: use of all intellectual property, moral and other rights of Orson Welles, All rights reserved)
- Film Images (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- Gearbox Sound and Vision (additional ProTools systems supplied by)
- Guildhall Art Gallery (the producers wish to thank for their assistance)
- Hulton Getty Picture Library (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- Image Bank (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- JED Productions (provided by: footage from 'Stagecoach')
- Kobal Collection (courtesy of: RKO newsreel footage)
- Lee Lighting (lighting equipment supplied by)
- Leighton House Art Gallery and Museum, London (the producers wish to thank for their assistance)
- Lyps Inc. (adr voice casting)
- Newman Displays (the producers wish to thank for their assistance)
- Philip Treacy Hats (hats and accessories by)
- Producer's Library Service (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- RKO Radio Pictures (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- Ray Knight Casting (extras casting)
- Set Meals (catering by)
- Shepperton Sound (re-recorded at)
- Susan Scott Lookalikes Ltd. (extras casting)
- Sylvia Wheeler Film Services (negative cutter)
- Tex's Rangers Security Services (security by)
- Turner Entertainment (clip courtesy of: 'Citizen Kane')
- Turner Entertainment (the producers wish to thank for their assistance: posters courtesy of)
- UCLA Film and Television Archive (newsreel footage courtesy of)
- Victoria and Albert Museum (the producers wish to thank for their assistance)
- Video Tape Library (courtesy of: Hollywood footage)
- Warner Bros. (provided by: footage from 'Stagecoach')
- Willie's Wheels (facilities transport)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Coming to Hollywood as a celebrated boy genius featuring a spectacular career arc in New York including his radio hoax War of the Worlds, Orson Welles is stymied on the subject for his first film. After a dinner party at Hearst Castle, during which he has a verbal altercation with William Randolph Hearst, Welles decides to do a movie about Hearst. It takes him some time to convince co-writer Herman J. Mankiewicz and the studio, but Welles eventually gets the script and the green light, keeping the subject very hush-hush with the press. The movie is about an aging newspaper publisher who controlled his enemies as ruthlessly as he controlled his friends; and whose mistress was destined for fame. When a rough cut is screened, Hearst gets wind of the movie's theme and begins a campaign to see that it is not only never publicly screened, but destroyed.
Written by Greg Bulmash |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The true, behind-the-scenes story of the making of the greatest movie of all time, Citizen Kane. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
|
Additional Details
| Also Known As |
|
| Runtime |
|
| Country | |
| Language | |
| Color | |
| Aspect Ratio |
|
| Sound Mix | |
| Filming Locations |
Box Office
| Budget | $12,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The film shows RKO production chief George Schaefer announcing to Orson Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz that he has lost his job on the very day of the opening of Citizen Kane (1941) in May 1941. In fact, Schaefer did not get fired until late in the following year, and this was less because he had promoted the film career of Orson Welles than because almost all the films RKO had made during his tenure had been flops. See more » |
| Goofs | In 1940, Disney was not the major studio it was today. It had few major releases by that date, all animated and all of which were released through other distributors. The meeting of studio chiefs depicted in the movie probably did not take place- certainly not in the form shown- but even if it had, Walt Disney would probably not have been invited. (Samuel Goldwyn, also shown as present, had sold his share in MGM to Louis Mayer years earlier, but was still a major producer.) See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in The 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2000). See more » |
| Soundtracks | I Can't Get Started See more » |
| Crazy Credits | Epilogue: "Citizen Kane was released in 1941 to critical acclaim and box office indifference. William Randolph Hearst gradually withdrew from public life. Marion Davies continued to live with him as his mistress. Until his death in 1951, Hearst never permitted a single advertisement or review of Citizen Kane in any of his newspapers. Orson Welles struggled yet succeeded in making films for the rest of his life, including The Magnificent Ambersons, Touch of Evil and Chimes at Midnight. He died in 1985. Citizen Kane is widely considered the greatest American film ever made." See more » |
| Quotes |
Orson Welles:
I expected better of you, Mank. Herman Mankiewicz: Me too, but I got used to it. See more » |