Posted on 10/05/2018 1:17:27 AM PDT by gattaca
Citizen Kane, the 1942 drama made by Orson Welles, is frequently cited as one of the greatest movies ever made.
In the 76 years since its release, critical support for the film has gone from strength to strength, and historians of cinema have recognized its crucial importance in setting the agenda for filmmaking in the 20th century.
So why did this classic of modern cinematography fail at the box office?
The movie was the brainchild of Orson Welles, a rising star on the 1930s theater and radio scene.
According to the Guardian, by the tender age of just 22, Welles had earned a reputation as a powerful performer and innovative theatrical producer.
In particular, his radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds was an unprecedented success. In what may be considered the first “mockumentary,” The War of the Worlds convinced many listeners that a Martian invasion of Earth was actually underway.
Cinematographer Gregg Toland wanted to work with Welles for the opportunity of trying experimental camera techniques that other films did not allow.
On the back of this and several other critical successes on the stage, Welles made the move into Hollywood. He was able to negotiate for a greater degree of creative control than was typically awarded to filmmakers, and finally struck a deal with RKO Radio Pictures that gave him full reign over two movies. Welles would write, direct and perform, and would have the last word on the final cut of each film.
According to the Guardian, Welles had his heart set on an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. However, the studio bosses rejected the script, and Welles was forced to abandon his idea. He then struck upon a script that had been developed by Herman J. Mankiewicz.
The story was a mystery drama based on the character of a real-life press baron, William Randolf Hearst. Welles and Mankiewicz collaborated on a revised script, and so Citizen Kane was born.
Welles was a completely untried director, but he surrounded himself with talented, experienced people, and proved to be an exceptionally quick learner. His lack of training meant that he was more adventurous and creative than many of his peers, and the film exploded many of the conventions of mid-20th century cinematography.
Toland replied that this was ideal, saying, “I’m tired of working with people who know too much about it.” Toland and Welles pioneered many techniques and approaches to cinematography, including composite shots and unusual camera angles, which would later become Hollywood staples.
The film also broke new ground in make-up design and special effects. Welles and his team adopted experimental new techniques using latex to achieve the look of the elderly Kane.
The approaches pioneered on Citizen Kane are still in use today, and transformed the use of make-up to achieve special effects.
Citizen Kane should have been an overwhelming success. However, William Randolph Hearst, the real-life figure upon whom the movie was allegedly based, worked extremely hard to sabotage it. According to the Guardian, when Hearst heard about the movie, he was furious.
As a major press mogul, he had considerable power over the way in which Citizen Kane was covered in the media, and he launched a boycott in all of the outlets he had connections to. He even attempted to buy the film in order to ensure that it would never be released.
Welles fell ten feet while shooting the scene in which Kane shouts at the departing Boss Jim W. Gettys; his injuries required him to direct from a wheelchair for two weeks.
Citizen Kane was eventually released to critical acclaim, but Hearst’s boycott had done the trick. Many exhibitors refused to show the film, and at the box office, it was a financial catastrophe for RKO Pictures, which failed to recoup its losses.
The failure of Citizen Kane as a commercial venture was a huge embarrassment for the studio, particularly given the unprecedented amount of control that had been given to Welles.
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He would never again be able to negotiate such a favorable contract with a Hollywood studio, and the perceived “failure” of the greatest movie of all time would haunt him for the rest of his career.
One of Jack Hammer’s all-time faves.
Once you get your hands on a clean, crisp restored copy you realize that it’s some of the most skillful cinematography ever done.
Orson Welles was 26. And he never came anywhere close to matching that level of success again.
I remember that movie! Now, if I could dance like that...
I would not say that Welles did not come close. Yes, it is difficult to top a film that is regularly called "the greatest of all time", but he did do some other good films. The Magnificent Ambersons, in spite of the studio re-editing, is still quite good.
I think all three of his Shakespeare films are good (Macbeth, Othello, Chimes at Midnight) are very good. Macbeth was redubbed and recut by Republic, but can now be seen in its original version. Othello has long been called a "flawed masterpiece" because it was made in such a piecmeal fashion. Yet it contains some masterful touches. Chimes at Midnight is one of the best Shakespeare films IMO, cutting together the two parts of Shakespeare's Henry IV plays to focus on the character of Flastaff, well played by Welles.
Other good Welles films include his two film noirs: The Lady From Shanghai and Touch of Evil. His film of Kafka's The Trial is also worthwhile. Welles was always a maverick. After Ambersons, Welles was on the outs with the Hollywood studios. Many of his later films are independent projects made with whatever funds he could scrape up. In spite of the limitations, his genius still shines through.
A good example of Welles' ability to make the most of a bad situation is the famous scene of the attempted murder of Cassio from Othello. Welles was shooting in Morocco, and the costumes for most of the actors had not arrived; only Iago's was there. So, Welles set the scene in a Turkish bath with the rest of the actors wearing sheets and towels. It is considered one of the best conceived scenes in the film.
While few of his later films have the polish of Kane, they nevertheless contain many great flourishes that make for entertaining viewing.
I wouldn’t include it in the top ten films list.
It’s one cliche after another.
Funny you should say that. I taught World History and Geography to HS sophs for 30 years — probably 7000 kids total. Every one of them watched Zhivago and wrote their thoughts about it (some even wrote poems).
How about this top five;
Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston version)
Best Years of Our Lives (Dana Andrews)
The Searchers... (John Wayne)
Either of the first two Godfather movies
The Bridges of Toko-ri
I must have been 9 or so when it came out. I remember my mother really loved it and not just for the love story.
Interesting. Due to the number of years I showed it, to so many classes, I have watched the movie 290 times, and know every aspect of it by heart. Now, any time something comes up in the news that is even remotely related, I can quote a scene from it to match.
The movie shows what happens when you let bolsheviks take over. Long before Venezuela.
When Orson Welles was on his deathbed he dropped a snow globe and was heard to say “RKOooooo....”
#11 Citizen Kane was boring. The acting stilted.
A real yawner, you’re right.
A great list you’ve got there! I’m glad you put Ben-Hur on top.
Toko-Ri is a James Michener tale, who was my mom’s English teacher at Greeley (name-dropper ]slap!]).
Mine goes like this:
1. Doctor Zhivago
2. Ben-Hur
3. North by Northwest
4. Singin’ in the Rain
5. Godfather I
I like that film; watch it every time it comes on TCM
Me too.
It was not cliched at the time. It predicted a certain type of American life..a dynamic force of nature peaks and then becomes a lumbering self parody of himself. Howard Hughes, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson...and Welles himself (although he didn’t have the sort of wealth the others did).
They were not cliches at the time.
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