Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey

Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker’s Journey is a 2016 non-fiction book written by Harlan Lebo about the making of Citizen Kane, the motion picture produced, directed, co-written, and starring Orson Welles that is ranked by the American Film Institute as the best motion picture ever made.[1]

First edition
(publ. Thomas Dunne Books)

Summary

Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker’s Journey describes Welles' rise to prominence, the creative control he received in his first Hollywood contract, studio infighting over the project at RKO Radio Pictures, the pressurized production schedule, the plot by the Hearst Corporation – critical of the similarity between real-life publisher William Randolph Hearst and the character of Charles Foster Kane – to suppress or destroy the film and discredit Welles, and the ascent of Citizen Kane in the rankings of American motion pictures.[2]

The book is notable for using previously unused documents from the Hearst and Welles archives, the University of Michigan, and the Museum of Modern Art (New York), to examine six new topics about the film:[2] Welles' role in writing the screenplay, which was larger than formerly understood;[3][4][5] previously-unreleased information provided by Welles’ assistant Kathryn (Trosper) Popper,[6] which describes Welles’ struggles with creating the film;[7][lower-alpha 1] the impact on the production of a previously-unexplored script that Welles created after the studio approved a final draft;[8][9] eyewitness accounts of last-second writing by Welles;[7][3] new scenes written during production to fix flaws in the story;[10][lower-alpha 2] and information about the plans by the Hearst organization to suppress or destroy Citizen Kane and discredit Welles.[11][lower-alpha 3][12]

Reception

Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker’s Journey received consistently positive reviews, with critics citing the book for its comprehensive narrative, clarifying misconceptions and inaccuracies, and new factual information about the film.[13][14][15][16][17][18]

Kirkus Reviews reported, "Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey is everything you wanted to know about the greatest film of all time – and then some."[13] Although The New York Times review said although the book seemed “quaint” when compared to the biography by Simon Callow on Orson Welles’ middle years that was published the same month, The Times also said that Lebo’s book was “The most thorough account yet of the genesis, production, and release of Welles's most famous film. . .it's never been presented this comprehensively.”[14]

See also

Notes
  1. Trosper noted a comment from Welles: "One of the great troubles with the script is that we are showing a man who has failed in his ambitions on his own terms -- showing a technical matter rather than a tangible thing such as being dispossessed. Ten million unemployed cannot sympathize with a man who has lost only by his own standards, and can be presented only as a fact of interest rather than a point of sympathy."
  2. The rush of preparing for last-minute shooting can be understood by reviewing the production files for Citizen Kane, in September and October 1940, which show many new budget authorizations for sets and casting that were not part of the original budget, along with daily production reports that report the filming of these scenes only days later. These files are in the UCLA Library Special Collections.
  3. Information about the Hearst conspiracy against Citizen Kane is found in the William Randolph Hearst Papers in the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. Particularly noteworthy are letters and memos by Richard Berlin, in 1941 the head of Hearst's magazine division and (working with Hearst's personal assistant Joseph Willicombe) the primary staff member responsible for coordinating the attack on the film. Also noteworthy in those files are letters and memos from columnist Louella Parsons, whose active role suppressing Citizen Kane -- including threats to studio and theater chiefs to prevent the film's screening

References
  1. "AFI's 100 Greatest Films of All Time". AFI. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  2. Lebo, Harlan (April 26, 2016). Summary: Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey. ISBN 9781466889750. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  3. (Trosper) Popper, Kathryn. "Notes from interview by Joe Popper, provided to author Harlan Lebo by Joe Popper and Laura Popper".
  4. Richard Wilson -- Orson Welles Papers, 1930-2000, Special Collections Library, University of Michigan. "Late Script for Citizen Kane, no cover or date (same document at the Museum of Modern Art called Correction Script)".{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Special Collections Library, UCLA. "Budget and Daily Production Reports". RKO Radio Pictures, Files for Citizen Kane, May 1940-January 1941.
  6. Cheng, Cheryl (March 8, 2016). "Kathryn Trosper Popper, Last Living 'Citizen Kane' Castmember, Dies at 100". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  7. (Trosper) Popper, Kathryn (May 23, 1940). "Notes from meeting with Orson Welles, Herman Mankiewicz, and John Houseman, provided to author Harlan Lebo by Joe Popper and Laura Popper".
  8. Carringer, Robert (Winter 1978). "The Scripts of Citizen Kane". Critical Inquiry. 5 (2): 369–400. doi:10.1086/447995. S2CID 162322642.
  9. Special Collections Library, UCLA. "Third Revised Final Script of Citizen Kane, cover dated July 16, 1940". RKO Radio Pictures, Files for Citizen Kane, May 1940-January 1941.
  10. Special Collections Library, UCLA. "Cutting Continuity of Citizen Kane, cover dated February 21, 1941". RKO Radio Pictures, Files for Citizen Kane, May 1940-January 1941.
  11. Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley. "Letter from Richard Berlin to Joseph Willicombe, January 2, 1941". William Randolph Hearst Papers.
  12. Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley. "Letter from Richard Berlin to Joseph Willicombe, January 21, 1941, and related correspondence". William Randolph Hearst Papers.
  13. "Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey/". Kirkus Reviews. January 26, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  14. "Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey". The New York Times. June 1, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  15. Foran, Chris (April 7, 2016). "Filmmaker's Journey' puts deep focus on Orson Welles, 'Citizen Kane'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  16. Thornell, Peter (February 15, 2016). "Review: Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey". Library Journal. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  17. "Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey". Publishers Weekly. February 8, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  18. "Review: Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey". Booklist (American Library Association). March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
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