Last weekend saw the 80th anniversary of the premiere of Citizen Kane, which was produced and directed by Orson Welles and co-written by him with Herman J Mankiewicz, for which they both won the Oscar in 1942 for Best Original Screenplay, which was the only win from nine nominations. Now it often tops the polls as the best film ever made, though it had a hard ride. The film opens with a group of reporters trying to decipher the last ever word – Rosebud – uttered by millionaire newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, who is generally accepted as being based on William Randolph Hearst – and then goes on to chart with flashbacks his rise to fame and fall from grace. The film had a hard time on release as Hearst used his power to prevent any mention of it including stopping the first choice location for the premiere. Although critically praised, except by Hearst affiliates, it did not initially recoup its costs , but after international approval it went into profit on re-release in 1956. The Kane mansion is called Xanadu and set in Florida, with much of the film’s action taking place in Colorado and New York. It was shot on the Paramount lot in Hollywood, with some location shooting in San Diego at Balboa Park and the Zoo. We believe it is worthy of a match in celebration and hope you will accept. If the number or ratings do not suit, then please make contact.
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