It’s terrific!|Apr. 17, 1941|USA|119 Min.|PG
Genre: Drama;Mystery
Description: In a grand estate called Xanadu, located in Florida, the elderly Charles Foster Kane lies on his deathbed. Holding a snow globe, he whispers the word “Rosebud” before passing away. A newsreel documenting Kane’s life reveals him as a wealthy newspaper publisher and industrial magnate. His death becomes a global sensation, and the newsreel’s producer assigns reporter Jerry Thompson to uncover the meaning of “Rosebud.”
Thompson begins interviewing Kane’s friends and associates to piece together the story. He attempts to speak with Kane’s wife, Susan Alexander Kane, who now runs a nightclub and struggles with alcoholism, but she refuses to cooperate. Turning to the archives of the late banker Walter Parks Thatcher, Thompson discovers Kane’s rise from a modest Colorado boarding house and the eventual decline of his fortune.
In 1871, Kane’s mother, Mary Kane, inherited a mining deed that led to the discovery of gold. She entrusted Thatcher to manage a trust for Kane’s education and guardianship. While the adults discussed the arrangements, young Kane played happily in the snow with a sled. When introduced to Thatcher, the boy reacted defiantly, striking him with the sled and trying to escape.
By the age of 25, Kane inherited his trust, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the world due to the mine’s productivity and Thatcher’s investments. He took control of the New York Inquirer newspaper, engaging in sensationalist journalism that often attacked his own business interests. After the 1929 stock market crash, Kane sold his newspaper empire to Thatcher to manage his financial struggles.
Thompson also speaks with Kane’s business manager, Mr. Bernstein, who recalls Kane’s dedication to hiring top journalists to grow the Inquirer’s circulation. The search for the meaning of “Rosebud” continues as Thompson delves deeper into Kane’s complex and enigmatic life.
Cast director: Orson Welles
Cast actor: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Ray Collins, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Stewart, Ruth Warrick, Erskine Sanford, William Alland
Original name: Citizen Kane