“Citizen Kane” (1941)
Upon its release, “Citizen Kane” was an immediate critical success, with reviewers praising Orson Welles’ inventive direction, his acerbic screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz, and the incredible performances of the ensemble cast. During its theatrical run, however, the film struggled, almost entirely because of the interference of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. The very clear inspiration behind the character of Charles Foster Kane that Welles plays in the movie, Hearst was incensed at the film’s negative depiction of him, and attempted to sabotage its release by forbidding his papers from mentioning or advertising the movie, and bribing several theater chains to not play it. As a result, the movie lost around $160,000. But Hearst couldn’t keep the film down forever, and “Citizen Kane” is now frequently ranked as the single best movie ever made. —WC