The Coolidge Corner Theatre

Aged newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) softly drawls the word "Rosebud" and dies. Sensing that there’s a story behind Kane’s dying word, a magazine editor shows a reporter a newsreel obituary that chronicles how Kane created a business empire, married a U.S. President’s niece, ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York, divorced his first wife and married a second, collected art, built a fabulous estate called Xanadu, and divorced his second wife. The reporter is then assigned the task of ferreting out the significance of "Rosebud." As the reporter’s investigation progresses, fascinating details about Kane emerge. The principal source for the story of Citizen Kane was the life of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, and the film is seen by critics as a fictionalized, unrelentingly hostile parody of Hearst. Hearst often entertained Hollywood celebrities at Hearst Castle (just north of San Luis Obispo, California) – but only as long as they revealed secrets that would be published the following week in the Hearst newspapers. This quid pro quo resulted in Hearst drawing wide resentment from many actors and directors in Hollywood, and Citizen Kane was seen by many as payback for Hearst's exploits. Welles was also inspired by other figures of the day, and the film also contains autobiographical elements.

dir. Orson Welles, 1h59m