Orson Welles in “Citizen Kane” is the Classic Movie for October in Bigfork

“Citizen Kane” is a 1941 mystery drama movie with Orson Welles its producer, co-author, director and star.  It is a quasi-biographical film of the main character Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, being part print media mogul William Hurst, two parts well known Chicago business tycoons of that era, and one part part Welles’ life. This does not immediately sound like the makings of what has been called the greatest film of all time. Orson never made movie before and created a new concept in film making. This movie is worth seeing plus find out what “Rosebud” really means in the story. “Citizen Kane” will be shown by Jack Nachbar at The Edge Center in Bigfork on October 13^th at 6:30PM, free of charge. The movie will be accompanied by Jack’s presentation providing a better understanding of the film at the time period of the picture's release.

With Orson never making a movie before this and creating a new concept in film making by doing so, this is a special event in in film history. This movie is best seen on the big screen and, it is worth seeing for its  "new" approach in movies, plus you will get to find find out what “Rosebud” really means in the story. The part this word means to the movie is special all by itself.

“Citizen Kane” is about a reporter assigned to find out the meaning of a newspaper publishing magnate’s last word, “Rosebud”, and the reporter’s search for an answer. That’s it for the story line, but the twists and turns of this assignment makes for the classic that the movie became.  

The drama of the "back-story" is part of what makes the movie so remarkable remarkable by itself, but the filming, techniques and seemingly simple story-line is what makes the extraordinary.  All this made Orson a giant in the film industry after just his first ever try at making a movie.

The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards, but won only one. It is said that the reason was resentment by virtually every one in the industry at the time, and “block voting” to keep “Citizen Kane” in the background of that year’s productions. Before Hollywood, the film industry was courting Welles’s talents for some time, and the finallythe possibility of making huge amounts of money attracted him, but Frank Brady says Welles…”, was still totally, hopelessly, insanely in love with the theater, and it is there that he had every intention of remaining to make his mark.” 

But after the remarkable success of “The War of the Worlds” broadcast, RKO Pictures made him an offer he could not refuse. That offer was probably responsible for so much animosity and plain old jealousy in the industry.  Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Kane

Here is one more push for you to come to Bigfork for this classic. It is from the New York Times review by Bosley Crowther published May 2^nd 1941.  The first paragraph reads in part … “Within the withering spotlight as no other film has ever been before, Orson Welles's ‘Citizen Kane’ had its world première at the Palace last evening. And now that the wraps are off…it can be safely stated that suppression of this film would have been a crime. … "Citizen Kane" is far and away the most surprising and cinematically exciting motion picture to be seen here in many a moon. As a matter of fact, it comes close to being the most sensational film ever made in Hollywood.”

You can see this movie free of charge. An  appropriate snack will be served courtesy of Jack and his wife/projectionist, Lynn.  Place: The Edge Center for the Arts, Bigfork. Date and time: Thursday October 13 at 6:30PM. It will be worth going to Bigfork, because Jack will give you lots of background about the movie and a cartoon of the period will give you some laughs.