Citizen Kane, Trump, and Hearst | Based on True Story

It's time review Citizen Trump's favorite movie, Citizen Kane. Strangely enough, it is kind of Based on a True Story. William Randolph Hearst was Orson Welles's target, but this is an odd one for me.
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The Battle over Citizen Kane:
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Trump on Citizen Kane:
• Video (21:10)
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Wiki:
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American mystery drama film by Orson Welles, its producer, co-screenwriter, director and star. The picture was Welles's first feature film. Nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories, it won an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Welles. Considered by many critics, filmmakers, and fans to be the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane was voted as such in five consecutive British Film Institute Sight & Sound polls of critics, until it was displaced by Vertigo in the 2012 poll. It topped the American Film Institute's 100 Years ... 100 Movies list in 1998, as well as its 2007 update. Citizen Kane is particularly praised for its cinematography, music, and narrative structure, which have been considered innovative and precedent-setting.
The quasi-biographical film examines the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, a character based in part upon the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, Chicago tycoons Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick, and aspects of Welles's own life. Upon its release, Hearst prohibited mention of the film in any of his newspapers. Kane's career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power. Narrated principally through flashbacks, the story is told through the research of a newsreel reporter seeking to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word: "Rosebud."
After the Broadway successes of Welles's Mercury Theatre and the controversial 1938 radio broadcast "The War of the Worlds" on The Mercury Theatre on the Air, Welles was courted by Hollywood. He signed a contract with RKO Pictures in 1939. Unusually for an untried director, he was given the freedom to develop his own story, to use his own cast and crew, and to have final cut privilege. Following two abortive attempts to get a project off the ground, he wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane, collaborating on the effort with Herman Mankiewicz. Principal photography took place in 1940 and the film received its American release in 1941.
While a critical success, Citizen Kane failed to recoup its costs at the box office. The film faded from view after its release but was subsequently returned to the public's attention when it was praised by such French critics as André Bazin and given an American revival in 1956. The film was released on Blu-ray on September 13, 2011, for a special 70th anniversary edition.
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Hashtags: #History #CitizenKane #WilliamRandolphHearst #Review #BasedOnATrueStory #OrsonWelles

[@deadpan80]

The Voodoo Hamlet you speak of was actually a production of MacBeth with an all black cast and it too place in the Caribbean - I believe it to be Haiti

[@CynicalHistorian]

Yep, thanks for pointing that out. I'm going to pin your correction, which is for 4:50 in the video

[@deadpan80]

Thanks. Though I don't agree with your assessment of CK I did enjoy your video and share a dislike for President Wilson (not sure why he is so highly regarding by most). While CK was based largely on Hearst as a model it did also borrowed attributes from several other prominent men of wealth and power of the time period - I don't think Welles and screenwriter Markiewicz's intention was to accurately portray Hearst's life in any meaningful way or defame those close to him. Side note: Not sure how accurate this really is but Hearst's real anger towards the film was do to the use of Rosebud which allegedly was a nickname he had for his mistress's private parts.

[@deadpan80]

CH?

[@jamesoblivion]

@@deadpan80 Cynical Historian, presumably.

[@aurionc2468]

It was NOT an all-black cast, as ORSON WELLES PLAYED THE TITLE CHARACTER. In blackface.

[@liamgarrison3369]

Hearst started a war to sell newspapers. He deserves every bit of Citizen Kane.

[@scheikundeiscool4086]

Hearst is the kind of person that makes you wish that god existed, just so he could go to hell.

[@GrizzlyTank]

He also launched the precursor to the war on drugs

[@SafetySpooon]

@@GrizzlyTank "Reefer Madness"

[@varangiangaming7178]

Hearst definitely deserves it, but his mistress and most definitely his wife didn't.

[@xc43t]

@@varangiangaming7178 Then again, people could argue they did deserve it. Melania is probably as bad as Donald is. Perhaps the wife and a mistress were not the innocent bystanders either.

[@michaelhoward4267]

Trump liking Citizen Kane is like hardcore rappers liking Scarface. They identify with the central character without internalizing the message of the movie.

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

I think that's half of it, the other half being that film critics have praised it endlessly (I'm not enough of a historian to judge if it was deserved praise)

[@nicholasgreen8703]

"haha yes, I too deal drugs"

[@danielyoung6778]

@@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat in terms of cinema from an American perspective (which gets to much attention in the grand scheme of the artform) it very much does. It's a great movie and while it's far from the first great art film like by this point we've already had amazing directors like Renoir, Ford, Meillies... It created and popularized many new techniques and opened more if what cinema could be to the general American public who only watched movies from Hollywood.

[@MadnerKami]

The thing is, those people read the medium in question different than you or me do. They take a different message out of it, one you'd never conceive of being in there, just as they'd never conceive how you could read into it, what you read into it. The preson reading a book or watching a movie or listening to the song, is argueably more important in terms of interpreting a work, than the person who made the work of art.

[@SpoopySquid]

@@MadnerKami *Death of the Author intensifies*

[@OrchestrationOnline]

I don't think you can have it both ways, Cynical Historian. You can't express initial understanding that Welles had to change personal details to avoid libel, and then subsequently condemn Welles for being ahistorical. All that aside, whatever its crimes of innuendo against Marion Davies, CK is considered the greatest film of all time for reasons other than historicity. The combination of craft, ingenuity, talent, and sheer virtuosic bravado is the reason for its reputation - and by this point, that reputation remains even after its subject of Hearst has been mostly forgotten. Other than that, great video.

[@star3catcherSEQUEL]

I honestly suspect Trump just said that because it's considered the best movie ever and he wanted to throw something popular out there.

[@camdonking1919]

Serina Sanchez exactly

[@Cancoillotteman]

Cetainly. Also I do believe that though he may not (probably not) understand the movie, he must feel a real sense of identification to Kane, and you can feel that in the interviews. And of course, we always enjoy more movies in which we can identify ourselves.

[@tomservo5007]

@@Cancoillotteman Trump never watched the movie. The summary he is repeating is from some aide or an online summary that is less than a page long. Since Trump doesn't like to read, my guess it's from an aide.

[@Cancoillotteman]

@@tomservo5007 maybe. I don't know, I'm not in the guy's head. Being as old as he is and spending so much time before a screen as he does he might as well have though ^^

[@jeremyheintz1479]

You can take whatever you want from this or any movie, unless the director, writer specifically lay out what they meant then this is just opinion like any other.

[@the1flym459]

I think that Welles used Hearst more as a framing device and a character study rather than a one-to-one adaptation

[@idstice]

Which is actually correct. Herman J. Mankiewicz was the writer for the films screenplay and mostly responsable for the movies relation to reality. Mank and Wells both wanted to make a statement towards Hearns. The distinction between them being that Mank had a more personal problem with the man and got into fights with Wells over changing the script to diverge more from the person. Orson Wells often said that Kane was more an assortment of different people he knew, one time even to Hearns himself.

[@TechTehScience]

A lot of the "inaccuracies" were likely on purpose. While the film was mocking Hearsth partially I feel like it simply used his general life as a template for the film's message while changing around what was necessary. An example was his son dying in a car accident. That was mostly likely done as a child is a direct manner of being loved. If said child had lived the film would likely require more time to develop while his own son didn't love him and would likely make Kane appear overly cruel instead of a man simply wanting to be loved that we feel bad for.

[@Ruby_V_]

When I hear Trump name Citizen Kane as his favorite movie, I assume he is just adopting a popular opinion. This is supported by the fact that he 'flounders' in trying to explain the significance of the movie. I do see your point about their lives being similar and maybe his opinion was also informed by a sense of identification and personal challenge. Is there any insight to gain from us making such a comparison though? Aren't you just furthering the fame and supposed significance of a movie you dislike by implying that there is a meaningful comparison? Maybe you just wanted to try portraying a retroactively based on a true story. I'll have to let it sit for awhile for the significance to dawn on me.

[@swr3603]

It's also the same when he is asked what his favorite book is. He just gives either his own books or the most well known ones.

[@robinisomaa]

Had they asked him a different week, he would have said Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Grey. Or, if he wanted to appeal to another demographic: "I love A Song of Ice and Fire. They're just great. I have all the books. You ask anyone and they'll say 'Donald Trump loves A Song of Ice and Fire.' You know what I'm gonna do on my first day in office? I'm going to appoint a special publisher to make sure George R. R. Martin finishes those books. We'll have the final two books in three montsh, tops!" However, nowadays he'd probably say "Who knew fantasy book writing was so complicated?"

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

@@robinisomaa I'm sure he would say the books are also called game of thrones, then the interviewer might correct him and he would insist he was right all along

[@johndoe6260]

But what if he just likes it

[@johncarroll772]

Trumps a moron he hasn't got the brain to decipher Art.

[@whotoobe]

Completely disagree with the conclusions in this video. When one marries a public figure or someone who is at least trying (and failing) to become a public figure like Hearst, you open yourself up to criticism, journalism, and yes, parody. I see no justification in the defense of a mistress who is a self-proclaimed gold-digger trying to make a career in a field she has no talent. Once again, once you make yourself a public figure, as she so badly wanted to be a movie star in Hollywood, you open yourself to all Hollywood has to offer, yes, including parody. If Welles makes a parody and everybody laughs, than the humor of the situation existed before the film and he was simply the one that made it publicly presentable. It's the same reason some of the more opinionated journalism outlets get away with their coverage of politicians and celebrities. Everyone is entitled to privacy, but their actions and failings in the public eye is there for all to enjoy, and one shouldn't scold so severely, as you have, someone for crafting it into a presentable package.

[@CynicalHistorian]

+dammitwestbrook Would you say there is a limit to parody with public figures like this?

[@whotoobe]

Personally I don't. I've seen the film many times with knowledge of how it plays on Hearst, and I've never thought about the effect it would have on him or the women in his life. We get made fun of. Rich people are the same. There will always be someone to mock or criticize and you move on from it or try and get retribution, but I think establishing "limits" to parody in film would be censorship, and I'm not a fan of censorship. And there are far, far worse examples of parody films, and even films that just straight up slander that somehow get in front of audiences. I have very little sympathy for people like Hearst or his actress mistress. I would be horrified and humiliated if somebody made a film mocking my life, but so what? Was there something to be mocked? Am I power-hungry? Am I wrong? If I don't think I am, I confidently carry on and perhaps try to find retribution. If I determine I am indeed wrong in some way, I just might enjoy the film!

[@dejayrezme8617]

I would say "do unto others...". Hearst was a propagandists causing a lot of damage. So if you'd sum up that damage he's responsible for, than this movie is far less punishment than he'd deserve. Orson Wells rightfully deserved to have his career ruined because he mocked some gold digger that chose to associate with evil men? Would you argue the same critique for "The Great Dictator"? Would you argue the same critique against mockeries of Trump and the collateral damage towards family members profiting off his dealings and corruption? I think it's easy to give a cool judgement from a historical perspective, but the movie also challenged power that still goes largely unchecked. Without this challenge, what would have happened differently in the history of the USA? Might have been a very minor influence, but an influence nonetheless. PS: Thanks, great video!

[@johnlowell9300]

CITIZEN KANE is a work of fiction, It never pretended to be, it never aspired to be a "true story". The issues that the analyst presents are not "inaccuracies", because as fiction, the story elements were not intended to be accurate. While many aspects of CITIZEN KANE are inspired by the life of Hearst, other elements come from other sources, not least of which if "opera singer" aspect of the Susan Alexander story, which is based more on the relationship between Harold McCormick and Ganna Walska. And, as if known to anyone knowledgeable about the creation of CITIZEN KANE, many aspect of the movie were from Welles's own life, not least of which was the bedroom demolition scene, which was inspired by a blow-up between Welles and John Houseman at Chasen's restaurant. The lovely scene where Bernstein speaks of the girl he saw on the pier was from the life of co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, as was the idea for Rosebud, which was a bicycle that Mank lost when he was a pre-adolescent. But the main point is to label something within a fictional story as "inaccurate" is silly. It is not Hearst's story. For the record, Davie's final movie - and she had tapered off acting in the early 1930s, was in 1937. KANE was released in 1941. KANE had nothing to do with ending the career of Marion Davies. Lastly: the analyst keeps describing the movie as a "parody". Perhaps I am missing the point, but of what is it a parody? For example, SPINAL TAP is a parody of the "rockumenatries" that started appearing in the 1970s. It uses the style of those movies to comic effect. WALKING HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY is a parody of movies such as WALK THE LINE and RAY. Of what movie or style is CITIZEN KANE a parody? This may be presumptuous, but I think the analyst is mistaking "parody" for another word, though I am not sure what word it is.

[@matthewwhite9721]

"The movie isn't about accumulation in general, but the kind of character who accumulates wealth." Thank you, Mr. Specific.

[@Phd12741]

Not sure if it got covered in the comments but his Voodoo Shakespeare was Macbeth and not Hamlet. It was a massive hit and showed how Shakespeare was accessible to everyone (it was an all black cast). It also went up before his War of the Worlds broadcast and even before his acclaimed Julius Caesar. Don't wish to seem as a detractor, I am a big fan of this channel.

[@CynicalHistorian]

Haven't been corrected on that one. Yeah, I mixed up his various plays here (partially because he did himself in _F is for Fake_ , but that's not a good excuse). Thanks

[@LadyTylerBioRodriguez]

Okay I'm currently researching a video on the Magnificent Ambersons, so of course I need to get into Welles. The truth about Citizen Kane is complicated. Hearst is without question an influence, most notably in turning around a newspaper he happened to own and the famous quote about the Spanish American War. Buuuuuut Charles Foster Kane is more then Hearst. John Houseman admitted Kane is a composite of several people, even a little bit of Welles himself. He quotes a couple lines Welles said about theater acting in one scene. Kane is born poor but becomes rich by happenstance, Hearst was already born into a rich family. Industrialists Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick were also direct inspirations in various ways. McCormick built the Chicago Opera House for his mistress Ganna Walska, who was an opera singer who famously was terrible but McCormick kept forcing to sing. Marion Davis wasn't considered a terrible actress before Citizen Kane, she was actually considered a talented comedic actress. Other people like Bazil Zarharoff the arms dealer help inspire details like the News on the March sequence. The Rosebud anatomy meaning is almost certainly false. That was in Herman Mankowitzs first draft and rumors about the meaning didn't come around until the 1970s. Welles wasn't good at hiding a secret. In reality Rosebud probably came from Manks life, the recent consenus seems to be it was a horse from 1914 that he won a lot of money on. Also worth noting Welles really liked Davis, he wrote the foreward for her biography. The problem was mostly Hearst felt Susan Alexander was Davis, he never saw the film so he might have just presumed. There is a lot of myths about Kane, what is suppose to be what. Hell the writing credit continues to be a contentious issue, although it really was Welles and Mank, as the film states, although Houseman also helped write it. With Trump... lets be blunt, he just says its his favorite because people say its the best. Occams razor. He didn't get it and merely claims he did because of his ego. Sources Carringer, Robert, The Scripts of Citizen Kane. Carringer, Robert, The Making of Citizen Kane. Welles, Orson, This is Orson Welles.

[@Don.tKillTheMessanger]

You're spot on about Trump. It's the same reason he claims the bible is his favourite book

[@MichaelChong100]

Actually, the film’s inspiration is not just Hearst, but also Pulitzer, Insull and McCormick. The second wife was based on Insull’s second wife.

[@drb166]

What I like about fictional novels and movies is that everyone takes something different away from them. There can be many levels to these, whether intended or unintended.

[@ecurewitz]

Looks like Orson Welles understands Citizen Trump better than Citizen Trump himself

[@57WillysCJ]

Personally I think Welles going off and hurting the wife and mistress was payback for Hearst treatment of others. Take Fatty Arbuckle as an example. He ruined Arbuckle ' s life from unfounded scandal. After it was over Arbuckle asked Hearst why? Nothing personal it was just business. He know qualms for destroying Arbuckle ' s career. Another that went after Arbuckle was William S Hart which himself was parodied by Buster Keaton. Hart wouldn't speak to Keaton for 2 years. Welles and Keaton felt it just business.

[@Sweet.Mother.of.Cheesus]

Note to the poster: "Film noir" doesn't mean it's in black and white. Citizen Kane does set a tone that is later being picked up by the classic film noir directors and its new narrative structure is also trend setting for the genre, but Citizen Kane is DEFINITIVELY not a film noir... if anything it would be (what we here in Europe call it) a film auteur

[@kmzstube]

Right now on Rotten Tomatoes the rating is 100/90. Interestingly, the movie doesn't even come up in the suggestions until you get to the 'k' in Kane. I've seen the movie 3 times I think and like it, but I understand why it leaves so many others cold, especially with the now-cliche labeling of it as the greatest movie ever made. That is certainly hyperbolic. Here's an interesting thought: until the internet, who have the vast majority of film critics worked for? Newspaper owners.

[@Cancoillotteman]

I agree. It is a very well made movie, no doubts about that. However the subject and pace are rather low points in the movie to me, there have been greater works.

[@BigHenFor]

Cypher, I dont agree with you about Citizen Kane. Rather than parody, it was satire of Hearst and men like him, whose self-importance often trumped their humanity. With Randolph Hearst and Orson Welles you had an immovable object meeting an irresistible force. Something explosive was bound to happen. I think both men probably projected their bile at each other because they both had big egos. Both Welles and Hearst were like Alexander the Great in their suitability for only one thing and beyond they were utterly lost. Cut adrift and aimless without that single means of expressing their life purpose. Welles was unfortunate in that his target for satire still had a lot of power and was willing to use it to help dislodge Welles' career. Welles helped him do it though. None of his films ever made a profit, and he himself - despite talent, verve, and charisma - was unable to rein in his own arrogance, and in this, he helped push his career off the tracks. Welles knew all too well the extent of his talent, and wasn't afraid of never being humble. So Welles being snubbed at the Oscars was both a result of Hearst's vendetta and Welles starting to run out of friends and admirers in Hollywood. As for your assertion that Welles 'defamed' Hearst's wife and mistress is hardly tenable. Often satire works best if it is sharpened by fact, but when you have a target with a soft underbelly, a blunt attack will do the trick. And Citizen Kane was a blunt weapon in the hands of a man too arrogant to sharpen his blade. If Welles wanted to defame Mrs Hearst, he could have dragged her for her humble beginnings as a vaudeville artiste, rather than portray her as the niece of a president. As for Marion Davies, she states in her autobiography that she retired in 1937 because at 40, she could no longer command leading roles as she had done, and she was unwilling to take supporting roles. Something Hearst himself was unwilling for her to do. Not only that but Cosmopolitan Films, Hearst's production company which had made her films had folded, and despite her reputedly astute business skills, she turned her back on Hollywood. Citizen Kane came out in 1941, 4 years after she had officially retired. Was it embarrassing for Hearst, his wife and his mistress. Yes but, as their arrangements were public knowledge by then, as Davies had been Hearst's mistress since 1917. Only his wife's refusal to grant a divorce stopped them from marrying.

[@jessicamillard9206]

Have you thought about doing a review of RKO 281? I thought it was fascinating to see the fight between Hearst and Wells and would love to know more about it.

[@Starlesslemon]

It's only the presidents favorite movie because he Googled "best movie ever" lmao. You think too much into it.

[@jaybird2518]

lol trump can't read he is illiterate he had hope hicks google it for him

[@pennyo6868]

Starlesslemon, Thinking too much into anything, therefore making it more than what it is, sounds like an American invention, like american exceptionalism;) lol

[@Cythil]

He is not illiterate. He might not be well read. But he know how to read. Evident by the many times he read of Teleprompters. Is not like we have to make up stuff about Trump to criticize him or ridicule him. In fact when you do so is you who made the claim that seem ignorant. So if you want to criticizes him actually stick to the truth.

[@Boog1137]

@@pennyo6868 whats that i hear? Irrelevancy?

[@tfd7915]

In his attitudes and ways of speaking I think Trump reminds me of Mussolini more than anyone. But the Citizen Kane comparison makes a lot of sense as well.

[@LOLquendoTV]

great video, your channel is insanely underrated

[@sueiverson258]

" parody of someone who really needed to be taught a lesson" Watching it right now I see some parallel with Trump and that line kinda summed that up for me...

[@SunflowerSocialist]

I went to Hearst castle when I was younger and mentioned this movie and the docent responded rather sternly. I don’t remember what they said, just the way they said it.

[@LeighMet]

It was Macbeth that was made Hattian. athe whole President Niece to a Presidents wife is actually a reference to Elenor Roosevelt who is the daughter of Theordore Roosevelts brother.

[@keithroberts4754]

Citizen kane won an oscar for the best screenplay in 1942

[@jpotter2086]

Tr*mp says he likes Citizen Kane because that's a "smart people" answer. I would bet he's never seen it. BOH-ring!

[@bridiesmith1075]

I have red that what incensed Hears twas the depiction of Marion Davies as an alcoholic. There is a myth that Orson Welles took on one of the most powerful men in the world and that it was "Citizen Kane" which brought Hearst down. By the late 1930's Hearst was in serious financial trouble, readership of his papers had fallen and his political influence was waning. Starting in 1938 he was forced to sell off his art and antique collections in a series of humiliating public auctions. Hearst was already a target of public ridicule even before the release of "Citizen Kane". Apart from his ego, by 1941 Welles had already divorced his first wife,was known as a womanizer, and was known to wear a corset to slim himself down. Many in Hollywood thought he was in no position to mock anyone. Welles thought he was going after an easy target, but the combination of what influence Hearst still had and the enemies Welles had made saw Welles get more than he bargained for.

[@thuranz2773]

8:40 All of this sounds a lot like what Rupert Murdoch has been doing in Australia, the UK, and the US.

[@NaviRyan]

I have personally movies that are my favourite films such as coco, Star Wars, and the lord of the rings trilogy, etc. Citizen Kane as a movie holds up today more than half a century after release, impart because it's impact on film was so immense but also the fact that as a film it keeps it plot to the point all the time, meeting support characters talking about the life of Kane from their perspective, with Kane's personal perspective on his life being the mystery with rosebud being the only clue and leaving the audience to ponder what Kane meant, means that each film goer can interpret Kane anyway they like which means that the plot to the movie remains relevant to the audience because it is through this that they come to their conclusion which means citizen Kane is a movie you cannot forget about unlike most movie slock

[@RichGilpin]

Very Good and inciteful presentation. Brought out many things I was unaware of about the film and provides me another view of it. I had thought it great and cinematically superb, but struggled calling it greatest of all time. Though I admire Orson Welles film Lady of Shanghai (as adapted) and his role in The Third Man, amongst other roles and productions.

[@LOLquendoTV]

That whole "fraud at the polls" accusation if kane loses was sort of funny when Trump was threatening the same thing in 2016, now in 2020 when he is actually doing it, well its less amusing

[@CynicalHistorian]

crazy right?

[@derekbrou]

It’s fascinating how everything boils down to identity, why sometimes individuals glob onto harmful ideologies they don’t fully understand, and how entire societies and governments can fuel historical revisionism (whether it be to repair the bruised ego of a nation or to correct long propelled fallacies taught to our children) with out even being aware of each other’s influences. And it’s funny how right you are, that the civil war was indeed a complicated thing that also simultaneously is very simple at its core

[@peterwindhorst5775]

Maybe trump really wanted his sled...

[@borax3030]

Please everyone knows Orson's greatest role was as Unicron in the Transformer movie.

[@az21121971]

I grew up in Vegas , my father did work for Orson Welles when he lived here and I got to meet him when I was 10 years old...

[@CynicalHistorian]

I also grew up in Vegas, and had no idea Welles died there until you said it (and of course made me look it up). It's weird how many connections Vegas has with SLO

[@az21121971]

At the time I met him to me he was the guy at the end of The Muppet Movie LOL ....it was until I got older that I learned a lot about him and became a fan of his movies.... his daughter Beatrice still lives here...in one way or another everybody comes through Las Vegas.... he told a great story to my father about how he met Winston Churchill.... Orson Welles tells the story on the Mike Douglas show you can find it on KZbin it's hilarious I'll see if I can find the link for you..

[@az21121971]

just search Orson Welles Winston Churchill on KZbin and it comes right up and it was on the Dick Cavett Show my mistake

[@az21121971]

by the way you do a great job I really enjoy your videos you should do one of the movie Casino it's scary how accurate it is

[@CynicalHistorian]

heh, I want to sometime. A prominent local historian in Vegas that I know quite well kinda hates the movie - but I just haven't done enough research to say one way or another. I will say that it echoes a lot of the story I am aware of. I am in the process of writing a History of Las Vegas, so we'll see if I can work in Casino somewhere

[@stephenwright8824]

Triumphe des Willens is TRIUMPH OF THE WILL. "Will to Power" is a phrase from Nietzsche which gained popularity during the Third Reich.

[@CynicalHistorian]

correct, but already noted

[@freddyfleal]

The comparison between Trump and Kane is very interesting, but regarding you detracting the movie because its historical inaccuracies, I'm sorry but you miss the point badly. The duty of a filmmaker is towards the film, nothing more. One example is the thing about the "president's niece" and her death in a car's accident, probably Welles changed it because it serves the narrative better. One thing is to rebuild the basis of reality and treat it like History (like 1492 - Conquest of Paradise), but these kind of punctual changes are natural and very welcomed in a movie. The other thing is about its role in the history of cinema. You say it's a step towards the Noir genre and not a milestone and them referring to the German movies of the 30s. Although it's true that Citizen Kane is part of a certain Zeitgeist, films like that were not widely produced in the U.S. and it's a step towards Noir simply because it influenced a lot the Noir genre in terms of cinematography. The way you say seems like Citizen Kane is not that relevant because in the following years a lot of movies were released with the same style in cinematography, but they were released that way much because Citizen Kane! So, yes, Citizen Kane IS a milestone in American Cinema and a very important piece in world cinema as well (drinking from German cinematography but adding a very different way of constructing the narrative).

[@bf2630]

Citizen Kane actually won the Oscar for best original screenplay, and also I think Welles portrays Kane as a man who is unfairly robbed by boss Geddes rather than some total jerk

[@sweetpeasue21]

Yo wait if no one was around when Kane said rosebud then how did they know he said it??

[@ghostfriendly6474]

I would hope typical viewers realise they're not watching a documentary, and wouldn't treat dramatic films as accurate history. Your point about Hearst's wife's acting career is a good example of this not happening, and inaccuracy having a significant effect (though Wells' intended message was doubtless that one morally shouldn't give up freedom for the sake of money). Are you thinking of doing a video on 'The Favourite'?

[@Detson404]

What's most surprising to me is that Trump not only seems to have actually watched Citizen Kane but also has coherent opinions about it. I'm floored.

[@MrRonk55]

Your analysis reminds me of another "cynical historian", H.G. Welles, and his view of Alexander the Great in "Outline of History", Beware the "Self-Made Man" born on third base!

[@charlietheanteater3918]

Completely unrelated but there was a recreation of the “Drunk Orson Welles” commercial, it’s funnier than the original, I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it.

[@namekal6000]

I like your podcast very much and found this illuminating. A couple of inaccuracies need to be pointed out. The "voodoo" production of Macbeth (not Hamlet, as others have noted) was staged in 1936, two years before the War of the Worlds broadcast. He got the radio gig on CBS because of the play, not the other way round as you suggest. Also, Kane was running for governor of New York, not mayor: you even have a clip of Kane at 24:22 saying "my first official act as governor." That aside, thank you for this video. It's very revealing that Trump loves Kane, and for all the wrong reasons. He had the wrong wife? Eyeroll.

[@markcarey67]

Did Welles ever visit Hearst? Mankiewicz who wrote the original script was a regular guest at San Simeon and a friend of Marion Davies one point.

[@bobbest1611]

it was vodoo MacBeth. Kane was not a documentary. it was a movie. all your talk about inaccuracies were simply off target.

[@erinoriordan9808]

Voodoo Hamlet does sound pretty awesome, though.

[@nicholasleclerc1583]

19:45 Oh, that's actually pretty brilliant !!!!

[@Donker_Dank]

this subject matter has aged like a fine syrah

[@Jared_Wignall]

It’s quite possible that Trump has seen the film at one point and if so did or does enjoy it, but perhaps he doesn’t actually consider it his favorite film or even the best film, yet chose it as his answer because it’s popular to say Citizen Kane is the best film of all time. Sort of a stock answer at this point when it comes to the answer of ones favorite film or what the best film of all time is when the person themselves haven’t thought about the question much.

[@rileyfoster4794]

Hey that was a very well produced video, wow really good . 805 area cod shout out

[@CynicalHistorian]

love me some Firestone-Walker

[@drbell8078]

Not sure Marion Davies' career should have suffered but Hearst did destroy the career of Fatty Arbuckle, the most popular silent comedian at the time, by publishing the infamous "he killed a girl by raping her with a champagne bottle" story that was manufactured by a woman who didn't see any such thing and whom even the ambitious district attorney didn't call to the stand. Ironically, the acquited but officially banned Arbuckle later directed Davies under a pseudonym in Heart-financed films. Not sure if Welles (or screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, who actually knew Hearst) intended the reversal of the singer's fortunes as a kind of cinematic comeuppance or not.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

16:26 - The moment you realize the end to that song about Shia LaBeouf is an awesome homage to citizen kane.

[@furripupau]

There's no real mystery here. Trump says Citizen Kane is his favorite movie, because lots of people have acclaimed it as being the greatest film of all time. There's nothing more to it. Trump is a dunce and wouldn't understand what makes any single thing great, in even the most vague sense of the word. He just knows that people say it is great, therefore it must be. As for the rest of the video - Citizen Kane was indeed groundbreaking, but most of the credit doesn't deserve to go to Welles. Welles himself stated repeatedly that he didn't know what he was doing, and relied heavily on those around him. That idea that the story is "about" Hearst is also way overblown. The story is not about Hearst. It was pegged as being about Hearst to discredit it. Mankiewicz' script may have been about Hearst, but Welles' rewrites incorporated details from the lives of various people, and in his own words is generally about acquisitive culture, trying to buy happiness.

[@linternamagica100]

The Hell with Hearst and all his lies that sold newspapers so well and kudos to Orson Welles who made fun of him so well that he created Art.

[@FerretPirate]

Where were those clips from, of Orson Welles on the park bench talking about the past? I would like to see THAT movie.

[@LadyTylerBioRodriguez]

F For Fake 1973.

[@FerretPirate]

@@LadyTylerBioRodriguez Thank you.

[@luiza-ng6jj]

This explains so much of Mank

[@Resologist]

Trump is a "movie critic"? Is he trying to make Hollywood great again? Why not, (considering that Hollywood is churning out blockbuster franchises based upon comic book characters, again and again and again, ad nauseum)? The trouble with CITIZEN KANE for most young Hollywood fans is its lack of car chases, gunfights, and explosions. Despite its limited audience, (film directors, actors, and cinephiles, from around the world), does the fact that Trump, (a self-proclaimed genius), likes it, too, make this film worth reviewing again, (despite all of its historical inaccuracies, tho far fewer historical inaccuracies than tweeted by Trump)? I find nothing strange that a presidential film critic, (who is filthy-rich business magnate and has an ego larger than his bank account, and a libido to match), wouldn't pretend to like a film praised for its style and innovations, when its story is about a filthy-rich business magnate who manipulates the news media to suit his own political and egotistical desires, (and has a libido to match). I wouldn't expect Trump to like any dramatic foreign film, (with subtitles); but, I would have thought that Martin Scorsese's THE AVIATOR, depicting another filthy-rich American business magnate with Hollywood ties, egotistical and libidinal conflicts, would have been his more-likely choice. Remember CITIZEN KANE is in black-and-white, while THE AVIATOR is a widescreen color movie with plenty of nudity and urine.

[@TheBigjake04]

Like how you showed the old mission. My grandparents were married there.

[@bpalpha]

Love your copy of Smedley Butler's book. Hey, you know who had a butler he called Smedley...Clay Shaw / Bertrand. Yes, that Clay Shaw. What a coinkydink!

[@randylucas2458]

So after four years of President Trump how do you feel about the presidency Mister historian

[@JohnSparkmanandBlackTopHerd]

Randy Lucas I feel AWESOME! Trump 2020

[@HOleti-de8zy]

@@JohnSparkmanandBlackTopHerd How do you feel now, btw?

[@JustMilo702]

@@HOleti-de8zy Kanye 2024

[@GummyBearKing1]

_Whereas I disagree with your overall consense on Trump giving the fact the blatantly spread misinformation about him (although I don't really want to speak on your political leanings) I can respect some of the comparisons made in this vid. Overall very well made._

[@erinoriordan9808]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's ever seen that "green peaness" clip from "The Critic."

[@Sweet.Mother.of.Cheesus]

Everybody else: "Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of all times!" Me: "You got good taste." Demented Donnie: "Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of all times!" Me: "Please don't get any more ideas... you damaged, sociopathic, narcissistic sentient circus peanut!!!" "

[@daRiddler32]

That's not true. Citizen Kane won 1 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay! But it is largely thought that the Award was given more to praise CoWriter Herman J. Mankiewicz instead of Welles

[@CynicalHistorian]

you didn't see the asterix

[@michaeljoseph3528]

BRILLIANT!

[@christinaybarra7075]

Reminds me of splitting up families.. he can never come back from that..same as hearst with cannabis..too many lives lost for racism and power. And when they're dying singing "I did it my way" "Rosebud" they still go out only thinking of themselves and what made them happy, not the lives they create or lives taken or wars created, all on their behalf! If they're only here for them then they're not here for US!

[@erwan6186]

I think this film can be the subject of many interpretations, and yours and Trump's are different but none is better than the other =)

[@cherisenunez2530]

@thecynicalhistorian i knew i recognized the point of view on Hearst as being home... the same way some of us feel about the original Ten Commandments and the people who trample around the dunes looking for set pieces...

[@zer0tzer0]

Deep Dive? 'Beyond Citizen Kane isn't even about Citizen Kane. It's about Roberto Marinho and his television station Rede Globo. How superficial can you get? There's a third Kane film now, Mank. If you want to explore a film with historical inaccuracies I suggest that one.

[@markblackwood3121]

Love the book shelf behind👍👍🤫🤫🤫🤫

[@nooribrahim7868]

Personally, I think Trump is just trying to be relevent because a lot of people rate this movie.

[@astreaward6651]

Another one of Trump's favorite movies is "Sunset Boulevard." It's quite on the nose that he revers these characters that are obviously just like him and yet he doesn't GET it. Ya know?

[@jeanhodgson8623]

We used to have a grey cat.

[@chinzebo]

Hearst played the same game as Trump does now....Bluff their way (think Poker) and force the players to fold. .

[@Thespeedrap]

I think that sad the president doesn't understand the message fortune Fame and money don't bring happiness but love family and God will.He did say he wouldn't want to humble himself before the Almighty which frankly tells us that religious people don't follow their Bible very carefully when choosing leaders.

[@skepticalfaith5201]

Marcel Zachary No it tells us that _certain_ groups of religious people will vote for who will protect their values the best. The Bible doesn’t give any advice about voting for governments or leaders - only about obeying them as they supposedly are trying to make a peaceful orderly society.

[@2headed]

As a historian, why a Guy Hawkes mask?

[@CynicalHistorian]

A lot of reasons, much of which have to do with the comic - I'm a big fan of Alan Moore. But also the romantic notion of the Gunpowder Treason and Plot as a symbol of rebellion against tradition (though obviously that is not true to the real conspiracy's attempt at installing a Catholic monarch).

[@FerintoshFarmsPhotography]

Just a small loan of a million, my father literally has bought me two beers and a burger

[@dinotsar6396]

I find it hilarious I got an ad for Trump asking his base to fund his lawsuit against Facebook and Twitter on this video. The way Google places ads is enjoyable because of how horribly misplaced they can be.

[@tomservo5007]

How would Welles know the 'true' meaning of rosebud and who told him? It's not exactly a dinner conversation topic.

[@scottherf]

back in those days it was the talk of Hollywood.

[@saidtoshimaru1832]

It was Hermann Mankiewicz, the screen writer of Citizen Kane. Mankiewicz was a star screenwriter of RKO and had written for the movies Marion Davies starred in (directed by King Vidor). He had been a close friend of the Hearsts, but it seems that by the time of Citizen Kane their relathinship had grown estranged. Mankiewicz was so respected in Hollywood that, indeed, Citizen Kane's only Oscar was for Original Screenplay.

[@jtszabo1691]

The Simpsons got me into this movie

[@aiolos000]

I mean, bud, no offense meant, but your argument is pretty inconsistent: I mean, good video and all, but the part on your intepretation of the movie holds the very same subjective strength as the president's one. I, on the other side, root for both. Because it is a movie and not a frigging math theorem. That said, I subscribed. Cheers.

[@rezmetis6723]

So so evaluation...can we desribe the movie as faction ( a combination of fiction real life truth). The connection to trump was a bit weak but initially sparked my interest.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

I'm not that surprised when it comes to politicians misinterpreting the message of their favorite films which also serve as a basis of inspiration for their personal agenda. Left wing or right wing, liberal or conservative, it's all the same. As V FOR VENDETTA put it best: "Artists use lies to tell the truth while politicians use lies to cover the truth up." While CITIZEN KANE is admittedly a historically fictitious tragicomedy that both revolutionized cinema while heaping insult upon injury to an actual historical figure, at least it is a parable with a message that still adheres to the real world in any era: wealth/fame/power doesn't buy you happiness or love or anything that relates to the best parts of humanity, particularly and most especially if you are/were lacking in those things in the first place. Trump, being the sordid, bloated, scheming, misogynistic, self-promoting, power-hungry, shamelessly wheeling and dealing leftover from the "Me Generation" and "Greed is Good" ethos of the 1980's - when so many aspired to wealth and celebrity status at the expense of everything else - not only misinterpreted the film's message, but he carried that misinterpretation to extremes that neither Hearst or Welles could have foreseen decades before (then again, who WOULD during that period?) and which have had unfortunate repercussions extending beyond either political or artistic grounds.

[@Wilmister]

had no idea you were local that's cool

[@baldridgeroy]

Trump says he likes Citizen Kane because it's considered "The Greatest Movie of All Time." He thinks by saying he likes CK it makes him look sophisticated and good for the Trump Brand.

[@titanuranus3095]

I hope you have all heard the radio interview withH.G. Wells and Orson Welles.

[@cqholland]

Almost 4 years has gone by , will you tell me what yon think!

[@LePrince1890]

Very interesting video. I guess Trump will have to await his "Welles" someday (although he is beyond parodying at this point).

[@KRDecade2009]

Commander Cody, Execute order 66. Now the Sith shall rule the galaxy once more

[@alankohn6709]

I remember watching this movie and thinking this guy is too stupid to see what he had but also being bored; now I was about the same age as you and I can now appreciate the cinematography. But I still feel that it is only the best movie ever because some important critic said it was and people went along until it was just too embarrassing to disagree

[@fellerandbloxham]

Trumps view and interpretation of Citizen Kane is valid. Just because you personally don't agree with it doesn't make him sinister. With all due respect he makes history, you talk about it.

[@lizsmith9873]

And was wonderfully parodied by Charlie Chaplin.

[@thatonestormtrooper2760]

Paden Conner alright how about this then. Stalin made history, Putin is currently making history everyday. I mean everyone is making history. Good or bad that is my point I don't need Hitler or the nazis to prove it

[@thatonestormtrooper2760]

Paden Conner I think you're confusing my arguement. I'm not calling trump a Hitler or a stalin. I'm trying to point out that saying someone makes history doesn't make them good or a positive influence. In fact it's usually the worst people who effect our history

[@thatonestormtrooper2760]

Paden Conner well I mean Germany wasnt seeking to start a world war. And if trump had absolute political power I'm sure he would do a great mant awful things. But as it is he has not committed any atrocities on a Hitler level. Really the biggest connection is they both kind of ran on similar platforms

[@Cancoillotteman]

"he's making history, you're talking about it"... Someone didn't understand the movie here... -_- It is neither difficult or praiseworthy to "make history" if it is both in terrible ways and only thanks to money. I actually do fear that yes, Trump WILL make history, but that it won't be positive in any way. His obvious main goal is to satisfy his own ego, and that doesn't bode well. So far Russia and China already have won huge influence in two years from his actions and Europe is left to pick up the pieces and try to defend democracy alone. He left climate agreements, inducing new difficulties to the struggle for environment. He conforted XXIst centuries bloodiest dictator in place because he, quoting : "Fell in love with Kim", and I suspect mainly to do the opposite of what Obama did. He's let free rains to Russia in the middle East by getting englued in collusion scandals (whether or not proved is not the question, scandals - and therefore their effect - are here), and by alienating all arab allies by supporting the agressive expansion politic of Israël. He's destabilized a bit more middle East by trying to force Iran out of the nuclear deal, when Iran was slowly at last crawling towards progress. Just like citizen Kane : his lust for recognition and admiration pushes him to stupid or even, now with the power he's wielding, dangerous actions.

[@alolkoydesigns]

My Dad studied theater at Cal-Poly in the 40's.

[@CynicalHistorian]

+Charlie Alolkoy That was a huge time of transition in Cal Poly history. He must've had some interesting stories. I saw your previous comment about Chumash heritage, does that mean your father was one of the few hundred Chumash here and one of the even fewer going to the local college?

[@alolkoydesigns]

I would assume there were not very many Chumash going there at the time let alone Island Chumash. He has long past away since then but I remember a few stories. He told me he had something to do with helping to install the sound at Cal Poly but I don't remember in reference to what section of the college. He was in some plays at the Pasadena Playhouse where according to him he "flirted" with Dina Shore when she had black hair. He never enjoyed the tight nit Chumash culture of Ventura and move him and his family to the Mid-West in the late 60's. I remember seeing a photo of him in a play dressed as a cowboy but it is long lost.

[@thepolishnz]

no comment on the biggest plot hole in movie history? if he died alone how could anyone know he said rosebud?

[@JauntyScarecrow]

The butler states later in the movie that he was the one who told the press Kane's last words, and that he was with him when he died. When he dies, during a scene that is clearly constructed to show that time is passing at an accelerated rate, the shots of him dying are close-ups. The butler could have been in the room, or the camera could have been a point-of-view shot for the butler. It's really not a plot hole, people just want to make it one because the movie is a little over-hyped and they want an excuse to knock it down a peg.

[@peabody66]

Wow! William Randolph Hearst reminds me a lot of Rupert Murdoch and how Fox News was created.

[@chrisdeterman3247]

What journalism today is not Yellow?

[@scottherf]

it's all editorial, yep.

[@jakedowney1706]

I didn't like the heavy handed partisan nature of the conclusion. However, the first half of the presentation was interesting and insightful. The comparison of Kane calling for an investigation was shown as a means of imposing his own power on his opponent, whereas, Trump pointed out a genuine issue of Benghazi that marred the Clinton campaign and is widely controversial, even as I type this. In my personal opinion something went down there and the American public should know but most likely will not. This is because there were reports that Marines on Naval Vessels were ordered at a few different points to change into civilian clothes and back into cammies. This makes me think that something along the lines of a CIA presence was at Benghazi because US Marines are not known for fighting in conflicts in civilian attire.

[@vilstef6988]

Orson Welles-so sloshed when he did the Paul Masson commercials.