Facts about Citizen Kane

1. 06

   Citizen Kane's famous sled prop Rosebud was destroyed in a fire at a Los Angeles warehouse in 1975, nearly 35 years after the film's release.

   Citizen KaneMay 14sharecinemapropshistory
2. 05

   William Randolph Hearst's lawyers threatened legal action against RKO Pictures over Citizen Kane's 1941 release, forcing the studio to consider withdrawing the film from distribution.

   Citizen KaneMay 14sharelegalcinemahistory
3. 04

   At 119 minutes, Citizen Kane's runtime was considered unusually long for 1941, challenging Hollywood's typical feature length of 90 minutes.

   Citizen KaneMay 14sharecinemahistorymeasurement
4. 03

   Deep focus cinematography allowed Citizen Kane to keep multiple planes of action sharp simultaneously, a technical innovation that cinematographer Gregg Toland pioneered throughout the 1941 film.

   Citizen KaneMay 14sharecinematographytechniquefilm
5. 02

   The film's opening newsreel sequence was shot in black and white to mimic authentic 1940s newsreels, using 65 different camera angles within just 3 minutes of screen time.

   Citizen KaneMay 14sharecinematographytechniquefilm
6. 01

   Orson Welles was only 25 years old when he directed and starred in Citizen Kane in 1941.

   Citizen KaneMay 14sharefilmbiography1941