Charles Foster Kane II^[1] is the title character of Orson Welles's film Citizen Kane. Orson Welles played Kane (receiving an Oscar nomination), with Buddy Swan playing Kane as a child. Welles also co-wrote and directed the film. Image File history File links Information. ... Image File history File links Citizen_Kane. ... This is a list of the Governors of New York. ... Citizen Kane is a 1941 mystery/drama film released by RKO Pictures and directed by Orson Welles, his first feature film. ... Citizen Kane is a 1941 mystery/drama film released by RKO Pictures and directed by Orson Welles, his first feature film. ... Buddy Swan is a former American child actor. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Citizen Kane is a 1941 mystery/drama film released by RKO Pictures and directed by Orson Welles, his first feature film. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Buddy Swan is a former American child actor. ...

Biography

In the film, Kane was born of humble origins in the fictional settlement of Little Salem, Colorado, circa 1863.^[2] A mine given to his parents (to settle a bill for room and board) happened to be rich in gold. To secure a better future for the eight-year-old boy, his parents gave him over to Walter Parks Thatcher in 1871, who raised him in luxury until he became an adult. However, Kane hated Thatcher immediately for ripping him away from his family and he attended numerous colleges, all of which expelled him, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Cornell. Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... “Yale” redirects here. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ... Cornell University is a private university located in Ithaca, New York, USA. Its two medical campuses are in New York City and Education City, Qatar. ...

As an adult, Kane took on the newspaper The New York Inquirer^[3] because he thought "it might be fun to run a newspaper" and for the pleasure of harassing Thatcher's political goals and personal business interests, including ones Kane held stock in. One of his first acts was to publish a "declaration of principles," which stated his duty to tell his readers the truth. However, he almost immediately begins using yellow journalism tactics to blow stories out of proportion and outdo his rivals by raiding their staff, as if they were collectibles, and encouraging a war with Spain. To finance this initially money losing business, Kane used his personal resources which he defiantly bragged to Thatcher would allow him to operate it, even at a million dollar annual loss, for decades. Nasty little printers devils spew forth from the Hoe press in this Puck cartoon of Nov. ...

Kane eventually married Emily Monroe Norton, the niece of an apparently fictional president of the United States.^[4] Unfortunately, the couple's relationship turned cold as his wealth and power fed his megalomaniacal ego. As Kane's popularity and fortune increased, he ran for Governor of New York against reputedly corrupt boss J. W. Gettys. It seemed Kane would secure the election easily, until Gettys revealed evidence suggesting Kane had been having an affair with a young "singer" named Susan Alexander. When Gettys contacted Kane's wife to use his weapon, Kane accompanied her to see him. Even though his affair was found out, Kane refused to drop out of the race and threatened Gettys despite his position of weakness. As a result, the scandal went public and Kane lost the election decisively. Furthermore, Kane's best friend, Jedediah Leland, profoundly disillusioned at his friend's haughty arrogance at humiliating his family and treating the electorate like his personal property, insisted on being transferred to Kane's Chicago paper to stay away from him. The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ... Look up megalomania in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... eGO is a company that builds electric motor scooters which are becoming popular for urban transportation and vacation use. ... This is a list of the Governors of New York. ... 1869 tobacco label featuring Boss Tweed A boss, in political science, is a person who wields de facto power over a particular political region or constituency. ... Jedediah Leland, played by Joseph Cotten, is a main character in the 1941 film Citizen Kane. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country United States State Illinois County Cook & DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ...

Kane's wife divorced him in 1916 and died two years later in a car crash with their son. Kane married Susan Alexander and forced her into a doomed and humiliating career as an opera singer, despite the fact that this form of theater was seriously out of her depth. This effort cost more than money in Chicago, where Jedediah Leland, the paper's drama critic, refused to follow the company line praising Alexander, but became too drunk at the difficult task of writing a truthful review against his friend's wishes. While Leland was in a stupor, Kane finished the review with the negative tone intact to show that he still had integrity, even while he simultaneously fired Leland for not cooperating in his obsession. In retaliation, Leland refused his severance package and mailed the torn up check and the original copy of Kane's "declaration of principles" to remind him of what he had lost. However, Kane considered that personal statement obsolete and tore it up in anger. For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ...

After the despondent Susan attempted suicide, Kane released from her from the operatic career and retired to Xanadu, his Gothic chateau in Florida. The combination of business downturns and Kane's excessive spending habits cost him much of his control of his media businesses to Thatcher, although he still had considerable wealth. Susan, bored with living alone with Kane becoming a domineering hermit, eventually left him. There, alone and estranged from all his friends, Kane died of old age in 1941 uttering the cryptic word "Rosebud." Suicide (Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of intentionally taking ones own life. ... Retirement is the point where a person stops employment. ... A shot featuring the construction of Xanadu Xanadu is the fictional estate of Charles Foster Kane, the title character of the film Citizen Kane. ... Interior of Cologne Cathedral Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ... A château ( French for castle; plural châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of gentry, usually French, with or without fortifications. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ...

Reporter Jerry Thompson was assigned to track down the meaning of "Rosebud," shortly after Kane's death. Though he interviewed all of Kane's living acquaintances, he never found it. In truth, the word "Rosebud" was written on the sled Kane was given by his parents as a little boy before he first moved in with Thatcher. The original sled remains in the snow for years on the Kane ranch in the early scenes of the movie. Later, as a token effort by Thatcher to help Kane settle into his new home, Kane receives a fancier sled for Christmas. That sled, considered to be trash, was burned after Kane's death along with other possessions seen as trash by the bank. The sled represents the innocence and love stolen from Kane when he was taken from his parents. It also represented how Thatcher tried to satisfy his need for a father but didn't know what he needed as he was too old. Scene from winter nearly anywhere snow may fall on a handy hill—Children at play sledding. ...

Political views

Kane's political views are complex and difficult to define. This is epitomized in the film's opening newsreel where Thatcher calls Kane a "Communist" followed directly by a scene at a workers' rally where Kane is denounced as a "Fascist". Communism and Fascism represent the opposite ends of the Left-Right political spectrum. Kane's reply reveals another element of his political beliefs; his patriotism. He says "I am, have been, and will be only one thing - an American." Later in the newsreel, he says that he is firstly an American and secondly a reporter. Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... A Female Reporter A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media. ...

As implied by his support of the Spanish-American War and Theodore Roosevelt, Kane seems to believe in the concept of a benevolent American Empire. However, given his opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I, he apparently favors isolationism in regards to conflicts abroad. These convictions suggest a conservative viewpoint on his part. Kane's social views, on the other hand, are decidedly liberal for his time given his attacks on big business and that he holds up the "working man" as a model for society. His election campaign billed him as the "the fighting liberal", perhaps suggesting that he prefers to be viewed as a liberal. Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Arsenio Linares General Ramón Blanco Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Countries Hosting US Military bases in October 2002 American Empire is a term sometimes used to describe the historical expansionism and the current political, economic, and cultural influence of the United States on a global scale. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Isolationism is a foreign policy which combines a non-interventionist military policy and a political policy of economic nationalism (protectionism). ... Conservative may refer to: Conservatism, political philosophy A member of a Conservative Party Conservative extension, premise of deductive logic Conservativity theorem, mathematical proof of conservative extension Conservative Judaism britney spears Category: ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... Big business is usually used as a pejorative reference to the significant economic and political power which large and powerful corporations (especially multinational corporations), are capable of wielding. ...

Although he uses his incredible fortune to buy statues in Europe, build Xanadu, etc., Kane does not appear to care about making money given that he chooses to run the Inquirer over more lucrative means and that he specificially attacks his own business interests in the paper. In a 1935 interview depicted in the newsreel, Kane said that war would not happen in Europe since its leaders were "too intelligent to embark on a project which would mean the end of civilization as we now know it". He, of course, is mistaken as World War II had already begun at the time the film was written. In the same newsreel, there is footage of Kane talking casually with Adolf Hitler. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Hitler redirects here. ...

Much of Kane's 1916 campaign for New York governor, at least what is seen of it in the film, is based on the notion that he will look out for the working class over his own interests. Despite this, he loses the election. Jedediah Leland suggests this is because Kane offered the working class their rights as his personal gift rather then as what they were due. Specifically, Leland said that Kane believed he "owned" the people and that he was offering them their rights as a "reward for good behavior". All this fits in with Leland's view that Kane was using his newspaper and his attempted political career to earn the people's love. If true, this would suggest Kane's politics were based off his desire to find love, or perhaps regain the love he lost when Thatcher took him from his parents, rather than on any particular political ideologies. The term working class is used to denote a social class. ...

Inspiration

It is almost universally agreed that Kane is meant to portray a fictionalized William Randolph Hearst. Though Citizen Kane is often considered one of the best films ever made, Hearst was allegedly not amused by how he (or his mistress Marion Davies, widely considered the inspiration for Susan Alexander) were portrayed, and he attempted to destroy both the film and Welles' career. William Randolph Hearst (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate. ... Marion Davies illustrated by Hamilton King, 1920 Marion Davies Marion Davies (January 3, 1897 – September 23, 1961) was an American comedic actress. ...

Welles was quoted as saying, "It is not based upon the life of Mr. Hearst or anyone else. On the other hand, had Mr. Hearst and similar financial barons not lived during the period we discuss, Citizen Kane could not have been made."^{[citation needed]} However, in the film, Kane is given the line "You provide the prose poems; I'll provide the war," undeniably similar to "You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war," a quote widely attributed to Hearst. In addition, Kane's unsuccessful attempt to make his second wife an opera star parallels Hearst's effort to make his mistress a serious dramatic movie actress despite critics' complaints that she was miscast and better in light comedy roles. The general consensus is that Hearst is the primary — but not the only — inspiration behind Kane. Some biographies of Welles posit that Welles himself was a source of inspration for the character; some of the character's dialogue on how to run a newspaper are direct quotes from Welles's comments on how to make a motion picture (though this was his first), and Welles's co-writer, Herman J. Mankiewicz, included dialogue about Kane's voracious appetite, also meant to echo Welles's character. The connection with Hearst is strengthened by the fact that Mankiewicz was a frequent guest of Hearst's mistress Marion Davies at Hearst Castle. // Prose poetry is usually considered a form of poetry written in prose that breaks some of the normal rules associated with prose discourse, for heightened imagery or emotional effect, among other purposes. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Marion Davies illustrated by Hamilton King, 1920 Marion Davies Marion Davies (January 3, 1897 – September 23, 1961) was an American comedic actress. ... The Hearst Castle facade is patterned after a Spanish cathedral. ...

However, other men have been suggested as a model^{[citation needed]} for Kane including:

• Basil Zaharoff
• Howard Hughes
• Jules Brulatour
• Samuel Insull

In recent years, Kane has been compared to contemporaries such as Rupert Murdoch^[5] and Ted Turner.^[6] Sir Basil Zaharoff, originally Zacharias Basileios, (1849, MuÄŸla, Turkey - 1936, Monte Carlo, Monaco) was a Greek arms trader and financier, the director and chairman of the Vickers munitions firm during World War I. // Basil was from a Greek family in Constantinople. ... For the Welsh murderer, see Howard Hughes (murderer). ... Jules Brulatour in 1911 Jules Brulatour (ne Pierre Ernest Jules Brulatour, 1870-1946), was a pioneering figure in US silent cinema. ... Samuel Insull (November 11, 1859 - July 16, 1938) was an investor in Chicago who was known for purchasing utilities and railroads. ... Keith Rupert Murdoch AC, KCSG (born 11 March 1931) is an Australian born United States citizen who is a global media executive and is the controlling shareholder, chairman and managing director of News Corporation, based in New York. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

References

1. ^ Since his son is named Charles Foster Kane III, at least according to the film's end credits, and Kane has the same name, it logically follows that Kane's full name must be Charles Foster Kane II, although this is never actually stated in the film.
2. ^ This is estimated from Kane being eight years old in 1871. This is also the same year William Randolph Hearst was born.
3. ^ Some reviewers have spelled the name of Kane's newspaper "The New York Enquirer," but it's always spelled "Inquirer" within the film itself.
4. ^ Kane refers to the President as being "Uncle John" from his wife's perspective, but there was not a president with the given name of John during the period this portion of the film is set.
5. ^ Rupert Murdoch: Bigger than Kane from BBC News
6. ^ 'Citizen Kane' a masterpiece at 50 from Roger Ebert