Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Lennon, Thomas F. (Thomas Furneaux)
- Abstract:
- The Battle Over Citizen Kane mss., 1994-1996, consist of photographs of Orson Welles, William Randolph Hearst, and related topics collected for the production of the documentary film, The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996). Photographs are reprints collected from archives and collectors for the film production.
- Extent:
- 1 Box
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Battle Over Citizen Kane mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
The Battle Over Citizen Kane is a 1996 documentary about the conflict between director Orson Welles and newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst over Welles' film Citizen Kane (1941). In Citizen Kane, Welles stars as Charles Foster Kane, allegedly a fictionalized version of William Randolph Hearst, though biographical details were also taken from the lives of Joseph Pulitzer and other media barons. Hearst took umbrage to the unflattering portrayal of the protagonist's rise and fall and especially to the depiction of Kane's affair with the singer Susan Alexander, which paralleled Hearst's own affair with actress Marion Davies. Hearst tried to have the film suppressed, including by banning any mention of the film in the publications he owned, and some theaters did not show the movie for fear of Hearst's reprisals. Citizen Kane performed only modestly at the box office, but has since been regarded as a critical masterpiece, coming in at number 1 at Sight & Sound's "Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time" poll for 5 consecutive decades, from 1962 to 2002.
The documentary Battle Over Citizen Kane was directed by Michael Epstein and Thomas Lennon and written by Richard Ben Cramer and Thomas Lennon. It aired as part of PBS' American Experience series and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 68th Academy Awards.
- Scope and Content:
The Battle Over Citizen Kane mss., 1994-1996, consist of photographs used in the documentary Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996). The images are from the early twentieth century through the 1930s, though the photographic prints are reproductions from the 1990s. The main subject of the photographs is Orson Welles; other subjects include William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies, New York City, the theater, the Spanish-American War, and newsrooms and newspapers.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift: 2022
- Processing information:
Processed by Kyra Triebold. Completed in 2023.
- Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in its original order, which is largely organized by repository from which the photographic prints originate. There are also 2 folders that are arranged by topic containing photos from multiple repositories and 4 miscellaneous folders which remain in their original order.
- Physical location:
- ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility)
Indexed Terms
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Battle Over Citizen Kane mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu