| 9781250077530 |
| (hardback) |
| 1250077532 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Monument Library | Book | 791.4372 CITI | Nonfiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
"This book is a gold mine for fans."-- Kirkus Reviews
It is the story of a film masterpiece--how it was created and how it was almost destroyed.
It is the celebration of brilliant achievement and a sinister tale of conspiracy, extortion, and Communist witch hunts.
It is the chronicle of a plot orchestrated in boardrooms and a mountaintop palace, as a media company that claimed to stand for "genuine democracy" defied the First Amendment and schemed to burn Hollywood's greatest creation.
Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey is the extraordinary story of the production of Orson Welles' classic film, using previously unpublished material from studio files and the Hearst organization, exclusive interviews with the last surviving members of the cast and crew, and what may be the only surviving copies of the "lost" final script.
Harlan Lebo charts the meteoric rise to stardom of the twenty-three-year-old Orson Welles, his defiance of the Hollywood system, and the unprecedented contract that gave him near-total creative control of his first film. Lebo recounts the clashes between Welles and studio executives eager to see him fail, the high-pressure production schedule, and the groundbreaking results. Lebo reveals the plot by the organization of publisher William Randolph Hearst to attack Hollywood, discredit Welles,and incinerate the film. And, at last, he follows the rise of Citizen Kane to its status as the greatest film ever made.
Author Notes
HARLAN LEBO is a senior fellow at the Center for the Digital Future in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Lebo has written books about The Godfather , Casablanca , and a coffee-table photo book on Citizen Kane , and served as a historical consultant to Paramount Pictures for the fiftieth anniversary of the theatrical release of Citizen Kane . He lives in California.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Lebo pays tribute to Orson Welles's masterpiece Citizen Kane in this history of the film's production and release, published just in time for its 75th anniversary. The book honors Welles's filmmaking genius, but it also goes notably in-depth on Welles's principal collaborators. Lebo's detailed examination takes listeners from Welles's success on the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast to the nuances of the Kane's production to its complicated release, impaired by publisher William Randolph Hearst, who tried to prevent the film from coming out when he saw too much of himself in the morally shaky title character. Reader Zingarelli's deep and projective voice is reminiscent of Orson Welles, which makes him a fun choice to read the audio edition. When the text quotes primary sources, he creates distinct voices that do not attempt to imitate the original speakers but are distinguished enough to guide the listener. His energetic pacing keeps Lebo's prose lively-there is never a dull moment. A St. Martin's/Dunne hardcover. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When Welles arrived in Hollywood in 1940, his work on stage and radio had already earned him a reputation as a genius, but at 24, he lacked experience making movies. So when RKO awarded him a contract with unparalleled creative control and the unprecedented right to the final cut, everyone predicted a spectacular failure. Of course, Welles proved them all wrong, and 75 years after its release, Citizen Kane is still recognized as a masterpiece. But there was a time when the fate of the film was in doubt. Film-scholar Lebo has conducted painstaking research, combing through voluminous interviews as well as production reports, memos, budgets, drafts of the script, news accounts, and critiques. In great detail, he recounts Welles' collaboration with noted scriptwriter Herman Mackiewicz; the great cinematographer Gregg Toland, whose technical breakthroughs gave the film much of it visual interest; and the excellent cast of first-time film actors. Lebo also reveals how gossip columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, along with the William Randolph Hearst organization, attempted to thwart Citizen Kane's distribution but couldn't prevent rave reviews.--Segedin, Ben Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Hot on the heels of Orson Welles's centenary in 2015, we have the 75th anniversary of Citizen Kane. Numerous accounts have been published about what many consider the greatest film ever made, but the last comprehensive book devoted specifically to the film's creation was James Naremore's Orson Welles's Citizen Kane: A Casebook. In this, Lebo's second book on the film (after Citizen Kane: The Fiftieth Anniversary Album), the author gives as full a view of Kane and its origins as has ever been written. With access to "previously unpublished material," he begins with Welles's arrival in Hollywood, moves through every stage of production-featuring all of the key collaborators, of which there were many-and concludes with the eventual yet belated recognition of the production's greatness in the 1950s and its now -established place in film history. Aside from this thorough study, it's Lobe's engaging writing style that is the chief feature of this volume. VERDICT Devotees of Welles or Citizen Kane will love this work, and all libraries should have it on their shelves.-Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
