Citizen Kane Page #5

Shots of various authentically worded headlines of American

papers since 1895.

Spanish-American War shots. (1898)

A graveyard in France of the World War and hundreds of crosses.

(1919)

Old newsreels of a political campaign.

Insert of a particularly virulent headline and/or cartoon.

HEADLINE:
"PRESIDENT SHOT"

NARRATOR:

Kane, molder of mass opinion though

he was, in all his life was never

granted elective office by the

voters of his country. Few U.S.

news publishers have been.

Few, like one-time Congressman

Hearst, have ever run for any office -

most know better - conclude with

other political observers that one

man's press has power enough for

himself. But Kane papers were

once strong indeed, and once the

prize seemed almost his. In 1910,

as Independent Candidate for

governor, the best elements of the

state behind him - the White House

seemingly the next easy step in a

lightning political career -

NIGHT SHOT OF CROWD BURNING CHARLES FOSTER KANE IN EFFIGY.

THE DUMMY BEARS A GROTESQUE, COMIC RESEMBLANCE TO KANE. IT IS

TOSSED INTO THE FLAMES, WHICH BURN UP -

AND THEN DOWN... (1910)

FADE OUT:

TITLE:

IN POLITICS - ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID, NEVER A BRIDE

Newsreel shots of great crowds streaming into a building -

Madison Square Garden - then shots inside the vast auditorium,

at one end of which is a huge picture of Kane. (1910)

Shot of box containing the first Mrs. Kane and young Howard

Kane, age five. They are acknowledging the cheers of the crowd.

(Silent Shot) (1910)

Newreel shot of dignitaries on platform, with Kane, alongside

of speaker's table, beaming, hand upraised to silence the crowd.

(Silent Shot) (1910)

NARRATOR:

Then, suddenly - less than one

week before election - defeat!

Shameful, ignominious - defeat

that set back for twenty years the

cause of reform in the U.S., forever

cancelled political chances for

Charles Foster Kane. Then, in the

third year of the Great

Depression... As to all publishers,

it sometimes must - to Bennett, to

Munsey and Hearst it did - a paper

closes! For Kane, in four short

years:
collapse!

Eleven Kane papers, four Kane

magazines merged, more sold,

scrapped -

Newreel shot - closeup of Kane delivering a speech... (1910)

The front page of a contemporary paper - a screaming headline.

Twin phots of Kane and Susan. (1910)

Printed title about Depression.

Once more repeat the map of the USA 1932-1939. Suddenly, the

cartoon goes into reverse, the empire begins to shrink,

illustrating the narrator's words.

The door of a newspaper office with the signs: "Closed."

NARRATOR:

Then four long years more - alone

in his never-finished, already

decaying, pleasure palace, aloof,

seldom visited, never photographed,

Charles Foster Kane continued to

direct his falling empire ... vainly

attempting to sway, as he once

did, the destinies of a nation

that has ceased to listen to him

... ceased to trust him...

SHOTS OF XANADU. (1940)

Series of shots, entirely modern, but rather jumpy and obviously

bootlegged, showing Kane in a bath chair, swathed in summer

rugs, being perambulated through his rose garden, a desolate

figure in the sunshine. (1935)

NARRATOR:

Last week, death came to sit upon

the throne of America's Kubla Khan -

last week, as it must to all men,

death came to Charles Foster Kane.

DISSOLVE:

Cabinent Photograph (Full Screen) of Kane as an old, old man.

This image remains constant on the screen (as camera pulls

back, taking in the interior of a dark projection room.

INT. PROJECTION ROOM - DAY -

A fairly large one, with a long throw to the screen. It is

dark.

The image of Kane as an old man remains constant on the screen

as camera pulls back, slowly taking in and registering

Projection Room. This action occurs, however, only after the

first few lines of encuring dialogue have been spoken. The

shadows of the men speaking appear as they rise from their

chairs - black against the image of Kane's face on the screen.

NOTE:
These are the editors of a "News Digest" short, and of

the Rawlston magazines. All his enterprises are represented

in the projection room, and Rawlston himself, that great man,

is present also and will shortly speak up.

During the entire course of this scene, nobody's face is really

seen. Sections of their bodies are picked out by a table light,

a silhouette is thrown on the screen, and their faces and bodies

are themselves thrown into silhouette against the brilliant

slanting rays of light from the projection room.

A Third Man is on the telephone. We see a corner of his head

and the phone.

THIRD MAN:

(at phone)

Stand by. I'll tell you if we

want to run it again.

(hangs up)

THOMPSON'S VOICE

Well?

Rate this script:2.5 / 6 votes