RKO 281 Page #8

SCHAEFER:

CITIZEN KANE:

WELLES:

Pardon?

SCHAEFER:

CITIZEN KANE There's your title.

Welles muses

WELLES:

A "Z" and a "K" in the title. That would draw the

eye. For the poster. I like that THE PRISONER OF

ZENDA had a "Z" and a "P" and that worked--

SCHAEFER:

Now look, Orson, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The budget projections on this--

WELLES:

(theatrically)

I know, I know! But what more can you expect of

me?! I have pared this story down to the marrow to

save money but to cut more would be to--!

SCHAEFER:

Listen, get off your horse with me. You know I've

stuck by you since the beginning of time it seems

like, while the stockholders in New York were ready

to cut and run and everyone else in Hollywood was

set to toss me in a rubber room. But your contract

stipulates a max budget of 500 thousand. This one's

gonna come in at 750 thousand. What do we do about

that?

A beat

SCHAEFER:

Now don't have a fit -- but I want you to think

again about doing WAR OF THE WORLDS-

WELLES:

Jesus

SCHAEFER:

Do WAR OF THE WORLDS as a feature and everyone's

happy. You make some money and New York's happy and

you have a track record and then we'll move on to

KANE.

WELLES:

Please don't ask me to do this.

SCHAEFER:

It's the safe bet, Orson. There's nothing wrong

with that.

A long pause as Welles leans against a wall, his head down He does not

look at Schaefer as:

WELLES:

(simply)

George, I want you to let me make this movie

because I need to make it. And I don't really know

why. Afterwards there' II be all the time in the

world to make money and sell popcorn. And I'll do

that for you. For RKO and New York. But for now ...

please let me tell this story.

A beat. Welles finally looks up at Schaefer

WELLES:

It's your decision, George. If you look into my

eyes right now and say, go make WAR OF THE WORLDS, I

will. I'll make it. And, yes, it'll make you money.

And I honestly can't think of a reason in the world why you should let

me do KANE other than that you should.

A long pause as Schaefer studies Welles. Then

SCHAEFER:

If it'll get you the hell out of my office, go

ahead and make the picture.

Welles drops his head, too moved to speak.

Then he nods to Schaefer and begins to leave.

SCHAEFER:

Say thank you, Orson.

Welles glances at him.

SCHAEFER:

For the title

WELLES:

(smiles)

Ah, it's a grand title.

He sweeps out. Schaefer smiles and shakes his head.

SCHAEFER:

Like it would kill him to say thank you

EXT. SOUND STAGE. RKO LOT_DAWN

The sun is just rising on the RKO lot. We note a sign on the wall by

the sound stage door:

CITIZEN KANE. RKO PRODUCTION #281. DIRECTOR: ORSON WELLES

ABSOLUTELY NO:

ADMITTANCE.

INT. RKO SOUND STAGE_FOLLOWING

Absolute silence.

Welles stands in the mammoth sound stage and looks around, it is as if

he has entered a great cathedral. A few lights illuminate portions of

the stage and giant lighting rigs and scaffolding soar to the unseen

ceiling miles away.

The Xanadu Great Hall set awaits.

Welles slowly walks to the set and stands, surveying his domain,

savoring the moment.

Title:
JULY 30, 1940

He clears his throat and speaks, rehearsing his first day speech to the

cast and crew. His voice echoes.

WELLES:

Today we - -

He stops, surprised by the echo.

WELLES:

Today we are going to break every rule in motion

picture history...

No . . We are going to shatter every rule in

Today we are going to shatter the hallowed busts of Griffith and

DeMille and Ford. We are going to show the world a new way of seeing.

Together we will blaze a trail...

As Welles continues to rehearse we slowly ascend the scaffolding and

lighting rigs...

WELLES' VOICE

Together we will throw away all the maps and we

will become -joyously lost in the wilderness. And

the future cartographers of Hollywood will forever

chart our course. Following our lead...

We continue to ascend and finally discover two electricians on the

upper catwalk, staring down in amusement, much like the two stagehands

at the opera in KANE.

WELLES' VOICE

And do you know why we're going to do this?

Again to Welles on the stage floor: A beat. Welles slowly smiles.

WELLES:

We're going to do this because it's going to be

fun.

Above, one of the electrician's throws the switch on a huge spotlight.

Welles is captured in the vibrant white light and Benny Goodman's

immortal "SING, SING, SING" immediately explodes and we are into:

THE MAKING OF CITIZEN KANE

A camera crane sweeps dramatically to the ceiling of the sound stage

and brilliant white lights flash on.

A film clapper snaps: CITIZEN KANE. RKO PRODUCTION 281 DIRECTOR:

ORSON:

WELLES.

And we see Welles racing heroically into making his first movie:

In varying KANE makeups he tears through scenes and actors: laughing

with AGNES MOOREHEAD on the cabin set; charming RUTH WARRICK on

the

breakfast table set; berating DOROTHY COMMINGORE on the Great Hall

set...

He speeds back and forth and back and forth from the set to the camera

in the Campaign Headquarters set, never happy with the shot. . .

Gregg Toland watches, bemused, as Welles shifts tiny prop pieces on the

set. . .

Welles bullies and screams and pleads and seduces. Like an obsessed

artistic tornado he is seemingly everywhere at once. We see him

rejecting matte paintings and in makeup and rewriting the script and

trying on costumes and selecting props and leaping into odd positions

looking for the perfect camera angle.

It is very important in this sequence that we see the pressure building

... building ... building ... on Welles.

"SING, SING, SING" continues On the Xanadu stairway set Welles behind

the camera, filming actor Paul Stewart

PAUL STEWART:

"Rosebud? I'll tell you about Rosebud.

WELLES:

Again.

A film clapper:
take 58

PAUL STEWART:

"Rosebud? I'll tell you about Rosebud.

WELLES:

Again.

A film clapper:
take 59

PAUL STEWART:

"Rosebud? I'll tell you about Rosebud.

WELLES:

Again

"SING. SING, SING" continues...

in a corner of the sound stage:

Welles, in full Kane makeup, studies a miniature model of the Kane

Campaign Headquarters set through a tiny periscope with cinematographer

Gregg Toland.

WELLES:

It needs a ceiling, Gregg. Real rooms have real

ceilings.

GREGG TOLAND:

You want a ceiling on this one too?

WELLES:

You bet.

GREGG TOLAND:

Gonna be tough

WELLES:

(smiles)

No, it's gonna be impossible. That's why we're

doing it.

SING, SING, SING" continues Back on the Xanadu stairway set: Poor Paul

Stewart, now at his wit's ends, continues:

PAUL STEWART:

"Rosebud? I'll tell you about Rosebud."

WELLES:

Again

The film clapper: take 112.

PAUL STEWART:

"Rosebud? I'll tell you about Rosebud

WELLES:

Again

Paul Stewart screams and collapses. "SING, SING, SING" continues... On

the Atlantic City nightclub set:

Welles watches as the camera crane attempts the dizzying and difficult

maneuver from the skylight at the top of the set

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