Charles Foster Kane
| Charles Foster Kane | |
|---|---|
| Citizen Kane character | |
 |
|
| Created by | Orson Welles |
| Portrayed by |
Orson Welles (as an adult) Buddy Swan (as a child) |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Owner/Publisher of the New York Daily Inquirer Owner of 37 newspapers and two syndicates Owner of a radio station |
| Family | Mary Kane (mother) James "Jim" Kane (father) Walter Parks Thatcher (legal guardian) |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Monroe Norton Kane (wife) Susan Alexander Kane (second wife) |
| Children | Charles Foster Kane III |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
Charles Foster Kane is a fictional character and the subject of Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane. The character is widely believed to be based on publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Welles played Kane (receiving an Oscar nomination), with Buddy Swan playing Kane as a child. Welles also produced, co-wrote and directed the film.
The general consensus is that William Randolph Hearst is the primary—but not the only—inspiration behind Charles Foster Kane. (Welles himself is considered the other main inspiration.)
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. Also, an overhead shot of Hearst's ranch is shown in the film as Xanadu, the lavish estate where Kane resides.
In addition, Kane's unsuccessful attempt to make his second wife an opera star parallels Hearst's effort to make his mistress Davies a serious dramatic movie actress despite critics' complaints that she was miscast and better in light comedy roles. The connection with Hearst is strengthened by the fact that Welles's co-writer, Herman J. Mankiewicz, was a frequent guest of Davies at Hearst Castle.
Some biographies of Welles posit that Welles himself was a source of inspiration 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). Mankiewicz included dialogue about Kane's voracious appetite, also meant to echo Welles's character.
In recent years, Kane has been compared unfavorably to contemporary media figures such as Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner.
Citizen Kane explores the life of the titular character, who is born of humble origins in the fictional settlement of Little Salem, Colorado, in 1862. A mine given to his parents–to settle a bill for room and board—happens to be rich in gold, making the family suddenly wealthy. In 1871, Kane's mother puts him under the guardianship of a New York City banker named Walter Parks Thatcher, who raises him in luxury until he becomes an adult. Kane resents Thatcher for ripping him away from his family, and spends most of his adult life rebelling against him. He attends prestigious colleges such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Cornell—and gets himself expelled from all of them.
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Wikipedia