One Vindictive Smear Campaign Took Down ‘Citizen Kane’ — the Greatest American Film Ever Made — at the 1942 Oscars
Citizen Kane, released in 1941, is considered to be one of the most outstanding American movies ever produced. Starring and directed by Orson Welles, the film is acknowledged for its innovative narrative, cinematography, and the theme of its content. However, it was criticized and booed during the 1942 Oscars. A smear campaign against Orson Welles and the film created the controversy.
The plot of Citizen Kane focuses on the life and death of Charles Foster Kane, who was the owner of a large newspaper company. Kane is regarded as a fictional version of William Randolph Hearst, who was a media mogul. Hearst began a smear campaign against both the movie and its director, Welles, after he got angry about how his life was portrayed in the film.
Reasons Behind the Backlash for Citizen Kane
Hearst was a powerful figure in the media at the time and he manipulated media to conduct a campaign against Citizen Kane. He threatened theaters to avoid screening the movie and used his newspapers to criticize the film. At one point, he even wanted to buy the film so that it could not be released.
This strong negative reaction affected the reception of the movie when it was first released and its ticket sales. Welles, who was known for his arrogant and stern behavior did not surrender, which only increased the rivalry between him and Hearst.
Orson Welles was only 25 when he became famous and recognized in the movie industry because of his work in radio and theater, especially his infamous adaptation of H. G. Wells’ book The War of the Worlds in 1938. His not going by the rules attitude, creativity, and boldness earned him appreciation but also made him a target.
Welles was known for keeping his thoughts and products before others and also for not accepting any suggestions. This fueled the outrage against Citizen Kane during the 1942 Academy Awards.
The film was nominated in nine categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Welles but was awarded only one Oscar in the category of Best Original Screenplay. The ceremony was very intense and the audience was booing when the name of the film was announced.
Hearst’s campaign against the film had a huge impact. According to Collider, the film was made within a budget of $737,740 and it could earn only $1.6 million even after several releases. Welles’ career also suffered as he could not have the same success later despite the talent and potential he had. He had problems with the production budget and little artistic freedom in his later works.
Director Matthew Vaughn Compares Argylle With Citizen Kane
Recently, Matthew Vaughn was shocked by the negative feedback and low turnout for his newest spy film Argylle starring Henry Cavill. In an interview on Empire, Vaughn said he could not understand the negative feedback from the audience.
We had done test screenings that had gone fantastically well. The premiere was a really fun night, and it was like going back to the ‘Snatch’ days where there was such excitement. And I started drinking the Kool-Aid. It’s a fun, feel-good movie.
Vaughn even compared Argylle’s situation to that of Citizen Kane as the latter also received negative feedback and backlash even after being one of the best American movies.
We didn’t make ‘Citizen Kane,’ but f—king hell, then the reviews came out and I’m like, ‘Wait, what have I done to offend these people?’ They were vitriolic. I’m not saying the movie’s perfect by any means, but I didn’t think it was offensive.
Vaughn’s confusion shows how personal works in the field of art can be interpreted completely differently by people. Despite the fact that Argylle was made as an entertaining action comedy, its reception revealed the gap between what the director did and what the viewers wanted to see.
Argylle is now available on Apple TV+.
