Charles Foster Kane
Encyclopedia
Charles Foster Kane is a fictional character
and the subject of Orson Welles
' 1941 film
Citizen Kane
. Welles played Kane (receiving an Oscar
nomination), with Buddy Swan
playing Kane as a child. Welles also co-wrote and directed the film.
is the primary — but not the only — inspiration behind Charles Foster Kane. (Welles himself is considered the other main inspiration.) Though Citizen Kane is often considered one of the best films ever made, Hearst was allegedly not amused by how he—or his mistress Marion Davies
, widely (but wrongly) considered the inspiration for Susan Alexander—were depicted, and he attempted to destroy both the film and Welles' career.
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 Davies a serious dramatic movie actress despite critics's complaints that she was miscast and better in light comedy roles. The connection with Hearst is strengthened by the fact that 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). Welles's co-writer, Herman J. Mankiewicz
, included dialogue about Kane's voracious appetite, also meant to echo Welles's character.
In recent years, Kane has been compared unfavorably to contemporaries such as Rupert Murdoch
and Ted Turner
.
, circa 1863. 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. However, Kane blames Thatcher for ripping him away from his family. In acts of rebellion, he attends prestigious colleges such as Harvard
, Yale
, Princeton
, and Cornell
— and gets himself expelled from all of them.
As an adult, Kane takes control of a Thatcher-owned newspaper
called the New York Inquirer, thinking that "it might be fun to run a newspaper". His first act as the paper's new owner is to publish a "declaration of principles" stating his duty to be truthful to his readers. However, he almost immediately begins using yellow journalism
tactics to blow stories out of proportion, encourage a war with Spain
, and thwart Thatcher's political goals and business interests — including ones Kane holds stock in. Kane also hires staff members away from the rival Chronicle newspaper, regarding them as collectibles. To finance the initially-fledgling Inquirer, Kane uses his personal resources; this would allow him to operate it — even at a million dollar annual loss — for decades.
Kane eventually marries Emily Monroe Norton, the niece of an apparently fictional President of the United States
. Unfortunately, the marriage sours as his wealth and power feed his megalomania
cal ego. As his popularity and fortune increases, Kane runs for Governor of New York
against reputedly corrupt boss
J. W. Gettys. An election victory is almost certain until Gettys reveals evidence of Kane's affair with a young "singer" named Susan Alexander. Gettys blackmail
s Kane, meeting with him and his wife at Susan's apartment. Kane, however, refuses to drop out of the race despite Gettys' leverage. As a result, the scandal goes public and Kane loses the election decisively. Furthermore, his best friend, Jedediah Leland, becomes profoundly disillusioned at Kane's haughty arrogance — first by humiliating his family, and then by treating the electorate like his personal property — insisting on being transferred to Kane's Chicago
paper to stay away from him.
Emily divorce
s Kane in 1916, and dies two years later in a car crash with their son. Kane marries Susan and forces her into a doomed and humiliating career as an opera
singer, even though such performances are seriously out of her depth. This effort costs Kane more than money when Jedediah Leland, now a drama critic for the Chicago Inquirer, refuses to follow the company line praising Alexander's performances. Leland becomes too drunk at the difficult task of writing a truthful review against his friend's wishes, falling into a stupor
. Kane, while visiting the paper's newsroom, finishes the review with the negative tone intact to prove to Leland that he still has integrity. However, he simultaneously fires Leland for not indulging his obsession. In retaliation, Leland refuses his severance package
and mails back the torn up check, along with the original copy of Kane's "declaration of principles" to show he has no integrity. Kane tears it up in anger.
After the despondent Susan attempts suicide
, Kane releases her from her disastrous operatic career and retires
to Xanadu
, his gigantic Gothic
chateau
in Florida
. Susan is unable to stand the monotonous routine inside the cavernous mansion and Kane's increasingly domineering nature, and eventually leaves him. The business downturns of the Great Depression
— as well as Kane's excessive spending habits on the crumbling and unfinished Xanadu — costs Kane much of his control of his media empire, which he is forced to sell to Thatcher. Kane, however, still has considerable wealth. He returns to Xanadu and becomes a recluse
, living alone and remaining estranged from all his friends. Kane dies of old age in 1941 uttering the cryptic word "Rosebud".
Reporter Jerry Thompson is assigned to track down the meaning of "Rosebud" shortly after Kane's highly-publicized death. Despite interviewing all of Kane's living acquaintances, he never finds it. In truth, the word "Rosebud" was written on the sled
Kane was given by his parents as a little boy, and left behind at his mother's boarding house when he was sent away to live with Thatcher. It is implied in the film that Kane finds the sled in a warehouse around the time he first meets Susan. The sled is burned in an incinerator after Kane's death, along with other possessions seen as trash by Xanadu's departing staff. It symbolises the innocence and love stolen from Kane when he was taken from his parents.
) was Kane's second wife. She is evidently low class and did not recognize Kane when they first met in the mid-1910s. While Gettys found evidence that implicated Susan as Kane's mistress
, the film does not make it clear whether or not she really was. However, a mere two weeks after his first wife divorced him in 1916, Kane married Susan.
Susan was an aspiring opera singer when she and Kane first met, but is not particularly talented. Despite this, Kane tried to force her into a career as an opera singer, even building an opera house
specifically for her, but he was unsuccessful. Susan is the last of Kane's friends to leave him as well as the original owner of the snow globe
he drops after saying "rosebud". As of 1941, she is still living and running a nightclub
("El Rancho") in Atlantic City, which is where she is interviewed by Jerry Thompson.
) was a close friend of Kane and is generally acknowledged to represent the morality and idealist beliefs Kane himself loses as the film progresses. According to Mr. Bernstein; he came from a wealthy family that lost all their money and met Charles Foster Kane in college. In 1941 Jedediah lives in a nursing home
in Manhattan
, where he was interviewed by Jerry Thompson.
) is a banker described by the opening newsreel as a "grand old man of Wall Street
". He became Kane's legal guardian
in 1871, but Kane resented him and used the Inquirer to harass him. In a scene in the newsreel set around 1925, Thatcher tells a congressional investigation that Kane is a Communist. When Thatcher asks Kane what he would have liked to have been, Kane replies "everything you hate". Clearly getting on in years during Kane's youth, Thatcher was still alive in 1929 and was dead by 1941.
of Directors of Kane's business interests. Having served as Kane's personal assistant since at least when he took over the Inquirer, Bernstein proved the most loyal to the man. For instance, Bernstein willingly participated in indulging Kane's obsession in his wife's operatic career despite the fact that it was ill-considered by everyone else. However, he is not without scruples such as when he advised his employer not to make insincere promises in his Declaration of Principles. Furthermore, although the character has been described as a stereotypical Jew, he breaks with the stereotype by being far less materialistic than Kane, noting "It's no trick to make a whole lot of money, if all you want is just a whole lot of money."
, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and other major American cities. The "News on the March" newsreel
at the beginning of the film also claims that Kane controls two newspaper syndicates and a radio network
; it also mentions that Kane has other business interests in real estate
, logging
, shipping
, and food retailing
. However, Kane's empire largely collapses at the onset of the Great Depression, and he is forced to sell his remaining holdings to Thatcher. Kane has enough wealth to build Chicago's fictional opera house
, as well as his cavernous, unfinished mansion, Xanadu
.
The mansion contains Kane's vast collection of classical sculptures and art, and the newsreel claims that portions of Xanadu were taken from other famous palaces overseas.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the subject of Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' 1941 film
1941 in film
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
. Welles played Kane (receiving an Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination), with Buddy Swan
Buddy Swan
Paul B. "Buddy" Swan was an American child actor, best known for playing the title character of Citizen Kane as an eight-year-old boy....
playing Kane as a child. Welles also co-wrote and directed the film.
Inspiration
The general consensus is that William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
is the primary — but not the only — inspiration behind Charles Foster Kane. (Welles himself is considered the other main inspiration.) Though Citizen Kane is often considered one of the best films ever made, Hearst was allegedly not amused by how he—or his mistress Marion Davies
Marion Davies
Marion Davies was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
, widely (but wrongly) considered the inspiration for Susan Alexander—were depicted, and he attempted to destroy both the film and Welles' career.
In the film, Kane is given the line "You provide the prose poems
Prose poetry
Prose poetry is poetry written in prose instead of using verse but preserving poetic qualities such as heightened imagery and emotional effects.-Characteristics:Prose poetry can be considered either primarily poetry or prose, or a separate genre altogether...
; 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 Davies a serious dramatic movie actress despite critics's complaints that she was miscast and better in light comedy roles. The connection with Hearst is strengthened by the fact that Mankiewicz was a frequent guest of Davies at Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to...
.
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). Welles's co-writer, Herman J. Mankiewicz
Herman J. Mankiewicz
Herman Jacob Mankiewicz was an American screenwriter, who, with Orson Welles, wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane . Earlier, he was the Berlin correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and the drama critic for The New York Times and The New Yorker. Alexander Woollcott, said that Herman Mankiewicz was...
, included dialogue about Kane's voracious appetite, also meant to echo Welles's character.
In recent years, Kane has been compared unfavorably to contemporaries such as Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
and Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
.
Fictional character biography
Citizen Kane explores the life of the titular character, who is born of humble origins in the fictional settlement of Little Salem, ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, circa 1863. A mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
given to his parents — to settle a bill for room and board — happens to be rich in gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, making the family suddenly wealthy. In 1871, Kane's mother puts him under the guardianship of a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
banker named Walter Parks Thatcher, who raises him in luxury until he becomes an adult. However, Kane blames Thatcher for ripping him away from his family. In acts of rebellion, he attends prestigious colleges such as Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, and Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
— and gets himself expelled from all of them.
As an adult, Kane takes control of a Thatcher-owned newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
called the New York Inquirer, thinking that "it might be fun to run a newspaper". His first act as the paper's new owner is to publish a "declaration of principles" stating his duty to be truthful to his readers. However, he almost immediately begins using yellow journalism
Yellow journalism
Yellow journalism or the yellow press is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism...
tactics to blow stories out of proportion, encourage a war with Spain
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, and thwart Thatcher's political goals and business interests — including ones Kane holds stock in. Kane also hires staff members away from the rival Chronicle newspaper, regarding them as collectibles. To finance the initially-fledgling Inquirer, Kane uses his personal resources; this would allow him to operate it — even at a million dollar annual loss — for decades.
Kane eventually marries Emily Monroe Norton, the niece of an apparently fictional President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Unfortunately, the marriage sours as his wealth and power feed his megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
cal ego. As his popularity and fortune increases, Kane runs for Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
against reputedly corrupt boss
Political boss
A boss, in politics, is a person who wields the power over a particular political region or constituency. Bosses may dictate voting patterns, control appointments, and wield considerable influence in other political processes. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves...
J. W. Gettys. An election victory is almost certain until Gettys reveals evidence of Kane's affair with a young "singer" named Susan Alexander. Gettys blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
s Kane, meeting with him and his wife at Susan's apartment. Kane, however, refuses to drop out of the race despite Gettys' leverage. As a result, the scandal goes public and Kane loses the election decisively. Furthermore, his best friend, Jedediah Leland, becomes profoundly disillusioned at Kane's haughty arrogance — first by humiliating his family, and then by treating the electorate like his personal property — insisting on being transferred to Kane's Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
paper to stay away from him.
Emily divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
s Kane in 1916, and dies two years later in a car crash with their son. Kane marries Susan and forces her into a doomed and humiliating career as an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer, even though such performances are seriously out of her depth. This effort costs Kane more than money when Jedediah Leland, now a drama critic for the Chicago Inquirer, refuses to follow the company line praising Alexander's performances. Leland becomes too drunk at the difficult task of writing a truthful review against his friend's wishes, falling into a stupor
Stupor
Stupor is the lack of critical cognitive function and level of consciousness wherein a sufferer is almost entirely unresponsive and only responds to base stimuli such as pain. This is often mistaken for delirium and treated with Haldol and or other anti-psychotic drugs...
. Kane, while visiting the paper's newsroom, finishes the review with the negative tone intact to prove to Leland that he still has integrity. However, he simultaneously fires Leland for not indulging his obsession. In retaliation, Leland refuses his severance package
Severance package
A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:* An additional payment based on months of service...
and mails back the torn up check, along with the original copy of Kane's "declaration of principles" to show he has no integrity. Kane tears it up in anger.
After the despondent Susan attempts suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, Kane releases her from her disastrous operatic career and retires
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
to Xanadu
Xanadu (Citizen Kane)
Xanadu is the fictional estate of Charles Foster Kane, the title character of the film Citizen Kane. The estate gets its name from the real ancient Mongolian city, Xanadu, known for its splendor...
, his gigantic Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
chateau
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Susan is unable to stand the monotonous routine inside the cavernous mansion and Kane's increasingly domineering nature, and eventually leaves him. The business downturns of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
— as well as Kane's excessive spending habits on the crumbling and unfinished Xanadu — costs Kane much of his control of his media empire, which he is forced to sell to Thatcher. Kane, however, still has considerable wealth. He returns to Xanadu and becomes a recluse
Recluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
, living alone and remaining estranged from all his friends. Kane dies of old age in 1941 uttering the cryptic word "Rosebud".
Reporter Jerry Thompson is assigned to track down the meaning of "Rosebud" shortly after Kane's highly-publicized death. Despite interviewing all of Kane's living acquaintances, he never finds it. In truth, the word "Rosebud" was written on the sled
Sled
A sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle with a smooth underside or possessing a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners that travels by sliding across a surface. Most sleds are used on surfaces with low friction, such as snow or ice. In some cases,...
Kane was given by his parents as a little boy, and left behind at his mother's boarding house when he was sent away to live with Thatcher. It is implied in the film that Kane finds the sled in a warehouse around the time he first meets Susan. The sled is burned in an incinerator after Kane's death, along with other possessions seen as trash by Xanadu's departing staff. It symbolises the innocence and love stolen from Kane when he was taken from his parents.
Susan Alexander
Susan Alexander Kane (Dorothy ComingoreDorothy Comingore
Dorothy Comingore was an American film actress, best known for her portrayal of Susan Alexander in Orson Welles's critically acclaimed movie Citizen Kane...
) was Kane's second wife. She is evidently low class and did not recognize Kane when they first met in the mid-1910s. While Gettys found evidence that implicated Susan as Kane's mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
, the film does not make it clear whether or not she really was. However, a mere two weeks after his first wife divorced him in 1916, Kane married Susan.
Susan was an aspiring opera singer when she and Kane first met, but is not particularly talented. Despite this, Kane tried to force her into a career as an opera singer, even building an opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
specifically for her, but he was unsuccessful. Susan is the last of Kane's friends to leave him as well as the original owner of the snow globe
Snow globe
A snow globe is a transparent sphere, usually made of glass, enclosing a miniaturized scene of some sort, often together with a model of a landscape. The sphere also encloses the water in the globe; the water serves as the medium through which the "snow" falls. To activate the snow, the globe is...
he drops after saying "rosebud". As of 1941, she is still living and running a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
("El Rancho") in Atlantic City, which is where she is interviewed by Jerry Thompson.
Jedediah Leland
Jedediah Leland (Joseph CottenJoseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
) was a close friend of Kane and is generally acknowledged to represent the morality and idealist beliefs Kane himself loses as the film progresses. According to Mr. Bernstein; he came from a wealthy family that lost all their money and met Charles Foster Kane in college. In 1941 Jedediah lives in a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, where he was interviewed by Jerry Thompson.
Walter Thatcher
Walter Parks Thatcher (George CoulourisGeorge Coulouris
George Coulouris was a prominent English film and stage actor.-Early life:Coulouris was born in Manchester, England, the son of Abigail and Nicholas Coulouris, a merchant of Greek origin. He was brought up both in Manchester and nearby Urmston and was educated at Manchester Grammar School...
) is a banker described by the opening newsreel as a "grand old man of Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
". He became Kane's legal guardian
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
in 1871, but Kane resented him and used the Inquirer to harass him. In a scene in the newsreel set around 1925, Thatcher tells a congressional investigation that Kane is a Communist. When Thatcher asks Kane what he would have liked to have been, Kane replies "everything you hate". Clearly getting on in years during Kane's youth, Thatcher was still alive in 1929 and was dead by 1941.
Mr. Bernstein
Mr. Bernstein is a business executive and now Chairman of the BoardChairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
of Directors of Kane's business interests. Having served as Kane's personal assistant since at least when he took over the Inquirer, Bernstein proved the most loyal to the man. For instance, Bernstein willingly participated in indulging Kane's obsession in his wife's operatic career despite the fact that it was ill-considered by everyone else. However, he is not without scruples such as when he advised his employer not to make insincere promises in his Declaration of Principles. Furthermore, although the character has been described as a stereotypical Jew, he breaks with the stereotype by being far less materialistic than Kane, noting "It's no trick to make a whole lot of money, if all you want is just a whole lot of money."
Wealth and empire
Apart from the New York Inquirer, Kane publishes similar Inquirer newspapers in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and other major American cities. The "News on the March" newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
at the beginning of the film also claims that Kane controls two newspaper syndicates and a radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
; it also mentions that Kane has other business interests in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
, and food retailing
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
. However, Kane's empire largely collapses at the onset of the Great Depression, and he is forced to sell his remaining holdings to Thatcher. Kane has enough wealth to build Chicago's fictional opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
, as well as his cavernous, unfinished mansion, Xanadu
Xanadu (Citizen Kane)
Xanadu is the fictional estate of Charles Foster Kane, the title character of the film Citizen Kane. The estate gets its name from the real ancient Mongolian city, Xanadu, known for its splendor...
.
The mansion contains Kane's vast collection of classical sculptures and art, and the newsreel claims that portions of Xanadu were taken from other famous palaces overseas.