July 10, 1941:

Well, Ambersons is going alright, though the damned Hays office is giving us a hell of a time with all thier codes against my film. I mean, really, is anyone offended by the possiblitiy that horse genitals might been seen ( Read more... )

February 1941:

So Kane was up in the Oscars for Best Writing (*bow*), Best Actor in a Leading Roll (*bows*), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Director (*bow*), Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Picture (*bows*) and Best Sound ( Read more... )

October 28, 1941:

ARGH!
We shot the first scene of Ambersons today and it was a total disater.
I can't even go into it, it just-

I need a drink.

And my cameraman!
WHERE IS TOLAND! This Cortez will be the death of me....

April 1941:

Finally! The Jesus idea is out, so I am finally managed to convince RKO to buy the rights to Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons. I was considering casting Mrs. Del Rio as the leading female role, but I figured she couldn't convincingly play a Anglo-Saxon rich women. So I'm trying to Dolorese Costello out of retirement. But ( Read more... )

May 1941:I ran to catch an elevator and just barely made it into the lift when the doors closed behind me. To my left I was vaguely aware of one other man in the elevator with me, but I didn't look over. Instead, I glance to my right to adjust my hat in the mirror and to my amazement, I saw it was Mr. William Randolph Hearst looking furiously and ( Read more... )

May 1941:

Well, yesterday was the primere of my fabulous - if I don't say so myself - film, Citizen Kane. Finally I was able to defeat Hearst and get my work out there. I took John Barrymore to the opening, who has said of me, "Orson Welles?! He's an exhibitionist, a publicity seeker, a headline hunter, a cheap sensationalist...why, he's ( Read more... )

May 1, 1941:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am pleased to present to you - five days before my twenty-sixth birthday - Citizen Kane.

Up yours Hearst.

March 24, 1941:

Native Son opened today ( Read more... )

March 17 1941:

Native Son's in it's final week of rehersal, but that isn't the big news.
If you were to look at the Time and Life magazines, you'll see that Henry Luce - the owner of both - has joined my cause and is fighting against Hearst. RKO and Schaefer declared, "A free speech, a free press, and a screen free for expression tell the story ( Read more... )

March 1941:((backing up a little, because I messed up dates a little ( Read more... )