Summary
Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event.
Good for
- Friends night
- Thought-provoking
- Adults
Skip it if
- You want to half-watch while scrolling
Where to watch
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At a glance
Critics vs audiences
Critics like it more than audiences (+17)
Critics 100Audiences 83GoodWatch 91
Metascore100
Letterboxd · 700 K ratings4.2/5
User score8.3
IMDb8.2
Box office
28×its budget
- Budget
- $840 K
- Worldwide
- $23 M
Worldwide it earned $22 M more than it cost.
Running time
1 h 59 min
Longer than most mysteries, +17 min on the typical 102
typical 102119Half of all mysteries run 93–115 min.
Reach
Streams in 44 countries, rent or buy in 36 more
+34Released
1941
April 17, 1941
85 years ago
Genres
MysteryDramaLanguage
English
Original language
Made in
United States
Academy Awards1942
- Writing (Original Screenplay)1942Won
Rated
- PGUnited States
- NRUnited States
Better for older viewers: it's rated PG in the United States for strong language and disturbing imagery, and the viewing guide lists it for adults.
What's in it
- ViolenceMild
- Gore, disturbing imagesLittle or none
- Frightening scenesLittle or none
- Sex, nudityLittle or none
- Dark themesStrong
- Strong languageNamed in the advisories
In white: what the content advisories name. Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsFriends NightPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchThought-ProvokingNot listed for kids or family movie night.
and 79 more154 people
- Orson WellesCharles Foster Kane
- Joseph CottenJedediah Leland
- Dorothy ComingoreSusan Alexander Kane
- Ray CollinsJim W. Gettys
- George CoulourisWalter Parks Thatcher
- Agnes MooreheadMary Kane
- Paul StewartRaymond
- Ruth WarrickEmily Norton Kane
Erskine SanfordHerbert Carter
William AllandJerry Thompson/Narrator
Everett SloaneMr. Bernstein
Fortunio BonanovaSignor Matiste
Gus SchillingJohn
Philip Van ZandtMr. Rawlston
Georgia BackusBertha Anderson
Harry ShannonJim Kane
Sonny BuppCharles Foster Kane III- BSBuddy SwanYoung Charles Foster Kane
Gregg TolandInterviewer- DADon AckermanMan at Party in Everglades (uncredited)
Gino CorradoGino (uncredited)
Maurice CostelloExtra (uncredited)- DADemetrius AlexisNewsreel Man (uncredited)
Gene CooganNewsreel Man (uncredited)
Directing · 1
- Orson Welles Director, Screenplay, Producer
Writing · 1
- Herman J. Mankiewicz Screenplay
Camera · 1
- Gregg Toland Director of Photography
Editing · 1
- Robert Wise Editor
Sound · 3
- Bernard Herrmann Conductor, Original Music Composer
- Bailey Fesler Sound Recordist
- James G. Stewart Sound Recordist
Art · 1
- Van Nest Polglase Art Direction
Costume & Make-Up · 1
- Edward Stevenson Costume Design
Other crew · 1
- Vernon L. Walker Special Effects
Tropes
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