ORSON WELLS

A few weeks ago, the American Film Institute (AFI) released this year's list of the top 100 movies of all time. Citizen Kane topped the list again as it always has. You really need to see this film if you haven't.

Orson Welles is most widely known for his famous radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds in 1938. He adapted the H.G. Wells classic to sound like a live reporter observing a Martian landing. It caused quite a stir when most that were listening went into a panic.

Three years later, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in the movie, Citizen Kane. Welles was all of 25 years old. It is the only movie that he ever had total control over. He collaborated with the screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz was an enemy of William Randolph Hearst because each had loved the same woman. The Hearst media empire used all its power to see that Citizen Kane was kept out of movie theaters. Few people got to see it when it was first released. As a result, it lost money and only won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Welles' career was done irreparable harm by Hearst. Welles was one of those that was blacklisted by Hollywood. The FBI investigated him in their communist witch hunts. A genius was stifled.