Home / RKO 281

RKO 281

Year:

1999

Duration:

83 min

Genres:

Biography | Drama

IMDB rate:

7.1

Director:

Benjamin Ross

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1999-11-20

Filming Locations: Hollywood Sign, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Lucy Cohu

RKO 281

Liev Schreiber

Orson Welles

James Cromwell

William Randolph Hearst

Melanie Griffith

Marion Davies

John Malkovich

Herman Mankiewicz

Brenda Blethyn

Louella Parsons

Roy Scheider

George Schaefer

Liam Cunningham

Gregg Toland

David Suchet

Louis B. Mayer

Fiona Shaw

Hedda Hopper

Anastasia Hille

Carole Lombard

Roger Allam

Walt Disney

Simeon Andrews

John Houseman

William Armstrong

Mr. Lewis

Jay Benedict

Darryl Zanuck

Ron Berglas

David O. Selznick

Paul Birchard

Top Brass #2

Neil Conrich

Mr. Thomson

Michael Cronin

Joseph Willicombe

Sarah Franzl

Dorothy Comingore

Briony Glassco

Script Girl

Louis Hammond

Flunkie #2

Aaron Keeling

Young Orson Welles

Joseph Long

Harry Cohn

Gareth Marks

Top Brass #1

Olivier Pierre

Sam Goldwyn

Roger Rose

News Reader

Rolf Saxon

Flunkie #1

Adrian Schiller

Paul Stewart

Kerry Shale

Bernard Herrmann

Cyril Shaps

Jeweller

Tusse Silberg

Welles's Mother

Toby Whithouse

Sound Technician

Tim Woodward

Jack Warner

Angus Wright

Joseph Cotten

Melissa Hartzel

Showgirl

Zak Shukor

Butler

Bobby Valentino

Clark Gable

Anthony Maddalena

Production Designer (uncredited)

Tim Packham

New York Police Officer (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The film depicts Orson Welles meeting William Randolph Hearst whilst a guest at the latter's home, San Simeon. In reality, Welles never went there, and never met Hearst until after "Citizen Kane" had opened. (Their one, brief meeting was in a San Francisco elevator, according to Welles; there were no others present, and it may be that Welles made up the story and never actually met Hearst).

Share this

In the fictitious scene where Orson Welles has dinner at San Simeon, he tells the other guests that he was, as a teenage boy traveling in Europe before beginning his acting career, taught the art of bullfighting by the great matador Manolete. As Manolete was two years younger than Welles and did not begin to achieve any renown in the bullring until after the Spanish Civil War (that is to say, at about the time this scene is supposed to be taking place), this is impossible.

Share this

The title refers to the production number given by RKO to Citzen Kane.

Share this

Goofs

When Welles stops George Schaefer in the bar, he says he wants to go to New York and talk to "the stockbrokers." He means the stockholders of RKO.

Share this

Just before Welles throws the drink in Mank's face and he falls into the pond, the camera angle changes, and Mank's shirt switches from neatly pressed to severely wrinkled, showing that he had already fallen into the pond in previous takes.

Share this

When Orson is sketching a picture during the orchestra scene, he draws a semi-circle around the head of a lone figure on his sketch pad. When the scene cuts to the next part, the circle is not there.

Share this

Quotes

Orson Welles: [Referring to San Simeon] So how big is this monstrosity?

Share this

Herman J. 'Mank' Mankiewicz: Rosebud's a sled! Rosebud's a sled.

Share this

Marion: Screw you, Mr. Kane!

Share this