CITIZEN KANE (1941)

Directed by Orson Welles

Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz &

Orson Welles

Joseph Cotten ...... Jedediah Leland/Newsreel Reporter

Dorothy Comingore ............... Susan Alexander Kane
Agnes Moorehead ....................... Mrs. Mary Kane
Ruth Warrick ................ Emily Monroe Norton Kane
Ray Collins ............... Boss James 'Jim' W. Gettys
Erskine Sanford ..... Herbert Carter/Newsreel Reporter
Everett Sloane ......................... Mr. Bernstein
William Alland ...... Jerry Thompson/Newsreel Narrator
Paul Stewart .................. Raymond, Kane's Butler
George Coulouris ............... Walter Parks Thatcher
Fortunio Bonanova ..................... Signor Matiste
Gus Schilling ......................... The Headwaiter
Philip Van Zandt ........................ Mr. Rawlston
Georgia Backus ................................ Bertha
Harry Shannon .......................... Kane's Father
Sonny Bupp ................... Charles Foster Kane III
Buddy Swan ........................... Kane, age eight
Orson Welles ..................... Charles Foster Kane

PROLOGUE

FADE IN:

1 EXT. XANADU - FAINT DAWN - 1940 (MINIATURE) 1

Window, very small in the distance, illuminated.

All around this is an almost totally black screen. Now, as

the camera moves slowly towards the window which is almost a
postage stamp in the frame, other forms appear; barbed wire,
cyclone fencing, and now, looming up against an early morning
sky, enormous iron grille work. Camera travels up what is
now shown to be a gateway of gigantic proportions and holds
on the top of it - a huge initial "K" showing darker and
darker against the dawn sky. Through this and beyond we see
the fairy-tale mountaintop of Xanadu, the great castle a
sillhouette as its summit, the little window a distant accent
in the darkness.

DISSOLVE:

A SERIES OF SET-UPS, EACH CLOSER TO THE GREAT WINDOW, ALL

TELLING SOMETHING OF:

The literally incredible domain of CHARLES FOSTER KANE.

 Its right flank resting for nearly forty miles on the Gulf
Coast, it truly extends in all directions farther than the
eye can see. Designed by nature to be almost completely
bare and flat - it was, as will develop, practically all
marshland when Kane acquired and changed its face - it is
now pleasantly uneven, with its fair share of rolling hills
and one very good-sized mountain, all man-made. Almost all
the land is improved, either through cultivation for farming
purposes or through careful landscaping, in the shape of
parks and lakes. The castle dominates itself, an enormous
pile, compounded of several genuine castles, of European
origin, of varying architecture - dominates the scene, from
the very peak of the mountain.

DISSOLVE:

GOLF LINKS (MINIATURE)

Past which we move. The greens are straggly and overgrown,

the fairways wild with tropical weeds, the links unused and
not seriously tended for a long time.

(CONTINUED)

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--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 2
9-9-02

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

WHAT WAS ONCE A GOOD-SIZED ZOO (MINIATURE) Of the Hagenbeck

type. All that now remains, with one exception, are the
individual plots, surrounded by moats, on which the animals
are kept, free and yet safe from each other and the landscape
at large. (Signs on several of the plots indicate that here
there were once tigers, lions, girrafes.)

DISSOLVE:

THE MONKEY TERRACE (MINIATURE)

In the foreground, a great obscene ape is outlined against

the dawn murk. He is scratching himself slowly, thoughtfully,
looking out across the estates of Charles Foster Kane, to
the distant light glowing in the castle on the hill.

DISSOLVE:

THE ALLIGATOR PIT (MINIATURE)

The idiot pile of sleepy dragons. Reflected in the muddy

water - the lighted window.

THE LAGOON (MINIATURE)

The boat landing sags. An old newspaper floats on the surface

of the water - a copy of the New York Enquirer. As it moves
 across the frame, it discloses again the reflection of the
window in the castle, closer than before.

THE GREAT SWIMMING POOL (MINIATURE)

It is empty. A newspaper blows across the cracked floor of

the tank.

DISSOLVE:

THE COTTAGES (MINIATURE)

In the shadows, literally the shadows, of the castle. As we

move by, we see that their doors and windows are boarded up
and locked, with heavy bars as further protection and sealing.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 3
9-9-02

A DRAWBRIDGE (MINIATURE)

Over a wide moat, now stagnant and choked with weeds. We

move across it and through a huge solid gateway into a formal
garden, perhaps thirty yards wide and one hundred yards deep,
which extends right up to the very wall of the castle. The
landscaping surrounding it has been sloppy and casual for a
long time, but this particular garden has been kept up in
perfect shape. As the camera makes its way through it,
towards the lighted window of the castle, there are revealed
rare and exotic blooms of all kinds. The dominating note is
one of almost exaggerated tropical lushness, hanging limp
and despairing. Moss, moss, moss. Ankor Wat, the night the
last King died.

DISSOLVE:

THE WINDOW (MINIATURE)

Camera moves in until the frame of the window fills the frame
of the screen. Suddenly, the light within goes out. This
stops the action of the camera and cuts the music which has
been accompanying the sequence. In the glass panes of the
window, we see reflected the ripe, dreary landscape of Mr.
Kane's estate behind and the dawn sky.

DISSOLVE:

2 INT. KANE'S BEDROOM - FAINT DAWN - 2

A very long shot of Kane's enormous bed, silhouetted against

the enormous window.
 DISSOLVE:

3 INT. KANE'S BEDROOM - FAINT DAWN - 3

4 SNOW SCENE. AN INCREDIBLE ONE. BIG, IMPOSSIBLE FLAKES OF

SNOW, A TOO PICTURESQUE FARMHOUSE AND A SNOW MAN. THE
JINGLING OF SLEIGH BELLS IN THE MUSICAL SCORE NOW MAKES AN
IRONIC REFERENCE TO INDIAN TEMPLE BELLS - THE MUSIC FREEZES - 4

KANE'S OLD OLD VOICE

Rosebud...

The camera pulls back, showing the whole scene to be contained

in one of those glass balls which are sold in novelty stores
all over the world. A hand - Kane's hand, which has been
holding the ball, relaxes. The ball falls out of his hand
and bounds down two carpeted steps leading to the bed, the
camera following. The ball falls off the last step onto the
marble floor where it breaks, the fragments glittering in
the first rays of the morning sun.

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 4
9-9-02

This ray cuts an angular pattern across the floor, suddenly

crossed with a thousand bars of light as the blinds are pulled
across the window.

The foot of Kane's bed. The camera very close. Outlined

against the shuttered window, we can see a form - the form
of a nurse, as she pulls the sheet up over his head. The
camera follows this action up the length of the bed and
arrives at the face after the sheet has covered it.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

5 INT. OF A MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION ROOM 5

On the screen as the camera moves in are the words:

"MAIN TITLE"

Stirring, brassy music is heard on the soundtrack (which, of

course, sounds more like a soundtrack than ours.)

The screen in the projection room fills our screen as the

second title appears:

"CREDITS"

NOTE: Here follows a typical news digest short, one of the

regular monthly or bi-monthly features, based on public events
or personalities. These are distinguished from ordinary
newsreels and short subjects in that they have a fully
 developed editorial or storyline. Some of the more obvious
characteristics of the "March of Time," for example, as well
as other documentary shorts, will be combined to give an
authentic impression of this now familiar type of short
subject. As is the accepted procedure in these short
subjects, a narrator is used as well as explanatory titles.

FADE OUT:

NEWS DIGEST NARRATOR

Legendary was the Xanadu where Kubla
Kahn decreed his stately pleasure
dome-
(with quotes in his
voice)
"Where twice five miles of fertile
ground, with walls and towers were
girdled 'round."
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 5
9-9-02

NEWS DIGEST NARRATOR (CONT'D)

(dropping the quotes)
Today, almost as legendary is
Florida's XANADU - world's largest
private pleasure ground. Here, on
the deserts of the Gulf Coast, a
private mountain was commissioned,
successfully built for its landlord.
Here in a private valley, as in the
Coleridge poem, "blossoms many an
incense-bearing tree." Verily, "a
miracle of rare device." U.S.A.

CHARLES FOSTER KANE

Opening shot of great desolate expanse of Florida coastline

(1940 - DAY)

DISSOLVE:

Series of shots showing various aspects of Xanadu, all as

they might be photographed by an ordinary newsreel cameraman -
nicely photographed, but not atmospheric to the extreme extent
of the Prologue (1940).

NARRATOR
(dropping the quotes)
Here, for Xanadu's landlord, will be
held 1940's biggest, strangest
funeral; here this week is laid to
rest a potent figure of our Century -
America's Kubla Kahn - Charles Foster
Kane. In journalism's history, other
 names are honored more than Charles
Foster Kane's, more justly revered.
Among publishers, second only to
James Gordon Bennet the First: his
dashing, expatriate son; England's
Northcliffe and Beaverbrook; Chicago's
Patterson and McCormick;

TITLE:

TO FORTY-FOUR MILLION U.S. NEWS BUYERS, MORE NEWSWORTHY THAN

THE NAMES IN HIS OWN HEADLINES, WAS KANE HIMSELF, GREATEST
NEWSPAPER TYCOON OF THIS OR ANY OTHER GENERATION.

Shot of a huge, screen-filling picture of Kane. Pull back

to show that it is a picture on the front page of the
"Enquirer," surrounded by the reversed rules of mourning,
with masthead and headlines. (1940)

DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 6
9-9-02

A great number of headlines, set in different types and

different styles, obviously from different papers, all
announcing Kane's death, all appearing over photographs of
Kane himself (perhaps a fifth of the headlines are in foreign
languages). An important item in connection with the
headlines is that many of them - positively not all - reveal
passionately conflicting opinions about Kane. Thus, they
contain variously the words "patriot," "democrat," "pacifist,"
"war-monger," "traitor," "idealist," "American," etc.

TITLE:

1895 TO 1940 - ALL OF THESE YEARS HE COVERED, MANY OF THESE

YEARS HE WAS.

Newsreel shots of San Francisco during and after the fire,

followed by shots of special trains with large streamers:
"Kane Relief Organization." Over these shots superimpose
the date - 1906.

Artist's painting of Foch's railroad car and peace

negotiators, if actual newsreel shot unavailable. Over this
shot sumperimpose the date - 1918.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Denver's Bonfils and Sommes; New
York's late, great Joseph Pulitzer;
America's emperor of the news
syndicate, another editorialist and
landlord, the still mighty and once
mightier Hearst. Great names all of
them -but none of them so loved,
 hated, feared, so often spoken -
as Charles Foster Kane. The San
Francisco earthquake. First with
the news were the Kane papers. First
with Relief of the Sufferers, First
with the news of their Relief of the
Sufferers.
Kane papers scoop the world on
the Armistice - publish, eight hours
before competitors, complete details
of the Armistice teams granted the
Germans by Marshall Foch from his
railroad car in the Forest of
Compeigne. For forty years appeared
in Kane newsprint no public issue on
which Kane papers took no stand.
No public man whom Kane himself
did not support or denounce - often
support, then denounce. Its
humble beginnings, a dying daily -

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 7
9-9-02

6 SHOTS WITH THE DATE - 1898 (TO BE SUPPLIED) 6

7 SHOTS WITH THE DATE - 1910 (TO BE SUPPLIED) 7

8 SHOTS WITH THE DATE - 1922 (TO BE SUPPLIED) 8

Headlines, cartoons, contemporary newreels or stills of the

following:

1. WOMAN SUFFRAGE

The celebrated newsreel shot of about 1914.

2. PROHIBITION

Breaking up of a speakeasy and such.

3. T.V.A.

LABOR RIOTS

Brief clips of old newreel shots of William Jennings Bryan,

Theodore Roosevelt, Stalin, Walter P. Thatcher, Al Smith,
McKinley, Landon, Franklin D. Roosevelt and such. Also,
recent newsreels of the elderly Kane with such Nazis as Hitler
and Goering; and England's Chamberlain and Churchill.

Shot of a ramshackle building with old-fashioned presses

showing through plate glass windows and the name "Enquirer"
in old-fashioned gold letters. (1892)

DISSOLVE:
 NARRATOR
Kane's empire, in its glory, held
dominion over thirty-seven newpapers,
thirteen magazines, a radio network.
An empire upon an empire. The
first of grocery stores, paper mills,
apartment buildings, factories,
forests,
ocean-liners - An empire through
which for fifty years flowed, in an
unending stream, the wealth of the
earth's third richest gold mine...
Famed in American legend is the
origin of the Kane fortune... How,
to boarding housekeeper Mary Kane,
by a defaulting boarder, in 1868 was
left the supposedly worthless deed
to an abandoned mine shaft:
The Colorado Lode.

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 8
9-9-02

The magnificent Enquirer Building of today.

1891-1911 - a map of the USA, covering the entire screen,

which in animated diagram shows the Kane publications
spreading from city to city. Starting from New York, minature
newboys speed madly to Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Atlanta, El Paso, etc.,
screaming "Wuxtry, Kane Papers, Wuxtry."

Shot of a large mine going full blast, chimneys belching

smoke, trains moving in and out, etc. A large sign reads
"Colorado Lode Mining Co." (1940) Sign reading; "Little
Salem, CO - 25 MILES."

DISSOLVE:

An old still shot of Little Salem as it was 70 years ago

(identified by copper-plate caption beneath the still). (1870)

Shot of early tintype stills of Thomas Foster Kane and his

wife, Mary, on their wedding day. A similar picture of Mary
Kane some four or five years later with her little boy,
Charles Foster Kane.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Fifty-seven years later, before a
Congressional Investigation, Walter
P. Thatcher, grand old man of Wall
Street, for years chief target of
Kane papers' attack on "trusts,"
recalls a journey he made as a
youth...
 Shot of Capitol, in Washington D.C.

Shot of Congressional Investigating Committee (reproduction

of existing J.P. Morgan newsreel). This runs silent under
narration. Walter P. Thatcher is on the stand. He is flanked
by his son, Walter P. Thatcher Jr., and other partners. He
is being questioned by some Merry Andrew congressmen. At
this moment, a baby alligator has just been placed in his
lap, causing considerable confusion and embarrassment.

Newsreel close-up of Thatcher, the soundtrack of which now

fades in.

THATCHER
... because of that trivial
incident...

INVESTIGATOR
It is a fact, however, is it not,
that in 1870, you did go to Colorado?

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 9
9-9-02

THATCHER
I did.

INVESTIGATOR
In connection with the Kane affairs?

THATCHER
Yes. My firm had been appointed
trustees by Mrs. Kane for the fortune,
which she had recently acquired. It
was her wish that I should take charge
of this boy, Charles Foster Kane.

NARRATOR
That same month in Union Square -

INVESTIGATOR
Is it not a fact that on that
occasion, the boy personally attacked
you after striking you in the stomach
with a sled?

Loud laughter and confusion.

THATCHER
Mr. Chairman, I will read to this
committee a prepared statement I
have brought with me - and I will
then refuse to answer any further
questions. Mr.
Johnson, please!
 A young assistant hands him a sheet of paper from a briefcase.

THATCHER (CONT'D)
(reading it)
"With full awareness of the meaning
of my words and the responsibility
of what I am about to say, it is my
considered belief that Mr. Charles
Foster Kane, in every essence of his
social beliefs and by the dangerous
manner in which he has persistently
attacked the American traditions of
private property, initiative and
opportunity for advancement, is - in
fact - nothing more or less than a
Communist."

Newsreel of Union Square meeting, section of crowd carrying

banners urging the boycott of Kane papers. A speaker is on
the platform above the crowd.

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 10
9-9-02

SPEAKER
(fading in on
soundtrack till the
words "Charles Foster
Kane")
are a menace to every working man in
this land. He is today what he has
always been and always will be - A
FASCIST!

NARRATOR
And yet another opinion - Kane's
own.

Silent newsreel on a windy platform, flag-draped, in front

of the magnificent Enquirer building. On platform, in full
ceremonial dress, is Charles Foster Kane. He orates silently.

TITLE:

"I AM, HAVE BEEN, AND WILL BE ONLY ONE THING - AN AMERICAN."
CHARLES FOSTER KANE.

Same locale, Kane shaking hands out of frame.

Another newsreel shot, much later, very brief, showing Kane,

older and much fatter, very tired-looking, seated with his
second wife in a nightclub. He looks lonely and unhappy in
the midst of the gaiety.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
 Twice married, twice divorced - first
to a president's niece, Emily Norton -
today, by her second marriage,
chatelaine of the oldest of England's
stately homes.
Sixteen years after that - two
weeks after his divorce from Emily
Norton - Kane married Susan Alexander,
singer, at the Town Hall in Trenton,
New Jersey.

TITLE:

FEW PRIVATE LIVES WERE MORE PUBLIC.

Period still of Emily Norton (1900).

DISSOLVE:

Reconstructed silent newsreel. Kane, Susan, and Bernstein

emerging from side doorway of City Hall into a ring of press
photographers, reporters, etc.

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 11
9-9-02

Kane looks startled, recoils for an instance, then charges

down upon the photographers, laying about him with his stick,
smashing whatever he can hit.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
For wife two, one-time opera singing
Susan Alexander, Kane built Chicago's
Municipal Opera House. Cost: three
million dollars. Conceived for Susan
Alexander Kane, half-finished before
she divorced him, the still unfinished
Xanadu. Cost: no man can say.

Still of architect's sketch with typically glorified

"rendering" of the Chicago Municipal Opera House.

DISSOLVE:

A glamorous shot of the almost-finished Xanadu, a magnificent

fairy-tale estate built on a mountain. (1920)

Then shots of its preparation. (1917)

Shots of truck after truck, train after train, flashing by

with tremendous noise.

Shots of vast dredges, steamshovels.

Shot of ship standing offshore unloading its lighters.

 In quick succession, shots follow each other, some
reconstructed, some in miniature, some real shots (maybe
from the dam projects) of building, digging, pouring concrete,
etc.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
One hundred thousand trees, twenty
thousand tons of marble, are the
ingredients of Xanadu's mountain.
Xanadu's livestock: the fowl of the
air, the fish of the sea, the beast
of the field and jungle - two of
each; the biggest private zoo since
Noah.
Contents of Kane's palace:
paintings, pictures, statues, the
very stones of many another palace,
shipped to Florida from every corner
of the earth, from other Kane houses,
warehouses, where they mouldered for
years. Enough for ten museums - the
loot of the world.

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 12
9-9-02

More shots as before, only this time we see (in miniature) a

large mountain - at different periods in its development -
rising out of the sands.

Shots of elephants, apes, zebras, etc. being herded, unloaded,

shipped, etc. in various ways.

Shots of packing cases being unloaded from ships, from trains,

from trucks, with various kinds of lettering on them (Italian,
Arabian, Chinese, etc.) but all consigned to Charles Foster
Kane, Xanadu, Florida.

A reconstructed still of Xanadu - the main terrace. A group

of persons in clothes of the period of 1917. In their midst,
clearly recognizable, are Kane and Susan.

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Kane urged his country's entry into
one war, opposed participation in
another. Swung the election to one
American President at least, was
called another's assassin. Thus,
Kane's papers might never have
survived - had not the President.

TITLE:

FROM XANADU, FOR THE PAST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, ALL KANE

ENTERPRISES HAVE BEEN DIRECTED, MANY OF THE NATIONS DESTINIES
SHAPED.
 Shots of various authentically worded headlines of American
papers since 1895.

Spanish-American War shots. (1898)

A graveyard in France of the World War and hundreds of

crosses. (1919)

Old newsreels of a political campaign.

Insert of a particularly virulent headline and/or cartoon.

HEADLINE: "PRESIDENT SHOT"

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Kane, molder of mass opinion though
he was, in all his life was never
granted elective office by the voters
of his country. Few U.S. news
publishers have been.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 13
9-9-02

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Few, like one-time Congressman Hearst,
have ever run for any office - most
know better - conclude with other
political observers that one man's
press has power enough for himself.
But Kane papers were once strong
indeed, and once the prize seemed
almost his. In 1910, as Independent
Candidate for governor, the best
elements of the state behind him -
the White House seemingly the next
easy step in a lightning
political career -

Night shot of crowd burning Charles Foster Kane in effigy.

The dummy bears a grotesque, comic resemblance to Kane. It
is tossed into the flames, which burn up -

AND THEN DOWN... (1910)

FADE OUT:

TITLE:

IN POLITICS - ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID, NEVER A BRIDE

Newsreel shots of great crowds streaming into a building -

Madison Square Garden - then shots inside the vast auditorium,
at one end of which is a huge picture of Kane. (1910)
 Shot of box containing the first Mrs. Kane and young Howard
Kane, age five. They are acknowledging the cheers of the
crowd. (Silent Shot) (1910)

Newreel shot of dignitaries on platform, with Kane, alongside

of speaker's table, beaming, hand upraised to silence the
crowd. (Silent Shot) (1910)

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Then, suddenly - less than one week
before election - defeat! Shameful,
ignominious - defeat that set back
for twenty years the cause of reform
in the U.S., forever cancelled
political chances for Charles Foster
Kane.
Then, in the third year of the
Great Depression... As to all
publishers, it sometimes must - to
Bennett, to Munsey and Hearst it did -
a paper closes!
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 14
9-9-02

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
For Kane, in four short years:
collapse!
Eleven Kane papers, four Kane
magazines merged, more sold, scrapped -

Newreel shot - closeup of Kane delivering a speech... (1910)

The front page of a contemporary paper - a screaming headline.

Twin phots of Kane and Susan. (1910)

Printed title about Depression.

Once more repeat the map of the USA 1932-1939. Suddenly,

the cartoon goes into reverse, the empire begins to shrink,
illustrating the narrator's words.

The door of a newspaper office with the signs: "Closed."

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Then four long years more - alone in
his never-finished, already decaying,
pleasure palace, aloof, seldom
visited, never photographed, Charles
Foster Kane continued to direct his
falling empire ... vainly attempting
to sway, as he once did, the destinies
of a nation that has ceased to listen
to him ... ceased to trust him...
 SHOTS OF XANADU. (1940)

Series of shots, entirely modern, but rather jumpy and

obviously bootlegged, showing Kane in a bath chair, swathed
in summer rugs, being perambulated through his rose garden,
a desolate figure in the sunshine. (1935)

NARRATOR (CONT'D)
Last week, death came to sit upon
the throne of America's Kubla Khan -
last week, as it must to all men,
death came to Charles Foster Kane.

DISSOLVE:

Cabinent Photograph (Full Screen) of Kane as an old, old

man. This image remains constant on the screen (as camera
pulls back, taking in the interior of a dark projection room.

9 INT. PROJECTION ROOM - DAY - 9

A fairly large one, with a long throw to the screen. It is

dark.

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 15
9-9-02

The image of Kane as an old man remains constant on the screen

as camera pulls back, slowly taking in and registering
Projection Room. This action occurs, however, only after
the first few lines of encuring dialogue have been spoken.
The shadows of the men speaking appear as they rise from
their chairs - black against the image of Kane's face on the
screen.

NOTE: These are the editors of a "News Digest" short, and

of the Rawlston magazines. All his enterprises are
represented in the projection room, and Rawlston himself,
that great man, is present also and will shortly speak up.

During the entire course of this scene, nobody's face is

really seen. Sections of their bodies are picked out by a
table light, a silhouette is thrown on the screen, and their
faces and bodies are themselves thrown into silhouette against
the brilliant slanting rays of light from the projection
room.

A Third Man is on the telephone. We see a corner of his

head and the phone.

THIRD MAN
(at phone)
Stand by. I'll tell you if we want
to run it again.
(hangs up)
 THOMPSON'S VOICE
Well?

A short pause.

A MAN'S VOICE
It's a tough thing to do in a
newsreel. Seventy years of a man's
life -

Murmur of highly salaried assent at this. Rawlston walks

toward camera and out of the picture. Others are rising.
Camera during all of this, apparently does its best to follow
action and pick up faces, but fails. Actually, all set-ups
are to be planned very carefully to exclude the element of
personality from this scene; which is expressed entirely by
voices, shadows, sillhouettes and the big, bright image of
Kane himself on the screen.

A VOICE
See what Arthur Ellis wrote about
him in the American review?

(CONTINUED)

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Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 16
9-9-02

THIRD MAN
I read it.

THE VOICE
(its owner is already
leaning across the
table, holding a
piece of paper under
the desk light and
reading from it)
Listen: Kane is dead. He contributed
to the journalism of his day - the
talent of a mountebank, the morals
of a bootlegger, and the manners of
a pasha.
He and his kind have almost
succeeded in transforming a once
noble profession into a seven percent
security - no longer secure.

ANOTHER VOICE
That's what Arthur Ellis is writing
now. Thirty years ago, when Kane
gave him his chance to clean up
Detroit and Chicago and St. Louis,
Kane was the greatest guy in the
world. If you ask me - Charles Foster
Kane was a...
 Then observations are made almost simultaneous.

RAWLSTON'S VOICE
Just a minute!

Camera moves to take in his bulk outlined against the glow

from the projection room.

RAWLSTON
What were Kane's last words?

A silence greets this.

RAWLSTON (CONT'D)
What were the last words he said on
earth? Thompson, you've made us a
good short, but it needs character -

SOMEBODY'S VOICE
Motivation -

RAWLSTON
That's it - motivation.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 17
9-9-02

RAWLSTON (CONT'D)
What made Kane what he was? And,
for that matter, what was he? What
we've just seen are the outlines of
a career - what's behind the career?
What's the man? Was he good or bad?
Strong or foolish? Tragic or silly?
Why did he do all those things?
What was he after?
(then, appreciating
his point)
Maybe he told us on his death bed.

THOMPSON
Yes, and maybe he didn't.

RAWLSTON
Ask the question anyway, Thompson!
Build the picture around the question,
even if you can't answer it.

THOMPSON
I know, but -

RAWLSTON
(riding over him like
any other producer)
All we saw on that screen was a big
 American -

A VOICE
One of the biggest.

RAWLSTON
(without pausing for
this)
But how is he different from Ford?
Or Hearst for that matter? Or
Rockefeller - or John Doe?

A VOICE
I know people worked for Kane will
tell you - not only in the newspaper
business - look how he raised
salaries. You don't
want to forget -

ANOTHER VOICE
You take his labor record alone,
they ought to hang him up like a
dog.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 18
9-9-02

RAWLSTON
I tell you, Thompson - a man's dying
words -

SOMEBODY'S VOICE
What were they?

Silence.

SOMEBODY'S VOICE (CONT'D)

(hesitant)
Yes, Mr. Rawlston, what were Kane's
dying words?

RAWLSTON
(with disgust)
Rosebud!

A little ripple of laughter at this, which is promptly

silenced by Rawlston.

RAWLSTON (CONT'D)
That's right.

A VOICE
Tough guy, huh?
(derisively)
Dies calling for Rosebud!
 RAWLSTON
Here's a man who might have been
President. He's been loved and hated
and talked about as much as any man
in our time - but when he comes to
die, he's got something on his mind
called "Rosebud." What does that
mean?

ANOTHER VOICE
A racehorse he bet on once, probably,
that didn't come in - Rosebud!

RAWLSTON
All right. But what was the race?

There is a short silence.

RAWLSTON (CONT'D)
Thompson!

THOMPSON
Yes, sir.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 19
9-9-02

RAWLSTON
Hold this thing up for a week. Two
weeks if you have to...

THOMPSON
(feebly)
But don't you think if we release it
now - he's only been dead four days
it might be better than if -

RAWLSTON
(decisively)
Nothing is ever better than finding
out what makes people tick. Go after
the people that knew Kane well.
That manager of his - the little
guy, Bernstein, those two wives, all
the people who knew him, had worked
for
him, who loved him, who hated his
guts -
(pauses)
I don't mean go through the City
Directory, of course -

The Third Man gives a hearty "yes-man" laugh.

THOMPSON
I'll get to it right away, Mr.
 Rawlston.

RAWLSTON
(rising)
Good!

The camera from behind him, outlines his back against Kane's
picture on the screen.

RAWLSTON'S VOICE
It'll probably turn out to be a very
simple thing...

FADE OUT:

NOTE: Now begins the story proper - the seach by Thompson

for the facts about Kane - his researches ... his interviews
with the people who knew Kane.

It is important to remember always that only at the very end

of the story is Thompson himself a personality. Until then,
throughout the picture, we photograph only Thompson's back,
shoulders, or his shadow - sometimes we only record his voice.
He is not until the final scene a "character".

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 20
9-9-02

He is the personification of the search for the truth about

Charles Foster Kane. He is the investigator.

FADE IN:

10 EXT. CHEAP CABARET - "EL RANCHO" - ATLANTIC CITY - NIGHT -

1940 (MINIATURE) - RAIN 10

The first image to register is a sign:

"EL RANCHO"

FLOOR SHOW

SUSAN ALEXANDER KANE

TWICE NIGHTLY

These words, spelled out in neon, glow out of the darkness

at the end of the fade out. Then there is lightning which
reveals a squalid roof-top on which the sign stands. Thunder
again, and faintly the sound of music from within. A light
glows from a skylight. The camera moves to this and closes
in. Through the splashes of rain, we see through the skylight
down into the interior of the cabaret. Directly below us at
a table sits the lone figure of a woman, drinking by herself.

DISSOLVE:
11 INT. "EL RANCO" CABARET - NIGHT - 11

Medium shot of the same woman as before, finishing the drink

she started to take above. It is Susie. The music, of
course, is now very loud. Thompson, his back to the camera,
moves into the picture in the close foreground. A Captain
appears behind Susie, speaking across her to Thompson.

THE CAPTAIN
(a Greek)
This is Mr. Thompson, Miss Alexander.

Susan looks up into Thompson's face. She is fifty, trying

to look much younger, cheaply blonded, in a cheap, enormously
generous evening dress. Blinking up into Thompson's face,
she throws a crink into ther mouth. Her eyes, which she
thinks is keeping commandingly on his, are bleared and watery.

SUSAN
(to the Captain)
I want another drink, John.

Low thunder from outside.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 21
9-9-02

THE CAPTAIN
(seeing his chance)
Right away. Will you have something,
Mr. Thompson?

THOMPSON
(staring to sit down)
I'll have a highball.

SUSAN
(so insistently as to
make Thompson change
his mind and stand
up again)
Who told you you could sit down here?

THOMPSON
Oh! I thought maybe we could have a
drink together?

SUSAN
Think again!

There is an awkward pause as Thompson looks from her to the

Captain.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Why don't you people let me alone?
 I'm minding my own business. You
mind yours.

THOMPSON
If you'd just let me talk to you for
a little while, Miss Alexander. All
I want to ask you...

SUSAN
Get out of here!
(almost hysterical)
Get out! Get out!

Thompson looks at the Captain, who shrugs his shoulders.

THOMPSON
I'm sorry. Maybe some other time -

If he thought he would get a response from Susan, who thinks

she is looking at him steelily, he realizes his error. He
nods and walks off, following the Captain out the door.

THE CAPTAIN
She's just not talking to anybody
from the newspapers, Mr. Thompson.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 22
9-9-02

THOMPSON
I'm not from a newspaper exactly, I -

They have come upon a waiter standing in front of a booth.

THE CAPTAIN
(to the waiter)
Get her another highball.

THE WAITER
Another double?

THE CAPTAIN
(after a moment,
pityingly)
Yes.

They walk to the door.

THOMPSON
She's plastered, isn't she?

THE CAPTAIN
She'll snap out of it. Why, until
he died, she'd just as soon talk
about Mr. Kane as about anybody.
Sooner.
 THOMPSON
I'll come down in a week or so and
see her again. Say, you might be
able to help me. When she used to
talk about Kane - did she ever happen
to say anything - about Rosebud?

THE CAPTAIN
Rosebud?

Thompson has just handed him a bill. The Captain pockets

it.

THE CAPTAIN (CONT'D)

Thank you, sir. As a matter of fact,
yesterday afternoon, when it was in
all the papers - I asked her. She
never heard of Rosebud.

FADE OUT:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 23
9-9-02

FADE IN:

12 INT. THATCHER MEMORIAL LIBRARY - DAY - 12

An excruciatingly noble interpretation of Mr. Thatcher himself

executed in expensive marble. He is shown seated on one of
those improbable Edwin Booth chairs and is looking down, his
stone eyes fixed on the camera.

We move down off of this, showing the impressive pedestal on

which the monument is founded. The words, "Walter Parks
Thatcher" are prominently and elegantly engraved thereon.
Immediately below the inscription we encounter, in a medium
shot, the person of Bertha Anderson, an elderly, mannish
spinster, seated behind her desk. Thompson, his hat in his
hand, is standing before her. Bertha is on the phone.

BERTHA
(into phone)
Yes. I'll take him in now.
(hangs up and looks
at Thompson)
The directors of the Thatcher Library
have asked me to remind you again of
the condition under which you may
inspect certain portions of Mr.
Thatcher's unpublished memoirs.
Under no circumstances are direct
quotations from his manuscript to be
used by you.
 THOMPSON
That's all right.

BERTHA
You may come with me.

Without watching whether he is following her or not, she

rises and starts towards a distant and imposingly framed
door. Thompson, with a bit of a sigh, follows.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

13 INT. THE VAULT ROOM - THATCHER MEMORIAL LIBRARY - DAY - 13

A room with all the warmth and charm of Napolean's tomb.

As we dissolve in, the door opens in and we see past

Thompson's shoulders the length of the room. Everything
very plain, very much made out of marble and very gloomy.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 24
9-9-02

Illumination from a skylight above adds to the general air

of expensive and classical despair. The floor is marble,
and there is a gigantic, mahogany table in the center of
everything. Beyond this is to be seen, sunk in the marble
wall at the far end of the room, the safe from which a guard,
in a khaki uniform, with a revolver holster at his hip, is
extracting the journal of Walter P. Thatcher. He brings it
to Bertha as if he were the guardian of a bullion shipment.
During this, Bertha has been speaking.

BERTHA
(to the guard)
Pages eighty-three to one hundred
and forty-two, Jennings.

GUARD
Yes, Miss Anderson.

BERTHA
(to Thompson)
You will confine yourself, it is our
understanding, to the chapter dealing
with Mr. Kane.

THOMPSON
That's all I'm interested in.

The guard has, by this time, delivered the precious journal.

Bertha places it reverently on the table before Thompson.

BERTHA
 You will be required to leave this
room at four-thirty promptly.

She leaves. Thompson starts to light a cigarette. The guard

shakes his head. With a sigh, Thompson bends over to read
the manuscript. Camera moves down over his shoulder onto
page of manuscript.

Manuscript, neatly and precisely written:

"CHARLES FOSTER KANE

WHEN THESE LINES APPEAR IN PRINT, FIFTY YEARS AFTER MY DEATH,

I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE WHOLE WORLD WILL AGREE WITH MY OPINION
OF CHARLES FOSTER KANE, ASSUMING THAT HE IS NOT THEN
COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN, WHICH I REGARD AS EXTREMELY LIKELY. A
GOOD DEAL OF NONSENSE HAS APPEARED ABOUT MY FIRST MEETING
WITH KANE, WHEN HE WAS SIX YEARS OLD... THE FACTS ARE SIMPLE.
IN THE WINTER OF 1870..."

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 25
9-9-02

The camera has not held on the entire page. It has been
following the words with the same action that the eye does
the reading. On the last words, the white page of the paper

DISSOLVES INTO:

14 EXT. MRS. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE - DAY - 14

The white of a great field of snow, seen from the angle of a

parlor window.

In the same position of the last word in above Insert, appears

the tiny figure of Charles Foster Kane, aged five (almost
like an animated cartoon). He is in the act of throwing a
snowball at the camera. It sails toward us and over our
heads, out of scene.

Reverse angle - on the house featuring a large sign reading:

MRS. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE

HIGH CLASS MEALS AND LODGING

INQUIRE WITHIN

Charles Kane's snowball hits the sign.

15 INT. PARLOR - MRS. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE - DAY - 15

Camera is angling through the window, but the window-frame

is not cut into scene. We see only the field of snow again,
same angle as in previous scene. Charles is manufacturing
another snowball. Now -
 Camera pulls back, the frame of the window appearing, and we
are inside the parlor of the boardinghouse. Mrs. Kane, aged
about 28, is looking out towards her son. Just as we take
her in she speaks:

MRS. KANE
(calling out)
Be careful, Charles!

THATCHER'S VOICE
Mrs. Kane -

MRS. KANE
(calling out the window
almost on top of
this)
Pull your muffler around your neck,
Charles -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 26
9-9-02

But Charles, deliriously happy in the snow, is oblivious to

this and is running away. Mrs. Kane turns into camera and
we see her face - a strong face, worn and kind.

THATCHER'S VOICE
I think we'll have to tell him now -

Camera now pulls back further, showing Thatcher standing

before a table on which is his stove-pipe hat and an imposing
multiplicity of official-looking documents. He is 26 and,
as might be expected, a very stuffy young man, already very
expensive and conservative looking, even in Colorado.

MRS. KANE
I'll sign those papers -

KANE SR.
You people seem to forget that I'm
the boy's father.

At the sound of Kane Sr.'s voice, both have turned to him

and the camera pulls back still further, taking him in.

Kane Sr., who is the assistant curator in a livery stable,

has been groomed as elegantly as is likely for this meeting
ever since daybreak.

From outside the window can be heard faintly the wild and
cheerful cries of the boy, blissfully cavorting in the snow.

MRS. KANE
It's going to be done exactly the
way I've told Mr. Thatcher -
 KANE SR.
If I want to, I can go to court.
A father has a right to -

THATCHER
(annoyed)
Mr. Kane, the certificates that Mr.
Graves left here are made out to
Mrs. Kane, in her name. Hers to do
with as she pleases -

KANE SR.
Well, I don't hold with signing my
boy away to any bank as guardian
just because -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 27
9-9-02

MRS. KANE
(quietly)
I want you to stop all this nonsense,
Jim.

THATCHER
The Bank's decision in all matters
concerning his education, his place
of residence and similar subjects
will be final.
(clears his throat)

KANE SR.
The idea of a bank being the guardian -

Mrs. Kane has met his eye. Her triumph over him finds
expression in his failure to finish his sentence.

MRS. KANE
(even more quietly)
I want you to stop all this nonsense,
Jim.

THATCHER
We will assume full management of
the Colorado Lode - of which you,
Mrs. Kane, are the sole owner.

Kane Sr. opens his mouth once or twice, as if to say

something, but chokes down his opinion.

MRS. KANE
(has been reading
past Thatcher's
shoulder as he talked)
Where do I sign, Mr. Thatcher?
 THATCHER
Right here, Mrs. Kane.

KANE SR.
(sulkily)
Don't say I didn't warn you.

Mrs. Kane lifts the quill pen.

KANE SR. (CONT'D)

Mary, I'm asking you for the last
time - anyone'd think I hadn't been
a good husband and a -

Mrs. Kane looks at him slowly. He stops his speech.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 28
9-9-02

THATCHER
The sum of fifty thousand dollars a
year is to be paid to yourself and
Mr. Kane as long as you both live,
and thereafter the survivor -

Mrs. Kane puts pen to the paper and signs.

KANE SR.
Well, let's hope it's all for the
best.

MRS. KANE
It is. Go on, Mr. Thatcher -

Mrs. Kane, listening to Thatcher, of course has had her other

ear bent in the direction of the boy's voice. Thatcher is
aware both of the boy's voice, which is counter to his own,
and of Mrs. Kane's divided attention. As he pauses, Kane
Sr. genteelly walks over to close the window.

16 EXT. MRS. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE - DAY - 16

Kane Jr., seen from Kane Sr.'s position at the window. He

is advancing on the snowman, snowballs in his hands, dropping
to one knee the better to confound his adversary.

KANE
If the rebels want a fight boys,
let's give it to 'em!

He throws two snowballs, missing widely, and gets up and

advances another five feet before getting on his knees again.

KANE (CONT'D)
The terms are underconditional
 surrender. Up and at 'em! The Union
forever!

17 INT. PARLOR - MRS. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE - DAY - 17

Kane Sr. closes the window.

THATCHER
(over the boy's voice)
Everything else - the principal as
well as all monies earned -is to be
administered by the bank in trust
for your son, Charles Foster Kane,
until his twenty-fifth birthday, at
which time he is to come into complete
possession.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 29
9-9-02

Mrs. Kane rises and goes to the window.

MRS. KANE
Go on, Mr. Thatcher.

Thatcher continues as she opens the window. His voice, as

before, is heard with overtones of the boy's.

18 EXT. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE - DAY - 18

Kane Jr., seen from Mrs. Kane's position at the window. He

is now within ten feet of the snowman, with one snowball
left which he is holding back in his right hand.

KANE
You can't lick Andy Jackson! Old
Hickory, that's me!

He fires his snowball, well wide of the mark and falls flat
on his stomach, starting to crawl carefully toward the
snowman.

THATCHER'S VOICE
It's nearly five, Mrs. Kane, don't
you think I'd better meet the boy -

19 INT. PARLOR - MRS. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE - DAY - 19

Mrs. Kane at the window. Thatcher is now standing at her

side.

MRS. KANE
I've got his trunk all packed -
(she chokes a little)
I've had it packed for a couple of
weeks -
 She can't say anymore. She starts for the hall day. Kane
Sr., ill at ease, has no idea of how to comfort her.

THATCHER
I've arranged for a tutor to meet us
in Chicago. I'd have brought him
along with me, but you were so anxious
to keep everything secret -

He stops as he realizes that Mrs. Kane has paid no attention

to him and, having opened the door, is already well into the
hall that leads to the side door of the house. He takes a
look at Kane Sr., tightens his lips and follows Mrs. Kane.
Kane, shoulders thrown back like one who bears defeat bravely,
follows him.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 30
9-9-02

20 EXT. MRS. KANE'S BOARDINGHOUSE - DAY - 20

Kane, in the snow-covered field. With the snowman between

him and the house, he is holding the sled in his hand, just
about to make the little run that prefaces a belly-flop.
The Kane house, in the background, is a dilapidated, shabby,
two-story frame building, with a wooden outhouse. Kane looks
up as he sees the single file procession, Mrs. Kane at its
head, coming toward him.

KANE
H'ya, Mom.

Mrs. Kane smiles.

KANE (CONT'D)
(gesturing at the
snowman)
See, Mom? I took the pipe out of
his mouth. If it keeps on snowin',
maybe I'll make some teeth and -

MRS. KANE
You better come inside, son. You
and I have got to get you all ready
for - for -

THATCHER
Charles, my name is Mr. Thatcher -

MRS. KANE
This is Mr. Thatcher, Charles.

THATCHER
How do you do, Charles?
 KANE SR.
He comes from the east.

KANE
Hello. Hello, Pop.

KANE SR.
Hello, Charlie!

MRS. KANE
Mr. Thatcher is going to take you on
a trip with him tonight, Charles.
You'll be leaving on Number Ten.

KANE SR.
That's the train with all the lights.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 31
9-9-02

KANE
You goin', Mom?

THATCHER
Your mother won't be going right
away, Charles -

KANE
Where'm I going?

KANE SR.
You're going to see Chicago and New
York - and Washington, maybe... Isn't
he, Mr. Thatcher?

THATCHER
(heartily)
He certainly is. I wish I were a
little boy and going to make a trip
like that for the first time.

KANE
Why aren't you comin' with us, Mom?

MRS. KANE
We have to stay here, Charles.

KANE SR.
You're going to live with Mr. Thatcher
from now on, Charlie! You're going
to be rich. Your Ma figures - that
is, er - she and I have decided that
this isn't the place for you to grow
up in. You'll probably be the richest
man in America someday and you ought
to -
 MRS. KANE
You won't be lonely, Charles...

THATCHER
We're going to have a lot of good
times together, Charles... Really
we are.

Kane stares at him.

THATCHER (CONT'D)
Come on, Charles. Let's shake hands.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 32
9-9-02

THATCHER (CONT'D)
(extends his hand.
Charles continues to
look at him)
Now, now! I'm not as frightening as
all that! Let's shake, what do you
say?

He reaches out for Charles's hand. Without a word, Charles

hits him in the stomach with the sled. Thatcher stumbles
back a few feet, gasping.

THATCHER (CONT'D)
(with a sickly grin)
You almost hurt me, Charles.
(moves towards him)
Sleds aren't to hit people with.
Sleds are to - to sleigh on. When
we get to New York, Charles, we'll
get you a sled that will -

He's near enough to try to put a hand on Kane's shoulder.

As he does, Kane kicks him in the ankle.

MRS. KANE
Charles!

He throws himself on her, his arms around her. Slowly Mrs.

Kane puts her arms around him.

KANE
(frightened)
Mom! Mom!

MRS. KANE
It's all right, Charles, it's all
right.
 Thatcher is looking on indignantly, occasionally bending
over to rub his ankle.

KANE SR.
Sorry, Mr. Thatcher! What the kid
needs is a good thrashing!

MRS. KANE
That's what you think, is it, Jim?

KANE SR.
Yes.

Mrs. Kane looks slowly at Mr. Kane.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 33
9-9-02

MRS. KANE
(slowly)
That's why he's going to be brought
up where you can't get at him.

DISSOLVE:

21 1870 - NIGHT (STOCK OR MINIATURE) 21

Old-fashioned railroad wheels underneath a sleeper, spinning

along the track.

DISSOLVE:

22 INT. TRAIN - OLD-FASHIONED DRAWING ROOM - NIGHT - 22

Thatcher, with a look of mingled exasperation, annoyance,

sympathy and inability to handle the situation, is standing
alongside a berth, looking at Kane. Kane, his face in the
pillow, is crying with heartbreaking sobs.

KANE
Mom! Mom!

DISSOLVE OUT:

The white page of the Thatcher manuscript. We pick up the

words:

"HE WAS, I REPEAT, A COMMON ADVENTURER, SPOILED, UNSCRUPULOUS,

IRRESPONSIBLE."

The words are followed by printed headline on "Enquirer"

copy (as in following scene).

23 INT. ENQUIRER CITY ROOM - DAY - 23

Close-up on printed headline which reads:

 "ENEMY ARMADA OFF JERSEY COAST"

Camera pulls back to reveal Thatcher holding the "Enquirer"

copy, on which we read the headline. He is standing near
the editorial round table around which a section of the staff,
including Reilly, Leland and Kane are eating lunch.

THATCHER
(coldly)
Is that really your idea of how to
run a newspaper?

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 34
9-9-02

KANE
I don't know how to run a newspaper,
Mr. Thatcher. I just try everything
I can think of.

THATCHER
(reading headline of
paper he is still
holding)
"Enemy Armada Off Jersey Coast."
You know you haven't the slightest
proof that this - this armada - is
off the Jersey Coast.

KANE
Can you prove it isn't?

Bernstein has come into the picture. He has a cable in his

hand. He stops when he sees Thatcher.

KANE (CONT'D)
Mr. Bernstein, Mr. Thatcher -

BERNSTEIN
How are you, Mr. Thatcher?

THATCHER
How do you do? -

BERNSTEIN
We just had a wire from Cuba, Mr.
Kane -
(stops, embarrassed)

KANE
That's all right. We have no secrets
from our readers. Mr. Thatcher is
one of our most devoted readers, Mr.
Bernstein. He knows what's wrong
with every issue since I've taken
 charge.
What's the cable?

BERNSTEIN
(reading)
The food is marvelous in Cuba the
senoritas are beautiful stop I could
send you prose poems of palm trees
and sunrises and tropical colors
blending in far off landscapes but
don't feel right in spending your
money for this stop there's no war
in Cuba regards Wheeler.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 35
9-9-02

THATCHER
You see! There hasn't been a true
word -

KANE
I think we'll have to send our friend
Wheeler a cable, Mr. Bernstein. Of
course, we'll have to make it shorter
than his, because he's working on an
expense account and we're not. Let
me see -
(snaps his fingers)
Mike!

MIKE
(a fairly tough
customer prepares to
take dictation, his
mouth still full of
food)
Go ahead, Mr. Kane.

KANE
Dear Wheeler -
(pauses a moment)
You provide the prose poems - I'll
provide the war.

Laughter from the boys and girls at the table.

BERNSTEIN
That's fine, Mr. Kane.

KANE
I rather like it myself. Send it
right away.

MIKE
Right away.
 BERNSTEIN
Right away.

Mike and Bernstein leave. Kane looks up, grinning at

Thatcher, who is bursting with indignation but controls
himself. After a moment of indecision, he decides to make
one last try.

THATCHER
I came to see you, Charles, about
your - about the Enquirer's campaign
against the Metropolitan Transfer
Company.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 36
9-9-02

KANE
Won't you step into my office, Mr.
Thatcher?

They cross the City Room together.

THATCHER
I think I should remind you, Charles,
of a fact you seem to have forgotten.
You are yourself one of the largest
individual stockholders.

24 INT. KANE'S OFFICE - DAY - 24

Kane holds the door open for Thatcher. They come in together.

KANE
Mr. Thatcher, isn't everything I've
been saying in the Enquirer about
the traction trust absolutely true?

THATCHER
(angrily)
They're all part of your general
attack - your senseless attack -on
everything and everybody who's got
more than ten cents in his pocket.
They're -

KANE
The trouble is, Mr. Thatcher, you
don't realize you're talking to two
people.

Kane moves around behind his desk. Thatcher doesn't

understand, looks at him.

KANE (CONT'D)
 As Charles Foster Kane, who has
eighty-two thousand, six hundred and
thirty-one shares of Metropolitan
Transfer - you see, I do have a rough
idea of my holdings - I sympathize
with you. Charles Foster Kane is a
dangerous scoundrel, his paper should
be run out of town and a committee
should be formed to boycott him.
You may, if you can form such a
committee, put me down for a
contribution of one thousand dollars.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 37
9-9-02

THATCHER
(angrily)
Charles, my time is too valuable for
me -

KANE
On the other hand -
(his manner becomes
serious)
I am the publisher of The Enquirer.
As such, it is my duty - I'll let
you in on a little secret, it is
also my pleasure - to see to it that
decent, hard-working people of this
city are not robbed blind by a group
of money-mad pirates because, God
help them, they have no one to look
after their interests! I'll let you
in on another little secret, Mr.
Thatcher. I think I'm the man to do
it. You see, I have
money and property -

Thatcher doesn't understand him.

KANE (CONT'D)
If I don't defend the interests of
the underprivileged, somebody else
will - maybe somebody without any
money or any property and that would
be too bad.

Thatcher glares at him, unable to answer. Kane starts to

dance.

KANE (CONT'D)
Do you know how to tap, Mr. Thatcher?
You ought to learn -
(humming quietly, he
continues to dance)
 Thatcher puts on his hat.

THATCHER
I happened to see your consolidated
statement yesterday, Charles. Could
I not suggest to you that it is unwise
for you to continue this
philanthropic enterprise -
(sneeringly)
this Enquirer - that is costing you
one million dollars a year?

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 38
9-9-02

KANE
You're right. We did lose a million
dollars last year.

Thatcher thinks maybe the point has registered.

KANE (CONT'D)
We expect to lost a million next
year, too. You know, Mr. Thatcher -
(starts tapping quietly)
at the rate of a million a year -
we'll have to close this place in
sixty years.

DISSOLVE:

25 INT. THE VAULT ROOM - THATCHER MEMORIAL LIBRARY - DAY 25

Thompson - at the desk. With a gesture of annoyance, he is

closing the manuscript.

Camera arcs quickly around from over his shoulder to hold on

door behind him, missing his face as he rises and turns to
confront Miss Anderson, who has come into the room to shoo
him out. Very prominent on this wall is an over-sized oil
painting of Thatcher in the best Union League Club renaissance
style.

MISS ANDERSON
You have enjoyed a very rare
privilege, young man. Did you find
what you were looking for?

THOMPSON
No. Tell me something, Miss Anderson.
You're not Rosebud, are you?

MISS ANDERSON
What?
 THOMPSON
I didn't think you were. Well, thanks
for the use of the hall.

He puts his hat on his head and starts out, lighting a

cigarette as he goes. Miss Anderson, scandalized, watches
him.

FADE OUT:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 39
9-9-02

FADE IN:

26 INT. BERNSTEIN'S OFFICE - ENQUIRER SKYSCRAPER - DAY - 26

Closeup of a still of Kane, aged about sixty-five. Camera

pulls back, showing it is a framed photograph on the wall.
Over the picture are crossed American flags. Under it sits
Bernstein, back of his desk. Bernstein, always an undersized
Jew, now seems even smaller than in his youth. He is bald
as an egg, spry, with remarkably intense eyes. As camera
continues to travel back, the back of Thompson's head and
his shoulders come into the picture.

BERNSTEIN
(wryly)
Who's a busy man? Me? I'm Chairman
of the Board. I got nothing but
time ... What do you want to know?

THOMPSON
(still explaining)
Well, Mr. Bernstein, you were with
Mr. Kane from the very beginning -

BERNSTEIN
From before the beginning, young
fellow. And now it's after the end.
(turns to Thompson)
Anything you want to know about him -
about the paper -

THOMPSON
We thought maybe, if we can find out
what he meant by that last word - as
he was dying -

BERNSTEIN
That Rosebud? Maybe some girl?
There were a lot of them back in the
early days, and -

THOMPSON
Not some girl he knew casually and
 then remembered after fifty years,
on his death bed -

BERNSTEIN
You're pretty young, Mr. -
(remembers the name)
Mr. Thompson. A fellow will remember
things you wouldn't think he'd
remember. You take me.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 40
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
One day, back in 1896, I was crossing
over to Jersey on a ferry and as we
pulled out, there was another ferry
pulling in -
(slowly)
and on it, there was a girl waiting
to get off. A white dress she had
on and she was carrying a white
parisol
and I only saw her for one second
and she didn't see me at all - but
I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since
that I haven't thought of that girl.
(triumphantly)
See what I mean?
(smiles)
Well, so what are you doing about
this "Rosebud," Mr. Thompson.

THOMPSON
I'm calling on people who knew Mr.
Kane. I'm calling on you.

BERNSTEIN
Who else you been to see?

THOMPSON
Well, I went down to Atlantic City -

BERNSTEIN
Susie? I called her myself the day
after he died. I thought maybe
somebody ought to...
(sadly)
She couldn't even come to the 'phone.

THOMPSON
You know why? She was so -

BERNSTEIN
Sure, sure.
 THOMPSON
I'm going back there.

BERNSTEIN
Who else did you see?

THOMPSON
Nobody else, but I've been through
that stuff of Walter Thatcher's.
That journal of his -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 41
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN
Thatcher! That man was the biggest
darn fool I ever met -

THOMPSON
He made an awful lot of money.

BERNSTEIN
It's not tricky to make an awful lot
of money if all you want is to make
a lot of money.
(his eyes get
reflective)
Thatcher!

Bernstein looks out of the window and keeps on looking,

seeming to see something as he talks.

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
He never knew there was anything in
the world but money. That kind of
fellow you can fool every day in the
week - and twice on Sundays!
(reflectively)
The time he came to Rome for Mr.
Kane's twenty-fifth birthday... You
know, when Mr. Kane got control of
his own money... Such a fool like
Thatcher - I tell you, nobody's
business!

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

27 INT. BERNSTEIN'S OFFICE - DAY - 27

Bernstein speaking to Thompson.

BERNSTEIN
He knew what he wanted, Mr. Kane
 did, and he got it! Thatcher never
did figure him out. He was hard to
figure sometimes, even for me. Mr.
Kane was a genius like he said. He
had that funny sense of humor.
Sometimes even I didn't get the joke.
Like that night the opera house of
his opened in Chicago... You know,
the opera house he built for Susie,
she should be an opera singer...
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 42
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
(indicates with a
little wave of his
hand what he thinks
of that; sighing)
That was years later, of course -
1914 it was. Mrs. Kane took the
leading part in the opera, and she
was terrible. But nobody had the
nerve to say so - not even the
critics. Mr. Kane was a big man in
those days. But this one fellow,
this friend of his, Branford Leland -

He leaves the sentence up in the air, as we

DISSOLVE:

28 INT. CITY ROOM - CHICAGO ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 28

It is late. The room is almost empty. Nobody is at work at

the desks. Bernstein, fifty, is waiting anxiously with a
little group of Kane's hirelings, most of them in evening
dress with overcoats and hats. Eveybody is tense and
expectant.

CITY EDITOR
(turns to a young
hireling; quietly)
What about Branford Leland? Has he
got in his copy?

HIRELING
Not yet.

BERNSTEIN
Go in and ask him to hurry.

CITY EDITOR
Well, why don't you, Mr. Bernstein?
You know Mr. Leland.
 BERNSTEIN
(looks at him for a
moment; then slowly)
I might make him nervous.

CITY EDITOR
(after a pause)
You and Leland and Mr. Kane - you
were great friends back in the old
days, I understand.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 43
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN
(with a smile)
That's right. They called us the
"Three Musketeers."

Somebody behind Bernstein has trouble concealing his laughter.

The City Editor speaks quickly to cover the situation.

CITY EDITOR
He's a great guy - Leland.
(another little pause)
Why'd he ever leave New York?

BERNSTEIN
(he isn't saying)
That's a long story.

ANOTHER HIRELING
(a tactless one)
Wasn't there some sort of quarrel
between -

BERNSTEIN
(quickly)
I had nothing to do with it.
(then, somberly)
It was Leland and Mr. Kane, and you
couldn't call it a quarrel exactly.
Better we should forget such things -
(turning to City Editor)
Leland is writing it up from the
dramatic angle?

CITY EDITOR
Yes. I thought it was a good idea.
We've covered it from the news end,
of course.

BERNSTEIN
And the social. How about the music
notice? You got that in?
 CITY EDITOR
Oh, yes, it's already made up. Our
Mr. Mervin wrote a small review.

BERNSTEIN
Enthusiastic?

CITY EDITOR
Yes, very!
(quietly)
Naturally.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 44
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN
Well, well - isn't that nice?

KANE'S VOICE
Mr. Bernstein -

Bernstein turns.

Medium long shot of Kane, now forty-nine, already quite stout.

He is in white tie, wearing his overcoat and carrying a folded
opera hat.

BERNSTEIN
Hello, Mr. Kane.

The Hirelings rush, with Bernstein, to Kane's side.

Widespread, half-suppressed sensation.

CITY EDITOR
Mr. Kane, this is a surprise!

KANE
We've got a nice plant here.

Everybody falls silent. There isn't anything to say.

KANE (CONT'D)
Was the show covered by every
department?

CITY EDITOR
Exactly according to your
instructions, Mr. Kane. We've got
two spreads of pictures.

KANE
(very, very casually)
And the notice?

CITY EDITOR
 Yes - Mr. Kane.

KANE
(quietly)
Is it good?

CITY EDITOR
Yes, Mr. kane.

Kane looks at him for a minute.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 45
9-9-02

CITY EDITOR (CONT'D)

But there's another one still to
come the dramatic notice.

KANE
(sharply)
It isn't finished?

CITY EDITOR
No, Mr. Kane.

KANE
That's Leland, isn't it?

CITY EDITOR
Yes, Mr. Kane.

KANE
Has he said when he'll finish?

CITY EDITOR
We haven't heard from him.

KANE
He used to work fast - didn't he,
Mr. Bernstein?

BERNSTEIN
He sure did, Mr. Kane.

KANE
Where is he?

ANOTHER HIRELING
Right in there, Mr. Kane.

The Hireling indicates the closed glass door of a little

office at the other end of the City Room. Kane takes it in.

BERNSTEIN
(helpless, but very
concerned)
 Mr. Kane -

KANE
That's all right, Mr. Bernstein.

Kane crosses the length of the long City Room to the glass
door indicated before by the Hireling. The City Editor looks
at Bernstein. Kane opens the door and goes into the office,
closing the door behind him.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 46
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN
Leland and Mr. Kane - they haven't
spoke together for ten years.
(long pause; finally)
Excuse me.
(starts toward the
door)

29 INT. LELAND'S OFFICE - CHICAGO ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 29

Bernstein comes in. An empty bottle is standing on Leland's

desk. He has fallen over his typewriter, his face on the
keys. A sheet of paper is in the machine. A paragraph has
been typed. Kane is standing at the other side of the desk
looking down on him. This is the first time we see murder
in Kane's face. Bernstein looks at Kane, then crosses to
Leland. He shakes him.

BERNSTEIN
Hey, Brad! Brad!
(he straightens, looks
at Kane; pause)
He ain't been drinking before, Mr.
Kane. Never. We would have heard.

KANE
(finally; after a
pause)
What does it say there?

Bernstein stares at him.

KANE (CONT'D)
What's he written?

Bernstein looks over nearsightedly, painfully reading the

paragraph written on the page.

BERNSTEIN
(reading)
"Miss Susan Alexander, a pretty but
hopelessly incompetent amateur -
(he waits for a minute
 to catch his breath;
he doesn't like it)
last night opened the new Chicago
Opera House in a performance of - of
(looks up miserably)
I can't pronounce that name, Mr.
Kane.

KANE
Thais.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 47
9-9-02

Bernstein looks at Kane for a moment, then looks back,

tortured.

BERNSTEIN
(reading again)
"Her singing, happily, is no concern
of this department. Of her acting,
it is absolutely impossible to..."
(he continues to stare
at the page)

KANE
(after a short silence)
Go on!

BERNSTEIN
(without looking up)
That's all there is.

Kane snatches the paper from the roller and reads it for
himself. Slowly, a queer look comes over his face. Then he
speaks, very quietly.

KANE
Of her acting, it is absolutely
impossible to say anything except
that it represents a new low...
(then sharply)
Have you got that, Mr. Bernstein?
In the opinion of this reviewer -

BERNSTEIN
(miserably)
I didn't see that.

KANE
It isn't here, Mr. Bernstein. I'm
dictating it.

BERNSTEIN
(looks at him)
I can't take shorthand.
 KANE
Get me a typewriter. I'll finish
the notice.

Bernstein retreats from the room.

QUICK DISSOLVE OUT:

QUICK DISSOLVE IN:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 48
9-9-02

30 INT. LELAND'S OFFICE - CHICAGO ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 30

Long shot of Kane in his shirt sleeves, illuminated by a

desk light, typing furiously. As the camera starts to pull
even farther away from this, and as Bernstein - as narrator -
begins to speak -

QUICK DISSOLVE:

31 INT. BERNSTEIN'S OFFICE - DAY - 31

Bernstein speaking to Thompson.

BERNSTEIN
He finished it. He wrote the worst
notice I ever read about the girl he
loved. We ran it in every paper.

THOMPSON
(after a pause)
I guess Mr. Kane didn't think so
well of Susie's art anyway.

BERNSTEIN
(looks at him very
soberly)
He thought she was great, Mr.
Thompson. He really believed that.
He put all his ambition on that girl.
After she came along, he never really
cared for himself like he used to.
Oh, I don't blame Susie -

THOMPSON
Well, then, how could he write that
roast? The notices in the Kane papers
were always very kind to her.

BERNSTEIN
Oh, yes. He saw to that. I tell
you, Mr. Thompson, he was a hard man
to figure out. He had that funny
 sense of humor. And then, too, maybe
he thought by finishing that piece
he could show Leland he was an honest
man. You see, Leland didn't think
so. I guess he showed him all right.
He's a nice fellow, but he's a
dreamer. They were always together
in those early days when we just
started the Enquirer.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 49
9-9-02

On these last words, we

DISSOLVE:

32 INT. CITY ROOM - ENQUIRER BUILDING - DAY - 32

The front half of the second floor constitutes one large

City Room. Despite the brilliant sunshine outside, very
little of it is actually getting into the room because the
windows are small and narrow. There are about a dozen tables
and desks, of the old-fashioned type, not flat, available
for reporters. Two tables, on a raised platform at the end
of the room, obviously serve the city room executives. To
the left of the platform is an open door which leads into
the Sanctrum.

As Kane and Leland enter the room, an elderly, stout gent on

the raised platform, strikes a bell and the other eight
occupants of the room - all men - rise and face the new
arrivals. Carter, the elderly gent, in formal clothes, rises
and starts toward them.

CARTER
Welcome, Mr. Kane, to the "Enquirer."
I am Herbert Carter.

KANE
Thank you, Mr Carter. This is Mr.
Leland.

CARTER
(bowing)
How do you do, Mr. Leland?

KANE
(pointing to the
standing reporters)
Are they standing for me?

CARTER
I thought it would be a nice gesture -
the new publisher -
 KANE
(grinning)
Ask them to sit down.

CARTER
You may resume your work, gentlemen.
(to Kane)
I didn't know your plans and so I
was unable to make any preparations.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 50
9-9-02

KANE
I don't know my plans myself.

They are following Carter to his raised platform.

KANE (CONT'D)
As a matter of fact, I haven't got
any. Except to get out a newspaper.

There is a terrific crash at the doorway. They all turn to

see Bernstein sprawled at the entrance. A roll of bedding,
a suitcase, and two framed pictures were too much for him.

KANE (CONT'D)
Oh, Mr. Bernstein!

Bernstein looks up.

KANE (CONT'D)
If you would come here a moment,
please, Mr. Bernstein?

Bernstein rises and comes over, tidying himself as he comes.

KANE (CONT'D)
Mr. Carter, this is Mr. Bernstein.
Mr. Bernstein is my general manager.

CARTER
(frigidly)
How do you do, Mr. Bernstein?

KANE
You've got a private office here,
haven't you?

The delivery wagon driver has now appeared in the entrance

with parts of the bedstead and other furniture. He is looking
about, a bit bewildered.

CARTER
(indicating open door
to left of platform)
 My little sanctum is at your disposal.
But I don't think I understand -

KANE
I'm going to live right here.
(reflectively)
As long as I have to.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 51
9-9-02

CARTER
But a morning newspaper, Mr. Kane.
After all, we're practically closed
twelve hours a day - except for the
business offices -

KANE
That's one of the things I think
must be changed, Mr. Carter. The
news goes on for twenty-four hours a
day.

DISSOLVE:

33 INT. KANE'S OFFICE - LATE DAY - 33

Kane, in his shirt sleeves, at a roll-top desk in the Sanctum,

is working feverishly on copy and eating a very sizeable
meal at the same time. Carter, still formally coated, is
seated alongside him. Leland, seated in a corner, is looking
on, detached, amused. The furniture has been pushed around
and Kane's effects are somewhat in place. On a corner of
the desk, Bernstein is writing down figures. No one pays
any attention to him.

KANE
I'm not criticizing, Mr. Carter, but
here's what I mean. There's a front
page story in the "Chronicle,"
(points to it)
and a picture - of a woman in Brooklyn
who is missing. Probably murdered.
(looks to make sure
of the name)
A Mrs. Harry Silverstone. Why didn't
the "Enquirer" have that this morning?

CARTER
(stiffly)
Because we're running a newspaper,
Mr. Kane, not a scandal sheet.

Kane has finished eating. He pushes away his plates.

KANE
 I'm still hungry, Brad. Let's go to
Rector's and get something decent.
(pointing to the
"Chronicle" before
him)
The "Chronicle" has a two-column
headline, Mr. Carter. Why haven't
we?

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 52
9-9-02

CARTER
There is no news big enough.

KANE
If the headline is big enough, it
makes the new big enough. The murder
of Mrs. Harry Silverstone -

CARTER
(hotly)
As a matter of fact, we sent a man
to the Silverstone home yesterday
afternoon.
(triumphantly)
Our man even arrived before the
"Chronicle" reporter. And there's
no proof that the woman was murdered -
or even that she's dead.

KANE
(smiling a bit)
The "Chronicle" doesn't say she's
murdered, Mr. Carter. It says the
neighbors are getting suspicious.

CARTER
(stiffly)
It's not our function to report the
gossip of housewives. If we were
interested in that kind of thing,
Mr. Kane, we could fill the paper
twice over daily -

KANE
(gently)
That's the kind of thing we are going
to be interested in from now on, Mr.
Carter. Right now, I wish you'd
send your best man up to see Mr.
Silverstone. Have him tell Mr.
Silverstone if he doesn't produce
his wife at once, the "Enquirer"
will have him arrested.
(he gets an idea)
 Have him tell Mr. Silverstone he's a
detective from the Central Office.
If Mr. Silverstone asks to see his
badge, your man is to get indignant
and call Mr. Silverstone an anarchist.
Loudly, so that the neighbors can
hear.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 53
9-9-02

CARTER
Really, Mr. Kane, I can't see the
function of a respectable newspaper -

Kane isn't listening to him.

KANE
Oh, Mr. Bernstein!

Bernstein looks up from his figures.

KANE (CONT'D)
I've just made a shocking discovery.
The "Enquirer" is without a telephone.
Have two installed at once!

BERNSTEIN
I ordered six already this morning!
Got a discount!

Kane looks at Leland with a fond nod of his head at Bernstein.

Leland grins back. Mr. Carter, meantime, has risen stiffly.

CARTER
But, Mr. Kane -

KANE
That'll be all today, Mr. Carter.
You've been most understanding. Good
day, Mr. Carter!

Carter, with a look that runs just short of apoplexy, leaves

the room, closing the door behind him.

LELAND
Poor Mr. Carter!

KANE
(shakes his head)
What makes those fellows think that
a newspaper is something rigid,
something inflexible, that people
are supposed to pay two cents for -

BERNSTEIN
 (without looking up)
Three cents.

KANE
(calmly)
Two cents.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 54
9-9-02

Bernstein lifts his head and looks at Kane. Kane gazes back
at him.

BERNSTEIN
(tapping on the paper)
This is all figured at three cents a
copy.

KANE
Re-figure it, Mr. Bernstein, at two
cents.

BERNSTEIN
(sighs and puts papers
in his pocket)
All right, but I'll keep these
figures, too, just in case.

KANE
Ready for dinner, Brad?

BERNSTEIN
Mr. Leland, if Mr. Kane, he should
decide to drop the price to one cent,
or maybe even he should make up his
mind to give the paper away with a
half-pound of tea - you'll just hold
him until I get back, won't you?

LELAND
I'm not guaranteeing a thing, Mr.
Bernstein. You people work too fast
for me! Talk about new brooms!

BERNSTEIN
Who said anything about brooms?

KANE
It's a saying, Mr. Bernstein. A new
broom sweeps clean.

BERNSTEIN
Oh!

DISSOLVE:
34 INT. PRIMITIVE COMPOSING AND PRESSROOM - NEW YORK ENQUIRER -
NIGHT - 34

The ground floor with the windows on the street - of the

"Enquirer." It is almost midnight by an old-fashioned clock
on the wall.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 55
9-9-02

Grouped around a large table, on which are several locked

forms of type, very old-fashioned of course, but true to the
period - are Kane and Leland in elegant evening clothes,
Bernstein, unchanged from the afternoon, and Smathers, the
composing room foreman, nervous and harassed.

SMATHERS
But it's impossible, Mr. Kane. We
can't remake these pages.

KANE
These pages aren't made up as I want
them, Mr. Smathers. We go to press
in five minutes.

CARTER
(about to crack up)
The "Enquirer" has an old and honored
tradition, Mr. Kane... The "Enquirer"
is not in competition with those
other rags.

BERNSTEIN
We should be publishing such rags,
that's all I wish. Why, the
"Enquirer" - I wouldn't wrap up the
liver for the cat in the "Enquirer" -

CARTER
(enraged)
Mr. Kane, I must ask you to see to
it that this - this person learns to
control his tongue.

Kane looks up.

CARTER (CONT'D)
I've been a newspaperman my whole
life and I don't intend -
(he starts to sputter)
if it's your intention that I should
continue to be harassed by this -
this -
(he's really sore)
I warn you, Mr. Kane, it would go
against my grain to desert you when
 you need me so badly -but I would
feel obliged to ask that my
resignation be accepted.

KANE
It is accepted, Mr. Carter, with
assurances of my deepest regard.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 56
9-9-02

CARTER
But Mr. Kane, I meant -

Kane turns his back on him, speaks again to the composing

room foreman.

KANE
(quietly)
Let's remake these pages, Mr.
Smathers. We'll have to publish a
half hour late, that's all.

SMATHERS
(as though Kane were
talking Greek)
We can't remake them, Mr. Kane. We
go to press in five minutes.

Kane sighs, unperturbed, as he reaches out his hand and shoves

the forms off the table onto the floor, where they scatter
into hundreds of bits.

KANE
You can remake them now, can't you,
Mr. Smathers?

Smather's mouth opens wider and wider. Bradford and Bernstein

are grinning.

KANE (CONT'D)
After the types've been reset and
the pages have been remade according
to the way I told you before, Mr.
Smathers, kindly have proofs pulled
and bring them to me. Then, if I
can't find any way to improve them
again -
(almost as if
reluctantly)
I suppose we'll have to go to press.

He starts out of the room, followed by Leland.

BERNSTEIN
(to Smathers)
 In case you don't understand, Mr.
Smathers - he's a new broom.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 57
9-9-02

35 EXT. NEW YORK STREET - VERY EARLY DAWN - 35

The picture is mainly occupied by a large building, on the

roof of which the lights spell out the word "Enquirer" against
the sunrise. We do not see the street or the first few
stories of this building, the windows of which would be
certainly illuminated. What we do see is the floor on which
is located the City Room. Over this scene, newboys are heard
selling the Chronicle, their voices growing in volume.

As the dissolve complete itself, camera moves toward the one

lighted window - the window of the Sanctrum.

DISSOLVE:

36 INT. KANE'S OFFICE - VERY EARLY DAWN - 36

The newsboys are still heard from the street below - fainter
but very insistent.

Kane's office is gas-lit, of course, as is the rest of the

Enquirer building.

Kane, in his shirt sleeves, stands at the open window looking

out. The bed is already made up. On it is seated Bernstein,
smoking the end of a cigar. Leland is in a chair.

NEWSBOYS' VOICES
CHRONICLE! CHRONICLE! H'YA - THE
CHRONICLE - GET YA! CHRONICLE!

Kane, taking a deep breath of the morning air, closes the

window and turns to the others. The voices of the newsboys,
naturally, are very much fainter after this.

LELAND
We'll be on the street soon, Charlie
another ten minutes.

BERNSTEIN
(looking at his watch)
It's three hours and fifty minutes
late - but we did it -

Leland rises from the chair, stretching painfully.

 KANE
Tired?

LELAND
It's been a tough day.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 58
9-9-02

KANE
A wasted day.

BERNSTEIN
(looking up)
Wasted?

LELAND
(incredulously)
Charlie?!

BERNSTEIN
You just made the paper over four
times today, Mr. Kane. That's all -

KANE
I've changed the front page a little,
Mr. Bernstein. That's not enough -
There's something I've got to get
into this paper besides pictures and
print. I've got to make the "New
York Enquirer" as important to New
York as the gas in that light.

LELAND
(quietly)
What're you going to do, Charlie?

Kane looks at him for a minute with a queer smile of happy

concentration.

KANE
My Declaration of Principles -
(he says it with quotes
around it)
Don't smile, Brad -
(getting the idea)
Take dictation, Mr. Bernstein -

BERNSTEIN
I can't take shorthand, Mr. Kane -

KANE
I'll write it myself.

Kane grabs a piece of rough paper and a grease crayon.

Sitting down on the bed next to Bernstein, he starts to write.
 BERNSTEIN
(looking over his
shoulder)
You don't wanta make any promises,
Mr. Kane, you don't wanta keep.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 59
9-9-02

KANE
(as he writes)
These'll be kept.
(stops for a minute
and reads what he
has written; reading)
I'll provide the people of this city
with a daily paper that will tell
all the news honestly.
(starts to write again;
reading as he writes)
I will also provide them -

LELAND
That's the second sentence you've
started with "I" -

KANE
(looking up)
People are going to know who's
responsible. And they're going to
get the news - the true news -quickly
and simply and entertainingly.
(he speaks with real
conviction)
And no special interests will be
allowed to interfere with the truth
of that news.

He looks at Leland for a minute and goes back to his writing,

reading as he writes.

Bernstein has risen and crossed to one side of Kane. They

both stand looking out. Leland joins him on the other side.
Their three heads are silhouetted against the sky. Leland's
head is seen to turn slightly as he looks into Kane's face -
camera very close on this - Kane turns to him and we know
their eyes have met, although their faces are almost in
sillhouette. Bernstein is still smoking a cigar.

DISSOLVE:

Front page of the "Enquirer" shows big boxed editorial with

heading:

MY PRINCIPLES - A DECLARATION BY CHARLES FOSTER KANE

 Camera continues pulling back and shows newspaper to be on
the top of a pile of newspapers. As we draw further back,
we see four piles, and as camera contines to pull back, we
see six piles and go on back until we see a big field of
"Enquirers" - piles of "Enquirers" - all 26,000 copies ready
for distribution.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 60
9-9-02

A wagon with a huge sign on its side reading

"ENQUIRER - CIRCULATION 26,000"

passes through foreground, and we wipe to -

A pile of "Enquirers" for sale on a broken down wooden box

on a street corner, obviously a poor district. A couple of
coins fall on the pile.

The stoop of a period door with old-fashioned enamel milk

can and a bag of rolls. Across the sidewalk before this,
moves the shadow of an old-fashioned bicycle with an enormous
front wheel. A copy of the "Enquirer" is tossed on the stoop.

A breakfast table - beautiful linen and beautiful silver -

everything very expensive, gleaming in the sunshine. Into a
silver newspaper rack there is slipped a copy of the
"Enquirer". Here, as before, the boxed editorial reading MY
PRINCIPLES - A DECLARATION BY CHARLES FOSTER KANE, is very
prominent on the front page.

The wooden floor of a railroad station, flashing light and

dark as a train behind the camera rushes by. On the floor,
there is tossed a bound bundle of the "New York Enquirer" -
the Declaration of Principles still prominent.

Rural Delivery - a copy of the "Enquirer"s being put into

bins, showing state distribution.

The railroad platform again. We stay here for four images.

On each image, the speed of the train is faster and the piles
of the "Enquirer" are larger. On the first image, we move
in to hold on the words "CIRCULATION - 31,000." We are this
close for the next pile which reads 40,000; the next one
which reads 55,000, and the last which is 62,000. In each
instance, the bundles of newspapers are thicker and the speed
of the moving train behind the camera is increased.

The entire montage above indicated is accompanied by a

descriptive complement of sound - the traffic noises of New
York in the 1890's; wheels on cobblestones and horses' hooves;
bicycle bells; the mooning of cattle and the crowing of
roosters (in the RFD shot), and in all cases where the
railroad platform is used - the mounting sound of the railroad
 train.

The last figure "62,000" opposite the word "CIRCULATION" on

the "Enquirer" masthead changes to -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 61
9-9-02

37 EXT. STREET AND CHRONICLE BUIDING - DAY - 37

Angle up to wall of building - a painter on a cradle is

putting the last zero to the figure "62,000" on an enormous
sign advertising the "Enquirer." It reads:

THE ENQUIRER - THE PEOPLE'S NEWSPAPER

CIRCULATION 62,000

Camera travels down side of building - takes in another

building on which there is a sign which reads:

READ THE ENQUIRER - AMERICA'S FINEST

CIRCULATION 62,000

Camera continues to travel down to sidewalk in front of the

Chronicle office. The Chronicle office has a plateglass
window in which is reflected traffic moving up and down the
street, also the figures of Kane, Leland and Bernstein, who
are munching peanuts.

Inside the window, almost filling it, is a large photograph

of the "Chronicle" staff, with Reilly prominently seated in
the center. A sign over the photo reads: EDITORIAL AND
EXECUTIVE STAFF OF THE NEW YORK CHRONICLE. A sign beneath
it reads: GREATEST NEWSPAPER STAFF IN THE WORLD. The sign
also includes the "Chronicle" circulation figure. There are
nine men in the photo.

BERNSTEIN
(looking up at the
sign - HAPPILY)
Sixty-two thousand -

LELAND
That looks pretty nice.

KANE
(indicating the
Chronicle Building)
Let's hope they like it there.

BERNSTEIN
From the Chronicle Building that
sign is the biggest thing you can
see - every floor guaranteed - let's
 hope it bothers them - it cost us
enough.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 62
9-9-02

KANE
(pointing to the sign
over the photograph
in the window)
Look at that.

LELAND
The "Chronicle" is a good newspaper.

KANE
It's a good idea for a newspaper.
(reading the figures)
Four hundred sixy thousand.

BERNSTEIN
Say, with them fellows -
(referring to the
photo)
it's no trick to get circulation.

KANE
You're right, Mr. Bernstein.

BERNSTEIN
(sighs)
You know how long it took the
"Chronicle" to get that staff
together? Twenty years.

KANE
I know.

Kane, smiling, lights a cigarette, at the same time looking

into the window. Camera moves in to hold on the photograph
of nine men, still holding the reflection of Kane's smiling
face.

DISSOLVE:

38 INT. CITY ROOM - THE ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 38

Nine men, arrayed as in the photograph, but with Kane beaming

in the center of the first row. The men, variously with
mustaches, beards, bald heads, etc. are easily identified as
being the same men, Reilly prominent amongst them.

As camera pulls back, it is revealed that they are being

photographed - by an old-type professional photographer, big
box, black hood and all - in a corner of the room. It is
1:30 at night. Desks, etc. have been pushed against the
 wall. Running down the center of the room is a long banquet
table, at which twenty diners have finished their meals.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 63
9-9-02

The eleven remaining at their seats - these include Bernstein

and Leland - are amusedly watching the photographic
ceremonies.

PHOTOGRAPHER
That's all. Thank you.

The photographic subjects rise.

KANE
(a sudden thought)
Make up an extra copy and mail it to
the "Chronicle."

Chuckling and beaming, he makes his way to his place at the

head of the table. The others have already sat down. Kane
gets his guests' attention by rapping on the table with a
knife.

KANE (CONT'D)
Gentlemen of the "Enquirer"! This
has, I think, been a fitting welcome
to those distinguished journalists -
(indicates the eight
men)
Mr. Reilly in particular - who are
the latest additions to our ranks.
It will make them happy to learn
that the "Enquirer's" circulation
this morning passed the two hundred
thousand mark.

BERNSTEIN
Two hundred and one thousand, six
hundred and forty-seven.

General applause.

KANE
All of you - new and old - You're
all getting the best salaries in
town. Not one of you has been hired
because of his loyalty. It's your
talent I'm interested in. That talent
that's going to make the "Enquirer"
the kind of paper I want -the best
newspaper in the world!

Applause.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 64
9-9-02

KANE (CONT'D)
However, I think you'll agree we've
heard enough about newspapers and
the newspaper business for one night.
There are other subjects in the world.

He puts his two fingers in his mouth and lets out a shrill
whistle. This is a signal. A band strikes up a lively ditty
of the period and enters in advance a regiment of very
magnificent maidens, as daringly arrayed as possible in the
chorus costumes of the day. The rest of this episode will
be planned and staged later. Its essence is that Kane is
just a healthy and happy young man having a wonderful time.

As some of the girls are detached from the line and made
into partners for individual dancing -

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

THE "ENQUIRER" SIGN:

THE ENQUIRER - AMERICA'S FINEST

CIRCULATION 274,321

Dissolve just completes itself - the image of Kane dancing

with a girl on each arm just disappears as camera pans down
off the Temple Bldg. in the same action as the previous street
scene. There is a new sign on the side of the building below.
It reads:

READ THE ENQUIRER

GREATEST STAFF IN THE WORLD

Camera continues panning as we

DISSOLVE:

A montage of various scenes, between the years 1891-1900.

The scenes indicate the growth of the "Enquirer" under the

impulse of Kane's personal drive. Kane is shown, thus, at
various activities:

Move down from the sign:

READ THE ENQUIRER

GREATEST STAFF IN THE WORLD

 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 65
9-9-02

to street in front of saloon with parade passing (boys going

off to the Spanish-American War)- A torchlight parade with
the torches reflected in the glass window of the saloon -
the sound of brass band playing "It's a Hot Time." In the
window of the saloon is a large sign or poster

"REMEMBER THE MAINE"

INSERT: Remington drawing of American boys, similar to the

parade above, in which "Our Boys" in the expeditionary hats
are seen marching off to war.

Back of observation car. Shot of Kane congratulating Teddy

Roosevelt (the same shot as in the News Digest - without
flickering).

The wooden floor of the railroad platform again - a bundle

of "Enquirers" - this time an enormous bundle - is thrown
down, and the moving shadows of the train behind the camera
indicate that it is going like a bat out of hell. A
reproduction of Kane and Teddy shaking hands as above is
very prominent in the frame and almost hogs the entire front
page. The headline indicates the surrender of Cuba.

39 INT. ENQUIRER OFFICE 39

Cartoon, highly dramatic and very involved as to content -

lousy with captions, labels, and symbolic figures, the most
gruesome and recognizable - "Capitalistic Greed." This
cartoon is almost finished and is on a drawing board before
which stand Kane and the artist himself. Kane is grinning
over some suggestion he has made.

DISSOLVE:

The cartoon finished and reproduced on the editorial page of

the "Enquirer" - in quite close, with an editorial and several
faces of caps shown underneath. The entire newspaper is
crushed with an angry gesture and thrown down into an
expensive-looking wastebasket (which is primarily for ticker
tape) tape is pouring.

40 INT. ENQUIRER OFFICE 40

Cartoonist and Kane working on comic strip of "Johnny the

Monk."

DISSOLVE:

Floor of room - Two kids on floor, with newspaper spread

out, looking at the same comic strip.

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 66
9-9-02

Kane's photographic gallery with photographers, stooges, and

Kane himself in attendance on a very hot-looking item of the
period. A sob sister is interviewing this hot number and
Kane is arranging her dress to look more seductive.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

The hot number reproduced and prominently displayed and

covering almost half a page of the "Enquirer." It is being
read in a barber shop and is seen in an over-shoulder shot
of the man who is reading it. He is getting a shine, a
manicure, and a haircut. The sob-sister caption over the
photograph reveals: "I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING, SAYS
DANCER. EVERYTHING WENT RED." An oval photograph of the
gun is included in the lay-out of the pretty lady with a
headline which says: "DEATH GUN."

STREET - SHOT OF BUCKET BRIGADE

Shot of Kane, in evening clothes, in obvious position of

danger, grabbing camera from photographer. Before him rages
a terrific tenement fire.

DISSOLVE:

INSERT: Headline about inadequacy of present fire equipment.

DISSOLVE:

Final shot of a new horse-drawn steam engine roaring around

a street corner (Stock).

DISSOLVE:

A black pattern of iron bars. We are in a prison cell. The

door is opened and a condemned man, with priest, warden and
the usual attendants, moves into foreground and starts up
the hall past a group which includes phtographers, Kane's
sob-sister, and Kane. The photographers take pictures with
a mighty flash of old-fashioned flash powder. The condemned
man in the foreground (in silhouette) is startled by this.

DISSOLVE:

A copy of the "Enquirer" spread out on a table. A big lay-

out of the execution story includes the killer as photographed
by Kane's photographers, and nearby on the other page there
is a large picture of the new steam fire engine (made from
the stock shot) with a headline indicating that the "Enquirer"
has won its campaign for better equipment.

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 67
9-9-02

A cup of coffee and a doughnut are on the newspaper, and a

servant girl - over whose shoulder we see the paper - is
stirring the coffee.

The Beaux Art Ball. A number of elderly swells are jammed

into a hallway. Servants suddenly divest them of their furs,
overcoats and wraps, revealing them to be in fancy dress
costume, pink fleshings, etc., the effect to be very
surprising, very lavish and very very ridiculous. We see,
among others, Mr. Thatcher himself (as Ben Hur) ribbon around,
his bald head and all. At the conclusion of this tableau,
the image freezes and we pull back to show it reproduced on
the society page of the "New York Enquirer."

Over the "Enquirer"'s pictorial version of the Beaux Art

Ball is thrown a huge fish - then coffee grounds - altogether
a pretty repulsive sight.

The whole thing is bundled up and thrown into a garbage can.

Extreme close-up of the words: "OCCUPATION - JOUNALIST."

Camera pulls back to show passport open to the photograph

page which shows Kane, registering birth, race, and
nationality. Passport cover is closed, showing it to be an
American passport.

41 EXT. CUNARD DOCKS - GANGPLANK AND DECK OF BOAT - NIGHT - 41

As camera pulls back over shoulder of official, taking in

Kane, Leland, and Bernstein, we see the bustle and noise of
departing ocean liner. Behind the principles can be seen an
enormous plain sign which reads: "FIRST CLASS." From offstage
can be heard the steward's cry, indispensable in any Mercury
production, the old familiar cry, "All Ashore That's Going
Ashore!" - gongs, also blasts of the great whistle and all
the rest of it.

THE OFFICIAL
There you are, Mr. Kane. Everything
in order.

KANE
Thank you.

Kane and Leland and Bernstein start up the gangplank.

THE OFFICIAL
(calling)
Have a good rest, Mr. Kane.

KANE
Thanks.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 68
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN
But please, Mr. Kane, don't buy any
more paintings. Nine Venuses already
we got, twenty-six Virgins - two
whole warehouses full of stuff -

KANE
I promise not to bring any more
Venuses and not to worry - and not
to try to get in touch with any of
the papers -

STEWARD'S VOICE
All ashore!

KANE
- and to forget about the new feature
sections - and not to try to think
up and ideas for comic sections.

STEWARD'S VOICE
All ashore that's going ashore!

Kane leaves Leland and Bernstein midway up gangplank, as he

rushes up to it, calling back with a wave:

KANE
Goodbye, gents!
(at the top of the
gangplank, he turns
and calls down)
Hey!
(calling down to them)
You don't expect me to keep any of
those promises, do you?

A band on deck strikes up "Auld Lang Syne." Bernstein and

Leland turn to each other.

BERNSTEIN
Do you, Mr. Leland?

LELAND
(smiling)
Certainly not.

They start down the gangplank together.

DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 69
9-9-02

42 LONG SHOT OF THE ENQUIRER BUILDING - NIGHT 42

The pattern of telegraph wires, dripping with rain, through

which we see the same old building but now rendered fairly
remarkable by tremendous outline sign in gold which reads
"THE NEW YORK DAILY ENQUIRER." A couple of lights show in
the building. We start toward the window where the lights
show, as we -

DISSOLVE:

43 EXT. OUTSIDE THE WINDOW AT BERNSTEIN'S DESK - NIGHT 43

The light in the window in the former shot was showing behind
the letter "E" of the Enquirer sign. Now the letter "E" is
even larger than the frame of the camera. Rain drips
disconsolately off the middle part of the figure. We see
through this and through the drizzle of the window to
Bernstein's desk where he sits working under a blue shaded
light.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

Same setup as before except that it is now late afternoon

and late in the winter of the year. The outline "E" is hung
with icicles which are melting, dripping despairingly between
us and Mr. Bernstein, still seated at his desk - still
working.

DISSOLVE:

Same setup as before except that it is spring. Instead of

the sad sounds of dripping rain or dripping icicles, we hear
the melancholy cry of a hurdy-gurdy in the street below. It
is spring and through the letter "E" we can see Bernstein
working at his desk. Pigeons are gathering on the "E" and
on the sill. Bernstein looks up and sees them. He takes
some crumbs from his little homemade lunch which is spread
out on the desk before him, carries them to the windows and
feeds the pigeons, looking moodily out on the prospect of
spring on Park Row. The birds eat the crumbs - the hurdy-
gurdy continues to play.

DISSOLVE:

The same setup again, it is now summer. The window was half-
open before .. now it's open all the way and Bernstein has
gone so far as to take off his coat.

DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 70
9-9-02

His shirt and his celluloid collar are wringing wet. Camera
moves toward the window to tighten on Bernstein and to take
in the City Room behind him, which is absolutely deserted.
It is clear that there is almost nothing more for Bernstein
to do. The hurdy-gurdy in the street is playing as before,
but a new tune.

DISSOLVE:

A beach on Coney Island.

Bernstein in a rented period bathing suit sits alone in the

sand, reading a copy of the "Enquirer."

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

44 INT. CITY ROOM - ENQUIRER BUILDING - DAY - 44

The whole floor is now a City Room. It is twice its former

size, yet not too large for all the desks and the people
using them. The windows have been enlarged, providing a
good deal more light and air. A wall calendar says September
9th.

Kane and Bernstein enter and stand in the entrance a moment.

Kane, who really did look a bit peaked before, is now clear-
eyed and tanned. He is wearing new English clothes. As
they come into the room, Bernstein practically walking
sideways, is doing nothing but beaming and admiring Kane,
quelling like a mother at the Carnegie Hall debut of her
son. Seeing and recognizing Kane, the entire staff rises to
its feet.

KANE
(referring to the
staff; with a smile)
Ask them to sit down, Mr. Bernstein.

BERNSTEIN
Sit down, everybody - for heaven's
sake!

The order is immediately obeyed, everybody going into business

of feverish activity.

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
So then, tonight, we go over
everything thoroughly, eh? Especially
the new papers -

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 71
9-9-02

KANE
We certainly do. Vacation's over -
starting right after dinner. But
right now - that lady over there -
(he indicates a woman
at the desk)
that's the new society editor, I
take it? You think I could interrupt
her a moment, Mr. Bernstein?

BERNSTEIN
Huh? Oh, I forgot - you've been
away so long I forgot about your
joking -

He trails after Kane as he approaches the Society Editor's

desk. The Society Editor, a middle-aged spinster, sees him
approaching and starts to quake all over, but tries to pretend
she isn't aware of him. An envelope in her hand shakes
violently. Kane and Bernstein stop at her desk.

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
Miss Townsend -

Miss Townsend looks up and is so surprised to see Bernstein

with a stranger.

MISS TOWNSEND
Good afternoon, Mr. Bernstein.

BERNSTEIN
This is Mr. Kane, Miss Townsend.

Miss Townsend can't stick to her plan. She starts to rise,

but her legs are none too good under her. She knocks over a
tray of copy paper as she rises, and bends to pick it up.

KANE
(very hesitatingly
and very softly)
Miss Townsend -

At the sound of his voice, she straightens up. She is very

close to death from excitement.

KANE (CONT'D)
I've been away for several months,
and I don't know exactly how these
things are handled now. But one
thing I wanted to be sure of is that
you won't treat this little
announcement any differently than
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 72
9-9-02

KANE (CONT'D)
you would any other similar
announcement.

He hands her an envelope. She has difficulty in holding on

to it.

KANE (CONT'D)
(gently)
Read it, Miss Townsend. And remember
just the regular treatment! See you
at nine o'clock, Mr. Bernstein!

Kane leaves. Bernstein looks after him, then at the paper.

Miss Townsend finally manages to open the envelope. A piece
of flimsy paper, with a few written lines, is her reward.

MISS TOWNSEND
(reading)
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore Norton
announce the engagement of their
daughter, Emily Monroe Norton, to
Mr. Charles Foster Kane.

BERNSTEIN
(starts to read it)
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore Norton
announce -

MISS TOWNSEND
(fluttering - on top
of him)
She's - she's the niece of - of the
President of the United States -

BERNSTEIN
(nodding proudly)
I know. Come on, Miss Townsend -
From the window, maybe we can get a
look.

He takes her by the hand and leads her off.

Angle toward open window. Bernstein and Miss Townsend, backs

to camera, rushing to the window.

45 EXT. STREET OUTSIDE ENQUIRER BUILDING - DAY - 45

High angle downward - what Bernstein and Miss Townsend see

from the window.

Kane is just stepping into an elegant barouch, drawn up at

the curb, in which sits Miss Emily Norton.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 73
9-9-02

He kisses her full on the lips before he sits down. She

acts a bit taken aback, because of the public nature of the
scene, but she isn't really annoyed. As the barouche starts
off, she is looking at him adoringly. He, however, has turned
his head and is looking adoringly at the "Enquirer." He
apparently sees Bernstein and Miss Townsed and waves his
hand.

46 INT. CITY ROOM - ENQUIRER - DAY - 46

Bernstein and Miss Townsend at window.

BERNSTEIN
A girl like that, believe me, she's
lucky! Presiden't niece, huh! Say,
before he's through, she'll be a
Presiden't wife.

Miss Townsend is now dewey-eyed. She looks at Bernstein,

who has turned away, gazing down at the departing couple.

DISSOLVE:

Front page of the "Enquirer." Large picture of the young

couple - Kane and Emily - occupying four columns - very happy.

DISSOLVE:

47 INT. BERNSTEIN'S OFFICE - ENQUIRER - DAY - 47

Bernstein and Thompson. As the dissolve comes, Bernstein's

voice is heard.

BERNSTEIN
The way things turned out, I don't
need to tell you - Miss Emily Norton
was no rosebud!

THOMPSON
It didn't end very well, did it?

BERNSTEIN
(shaking his head)
It ended -
(a slight pause)
Then there was Susie - that ended,
too.
(shrugs, a pause;
then looking up into
Thompson's eyes)
I guess he didn't make her very happy -
(MORE)
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 74
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
(a pause)
You know, I was thinking - that
Rosebud you're trying to find out
about -

THOMPSON
Yes -

BERNSTEIN
Maybe that was something he lost.
Mr. Kane was a man that lost - almost
everything he had -
(a pause)
You ought to talk to Bradford Leland.
He could tell you a lot. I wish I
could tell you where Leland is, but
I don't know myself. He may be out
of town somewhere - he may be dead.

THOMPSON
In case you'd like to know, Mr.
Bernstein, he's at the Huntington
Memorial Hospital on 180th Street.

BERNSTEIN
You don't say! Why I had no idea -

THOMPSON
Nothing particular the matter with
him, they tell me. Just -
(controls himself)

BERNSTEIN
Just old age.
(smiles sadly)
It's the only disease, Mr. Thompson,
you don't look forward to being cured
of.
(pauses)
You ought to see Mr. Leland. There's
a whole lot of things he could tell
you - if he wanted to.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

48 EXT. HOSPITAL ROOF - DAY - 48

Close shot - Thompson. He is tilted back in a chair which

seems to be, and is, leaning against a chimney. Leland's
voice is heard for a few moments before Leland is seen.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 75
9-9-02

LELAND'S VOICE
When you get to my age, young man,
you don't miss anything. Unless
maybe it's a good drink of bourbon.
Even that doesn't make much
difference, if you remember there
hasn't been any good bourbon in this
country for twenty years.

Camera has pulled back, during above speech, revealing that

Leland, wrapped in a blanket, is in a wheel chair, talking
to Thompson. They are on the flat roof of a hospital. Other
people in wheel chairs can be seen in the background, along
with a nurse or two. They are all sunning themselves.

THOMPSON
Mr. Leland, you were -

LELAND
You don't happen to have a cigar, do
you? I've got a young physician - I
must remember to ask to see his
license -the odds are a hundred to
one he hasn't got one - who thinks
I'm going to stop smoking... I
changed the subject, didn't I? Dear,
dear! What a disagreeable old man
I've become. You want to know what
I think of Charlie Kane? Well - I
suppose he has some private sort of
greatness.
But he kept it to himself.
(grinning)
He never - gave himself away - He
never gave anything away. He just -
left you a tip. He had a generous
mind. I don't suppose anybody ever
had so many opinions. That was
because he had the power to express
them, and Charlie lived on power and
the excitement of using it - But he
didn't believe in anything except
Charlie Kane. He never had a
conviction in his life. I guess he
died without one - That must have
been pretty unpleasant. Of course,
a lot of us check out with no special
conviction about death. But we do
know what we're leaving ... we believe
in something.
(MORE)
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 76
9-9-02

LELAND (CONT'D)
(looks sharply at
Thompson)
You're absolutely sure you haven't
got a cigar?

THOMPSON
Sorry, Mr. Leland.

LELAND
Never mind - Bernstein told you
about the first days at the office,
didn't he? Well, Charlie was a bad
newspaper man even then. He
entertained his readers, but he never
told them the truth.

THOMPSON
Maybe you could remember something
that -

LELAND
I can remember everything. That's
my curse, young man. It's the
greatest curse that's ever been
inflicted on the human race. Memory
was his oldest friend.
(slowly)
As far as I was concerned, he behaved
like swine. Maybe I wasn't his
friend. If I wasn't, he never had
one. Maybe I was what nowadays you
call a stooge -

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

49 INT. CITY ROOM - THE ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 49

The party (previously shown in the Bernstein sequence).

We start this sequence toward the end of the former one, but
from a fresh angle, holding on Leland, who is at the end of
the table. Kane is heard off, making a speech.

KANE'S VOICE
Not one of you has been hired because
of his loyalty. It's your talent
I'm interested in. That talent that's
going to make the "Enquirer" the
kind of paper I want - the best
newspaper in the world!
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 77
9-9-02

Applause. During above, Bernstein has come to Leland's side.

BERNSTEIN
Isn't it wonderful? Such a party!

LELAND
Yes.

His tone causes Bernstein to look at him.

KANE'S VOICE
However, I think you'll agree we've
heard enough about newspapers and
the newspaper business for one night.

The above speeches are heard under the following dialogue.

BERNSTEIN
(to Leland)
What's the matter?

LELAND
Mr. Bernstein, these men who are now
with the "Enquirer" - who were with
the "Chronicle" until yesterday -
weren't they just as devoted to the
"Chronicle" kind of paper as they
are now to - our kind of paper?

BERNSTEIN
Sure. They're like anybody else.
They got work to do. They do it.
(proudly)
Only they happen to be the best men
in the business.

KANE
(finishing his speech)
There are other subjects in the world -

Kane whistles. The band and the chorus girls enter and hell
breaks loose all around Leland and Bernstein.

LELAND
(after a minute)
Do we stand for the same things that
the "Chronicle" stands for, Mr.
Bernstein?

BERNSTEIN
(indignantly)
Certainly not.
 (MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 78
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
So what's that got to do with it?
Mr. Kane, he'll have them changed to
his kind of newspapermen in a week.

LELAND
Probably. There's always a chance,
of course, that they'll change Mr.
Kane - without his knowing it.

Kane has come up to Leland and Bernstein. He sits down next

to them, lighting a cigarette.

KANE
Well, gentlemen, are we going to
war?

LELAND
Our readers are, anyway, I don't
know about the rest of the country.

KANE
(enthusiastically)
It'll be our first foreign war in
fifty years, Brad. We'll cover it
the way the "Hickville Gazette" covers
the church social! The names of
everybody there; what they wore;
what they ate; who won the prizes;
who
gave the prizes -
(gets excited)
I tell you, Brad, I envy you.
(quoting)
By Bradford Leland, the "Enquirer's"
Special Correspondent at the Front.
I'm almost tempted -

LELAND
But there is no Front, Charlie.
There's a very doubtful civil war.
Besides, I don't want the job.

KANE
All right, Brad, all right - you
don't have to be a war correspondent
unless you want to - I'd want to.
(looking up)
Hello, Georgie.

Georgie, a very handsome madam has walked into the picture,

 stands behind him. She leans over and speaks quietly in his
ear.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 79
9-9-02

GEORGIE
Is everything the way you want it,
dear?

KANE
(looking around)
If everybody's having fun, that's
the way I want it.

GEORGIE
I've got some other little girls
coming over -

LELAND
(interrupting)
Charles, I tell you there is no war!
There's a condition that should be
remedied - but between that and a -

KANE
(seriously)
How would the "Enquirer" look with
no news about this non-existent war
with Benton, Pulitzer and Heart
devoting twenty columns a day to it?

LELAND
They do it only because you do!

KANE
(grins)
And I do it because they do it, and
they do it - it's a vicious circle,
isn't it?
(rises)
I'm going over to Georgie's, Brad -
you know, Georgie, don't you?

Leland nods.

GEORGIE
(over Kane's next
lines)
Glad to meet you, Brad.

Leland shudders.

KANE
I told you about Brad, Georgie.
He needs to relax.
 Brad doesn't answer.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 80
9-9-02

KANE (CONT'D)
Some ships with wonderful wines have
managed to slip through the enemy
fleet that's blockading New York
harbor -
(grins)
Georgie knows a young lady whom I'm
sure you'd adore - wouldn't he,
Georgie? Why only the other evening
I said to myself, if Brad were only
here to adore this young lady - this -
(snaps his fingers)
What's her name again?

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

50 INT. GEORGIE'S PLACE - NIGHT - 50

Georgie is introducing a young lady to Branford Leland. On

sound track we hear piano music.

GEORGIE
(right on cue from
preceding scene)
Ethel - this gentlemen has been very
anxious to meet you - This is Ethel.

ETHEL
Hello, Mr. Leland.

Camera pans to include Kane, seated at piano, with girls

gathered around him.

ONE OF THE GIRLS

Charlie! Play the song about you.

ANOTHER GIRL
Is there a song about Charlie?

Kane has broken into "Oh, Mr. Kane!" and Charlie and the
girls start to sing. Ethel leads the unhappy Leland over to
the group. Kane, seeing Leland and taking his eye, motions
to the professor who has been standing next to him to take
over. The professor does so. The singing continues. Kane
rises and crosses to Leland.

KANE
 Say, Brad.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 81
9-9-02

KANE (CONT'D)
(draws him slightly
aside)
I've got an idea.

LELAND
Yes?

KANE
I mean I've got a job for you.

LELAND
Good.

KANE
You don't want to be a war
correspondent - how about being a
dramatic critic?

LELAND
(sincerely, but not
gushing; seriously)
I'd like that.

Kane starts quietly to dance in time to the music. Leland

smiles at him.

KANE
You start tomorrow night. Richard
Carl in "The Spring Chicken."
(or supply show)
I'll get us some girls. You get
tickets. A drama critic gets them
free, you know.
(grins)
Rector's at seven?

LELAND
Charlie -

KANE
Yes?

LELAND
(still smiling)
It doesn't make any difference about
me, but one of these days you're
going to find out that all this charm
of yours won't be enough -
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 82
9-9-02

KANE
(has stopped dancing)
You're wrong. It does make a
difference to you - Rector's, Brad?
(starts to dance again)
Come to think of it, I don't blame
you for not wanting to be a war
correspondent. You won't miss
anything. It isn't much of a war.
Besides, they tell me there isn't a
decent restaurant on the whole island.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

51 INT. RECTOR'S - NIGHT - 51

Leland, Kane, two young ladies at Rector's. Popular music

is heard over the soundtrack. Everybody is laughing very,
very hard at something Kane has said. The girls are
hysterical. Kane can hardly breathe. As Leland's laughter
becomes more and more hearty, it only increases the laughter
of the others.

DISSOLVE:

52 EXT. CUNARD LOCKS - GANGPLANK AND DECK OF BOAT - NIGHT - 52

As told by Bernstein. Kane is calling down to Leland and

Bernstein (as before).

KANE
You don't expect me to keep any of
those promises, do you?

A band on deck strikes up "Auld Lang Syne" and further ship-

to-shore conversation is rendered unfeasible.

Bernstein and Leland on deck.

BERNSTEIN
(turns to Leland)
Do you, Mr. Leland?

LELAND
(smiling)
Certainly not.

Slight pause. They continue on their way.

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 83
9-9-02

BERNSTEIN
Mr. Leland, why didn't you go to
Europe with him? He wanted you
to. He said to me just yesterday -

LELAND
I wanted him to have fun - and with
me along -

This stops Bernstein. Bernstein looks at him.

LELAND (CONT'D)
Mr. Bernstein, I wish you'd let me
ask you a few questions, and answer
me truthfully.

BERNSTEIN
Don't I always? Most of the time?

LELAND
Mr. Bernstein, am I a stuffed shirt?
Am I a horse-faced hypocrite? Am I
a New England school-marm?

BERNSTEIN
Yes.

Leland is surprised.

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
If you thought I'd answer different
from what Mr. Kane tells you - well,
I wouldn't.

LELAND
(good naturedly)
You're in a conspiracy against me,
you two. You always have been.

BERNSTEIN
Against me there should be such a
conspiracy some time!

He pauses. "Auld Lang Syne" can still be heard from the

deck of the department steamer.

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
(with a hopeful look
in his eyes)
Well, he'll be coming back in
September. The Majestic. I got the
reservations. It gets in on the
ninth.

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 84
9-9-02

LELAND
September the ninth?

Leland puts his hand in his pocket, pulls out a pencil and
small engagement book, opens the book and starts to write.

Leland's pencil writing on a page in the engagement book

open to September 9: "Rector's - 8:30 p.m."

DISSOLVE:

Front page "Enquirer." Large picture of the young couple -

Kane and Emily - occupying four columns - very happy.

53 EXT. HOSPITAL ROOF - DAY - 53

Leland and Thompson. Leland is speaking as we dissolve.

LELAND
I used to go to dancing school with
her.

Thompson had handed Leland a paper.

LELAND (CONT'D)
What's this?

THOMPSON
It's a letter from her lawyers.

LELAND
(reading aloud from
the letter)
David, Grobleski & Davis - My dear
Rawlston -
(looks up)

THOMPSON
Rawlston is my boss.

LELAND
Oh, yes. I know about Mr. Rawlston.

THOMPSON
He knows the first Mrs. Kane socially
That's the answer we got.

LELAND
(reading)
I am in receipt of your favor of
yesterday.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 85
9-9-02

LELAND (CONT'D)
I beg you to do me the courtesy of
accepting my assurance that Mrs.
Whitehall cannot be induced to
contribute any more information on
the career of Charles Foster Kane.
She has authorized me to state on
previous occasions that she regards
their brief marriage as a distateful
episode in her life that she prefers
to forget. With assurances of the
highest esteem -

Leland hands the paper back to Thompson.

LELAND (CONT'D)
Brief marriage! Ten years!
(sighs)

THOMPSON
Was he in love?

LELAND
He married for love -
(a little laugh)
That's why he did everything. That's
why he went into politics. It seems
we weren't enough. He wanted all
the voters to love him, too. All he
really wanted out of life was love.
That's Charlie's story - it's the
story of how he lost it. You see,
he just didn't have any to give. He
loved Charlie Kane, of course, very
dearly - and his mother, I guess he
always loved her. As for Emily -
well, all I can tell you is Emily's
story as she told it to me, which
probably isn't fair -there's supposed
to be two sides to every story - and
I guess there are. I guess there's
more than two sides -

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

Newspaper - Kane's marriage to Emily with still of group on

White House lawn, same setup as early newsreel in News Digest.

DISSOLVE:

Screaming headline:
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 86
9-9-02

OIL SCANDAL!

DISSOLVE:

Headline reading:

KANE TO SEE PRESIDENT

DISSOLVE:

Big headline on "Enquirer" front page which reads:

KANE TO SEE PRESIDENT

Under this, one of those big box signed editorials, typical

of Kane, illustrated, on subject of the power of the
president, expressed in about nine different cases of type,
and illustrated by a cartoon of the White House, on which
camera tightens, as we -

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

54 INT. THE WHITE HOUSE - THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE OFFICE -

DAY - 54

This scene is shot so as never to show the President - or at

least never his face. There is present the President's
Secretary, sitting on one side of the desk, intently taking
notes. Kane is on his feet, in front of the desk, tense and
glaring.

THE PRESIDENT
It is the unanimous opinion of my
Cabinent - in which I concur - that
the proposed leases are in the best
interests of the Government and the
people.
(pauses)
You are not, I hope, suggesting that
these interests are not identical?

KANE
I'm not suggesting anything, Mr.
President! I've come here to tell
you that, unless some action is taken
promptly - and you are the only one
who can take it - the oil that is
the property of the people of this
country will be turned over for a
song to a gang of high-pressure
crooks!
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 87
9-9-02

THE PRESIDENT
(calmly)
I must refuse to allow you to continue
in this vein, Mr. Kane.

KANE
(screaming)
It's the only vein I know. I tell
the facts the way I see them. And
any man that knows the facts -

THE PRESIDENT
I know the facts, Mr. Kane. And I
happen to have the incredible
insolence to differ with you as to
what they mean.
(pause)
You're a man of great talents, Mr.
Kane.

KANE
Thanks.

THE PRESIDENT
I understand that you have political
ambitions. Unfortunately, you seem
incapable of allowing any other
opinion but your own -

KANE
(building to a frenzy)
I'm much obliged, Mr. President, for
your concern about me. However, I
happen to be concerned at this moment
with the matter of extensive oil
lands belonging to the people of the
United States, and I say that if
this lease goes through, the property
of the people of the United States
goes into the hands of -

THE PRESIDENT
(interrupting)
You've made your point perfectly
clear, Mr. Kane. Good day.

The Secretary rises. Kane, with every bit of will power

remotely at his disposal to control what might become an
hysterical outburst, manages to bow.

KANE
Mr. President.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 88
9-9-02

He starts out of the office.

DISSOLVE:

55 INT. COMPOSING ROOM - ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 55

Kane, Reilly, Leland and a composing room Foreman, in working

clothes, bending over a table with several forms of type.
They are looking, at this moment, at a made-up headline -
but Kane's back is in the way ... so we can't read it.

FOREMAN
How about it, Mr. Kane?

Reilly glances at his wrist watch and makes a face. Kane

smiles as he notices this.

KANE
All right. Let her slide!

He turns away, and we can now read the headline.

Insert of the headline, which reads:

"OIL THEFT BECOMES LAW AS PRESIDENT WITHOLDS VETO"

DISSOLVE:

Here follows a quick montage (presently to be worked out) of

no more than four or five images in which the President, by
means of cartoons, editorials, headlines (all faithfully
reproduced from period yellow journalism) is violently
attacked. The montage ends on the word TREASON. The music
cuts.

A hand reaches in a side pocket which contains a newspaper -

recognizably the "Enquirer." The hand removes a gun. The
gun is shot. Many arms seize the hand which is pulled up -
gun still firing. As the arm is raised in the air, we see
that the other arms holding the arm and struggling with it
are uniformed, and we see the White House beyond.

DISSOLVE:

News ticker which is spelling out the words:

"ASSASSINATED 7:45 P.M."

NOTE: Under the following - a down shot, below the

"Enquirer," shows a crowd forming, looking angrily up toward
the camera. Crowd noises on the soundtrack under music.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 89
9-9-02

A hand snatches the ticker tape away and as the image of the
crowd dissolves out, we pull back to show:

56 INT. OF KANE'S OFFICE - NIGHT - 56

The ticker tape is in Reilly's hand. Reilly has a phone to

his ear.

REILLY
Looks bad for us, Mr. Kane. How
shall we handle it?

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

57 INT. GEORGIE'S PLACE - 57

Kane in shirtsleeves at phone.

KANE
It's a news story! Get it on the
street!

DISSOLVE:

Headline under "Enquirer" masthead which reads:

"PRESIDENT ASSASSINATED"

A newsboy is crying the headline at the same time. We pull

back to show him and -

DISSOLVE:

58 INT. THEATRE - NIGHT 58

The camera is in tight on a box which contains Emily and

distinguished elderly ladies and gentlemen, obviously family
and friends. On the soundtrack, very limpid opera music.
Another elderly gent, in white tie but still wearing an
overcoat, comes into the box and whispers to Emily. He has
a copy of the "Enquirer" in his hand. Emily rises. He shows
the paper to her.

DISSOLVE:

59 EXT. STREET OUTSIDE ENQUIRER BUILDING - NIGHT - 59

An angry crowd seen from the window of Kane's office. They

make a deep threatening sound which is audible during the
following scene. Across the heads of the crowd are two great
squares of light from the windows above them.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 90
9-9-02

One of these disappears as the blind is pulled. As the

dissolve completes itself, the second square of light
commences to reduce in size, and then the entire street is
cut off by a blind which Leland pulls down, covering the
entire frame.

60 INT. KANE'S OFFICE - ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 60

The staff standing around, worried to death, in their

shirtsleeves.

KANE
(to Reilly)
Take dictation - Front page editorial -
"This afternoon a great man was
assassinated. He was the President
of the United States -"

LELAND
Charlie -

KANE
Yes?

LELAND
Do you think you're the one who should
call him a great man?

KANE
Why not?

LELAND
Why not? Well - nobody's a great
man in your estimation until he's
dead.

REILLY
(quickly)
Maybe we'd better wait for more word
on the President's condition.

KANE
(still looking at
Leland)
What do you mean by that?

LELAND
(quietly)
Competition.

REILLY
He may recover -
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 91
9-9-02

KANE
(still holding on
Leland)
What do you mean by that?

LELAND
(steadily)
Yesterday morning you called the
President a traitor. What do you
think that crowd is doing down there?
They think you murdered him.

KANE
Because the crackpot who did it had
a copy of the "Enquirer" in his
pocket?

LELAND
And that copy of the "Enquirer"
said the President should be killed.

KANE
I said treason was a capital offense
punishable by death -

LELAND
You've said a lot of things about
the President in the last few months.

KANE
They're true! Everything I said!
Witholding that veto was treason!

LELAND
(interrupting)
Charlie!

KANE
(riding over him)
Oil belonging to the people of the
United States was leased out for a
song to a gang of high-pressure crooks -
Nobody can blame me because -

LELAND
Look out that window.

Kane stops - looks at him.

LELAND (CONT'D)
There are the people of the United
States, and they are blaming you -
 (MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 92
9-9-02

LELAND (CONT'D)
Oh, I know it doesn't make any sense,
but at least you can learn a lesson
from it.

KANE
(snarling)
What lesson? Not to expose fraud
when I see it? Not to fight for the
right of the people to own their own
property?
(he turns to Reilly)
Run it the way I said, Reilly - "This
afternoon a great man was assassinated -
"

LELAND
Charlie! Now you're not making sense.

KANE
(sharply)
I don't have to. I run a newspaper
with half a million readers and
they're getting a martyred president
this morning with their breakfast.
I can't help that. Besides, they
all know I'm married to his niece.
I've got to think of her.

LELAND
What?

KANE
I've got to think of Emily -

LELAND
(after a silence)
I'd like to talk to you about that.

KANE
Go ahead.

Leland looks back at Kane, is conscious of the boys standing

around.

LELAND
Finish your editorial.

Leland walks out in to the City Room. More staff members in

shirt sleeves in a state of panic. Leland goes to his desk,
takes out a bottle, pours himself a very stiff drink. A
 door opens. A Policeman enters with Bernstein. Bernstein
is badly battered. The boys crowd around.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 93
9-9-02

LELAND (CONT'D)
(worried)
What's happened?

BERNSTEIN
(smiling)
I'm all right, Mr. Leland. Only
there was some fellows out front
that thought they ought to take things
up with me. I learned 'em! Didn't
I, officer?

THE COP
(grinning)
You sure did - Say, the Commissioner
said I was to stand by and protect
Mr. Kane until further orders, no
matter how he felt about it. Where
is he?

LELAND
(finishing his drink)
In there.

BERNSTEIN
If you hadn't come along and protected
me when you did, I'd have killed
them fellows.

LELAND
(pouring himself
another drink)
Go and get yourself washed up, Mr.
Bernstein.
(he looks his face
over thoroughly)
There doesn't seem to be an serious
injury.

BERNSTEIN
Not to me. But you will let that
cop go home with Mr. Kane, won't
you?

LELAND
Yes, Mr. Bernstein.

Bernstein leaves the picture with sympathetic attendance.

Leland finishes his second drink.
 DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 94
9-9-02

61 INT. KANE'S OFFICE - NIGHT - 61

The bottle is finished. The door in the Sanctrum opens.

Reilly and the others leave.

REILLY
(as they go)
Goodnight, Mr. Kane.

Kane stands in the door, waiting for Leland. Leland gets up

and moves toward the office - goes in, sits down across from
Kane at the desk. An uncomfortable pause. Then Kane smiles
ingratiatingly. Leland tries to cope with this.

LELAND
First of all -
(he can't go on)

KANE
(not cruelly -
genuinely kind)
What's wrong, Brad?

LELAND
I'm drunk.

KANE
I'll get you some coffee.

He rises and goes to the door.

LELAND
First of all, I will not write a
good review of a play because somebody
paid a thousand dollars for an
advertisement in the "Enquirer."

KANE
(gently - opening the
door)
That's just a little promotion scheme.
Nobody expects you -
(calling)
Mike, will you try and get Mr. Leland
some coffee?

MIKE'S VOICE
Sure thing, Mr. Kane.

Kane turns back to Leland. Leland doesn't look up at him.

 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 95
9-9-02

LELAND
Charlie, it's just no go. We can't
agree anymore. I wish you'd let me
go to Chicago.

KANE
Why, Brad?

LELAND
I want to be transferred to the new
paper. You've been saying yourself
you wish you had somebody to -
(he is heartsick,
inarticulate)
That's not what I wanted to talk
about.

Kane goes around behind the desk and sits down.

KANE
I'll tell you what I'll do, Brad -
I'll get drunk, too - maybe that'll
help.

LELAND
No, that won't help. Besides, you
never get drunk. I wanted to talk
about you and Emily.

Kane looks at Leland sharply before he speaks.

KANE
(quietly)
All right.

LELAND
(without looking at
him)
She's going to leave you -

KANE
I don't think so, Brad. We've just
had word that the President is out
of danger.
(ruefully)
It seems I didn't kill him after
all.

LELAND
(takes his eye)
She was going to leave you anyway -

Kane takes this in.

 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 96
9-9-02

LELAND (CONT'D)
Emily's going south next week with
the child. As far as anybody's to
know, it's a holiday. When they get
back -

KANE
(sharply)
Brad, you are drunk.

LELAND
Sure I am. She wants full custody
of the child no matter what happens.
If you won't agree to that, she'll
apply for a divorce regardless of
the President's wishes. I can't
tell her she's wrong, because she
isn't wrong -

KANE
Why is she leaving me?

LELAND
(it's very hard for
him to say all this)
She hasn't any friends left since
you started this oil business, and
she never sees you.

KANE
Do you think the "Enquirer" shouldn't
have campaigned against the oil
leases?

LELAND
(hesitating)
You might have made the whole thing
less personal!

No answer from Kane.

LELAND (CONT'D)
It isn't just that the President was
her uncle - everyone she knows, all
the people she's been brought up
with, everything she's ever been
taught to believe is important -

Still no answer from Kane.

LELAND (CONT'D)
There's no reason why this - this
 savage personal note -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 97
9-9-02

KANE
The personal note is all there is to
it. It's all there ever is to it.
It's all there ever is to anything!
Stupidity in our government,
complacency and self-satisfaction
and unwillingness to believe that
anything done by a certain class of
people can be wrong - you can't fight
those things impersonally. They're
not impersonal crimes against people.
They're being done by actual persons -
with actual names and positions and -
the right of the American people to
own their own country is not an
academic issue, Brad, that you debate -
and then the judges retire to return
a verdict and the winners give a
dinner for the losers.

LELAND
You almost convince me.
(rising)
I'm just drunk enough to tell you
the truth. I have to be a little
drunk for that because I'm a coward.
You know that. That's why you keep
me around.
(smiles)
You only associate with your
inferiors, Charlie. I guess that's
why you ran away from Emily. Because
you can't stand the company of your
equals. You don't like to admit
they exist - the other big people in
your world are dead. I told you
that.

Kane looks at Leland, but Leland can't be stopped now. He

speaks very quietly - no poison in his voice - no personal
indignation - as though he were explaining the nature of a
disease.

LELAND (CONT'D)
You talk about the people of the
United States as though they belonged
to you. When you find out they don't
think they are, you'll lose interest.
You talk about giving them their
rights as though you could make a
present of liberty. Remember the
 working man?
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 98
9-9-02

LELAND (CONT'D)
You used to defend him quite a good
deal.
Well, he's turning into something
called organized labor and you don't
like that at all. And listen, when
your precious underprivileged really
get together - that's going to add
up to something bigger than - than
your privilege and then I don't know
what you'll do - sail away to a desert
island, probably, and lord it over
the monkeys.

KANE
Are you finished?

LELAND
Yes.
(looking down)
Now, will you let me go to Chicago?

KANE
(with a little smile)
You're not going to like it in
Chicago. They wind comes howling in
from the lake. And there's
practically no opera season at all -
and the Lord only knows whether
they've ever heard of Lobster Newburg -

LELAND
That's all right.
(he won't be charmed
out of his duty)
What are you going to do about Emily?

KANE
(his face hardning a
little)
Nothing - if she doesn't love me -

Leland has risen. He speaks as he turns away, starting

towards the door.

LELAND
You want love on your own terms,
don't you, Charlie -
(he stops - his back
turned to Kane)
 Love according to your own rules.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 99
9-9-02

LELAND (CONT'D)
And if anything goes wrong and you're
hurt - then the game stops, and you've
got to be soothed and nursed, no
matter what else is happening - and
no matter who else is hurt!

KANE
It's simpler than that, Brad. A
society girl can't stand the gaff,
that's all. Other things are
important to her - social position,
what they're saying on the front
porches at Southampton, is it going
to be embarrassing to meet somebody
or the other at dinner -

Leland has turned, taking his eye again. Now Kane stops and
smiles.

KANE (CONT'D)
She can leave me. As a matter of
fact, I've already left her. Don't
worry, Brad - I'll live.

LELAND
I know you will.

KANE
(with all his charm)
Hey, Brad! I've been analyzed an
awful lot tonight - let's have another
brandy.

Leland shakes his head. Kane lifts his glass.

KANE (CONT'D)
To love on my terms. Those are the
only terms anybody knows ... his
own.

DISSOLVE:

62 EXT. ENQUIRER BUILDING - NIGHT - 62

Kane, Leland, and a couple of policemen make their way out

of the front toward a hansom cab.

A VOICE FROM THE CROWD

You moiderer!
 A rock is thrown. It hits Leland on the face. A little
blood flows. Kane doesn't see it at first.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 100
9-9-02

Then when he's in the hansom cab, he turns and notices it.

KANE
Are you hurt?

Leland has a handkerchief to his face.

LELAND
No. I wish you'd go home to Emily.
She'll be pretty upset by all this -
She still loves you -

The crowd, pushed by the cops, retreats in the background,

but still hard by.

KANE
You still want to be transferred to
the other paper?

LELAND
Yes.

KANE
(leaning out of the
hansom cab)
Well, you've been getting a pretty
low salary here in New York. It
seems to me that the new dramatic
critic of our Chicago paper should
get what he's worth.
(almost as a question)

LELAND
(with handkerchief
still attached to
his face)
I couldn't possibly live on as little
as that, Charlie. We'll let the
salary stay where it is.

The hansom cab starts up. We hold on Leland's face as we

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

63 INT. KANE'S NEW YORK HOME - KANE'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING - 63

Emily is in bed, a damp cloth over her temples. Kane is

 standing at the foot of the bed. The baby's bed is in a
corner of the room. The baby's nurse is standing near the
crib, a nurse for Emily is near her. Kane is looking fixedly
on Emily, who is staring tiredly at the ceiling.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 101
9-9-02

KANE
(to the nurse)
Excuse us a moment, please.

The nurse looks at Emily.

KANE (CONT'D)
(peremptorily)
I said, excuse us a moment.

The nurse, unwilling, leaves.

KANE (CONT'D)
I've been talking to Leland. Emily -
You can't leave me now - not now -

Silence.

KANE (CONT'D)
It isn't what it would do to my
chances in politics, Emily - That
isn't it - They were talking of
running me for governor, but now, of
course, we'll have to wait - It isn't
that, Emily - It's just -the
president is your uncle and they're
saying I killed him.

Still silence.

KANE (CONT'D)
That story about the murderer having
a copy of the "Enquirer" in his pocket -
the "Chronicle" made that up out of
whole cloth - Emily, please - He's
going to be all right, you know,
he's going to recover -
(bitterly)
If it will make you any happier, we
had nine pages of advertising
cancelled in the first mail this
morning. Bernstein is afraid to
open any more letters. He -

He stops. He sees that he's getting no place with Emily.

KANE (CONT'D)
(exasperated)
 What do you expect me to do? What
in the world -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 102
9-9-02

EMILY
(weakly)
Charles.

He waits for her to continue.

EMILY (CONT'D)
Do you really think -
(she can't continue)
Those threatening letters, can
they really -

She sits up and looks at the crib. She almost continues to

look at the crib, with almost unseeing eyes.

KANE
(uncomfortably)
They won't do anything to Junior,
darling.
(contemptuously)
Anonymous letter writers - I've
got guards in front of the house,
and I'm going to arrange -

EMILY
(turning her face
toward him)
Please don't talk any more, Charles.

Kane is about to say something, but bites his lips instead.

Emily keeps staring at him.

EMILY (CONT'D)
Have they heard from father yet?
Has he seen -

KANE
I've tried to tell you, Emily.
The President's going to be all right.
He had a comfortable night. There's
no danger of any kind.

Emily nods several times. There is an uncomforable silence.

Suddenly there is a cry from the crib. Emily leaps from the
bed and rushes to him. She bends over the crib.

EMILY
(murmuring)
Here I am, darling... Darling!...
Darling, it's all right... Mother's
 here.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 103
9-9-02

KANE
Emily - you musn't leave me now -
you can't do that to me.

EMILY
They won't hurt you, darling.
Mother's with you! Mother's looking
after you!

Kane, unwanted, ignored, looks on. Tightening his lips, he

walks out.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

64 INT. KANE'S OFFICE - NIGHT 64

By the desk light, Kane is seen working with his usual

intensity, Reilly standing beside him at the desk.

KANE
We'll withdraw support completely.
Anything else?

REILLY
Mr. Leland sent back that check.

KANE
What check?

REILLY
You made it out to him last week
after he left for Chicago.

KANE
Oh, yes, the bonus.

REILLY
It was for twenty-five thousand
dollars.

Kane is perplexed and worried, but we can see in a moment

his mind will be on something else.

REILLY (CONT'D)
He sent it back torn up - all torn
up into little bits, and he enclosed
something else - I can't make it
out.
 Kane doesn't answer. Reilly goes on. He has brought out a
piece of paper and is reading it.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 104
9-9-02

REILLY (CONT'D)
It says here, "A Declaration of
Principles" -
(he still reads)
"I will provide the people of this
city with a daily paper that will
tell all the news honestly" -

Kane has looked up sharply. Reilly, sensing his look, stops

reading and meets his eye. Slowly, Kane reaches out his
hand. Reilly hands him the piece of paper. Without reading
it, Kane tears it up, throws it into the wastebasket at his
side.

DISSOLVE:

65 INT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT - 65

The evening of the final great rally. These shots remind us

of and are identical with and supplementary to the "News
Digest" scenes earlier. The vast auditorium with a huge
picture of Kane, cheering crowds, etc. Emily and Junior are
to be seen in the front of a box. Emily is tired and wears
a forced smile on her face. Junior, now aged nine and a
half, is eager, bright-eyed and excited. Kane is just
finishing his speech.

KANE
It is no secret that I entered upon
this campaign with no thought that I
could be elected Governor of this
state! It is now no secret that
every straw vote, every independent
pole, shows that I will be elected.
And I repeat to you - my first
official act as Governor will be to
appoint a special District Attorney
to arrange for the indictment,
prosecution and conviction of Boss
Edward G. Rogers!

Terrific screaming and cheering from the audience.

DISSOLVE OUT:

66 INT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT - 66

The Speaker's Platform. Numerous officials and civic leaders

are crowding around Kane. Cameramen take flash photographs
with old-fashioined flash powder.
 FIRST CIVIC LEADER
Great speech, Mr. Kane.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 105
9-9-02

SECOND LEADER
(pompous)
One of the most notable public
utterances ever made by a candidate
in this state -

KANE
Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you.

He looks up and notices that the box in which Emily and the
boy were sitting is now empty. He starts toward the rear of
the platform, through the press of people, Reilly approaches
him.

REILLY
A wonderful speech, Mr. Kane.

Kane pats him on the shoulder as he walks along.

REILLY (CONT'D)
I just got word from Buffalo, Mr.
Kane. They're going to throw you
the organization vote - and take a
chance maybe you'll give them a break -

This is said almost inquiringly, as if he were hoping that

Kane would give him some assurance that McDonald is not making
a mistake. There is no answer from Kane.

REILLY (CONT'D)
On an independent ticket there's
never been anything like it! If the
election were held today, you'd be
elected by a hundred thousand votes -
and every day between now and November
7th is just going to add to your
majority.

Kane is very pleased. He continues with Reilly slowly through

the crowd - a band playing off. Bernstein joins him.

KANE
It does seem too good to be true,
doesn't it, Mr. Bernstein?

REILLY
Rogers isn't even pretending. He
isn't just scared anymore. He's
sick. Frank Norris told me last
 night he hasn't known Rogers to be
that worried in twenty-five years.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 106
9-9-02

KANE
I think it's beginning to dawn on
Mr. Rogers that I mean what I say.
With Mr. Rogers out of the way,
Reilly, I think we may really begin
to hope for a good government in
this state.
(stopping)
Well, Mr. Bernstein?

BERNSTEIN
(clearly not meaning
it)
It's wonderful, Mr. Kane. Wonderful.
Wonderful.

KANE
You don't really think so?

BERNSTEIN
I do. I do. I mean, since you're
running for Governor -and you want
to be elected - I think it's
wonderful you're going to be elected.
Only -
(interrupts himself)
Can I say something?

KANE
Please, Mr. Bernstein.

BERNSTEIN
Well, the way I look at it -
(comes out with it)
You want to know what I really
think would be wonderful?

Kane indicates he is to proceed.

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
Well, you're running for Governor
and going to be elected - my idea is
how wonderful it would be if you
don't run at all and don't get
elected.

DISSOLVE:

67 EXT. ONE OF THE EXITS - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT - 67

 Emily and Junior are standing, waiting for Kane.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 107
9-9-02

JUNIOR
Is Pop Governor yet, Mom?

Just then, Kane appears, with Reilly and several other men.
Kane rushes toward Emily and Junior, as the men politely
greet Emily.

KANE
Hello, Butch! Did you like your old
man's speech?

JUNIOR
Hello, Pop! I was in a box. I could
hear every word.

KANE
I saw you!
(he has his arm around
Junior's shoulder)
Good night, gentlemen.

There are good nights. Kane's car is at the curb and he

starts to walk toward it with Junior and Emily.

EMILY
I'm sending Junior home in the
car, Charles - with Oliver -

KANE
But I'd arranged to go home with you
myself.

EMILY
There's a call I want you to make
with me, Charles.

KANE
It can wait.

EMILY
No, it can't.
(she bends down and
kisses Junior)
Good night, darling.

JUNIOR
Good night, Mom.

The driver is holding the rear door open as Emily guides

Junior in.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 108
9-9-02

KANE
(as car starts to
drive off)
What's this all about, Emily? I've
had a very tiring day and -

EMILY
It may not be about anything at all.

A cab has pulled up.

THE DRIVER
Cab?

Emily nods to him.

EMILY
I intend to find out.

KANE
I insist on being told exactly what
you have in mind.

EMILY
I'm going to -
(she looks at a slip
of paper in her hand)
West 74th Street.

Kane's reaction indicates that the address definitely means

something to him.

EMILY (CONT'D)
If you wish, you can come with me...

Kane nods.

KANE
I'll go with you.

He opens the door and she enters the cab. He follows her.

DISSOLVE:

68 INT. CAB - NIGHT - 68

Kane and Emily. He looks at her, in search of some kind of

enlightenment. Her face is set and impassive.

DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 109
9-9-02

69 EXT. AND INT. APARTMENT HOUSE HALLWAY - NIGHT - 69

Kane and Emily, in front of an apartment door. Emily is

pressing the bell.

KANE
I had no idea you had this flair for
melodrama, Emiliy.

Emily does not answer. The door is opened by a maid, who

recognizes Kane.

THE MAID
Come in, Mr. Kane, come in.

They enter, Emily first.

70 INT. SUSAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - 70

There is first a tiny reception room, through which an open

door shows the living room. Kane and Emily enter from the
hallway and cross to the living room. As they enter, Susan
rises from a chair. The other person in the room - a big,
heavyset man, a little past middle age - stays where he is,
leaning back in his chair, regarding Kane intently.

SUSAN
It wasn't my fault, Charlie. He
made me send your wife a note. He
said I'd - oh, he's been saying the
most terrible things, I didn't know
what to do... I -
(she catches sight of
Emily)

ROGERS
Good evening, Mr. Kane.
(he rises)
I don't suppose anybody would
introduce us. Mrs. Kane, I am Edward
Rogers.

EMILY
How do you do?
(pauses)
I came here - and I made Mr. Kane
come with me...
(she consults the
note in her hand
without reading it
again)
Because I received this note -

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 110
9-9-02

ROGERS
I made Miss - Miss Alexander send
you the note. She was a little
unwilling at first -
(he smiles grimly)
but she did it.

SUSAN
I can't tell you the things he said,
Charlie. You haven't got any idea -

KANE
(turning on Rogers)
Rogers, I don't think I will postpone
doing something about you until I'm
elected.
(he starts toward him)
To start with, I'll break your neck.

ROGERS
(not giving way an
inch)
Maybe you can do it and maybe you
can't, Mr. Kane.

EMILY
Charles!
(he stops to look at
her)
Your - your breaking this man's
neck -
(she is clearly
disgusted)
would scarcely explain this note -
(glancing at the note)
Serious consequences for Mr. Kane -
(slowly)
- for myself, and for my son. What
does this note mean, Miss -

SUSAN
(stiffly)
I'm Susan Alexander.
(pauses)
I know what you think, Mrs. Kane,
but -

EMILY
(ignoring this)
What does this note mean, Miss
Alexander?

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 111
9-9-02

ROGERS
She doesn't know, Mrs. Kane. She
just sent it - because I made her
see it wouldn't be smart for her not
to send it.

KANE
In case you don't know, Emily, this -
this gentleman -
(he puts a world of
scorn into the word)
is -

ROGERS
I'm not a gentleman, Mrs. Kane, and
your husband is just trying to be
funny calling me one. I don't even
know what a gentleman is.
(tensely, with all
the hatred and venom
in the world)
You see, my idea of a gentleman,
Mrs. Kane - well, if I owned a
newspaper and if I didn't like the
way somebody else was doing things -
some politican, say - I'd fight them
with everything I had. Only I
wouldn't show him in a convict suit,
with stripes -so his children could
see the picture in the paper. Or
his mother.
(he has to control
himself from hurling
himself at Kane)
It's pretty clear - I'm not a
gentleman.

EMILY
Oh!!

KANE
You're a cheap, crooked grafter -and
your concern for your children and
your mother -

ROGERS
Anything you say, Mr. Kane. Only
we're talking now about what you
are. That's what the note is about,
Mrs. Kane. Now I'm going to lay all
my cards on the table. I'm fighting
for my life.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 112
9-9-02

ROGERS (CONT'D)
Not just my political life. My life.
If your husband is elected governor -

KANE
I'm going to be elected governor.
And the first thing I'm going to do -

EMILY
Let him finish, Charles.

ROGERS
I'm protecting myself every way I
know how, Mrs. Kane. This last week,
I finally found out how I can stop
your husband from being elected. If
the people of this state learn what
I found out this week, he wouldn't
have a chance to - he couldn't be
elected Dog Catcher. Well, what I'm
interested in is seeing that he's
not elected. I don't care whether
they know what I know about him.
Let him keep right on being the Great,
Noble, Moral -
(he stresses the world)
Champeen of the people. Just as
long as -

EMILY
I think I understand, Mr. Rogers,
but I wonder if -
(she leaves her
sentence unfinished)

KANE
You can't blackmail me, Rogers, you
can't -

SUSAN
(excitedly)
Charlie, he said, unless you withdrew
your name -

ROGERS
That's the chance I'm willing to
give you, Mr. Kane. More of a chance
than you'd give me. Unless you make
up your mind by tomorrow that you're
so sick that you've got to go away
for a year or two - Monday morning
every paper in this State will carry
the story I'm going to give them.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 113
9-9-02

Kane starts to stare at him intently.

EMILY
What story, Mr. Rogers?

ROGERS
The story about him and Miss
Alexander, Mrs. Kane.

Emily looks at Kane.

SUSAN
There is no story. It's all lies.
Mr. Kane is just -

ROGERS
(to Susan)
Shut up!
(to Kane)
I've had a dozen men doing nothing
but run this thing down - we've got
evidence enough to -well, the evidence
would stand up in any court of law.
You want me to give you the evidence,
Mr. Kane?

KANE
You do anything you want to do.
The people of this state can decide
which one of us to trust. If you
want to know, they've already decided.
The election Tuesday'll be only -

ROGERS
Mrs. Kane, I'm not asking you to
believe me. I'd like to show you -

EMILY
You don't have to show me anything,
Mr. Rogers. I believe you.

ROGERS
I'd rather Mr. Kane withdrew without
having to get the story published.
Not that I care about him. But I'd
be better off that way -
(he pauses)
and so would you, Mrs. Kane.

SUSAN
What about me?
(MORE)
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 114
9-9-02

SUSAN (CONT'D)
(to Kane)
He said my name'd be dragged through
the mud. He said everywhere I'd go
from now on -

EMILY
There seems to be only one decision
you can make, Charles. I'd say that
it has been made for you.
(pauses)
I suppose the details can be arranged
tomorrow, Mr. Rogers. About the
statements by the doctors -

KANE
Have you gone completely mad, Emily?

Emily looks at him.

KANE (CONT'D)
You don't think I'm going to let
this blackmailer intimidate me, do
you?

EMILY
I don't see what else you can do,
Charles. If he's right - and the
papers publish this story he has -

KANE
Oh, they'll publish it all right.
But that's not going to stop me -

EMILY
Charles, this - this story - doesn't
concern only you. I'll be in it,
too, won't I?
(quickly)
And Junior?

KANE
(squirming a bit)
I suppose so, but - I'm not afraid
of the story. You can't tell me
that the voters of this state -

EMILY
I'm not interested in the voters of
this state right now. I am interested
in - well, Junior, for one thing.

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 115
9-9-02

SUSAN
Charlie! If they publish this
story -

EMILY
They won't. Goodnight, Mr. Rogers.
(she starts out)
There's nothing more to be said,
Charles.

KANE
Oh yes, there is.

EMILY
I don't think so. Are you coming,
Charles?

KANE
No.

She looks at him. He starts to work himself into a rage.

KANE (CONT'D)
There's only one person in the world
to decide what I'm going to do - and
that's me. And if you think - if
any of you think -

EMILY
You decided what you were going to
do, Charles - some time ago.
(she looks at Susan)
You can't always have it your own
way, regardless of anything else
that may have happened.
(she sighs)
Come on, Charles.

KANE
Go on! Get out! I can fight this
thing all alone!

ROGERS
You're making a bigger fool of
yourself than I thought you would,
Mr. Kane. You're licked. Why don't
you -

KANE
(turning on him)
Get out! I've got nothing to talk
to you about. If you want to see
me, have the Warden write me a letter.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 116
9-9-02

ROGERS
I see!
(he starts toward the
door)

SUSAN
(starting to cry)
Charlie, you're just excited. You
don't realize -

KANE
I know exactly what I'm doing.
(he is screaming)
Get out!

EMILY
(quietly)
Charles, if you don't listen to
reason, it may be too late -

KANE
Too late for what? Too late for
you and this -
(he can't find the
adjective)
this public thief to take the love
of the people of this state away
from me? Well, you won't do it, I
tell you. You won't do it!

SUSAN
Charlie, there are other things to
think of.
(a sly look comes
into her eyes)
Your son - you don't want him to
read in the papers -

EMILY
It is too late now, Charles.

KANE
(rushes to the door
and opens it)
Get out, both of you!

SUSAN
(rushes to him)
Charlie, please don't -

KANE
What are you waiting here for? Why
don't you go?
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 117
9-9-02

EMILY
Goodnight, Charles.

She walks out. Rogers stops as he gets directly in front of

Kane.

ROGERS
You're the greatest fool I've ever
known, Kane. If it was anybody else,
I'd say what's going to happen to
you would be a lesson to you. Only
you're going to need more than one
lesson. And you're going to get
more than one lesson.
(he walks past Kane)

KANE
Don't you worry about me. I'm Charles
Foster Kane. I'm no cheap, crooked
politician, trying to save himself
from the consequences of his crimes -

71 INT. APARTMENT HOUSE HALLWAY - NIGHT - 71

Camera angling toward Kane from other end of the hall. Rogers
and Emily are already down the hall, moving toward foreground.
Kane in apartment doorway background.

KANE
(screams louder)
I'm going to send you to Sing Sing,
Rogers. Sing Sing!

Kane is trembling with rage as he shakes his fist at Rogers's

back. Susan, quieter now, has snuggled into the hollow of
his shoulder as they stand in the doorway.

DISSOLVE:

The "Chronicle" front page with photograph (as in the "News

Digest") revealing Kane's relations with Susan.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

Front page of "Chronicle" - Headline which reads:

ROGERS ELECTED

DISSOLVE:
 Front page of "Enquirer" - Headline which reads:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 118
9-9-02

FRAUD AT POLLS

DISSOLVE:

72 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 72

Emily is opening the door for Leland.

EMILY
Hello, Brad -

LELAND
Emily -

He pauses. Leland comes in. Emily closes the door.

EMILY
I'm sorry I sent for you, Brad -
I didn't -

LELAND
Chicago is pretty close to New
York nowadays - only twenty hours -

She doesn't have anything to say.

LELAND (CONT'D)
I'm glad to see you.

She smiles at him and we know that there isn't anybody else
in the world for her to smile at. She's too grateful to
talk.

EMILY
Are all the returns in?

Leland puts his hat unconsciously on his coat by the

newspaper.

EMILY (CONT'D)
Let me see it.

Leland takes the newspaper out of his pocket and hands it to

her. She takes it. We see the headline, not an insert, but
it registers. It reads: "Fraud at Polls." Emily is looking
at the paper with unseeing eyes, and a little smile.

LELAND
(after a pause)
Almost two to one -
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 119
9-9-02

EMILY
I'm surprised he got the votes he
did.

LELAND
Emily!

EMILY
Why should anyone vote for him?
He's made it quite clear to the people
what he thinks of them. Children -
to be told one thing one day,
something else the next, as the whim
seizes him. And they're supposed to
be grateful and love and adore him -
because he sees to it that they get
cheap ice and only pay a nickel in
the street cars.

LELAND
Emily, you're being - a little unfair -
You know what I think of Charles'
behavior - about your personal lives -

EMILY
There aren't any personal lives for
people like us. He made that very
clear to me nine years ago - If I'd
thought of my life with Charles as a
personal life, I'd have left him
then -

LELAND
I know that, Emily -

EMILY
(on top of Leland)
Maybe I should have - the first time
he showed me what a mad dog he really
was.

LELAND
(on the cue "dog")
Emily, you -

EMILY
Brad, I'm - I'm not an old woman
yet -

LELAND
It's - all over -

He stops himself.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 120
9-9-02

EMILY
(after a pause)
I know it is, Brad -

LELAND
He's paying for it, Emily. Those
returns tonight - he's finished.
Politically -
(he thinks)
socially, everywhere, I guess. I
don't know about the papers, but -

EMILY
If you're asking me to sympathize
with him, Brad, you're wasting your
time.
(pauses)
There's only one person I'm sorry
for, as a matter of fact. That -
that shabby little girl. I'm really
sorry for her, Brad.

DISSOLVE:

Front page Chicago "Enquirer," with photograph proclaiming

that Susan Alexander opens at new Chicago Opera House in
"Thais," as in "News Digest."

On soundtrack during above we hear the big, expectant murmur

of an opening night audience and the noodling of the
orchestra.

DISSOLVE:

73 INT. CHICAGO OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - SET FOR "THAIS" - 73

The camera is just inside the curtain, angling upstage. We

see the set for "Thais" - the principals in place - stage
managers, stage hands, etc., and in the center of all this,
in an elaborate costume, looking very small and very lost,
is Susan. She is almost hysterical with fright. Maids,
singing teacher, and the rest are in attendance. Her throat
is sprayed. Applause is heard at the opening of the shot,
and now the orchestra starts thunderously. The curtain starts
to rise - the camera with it - the blinding glare of the
foots moves up Susan's body and hits her face. She squints
and starts to sing. Camera continues on up with the curtain,
up past Susan, up the full height of the proscenium arch and
then on up into the gridiron into a world of ropes, brick
walls and hanging canvas - Susan's voice still heard - but
faintly. The camera stops at the top of the gridiron as the
curtain stops. Two typical stage hands fill the frame.
 They are looking down on the stage below.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 121
9-9-02

Some of the reflected light gleams on their faces. They

look at each other. One of them puts his hand to his nose.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

74 INT. LELAND'S OFFICE - CHICAGO ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 74

Leland, as in the same scene in the Bernstein sequence, is

sprawled across his typewriter, his head on the keys. The
paper is gone from the roller. Leland stirs and looks up
drunkenly, his eyes encountering Bernstein, who stands beside
him (also as in the previous scene).

BERNSTEIN
Hello, Mr. Leland.

LELAND
Hello, Bernstein.

Leland makes a terrific effort to pull himself together. He

straightens and reaches for the keys - then sees the paper
is gone from the machine.

LELAND (CONT'D)
Where is it - where's my notice?
I've got to finish it!

BERNSTEIN
(quietly)
Mr. Kane is finishing it.

LELAND
Kane? Charlie?
(painfully, he rises
to his feet)
Where is he?

During all this, the sound of a typewriter has been heard

off - a busy typewriter. Leland's eyes follow the sound.
Slowly he registers Kane in the City Room beyond. This is
almost the same shot as in the previous Bernstein story.

75 INT. CITY ROOM - CHICAGO ENQUIRER - NIGHT - 75

Kane, in white tie and shirt sleeves, is typing away at a

machine, his fingers working briskly and efficiently, his
face, seen by the desk light before him, set in a strange
half-smile.
 Leland stands in the door of his office, staring across at
him.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 122
9-9-02

LELAND
I suppose he's fixing it up - I know
I'd never get that through.

BERNSTEIN
(moving to his side)
Mr. Kane is finishing your piece the
way you started it.

Leland turns incredulously to Bernstein.

BERNSTEIN (CONT'D)
He's writing a roast like you wanted
it to be -
(then suddnely - with
a kind of quiet
passion rather than
a triumph)
I guess that'll show you.

Leland picks his way across the City Room to Kane's side.
Kane goes on typing, without looking up. After a pause,
Kane speaks.

KANE
Hello, Brad.

LELAND
Hello, Charlie -
(another pause)
I didn't know we were speaking.

Kane stops typing, but doesn't turn.

KANE
Sure, we're speaking, Brad - you're
fired.

He starts typing again, the expression on his face doesn't

change.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

76 EXT. HOSPITAL ROOF - DAY - 76

Thompson and Leland on the roof, which is now deserted. It

is getting late. The sun has just about gone down.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 123
9-9-02

LELAND
Well, that's about all there is -
and I'm getting chills. Hey, nurse!
(pause)
Five years ago, he wrote from that
place of his down South -
(as if trying to think)
you know. Shangri-la? El Dorado?
(pauses)
Sloppy Joe's? What's the name of
that place? You know... All right.
Xanadu. I knew what it was all the
time. You caught on, didn't you?

THOMPSON
Yes.

LELAND
I guess maybe I'm not as hard to see
through as I think. Anyway, I never
even answered his letter. Maybe I
should have. I guess he was pretty
lonely down there those last years.
He hadn't finished it when she left
him - he never finished it - he never
finished anything. Of course, he
built it for her -

THOMPSON
That must have been love.

LELAND
I don't know. He was disappointed
in the world. So he built one of
his own - An absolute monarchy -
It was something bigger than an opera
house anyway -
(calls)
Nurse!
(lowers his voice)
Say, I'll tell you one thing you can
do for me, young fellow.

THOMPSON
Sure.

LELAND
On your way out, stop at a cigar
store, will you, and send me up a
couple of cigars?

THOMPSON
Sure, Mr. Leland. I'll be glad to.
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 124
9-9-02

LELAND
Hey, Nurse!

A Nurse appears.

NURSE
Hello, Mr. Leland.

LELAND
I'm ready to go in now. You know
when I was a young man, there was an
impression around that nurses were
pretty. It was no truer then than
it is now.

NURSE
Here, let me take your arm, Mr.
Leland.

LELAND
(testily)
All right, all right.
(he has begun to move
forward on the Nurse's
arm; turning to
Thompson)
You won't forget, will you, about
the cigars? And tell them to wrap
them up to look like toothpaste, or
something, or they'll stop them at
the desk. That young doctor I was
telling you about, he's got an idea
he wants to keep me alive.

DISSOLVE:

77 EXT. "EL RANCHO" CABARET IN ATLANTIC CITY - EARLY DAWN - 77

NEON SIGN ON THE ROOF:

"EL RANCHO"

FLOOR SHOW

SUSAN ALEXANDER KANE

TWICE NIGHTLY

glows on the dark screen as in the previous sequence earlier

in the script. Behind the lights and through them, we see a
nasty early morning. Camera as before, moves through the
lights
 (CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 125
9-9-02

TWICE NIGHTLY

of the sign and down on the skylight, through which is seen

Susan at her regular table, Thompson seated across from
her.

Very faintly during this, idle piano music playing.

DISSOLVE:

78 INT. "EL RANCHO" CABARET - EARLY DAWN - 78

Susan and Thompson are facing each other. The place is

almost deserted. Susan is sober. On the other side of the
room, somebody is playing a piano.

SUSAN
How do you want to handle the whole
thing - ask questions?

THOMPSON
I'd rather you just talked. Anything
that comes into your mind - about
yourself and Mr. Kane.

SUSAN
You wouldn't want to hear a lot of
what comes into my mind about myself
and Mr. Charlie Kane.

Susan is thinking.

THOMPSON
How did you meet him?

SUSAN
I had a toothache.

Thompson looks at her.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
That was thiry years ago - and I
still remember that toothache. Boy!
That toothache was just driving me
crazy...

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 126
9-9-02

79 EXT. CORNER DRUG STORE AND STREET ON THE WEST SIDE OF NEW
YORK - NIGHT - 79

Susan, aged twenty, neatly but cheaply dressed in the style

of the period, is leaving the drug store. It's about 8
o'clock at night. With a large, man-sized handkerchief
pressed to her cheek, she is in considerable pain. The street
is wet - after a recent rain.

She walks a few steps towards the middle of the block, and
can stand it no longer. She stops, opens a bottle of Oil of
Cloves that she has in her hand, applies some to her finger,
and rubs her gums.

She walks on, the pain only a bit better. Four or five houses
farther along, she comes to what is clearly her own doorway -
a shabby, old four-story apartment house. She turns toward
the doorway, which is up a tiny stoop, about three steps.

As she does so, Kane, coming from the opposite direction,

almost bumps into her and turns to his left to avoid her.
His shoulder bumps hers and she turns. As she does so, Kane,
forced to change his course, steps on the loose end of a
plank which covers a puddle in the bad sidewalk. The plank
rises up and cracks him on the knee, also covering him with
mud.

KANE
(hopping up and down
and rubbing his knee)
Ow!

Susan, taking her handkerchief from her jaw, roars with

laughter.

KANE (CONT'D)
It's not funny.

He bites his lip and rubs his knee again. Susan tries to
control her laughter, but not very successfully. Kane glares
at her.

SUSAN
I'm sorry, mister - but you do look
awful funny.

Suddenly, the pain returns and she claps her hand to her
jaw.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Ow!

(CONTINUED)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 127
9-9-02

KANE
What's the matter with you?

SUSAN
Toothache.

KANE
Hmm!

He has been rubbing his clothes with his handkerchief.

SUSAN
You've got some on your face.

KANE
If these sidewalks were kept in
condition - instead of the money
going to some cheap grafter -

Susan starts to laugh again.

KANE (CONT'D)
What's funny now?

SUSAN
You are. You look like you've been
making mud pies.

In the middle of her smile, the pain returns.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Oh!

KANE
You're no Venus de Milo.

SUSAN
(points to the
downstair window)
If you want to come in and wash your
face - I can get you some hot water
to get that dirt off your trousers -

KANE
Thanks.

Susan starts, with Kane following her.

DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 128
 9-9-02

80 INT. SUSAN'S ROOM - NIGHT - 80

It's in moderate disorder. The Mansbach gas lights are on.

It's not really a classy room, but it's exactly what you're
entitled to in 1910, for $5.00 a week including breakfast.

There is a bed, a couple of chairs, a chiffonier, and a few

personal belongings on the chiffonier. These include a
photograph of a gent and lady, obviously Susan's parents,
and a few objets d'art. One, "At the Japanese Rolling Ball
Game at Coney Island," and - perhaps this is part of the
Japanese loot - the glass globe with the snow scene Kane was
holding in his hand in the first sequence.

Susan comes into the room, carrying a basin, with towels

over her arm. Kane is waiting for her. She doesn't close
the door.

SUSAN
(by way of explanation)
My landlady prefers me to keep this
door open when I have a gentleman
caller.
(starts to put the
basin down)
She's a very decent woman.
(making a face)
Ow!

Kane rushes to take the basin from her, putting it on the

chiffonier. To do this, he has to shove the photograph to
one side of the basin. Susan grabs the photograph as it is
about to fall over.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Hey, you should be more careful.
That's my ma and pa.

KANE
I'm sorry. They live here, too?

SUSAN
No. They've passed on.

Again she puts her hand to her jaw.

KANE
Where's the soap?

SUSAN
In the water.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 129
9-9-02
 Kane fishes the soap out of the water. It is slippery,
however, and slips out of his hand, hitting him in the chest
before it falls to the floor. Susan laughs as he bends over.

KANE
(starting to wash his
hands)
You're very easily amused.

SUSAN
I always like to see the funny side
of things. No sense crying when you
don't have to. And you're so funny.
Looking at you, I forget all about
my toothache.

Her face distorts in pain again.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Oh!

KANE
I can't stay here all night chasing
your pain away.

SUSAN
(laughs)
I know... But you do look so silly.

Kane, with soaped hands, has rubbed his face and now cannot
open his eyes, for fear of getting soap in them.

KANE
Where's the towel?

SUSAN
On the chiffonier. Here.

KANE
(rubs his face dry)
Thanks.

SUSAN
(on her way to closet)
I've got a brush in the closet. As
soon as the mud on your trousers is
all dry - you just brush it off.

KANE
I'll get these streets fixed, if
it's the last thing I do.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 130
9-9-02
 Susan comes out of the closet. She holds out the brush with
her left hand, her right hand to her jaw in real distress.

KANE (CONT'D)
(takes the brush)
You are in pain, aren't you, you
poor kid?

Susan can't stand it anymore and sits down in a chair, bent

over, whimpering a bit.

KANE (CONT'D)
(brushing himself)
Wish there was something I could -

He stops and thinks. Susan, her face averted, is still trying

hard not to cry.

KANE (CONT'D)
I've got an idea, young lady.
(there is no response)
Turn around and look at me.
(there is still no
response)
I said, turn around and look at me,
young lady.

Slowly, Susan turns.

KANE (CONT'D)
Did you ever see anybody wiggle both
his ears at the same time?

It takes a second for Susan to adapt herself to this.

KANE (CONT'D)
Watch closely!
(he wiggles his ears)
It took me two solid years at the
finest boys' school in the world to
learn that trick. The fellow who
taught me is President of Venezuela
now.

He's still wiggling his ears as Susan starts to smile.

KANE (CONT'D)
That's it! Smile!

Susan smiles, very broadly.

DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 131
9-9-02
81 INT. SUSAN'S ROOM - NIGHT - 81

Closeup of a duck, camera pulls back showing it to be a

shadowgraph on the wall, made by Kane, who is now in his
shirt sleeves. It is about an hour later than preceding
sequence.

SUSAN
(hesitatingly)
A chicken?

KANE
No. But you're close.

SUSAN
A rooster?

KANE
You're getting farther away all the
time. It's a duck.

SUSAN
Excuse me, Mr. Kane. I know this
takes a lot of nerve, but - who are
you? I mean - I'm pretty ignorant,
guess you caught on to that -

KANE
(looks squarely at
her)
You really don't know who I am?

SUSAN
No. That is, I bet it turns out
I've heard your name a million times,
only you know how it is -

KANE
But you like me, don't you? Even
though you don't know who I am?

SUSAN
You've been wonderful! I can't tell
you how glad I am you're here, I
don't know many people and -
(she stops)

KANE
And I know too many people.
Obviously, we're both lonely.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 132
9-9-02
 KANE (CONT'D)
(he smiles)
Would you like to know where I was
going tonight - when you ran into me
and ruined my Sunday clothes?

SUSAN
I didn't run into you and I bet
they're not your Sunday clothes.
You've probably got a lot of clothes.

KANE
(as if defending
himself from a
terrible onslaught)
I was only joking!
(pauses)
This evening I was on my way to the
Western Manhattan Warehouses -in
search of my youth.

Susan is bewildered.

KANE (CONT'D)
You see, my mother died, too - a
long time ago. Her things were put
into storage out west because I had
no place to put them then. I still
haven't. But now I've sent for them
just the same. And tonight I'd
planned to make a sort of sentimental
journey -
(slowly)
to the scenes of my youth - my
childhood, I suppose - to look again
at -
(he changes mood
slightly)
and now -

Kane doesn't finish. He looks at Susan. Silence.

KANE (CONT'D)
Who am I? Well, let's see. Charles
Foster Kane was born in New Salem,
Colorado in eighteen six -
(he stops on the word
"sixty" - obviously
a little embarassed)
I run a couple of newspapers. How
about you?

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 133
9-9-02

SUSAN
 Oh, me -

KANE
How old did you say you were?

SUSAN
(very bright)
I didn't say.

KANE
I didn't think you did. If you had,
I wouldn't have asked you again,
because I'd have remembered. How
old?

SUSAN
Pretty old. I'll be twenty-two in
August.

KANE
(looks at her silently
for a moment)
That's a ripe old age - What do you
do?

SUSAN
I work at Seligman's.

KANE
Is that what you want to do?

SUSAN
I want to be a singer.
(she thinks for a
moment)
I mean, I didn't. Mother did for
me.

KANE
(sympathetically)
What happened to the singing? You're
not in a show, are you?

SUSAN
Oh, no! Nothing like that. Mother
always thought - she used to talk
about Grand Opera for me. Imagine!
An American girl, for one thing -
and then my voice isn't really that
kind anyway, it's just that Mother -
you know what mothers are like.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 134
9-9-02

A sudden look comes over Kane's face.

 KANE
Yes -

SUSAN
As a matter of fact, I do sing a
little.

KANE
(points to the piano)
Would you sing for me?

SUSAN
(bashful)
Oh, you wouldn't want to hear me
sing.

KANE
Yes, I would. That's why I asked.

SUSAN
Well, I -

KANE
Don't tell me your toothache is
bothering you again?

SUSAN
Oh, no, that's all gone.

KANE
Then you have no alibi at all. Please
sing.

Susan, with a tiny ladylike hesitancy, goes to the piano and

sings a polite song. Sweetly, nicely, she sings with a small,
untrained voice. Kane listens. He is relaxed, at ease with
the world.

DISSOLVE:

82 INT. "EL RANCHO" CABARET - EARLY DAWN - 82

Susan tosses down a drink, then goes on with her story.

SUSAN
I did a lot of singing after that.
I sang for Charlie - I sang for
teachers at a hundred bucks an hour -
the teachers got that, I didn't -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 135
9-9-02

THOMPSON
What did you get?
 SUSAN
(glares at him
balefully)
What do you mean?

Thompson doesn't answer.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
I didn't get a thing. Just the music
lessons. That's all there was to
it.

THOMPSON
He married you, didn't he?

SUSAN
He was in love with me. But he never
told me so until after it all came
out in the papers about us - and he
lost the election and that Norton
woman divorced him.

THOMPSON
What about that apartment?

SUSAN
He wanted me to be comfortable - Oh,
why should I bother? You don't
believe me, but it's true. It just
happens to be true. He was really
interested in my voice.
(sharply)
What are you smiling for? What do
you think he built that opera house
for? I didn't want it. I didn't
want to sing. It was his idea -
everything was his idea - except my
leaving him.

DISSOLVE:

83 INT. LIVING ROOM OF KANE'S HOUSE IN NEW YORK - DAY - 83

Susan is singing. Matisti, her voice teacher, is playing

the piano. Kane is seated nearby. Matisti stops.

MATISTI
Impossible! Impossible!

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 136
9-9-02

KANE
Your job isn't to give Mrs. Kane
your opinion of her talents. You're
 supposed to train her voice. Nothing
more.

MATISTI
(sweating)
But, it is impossible. I will be
the laughingstock of the musical
world! People will say -

KANE
If you're interested in what people
say, Signor Matisti, I may be able
to enlighten you a bit. The
newspapers, for instance. I'm an
authority on what the papers will
say, Signor Matisti, because I own
eight of them between here and San
Francisco... It's all right, dear.
Signor Matisti is going to listen to
reason. Aren't you, maestro?
(he looks him square
in the eyes)

MATISTI
Mr. Kane, how can I persuade you -

KANE
You can't.

There is a silence. Matisti rises.

KANE (CONT'D)
I knew you'd see it my way.

DISSOLVE:

84 INT. CHICAGO OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 84

It is the same opening night - it is the same moment as before -

except that the camera is now upstage angling toward the
audience. The curtain is down. We see the same tableau as
before - the terrified and trembling Susan, the apprehensive
principals, the maids and singing teachers, the stage hands.
As the dissolve commences, there is the sound of applause
(exactly as before) and now as the dissolve completes itself,
the orchestra breaks frighteningly into opening chords of
the music - the stage is cleared - Susan is left alone,
terribly alone. The curtain rises. The glare of the
footlights jump into the image. The curtain is now out of
the picture and Susan starts to sing.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 137
9-9-02

Beyond her, we see the prompter's box, containing the anxious

face of the prompter. Beyond that, out in the darkness - an
 apprehensive conductor struggles with his task of coordinating
an orchestra and an incompetent singer. Beyond that - dimly
white shirt fronts and glistening bosoms for a couple of
rows, and then deep and terrible darkness.

Closeup of Kane's face - seated in the audience - listening.

A sudden but perfectly correct lull in the music reveals a

voice from the audience - a few words from a sentence - the
kind of thing that often happens in a theatre -

THE VOICE
- really pathetic.

Music crashes in and drowns out the rest of the sentence,

but hundreds of people around the voice have heard it (as
well as Kane) and there are titters which grow in volume.

Closeup of Susan's face - singing.

Closeup of Kane's face - listening.

There is the ghastly sound of three thousand people applauding

as little as possible. Kane still looks. Then, near the
camera, there is the sound of about a dozen people applauding
very, very loudly. Camera moves back, revealing Bernstein
and Reilly and other Kane stooges, seated around him, beating
their palms together. The curtain is falling -as we can see
by the light which shutters down off their faces.

The stage from Kane's angle.

The curtain is down - the lights glowing on it. Still, the

polite applause dying fast. Nobody comes out for a bow.

Closeup of Kane - breathing heavily. Suddenly he starts to

applaud furiously.

The stage from the audience again.

Susan appears for her bow. She can hardly walk. There is a
little polite crescendo of applause, but it is sickly.

Closeup of Kane - still applauding very, very hard, his eyes

on Susan.

The stage again.

Susan, finishing her bow, goes out through the curtains.

The light on the curtain goes out and the houselights go on.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 138
9-9-02

Closeup of Kane - still applauding very, very hard.

 DISSOLVE:

85 INT. STUDY - KANE'S NEW YORK HOME - DAY - 85

Some weeks later. Susan, in a negligee, is at the window.

There are the remains of her breakfast tray on a little table.

SUSAN
You don't propose to have yourself
made ridiculous? What about me?
I'm the one that has to do the
singing. I'm the one that gets the
razzberries.
(pauses)
Last week, when I was shopping, one
of the salesgirls did an imitation
of me for another girl. She thought
I didn't see her, but - Charlie,
you might as well make up your mind
to it. This is one thing you're not
going to have your own way about. I
can't sing and you know it - Why
can't you just -

Kane rises and walks toward her. There is cold menace in

his walk. Susan shrinks a little as he draws closer to her.

KANE
My reasons satisfy me, Susan. You
seem unable to understand them. I
will not tell them to you again.
(he is very close to
her)
You will continue with your singing.

His eyes are relentlessly upon her. She sees something in

them that frightens her. She nods her head slowly, indicating
surrender.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

Front page of the "San Francisco Enquirer" containing a large

portrait of Susan as Thais (as before). It is announced
that Susan will open an independent season in San Francisco
in "Thais." The picture remains constant but the names of
the papers change from New York to St. Louis, to Los Angeles
to Cleveland, to Denver to Philadelphia - all "Enquirers."

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 139
9-9-02

During all this, on the soundtrack, Susan's voice is heard

singing her aria very faintly and far away, her voice cracking
a little.
 At the conclusion of this above, Susan has finished her song,
and there is the same mild applause as before - over the
sound of this, one man loudly applauding. This fades out as
we -

DISSOLVE:

86 INT. SUSAN'S BEDROOM - KANE'S NEW YORK HOME - LATE NIGHT - 86

The camera angles across the bed and Susan's form towards
the door, from the other side of which voices can be heard.

KANE'S VOICE
Let's have your keys, Raymond.

RAYMOND'S VOICE
Yes, sir.

KANE'S VOICE
The key must be in the other side.
(pause)
We'll knock the door down, Raymond.

RAYMOND'S VOICE
(calling)
Mrs. Kane -

KANE'S VOICE
Do what I say.

The door crashes open, light floods in the room, revealing

Susan, fully dressed, stretched out on the bed, one arm
dangling over the side. Kane rushes to her.

KANE
Get Dr. Corey.

RAYMOND
Yes, sir.

He rushes out. Susan is breathing, but heavily. Kane loosens

the lace collar at her throat.

DISSOLVE:

87 INT. SUSAN'S ROOM - LATE NIGHT - 87

A little later. All the lights are lit. Susan, in a

nightgown, is in bed, asleep.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 140
9-9-02

Raymond and a nurse are just leaving the room, Raymond closing
the door quietly behind him. Dr. Corey rises.
 DR. COREY
She'll be perfectly all right in a
day or two, Mr. Kane.

Kane nods. He has a small bottle in his hand.

DR. COREY (CONT'D)

The nurse has complete instructions,
but if you care to talk to me at any
time, I should be only too glad - I
shall be here in the morning.

KANE
Thank you. I can't imagine how Mrs.
Kane came to make such a silly
mistake. The sedative Dr. Wagner
gave her is in a somewhat larger
bottle - I suppose the strain of
preparing for her trip has excited
and confused her.

DR. COREY
I'm sure that's it.
(he starts out)

KANE
There are no objections to my staying
here with her, are there?

DR. COREY
Not at all. I'd like the nurse to
be here, too.

KANE
Of course.

Dr. Corey leaves. Kane settles himself in a chair next to

the bed, looking at Susan. In a moment, the nurse enters,
goes to a chair in the corner of the room, and sits down.

DISSOLVE:

88 INT. SUSAN'S ROOM - DAY - 88

Susan, utterly spent, is lying flat on her back in her bed.

Kane is in the chair beside her. The nurse is out of the
room.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 141
9-9-02

SUSAN
(in a voice that comes
from far away)
I couldn't make you see how I felt,
 Charlie. I just couldn't - I
couldn't go through with singing
again. You don't know what it means
to feel - to know that people - that
an audience don't want you. That if
you haven't got what they want - a
real voice - they just don't care
about you. Even when they're polite -
and they don't laugh or get restless
or - you know... They don't want
you. They just -

KANE
(angrily)
That's when you've got to fight them.
That's when you've got to make them.
That's -

Susan's head turns and she looks at him silently with pathetic
eyes.

KANE (CONT'D)
I'm sorry.
(he leans over to pat
her hand)
You won't have to fight them anymore.
(he smiles a little)
It's their loss.

Gratefully, Susan, with difficulty, brings her other hand

over to cover his.

DISSOLVE:

89 EXT. ESTABLISHING SHOT OF XANADU - HALF BUILT 89

90 INT. THE GRAND HALL IN XANADU - 90

Closeup of an enormous jigsaw puzzle. A hand is putting in

the last piece. Camera moves back to reveal jigsaw puzzle
spread out on the floor.

Susan is on the floor before her jigsaw puzzle. Kane is in

an easy chair. Behind them towers the massive Renaissance
fireplace. It is night and Baroque candelabra illuminates
the scene.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 142
9-9-02

SUSAN
(with a sigh)
What time is it?

There is no answer.
 SUSAN (CONT'D)
Charlie! I said, what time is it?

KANE
(looks up - consults
his watch)
Half past eleven.

SUSAN
I mean in New York.

KANE
Half past eleven.

SUSAN
At night?

KANE
Yes. The bulldog's just gone to
press.

SUSAN
(sarcastically)
Hurray for the bulldog!
(sighs)
Half past eleven! The shows have
just let out. People are going to
night clubs and restaurants. Of
course, we're different. We live in
a palace - at the end of the world.

KANE
You always said you wanted to live
in a palace.

SUSAN
Can't we go back, Charlie?

Kane looks at her smilingly and turns back to his work.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Charlie -

There is no answer.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 143
9-9-02

SUSAN (CONT'D)
If I promise to be a good girl! Not
to drink - and to entertain all the
governors and the senators with
dignity -
(she puts a slur into
the word)
Charlie -
 There is still no answer.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

Another picture puzzle - Susan's hands fitting in a missing

piece.

DISSOLVE:

Another picture puzzle - Susan's hands fitting in a missing

piece.

DISSOLVE:

91 INT. XANADU - LIVING ROOM - DAY - 91

Another picture puzzle.

Camera pulls back to show Kane and Susan in much the same
positions as before, except that they are older.

KANE
One thing I've never been able to
understand, Susan. How do you know
you haven't done them before?

Susan shoots him an angry glance. She isn't amused.

SUSAN
It makes a whole lot more sense than
collecting Venuses.

KANE
You may be right - I sometimes wonder -
but you get into the habit -

SUSAN
(snapping)
It's not a habit. I do it because I
like it.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 144
9-9-02

KANE
I was referring to myself.
(pauses)
I thought we might have a picnic
tomorrow - it might be a nice change
after the Wild West party tonight.
Invite everybody to go to the
Everglades -
 SUSAN
(throws down a piece
of the jigsaw puzzle
and rises)
Invite everybody! Order everybody,
you mean, and make them sleep in
tents! Who wants to sleep in tents
when they have a nice room of their
own - with their own bath, where
they know where everything is?

Kane has looked at her steadily, not hostilely.

KANE
I thought we might invite everybody
to go on a picnic tomorrow. Stay at
Everglades overnight.
(he pats her lightly
on the shoulder)
Please see that the arrangements are
made, Susan.

Kane turns away - to Bernstein.

KANE (CONT'D)
You remember my son, Mr. Bernstein.

On the soundtrack we hear the following lines of dialogue:

BERNSTEIN'S VOICE
(embarrased)
Oh, yes. How do you do, Mr. Kane?

CHARLIE JR.'S VOICE

Hello.

During this, camera holds on closeup of Susan's face. She

is very angry.

DISSOLVE:

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 145
9-9-02

92 EXT. THE EVERGLADES CAMP - NIGHT - 92

Long shot - of a number of classy tents.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

93 INT. LARGE TENT - EVERGLADES CAMP - NIGHT - 93

Two real beds have been set up on each side of the tent. A
rather classy dressing table is in the rear, at which Susan
 is preparing for bed. Kane, in his shirt-sleeves, is in an
easy chair, reading. Susan is very sullen.

SUSAN
I'm not going to put up with it.

Kane turns to look at her.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
I mean it.
(she catches a slight
flicker on Kane's
face)
Oh, I know I always say I mean it,
and then I don't - or you get me so
don't do what I say I'm going to -
but -

KANE
(interrupting)
You're in a tent, darling. You're
not at home. And I can hear you
very well if you just talk in a normal
tone of voice.

SUSAN
I'm not going to have my guests
insulted, just because you think -
(in a rage)
if people want to bring a drink or
two along on a picnic, that's their
business. You've got no right -

KANE
(quickly)
I've got more than a right as far as
you're concerned, Susan.

SUSAN
Oh, I'm sick and tired of you telling
me what I must and what I musn't do!

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 146
9-9-02

KANE
(gently)
You're my wife, Susan, and -

SUSAN
I'm not just your wife

KANE
We can discuss all this some other
time, Susan. Right now -
 SUSAN
I'll discuss what's on my mind when
I want to. You're not going to keep
on running my life the way you want
it.

KANE
As far as you're concerned, Susan,
I've never wanted anything - I don't
want anything now - except what you
want.

SUSAN
What you want me to want, you mean.
What you've decided I ought to have
what you'd want if you were me. But
you've never given me anything that -

KANE
Susan, I really think -

SUSAN
Oh, I don't mean the things you've
given me - that don't mean anything
to you. What's the difference between
giving me a bracelet or giving
somebody else a hundred thousand
dollars for a statue you're going to
keep crated up and never look at?
It's only money. It doesn't mean
anything. You're not really giving
anything that belongs to you, that
you care about.

KANE
(he has risen)
Susan, I want you to stop this. And
right now!

SUSAN
Well, I'm not going to stop it.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 147
9-9-02

SUSAN (CONT'D)
I'm going to say exactly what I think.
(she screams)
You've never given me anything.
You've tried to buy me into giving
you something. You're -
(a sudden notion)
it's like you were bribing me! That's
what it's been from the first moment
I met you. No matter how much it
 cost you - your time, your money -
that's what you've done with everybody
you've ever known. Tried to bribe
them!

KANE
Susan!

She looks at him, with no lessening of her passion.

KANE (CONT'D)
You're talking an incredible amount
of nonsense, Susan.
(quietly)
Whatever I do - I do - because I
love you.

SUSAN
Love! You don't love anybody! Me
or anybody else! You want to be
loved - that's all you want! I'm
Charles Foster Kane. Whatever you
want - just name it and it's yours!
Only love me! Don't expect me to
love you -

Without a word, Kane slaps her across the face. They look
at each other.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
You - you hit me.

Kane continues to look at her.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
You'll never have another chance to
hit me again.
(beat)
I never knew till this minute -

KANE
Susan, it seems to me -

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 148
9-9-02

SUSAN
Don't tell me you're sorry.

KANE
I'm not sorry.

SUSAN
I'm going to leave you.

KANE
 No, you're not.

SUSAN
(nods)
Yes.

They look at each other, fixedly, but she doesn't give way.
In fact, the camera on Kane's face shows the beginning of a
startled look, as of one who sees something unfamiliar and
unbelievable.

DISSOLVE:

94 INT. KANE'S STUDY - XANADU - DAY - 94

Kane is a the window looking out. He turns as he hears

Raymond enter.

RAYMOND
Mrs. Kane would like to see you, Mr.
Kane.

KANE
All right.

Raymond waits as Kane hesitates.

KANE (CONT'D)
Is Mrs. Kane -
(he can't finish)

RAYMOND
Marie has been packing since morning,
Mr. Kane.

Kane impetuously walks past him out of the room.

95 INT. SUSAN'S ROOM - XANADU - DAY - 95

Packed suitcases are on the floor, Susan is completely dressed

for travelling. Kane bursts into the room.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 149
9-9-02

SUSAN
Tell Arnold I'm ready, Marie. He
can get the bags.

MARIE
Yes, Mrs. Kane.

She leaves. Kane closes the door behind her.

KANE
Have you gone completely crazy?
 Susan looks at him.

KANE (CONT'D)
Don't you realize that everybody
here is going to know about this?
That you've packed your bags and
ordered the car and -

SUSAN
And left? Of course they'll hear.
I'm not saying goodbye - except to
you - but I never imagined that people
wouldn't know.

Kane is standing against the door as if physically barring

her way.

KANE
I won't let you go.

SUSAN
You can't stop me.

Kane keeps looking at her. Susan reaches out her hand.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Goodbye, Charlie.

KANE
(suddenly)
Don't go, Susan.

SUSAN
Let's not start all over again,
Charlie. We've said everything that
can be said.

KANE
Susan, don't go! Susan, please!

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 150
9-9-02

He has lost all pride. Susan stops. She is affected by

this.

KANE (CONT'D)
You mustn't go, Susan. Everything'll
be exactly the way you want it. Not
the way I think you want it - by
your way. Please, Susan - Susan!

She is staring at him. She might weaken.

KANE (CONT'D)
 Don't go, Susan! You mustn't go!
(almost blubbering)
You - you can't do this to me, Susan -

It's as if he had thrown ice water into her face. She

freezes.

SUSAN
I see - it's you that this is being
done to! It's not me at all. Not
how I feel. Not what it means to
me.
(she laughs)
I can't do this to you!
(she looks at him)
Oh, yes I can.

She walks out, past Kane, who turns to watch her go, like a
very tired old man.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

96 INT. "EL RANCHO" CABARET - NIGHT - 96

Susan and Thompson at a table. There is silence between

them for a moment.

SUSAN
In case you've never heard of how I
lost all my money - and it was plenty,
believe me -

THOMPSON
The last ten years have been tough
on a lot of people.

SUSAN
They haven't been tough on me.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 151
9-9-02

SUSAN (CONT'D)
I just lost my money. But when I
compare these last ten years with
the twenty I spent with him -

THOMPSON
I feel kind of sorry for him, all
the same -

SUSAN
(harshly)
 Don't you think I do?
(pause)
You say you're going down to Xanadu?

THOMPSON
Monday, with some of the boys from
the office. Mr. Rawlston wants the
whole place photographed carefully -
all that art stuff. We run a picture
magazine, you know -

SUSAN
I know. If you're smart, you'll
talk to Raymond. That's the butler.
You can learn a lot from him. He
knows where the bodies are buried.

She shivers. The dawn light from the skylight above has
grown brighter, making the artificial light in the night
club look particularly ghastly, revealing mercilessly every
year of Susan's age.

SUSAN (CONT'D)
Well, what do you know? It's morning
already.
(looks at him)
You must come around and tell me the
story of your life sometime.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

97 INT. GREAT HALL - XANADU - NIGHT - 97

An open door shows the pantry, which is dark. Thompson and

Raymond are at a table. There is a pitcher of beer and a
plate of sandwiches before them. Raymond drinks a glass of
beer and settles back.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 152
9-9-02

RAYMOND
Yes, sir - yes, sir, I knew how to
handle the old man. He was kind of
queer, but I knew how to handle him.

THOMPSON
Queer?

RAYMOND
Yeah. I guess he wasn't very happy
those last years - he didn't have
much reason to be -
 DISSOLVE:

98 INT. CORRIDOR AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE - XANADU - NIGHT - 98

Raymond walking rapidly along corridor. He pushes open a

door. At a desk in a fairly elaborate telegraph office sits
a wireless operator named Fred. Near him at a telephone
switchboard sits a female operator named Katherine (not that
it matters).

RAYMOND
(reading)
Mr. Charles Foster Kane announced
today that Mrs. Charles Foster Kane
has left Xanadu, his Florida home,
under the terms of a peaceful and
friendly agreement with the intention
of filing suit for divorce at an
early date. Mrs. Kane said that she
does not intend to return to the
operatic career which she gave up a
few years after her marriage, at Mr.
Kane's request. Signed, Charles
Foster Kane.

Fred finishes typing and then looks up.

RAYMOND (CONT'D)
Exclusive for immediate transmission.
Urgent priority all Kane papers.

FRED
Okay.

There is the sound of the buzzer on the switchboard.

Katherine puts in a plug and answers the call.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 153
9-9-02

KATHERINE
Yes ... yes... Mrs. Tinsdall - Very
well.
(turns to Raymond)
It's the housekeeper.

RAYMOND
Yes?

KATHERINE
She says there's some sort of
disturbance up in Mrs. Alexander's
room. She's afraid to go in.

DISSOLVE:
99 INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE SUSAN'S BEDROOM - XANADU - NIGHT - 99

The housekeeper, Mrs. Tinsdall, and a couple of maids are

near the door but are too afraid to be in front of it. From
inside can be heard a terrible banging and crashing. Raymond
hurries into scene, opens the door and goes in.

100 INT. SUSAN'S BEDROOM - XANADU - 100

Kane, in a truly terrible and absolutely silent rage, is

literally breaking up the room - yanking pictures, hooks and
all off the wall, smashing them to bits - ugly, gaudy pictures -
Susie's pictures in Susie's bad taste. Off of occasional
tables, bureaus, he sweeps Susie's whorish accumulation of
bric-a-brac.

Raymond stands in the doorway watching him. Kane says

nothing. He continues with tremendous speed and surprising
strength, still wordlessly, tearing the room to bits. The
curtains (too frilly - overly pretty) are pulled off the
windows in a single gesture, and from the bookshelves he
pulls down double armloads of cheap novels - discovers a
half-empty bottle of liquor and dashes it across the room.
Finally he stops. Susie's cozy little chamber is an
incredible shambles all around him.

He stands for a minute breathing heavily, and his eye lights

on a hanging what-not in a corner which had escaped his
notice. Prominent on its center shelf is the little glass
ball with the snowstorm in it. He yanks it down. Something
made of china breaks, but not the glass ball. It bounces on
the carpet and rolls to his feet, the snow in a flurry. His
eye follows it. He stoops to pick it up - can't make it.
Raymond picks it up for him; hands it to him. Kane takes it
sheepishly - looks at it - moves painfully out of the room
into the corridor.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 154
9-9-02

101 INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE SUSAN'S BEDROOM - XANADU - 101

Kane comes out of the door. Mrs. Tinsdall has been joined
now by a fairly sizable turnout of servants. They move back
away from Kane, staring at him. Raymond is in the doorway
behind Kane. Kane looks at the glass ball.

KANE
(without turning)
Close the door, Raymond.

RAYMOND
Yes, sir.
(he closes it)

KANE
 Lock it - and keep it locked.

Raymond locks the door and comes to his side. There is a

long pause - servants staring in silence. Kane gives the
glass ball a gentle shake and starts another snowstorm.

KANE (CONT'D)
Raymond -
(he is almost in a
trance)

RAYMOND
Yes, sir -

One of the younger servants giggles and is hushed up. Kane

shakes the ball again. Another flurry of snow. He watches
the flakes settle - then looks up. Finally, taking in the
pack of servants and something of the situations, he puts
the glass ball in his coat pocket. He speaks very quietly
to Raymond, so quietly it only seems he's talking to himself.

KANE
Keep it locked.

He slowly walks off down the corridor, the servants giving

way to let him pass, and watching him as he goes. He is an
old, old man!

DISSOLVE:

102 INT. KANE'S CHAPEL - XANADU - LATE AFTERNOON - 102

As the dissolve completes itself, camera is travelling across

the floor of the chapel past the crypts of Kane's father and
mother - (marked: James Kane - 18- TO 19-; Mary Kane - 18-
TO 19-;) - past a blank crypt, and then holding on the burial
of Kane's son.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 155
9-9-02

A group of ordinary workmen in ordinary clothes are lowering

a very expensive-looking coffin into its crypt. Kane stands
nearby with Raymond, looking on. The men strain and grunt
as the coffin bangs on the stone floor. The men now place
over it a long marble slab on which is cut the words:

CHARLES FOSTER KANE II.

1907 - 1938

ONE OF THE WORKMEN

Sorry, Mr. Kane, we won't be able to
cement it till tommorrow. We -

Kane looks right through him. Raymond cuts him short.

 RAYMOND
Okay.

The men tip their hats and shuffle out of the chapel. Kane
raises his head, looks at the inscription on the wall. It
is a little to one side of Junior's grave, directly over the
blank place which will be occupied by Kane himself.

KANE
Do you like poetry, Raymond?

RAYMOND
Can't say, sir.

KANE
Mrs. Kane liked poetry -

Raymond is now convinced that the old master is very far

gone indeed - not to say off his trolley.

RAYMOND
Yes, Mr. Kane.

KANE
Not my wife - not either of them.

He looks at the grave next to his son's - the grave marked

"MARY KANE."

RAYMOND
(catching on)
Oh, yes, sir.

KANE
(looking back up at
the wall)
Do you know what that is?

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 156
9-9-02

RAYMOND
(more his keeper than
his butler now)
It's a wall you bought in China, Mr.
Kane.

KANE
Persia. It belonged to a king.

RAYMOND
How did you get him to part with it,
Mr. Kane?

KANE
 He was dead... That's a poem. Do
you know what it means?

RAYMOND
No, I don't, Mr. Kane.

KANE
I didn't used to be afraid of it.

A short pause. His eyes still on the wall, but looking

through it, Kane quotes the translation.

KANE (CONT'D)
The drunkeness of youth has passed
like a fever, And yet I saw many
things, Seeing my glory in the days
of my glory, I thought my power
eternal And the days of my life Fixed
surely in the years But a whisper
came to me From Him who dies not. I
called my tributary kings together
And those who were proud rulers under
me, I opened the boxes of my treasure
to them, saying: "Take hills of gold,
moutains of silver, And give me only
one more day upon the earth." But
they stood silent, Looking upon the
ground; So that I died And Death
came to sit upon my throne. O sons
of men You see a stranger upon the
road, You call to him and he does
not step. He is your life Walking
towards time, Hurrying to meet the
kings of India and China.
(quoting)
O sons of men You are caught in the
web of the world And the spider
Nothing waits behind it.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 157
9-9-02

KANE (CONT'D)
Where are the men with towering hopes?
They have changed places with owls,
Owls who have lived in tombs And now
inhabit a palace.

Kane still stares at the wall, through it, and way beyond
it. Raymond looks at him.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:
103 INT. GREAT HALL - XANADU - NIGHT - 103

Thompson and Raymond. Raymond has finished his beer.

RAYMOND
(callously)
That's the whole works, right up to
date.

THOMPSON
Sentimental fellow, aren't you?

RAYMOND
Yes and no.

THOMPSON
(getting to his feet)
Well, thanks a lot.

RAYMOND
See what I mean? He was a little
gone in the head - the last couple
of years, anyway - but I knew how to
handle him.
(rises)
That "Rosebud" - that don't mean
anything. I heard him say it. He
just said "Rosebud" and then he
dropped that glass ball and it broke
on the floor. He didn't say anything
about that, so I knew he was dead -
He said all kind of things I couldn't
make out. But I knew how to take
care of him.

Thompson doesn't answer.

RAYMOND (CONT'D)
You can go on asking questions if
you want to.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 158
9-9-02

THOMPSON
(coldly)
We're leaving tonight. As soon as
they're through photographing the
stuff -

Thompson has risen. Raymond gets to his feet and goes to

the door, opening it for him.

RAYMOND
Allow yourself plenty of time. The
train stops at the Junction on signal
 but they don't like to wait. Not
now. I can remember when they'd
wait all day ... if Mr. Kane said
so.

Raymond ushes Thompson into

104 INT. THE GREAT HALL - XANADU - NIGHT - 104

The magnificent tapestries, candelabra, etc., are still there,

but now several large packing cases are piled against the
walls, some broken open, some shut and a number of objects,
great and small, are piled pell mell all over the place.
Furniture, statues, paintings, bric-a-brac - things of
obviously enormous value are standing beside a kitchen stove,
an old rocking chair and other junk, among which is also an
old sled, the self-same story. Somewhere in the back, one
of the vast Gothic windows of the hall is open and a light
wind blows through the scene, rustling the papers.

In the center of the hall, a Photographer and his Assistant

are busy photographing the sundry objects. The floor is
littered with burnt-out flash bulbs. They continue their
work throughout the early part of the scene so that now and
then a flash bulb goes off. In addition to the Photographer
and his Assistant, there are a Girl and Two Newspapermen -
the Second and Third Men of the projection room scene - also
Thompson and Raymond.

The Girl and the Second Man, who wears a hat, are dancing
somewhere in the back of the hall to the music of a
phonograph. A flash bulb goes off. The Photographer has
just photographed a picture, obviously of great value, an
Italian primitive. The Assistant consults a label on the
back of it.

ASSISTANT
NO. 9182

The Third Newspaperman starts to jot this information down.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 159
9-9-02

ASSISTANT (CONT'D)
"Nativity" - attributed to Donatello,
acquired Florence 1921, cost 45,000
lire. Got that?

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
Yeah.

PHOTOGRAPHER
All right! Next! Better get that
statue over there.
 ASSISTANT
Okay.

The Photographer and his Assitant start to move off with

their equipment towards a large sculpture in another part of
the hall.

RAYMOND
What do you think all that is worth,
Mr. Thompson?

THOMPSON
Millions - if anybody wants it.

RAYMOND
The banks are out of luck, eh?

THOMPSON
Oh, I don't know. They'll clear all
right.

ASSISTANT
"Venus," Fourth Century. Acquired
1911. Cost twenty-three thousand.
Got it?

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
Okay.

ASSISTANT
(patting the statue
on the fanny)
That's a lot of money to pay for a
dame without a head.

SECOND ASSISTANT
(reading a label)
No. 483. One desk from the estate
of Mary Kane, Little Salem, Colorado.
Value $6.00.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 160
9-9-02

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
Okay.

A flashlight bulb goes off.

SECOND ASSISTANT
We're all set to get everything.
The junk as well as the art.

Thompson has opened a box and is idly playing with a handful

of little pieces of cardboard.
 THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
What's that?

RAYMOND
It's a jigsaw puzzle.

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
We got a lot of those. There's a
Burmese Temple and three Spanish
ceilings down the hall.

Raymond laughs.

PHOTOGRAPHER
Yeah, all in crates.

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
There's a part of a Scotch castle
over there, but we haven't bothered
to unwrap it.

PHOTOGRAPHER
I wonder how they put all those pieces
together?

ASSISTANT
(reading a label)
Iron stove. Estate of Mary Kane.
Value $2.00.

PHOTOGRAPHER
Put it over by that statue. It'll
make a good setup.

GIRL
(calling out)
Who is she anyway?

SECOND NEWSPAPERMAN
Venus. She always is.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 161
9-9-02

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
He sure liked to collect things,
didn't he?

RAYMOND
He went right on buying - right up
to the end.

PHOTOGRAPHER
Anything and everything - he was a
regular crow.
 THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
I wonder - You put all this together -
the palaces and the paintings and
the toys and everything - what would
it spell?

Thompson has turned around. He is facing the camera for the

first time.

THOMPSON
Charles Foster Kane.

Another flash bulb goes off. The Photographer turns to

Thompson with a grin.

PHOTOGRAPHER
Or Rosebud? How about it, Jerry?

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
(to the dancers)
Turn that thing off, will you? It's
driving me nuts! What's Rosebud?

PHOTOGRAPHER
Kane's last words, aren't they, Jerry?
(to the Third
Newspaperman)
That was Jerry's angle, wasn't it,
Jerry? Did you ever find out what
it means, Jerry?

THOMPSON
No, I didn't.

The music has stopped. The dancers have come over to

Thompson.

SECOND NEWSPAPERMAN
Say, what did you find out about
him, anyway, Jerry?

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 162
9-9-02

THOMPSON
Not much.

SECOND NEWSPAPERMAN
Well, what have you been doing?

THOMPSON
Playing with a jigsaw puzzle - I
talked to a lot of people who knew
him.

GIRL
 What do they say?

THOMPSON
Well - it's become a very clear
picture. He was the most honest man
who ever lived, with a streak of
crookedness a yard wide. He was a
liberal and a reactionary; he was
tolerant - "Live and Let Live" -
that was his motto. But he had no
use for anybody who disagreed with
him on any point, no matter how small
it was. He was a loving husband and
a good father - and both his wives
left him and his son got himself
killed about as shabbily as you can
do it. He had a gift for friendship
such as few men have - he broke his
oldest friend's heart like you'd
throw away a cigarette you were
through with. Outside of that -

THIRD NEWSPAPERMAN
Okay, okay.

GIRL
What about Rosebud? Don't you think
that explains anything?

THOMPSON
No, I don't. Not much anway. Charles
Foster Kane was a man who got
everything he wanted, and then lost
it. Maybe Rosebud was something he
couldn't get or lost. No, I don't
think it explains anything. I don't
think any word explains a man's life.
No - I guess Rosebud is just a piece
in a jigsaw puzzle - a missing piece.

(CONTINUED)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Screenplay-Citizen_Kane p. 163
9-9-02

He drops the jigsaw pieces back into the box, looking at his
watch.

THOMPSON (CONT'D)
We'd better get along. We'll miss
the train.

He picks up his overcoat - it has been resting on a little

sled - the little sled young Charles Foster Kane hit Thatcher
with at the opening of the picture. Camera doesn't close in
on this. It just registers the sled as the newspaper people,
picking up their clothes and equipment, move out of the great
hall.
 DISSOLVE:

105 INT. CELLAR - XANADU - NIGHT - 105

A large furnace, with an open door, dominates the scene.

Two laborers, with shovels, are shovelling things into the
furnace. Raymond is about ten feet away.

RAYMOND
Throw that junk in, too.

Camera travels to the pile that he has indicated. It is

mostly bits of broken packing cases, excelsior, etc. The
sled is on top of the pile. As camera comes close, it shows
the faded rosebud and, though the letters are faded,
unmistakably the word "ROSEBUD" across it. The laborer drops
his shovel, takes the sled in his hand and throws it into
the furnace. The flames start to devour it.

106 EXT. XANADU - NIGHT - 106

No lights are to be seen. Smoke is coming from a chimney.

Camera reverses the path it took at the beginning of the

picture, perhaps omitting some of the stages. It moves
finally through the gates, which close behind it. As camera
pauses for a moment, the letter "K" is prominent in the
moonlight.

Just before we fade out, there comes again into the picture
the pattern of barbed wire and cyclone fencing. On the fence
is a sign which reads:

"PRIVATE - NO TRESPASSING"

FADE OUT:

THE END