Citizen Kane: A Small Miracle In Cinema Quiz

Answer: Rosebud

The inspiration for "Citizen Kane" was the life of William Randolph Hearst, a man who created an empire of newspapers, radio stations and magazines. Rosebud was said to be an inside joke between cast and crew, for it was said that Rosebud was actually a pet name that Willian Randolph Hearst created for intimate areas of his lover's body. (eeew!)

Answer: Orson Welles

Orson Welles, the boy wonder, was only 25 years of age when he created Mercury Theatre Company. Most of the members of the company each made their debut in "Citizen Kane."
Jospeh Cotten played Jed Leland, Kane's supposed best friend. Everett Sloane played Mr. Bernstein the successful business man. William Alland played Thompson the reporter.

Answer: We never actually get to see his face

We never get a good look at Thompson's face. His back is always turned to us or his face is in the shadows. It is said that at the premiere of "Citizen Kane" William Alland who played Thompson told the audience that he should probably turn around and show them his back or no one would recognize him.

Answer: Xanadu

Xanadu is the name of Kane's estate. San Simeo was the name of William Randolph Hearst's estate. Xanadu's location is supposedly on the dessert coast of Florida, except Florida doesn't have dessert coast. During the picnic scene on the beach the background is actually from some dated pre-historic setting from a movie. You can actually see pterodactyls flying around in the background!

Answer: An opera house

Kane built an opera house just for her. Susan never wanted it. The fact of the matter is that Susan never wanted anything Kane bought for her because it was always things that Kane thought she should like.

Answer: Statues

At the end of the movie, the camera pans across thousands of statues left in Kane's storage warehouse, some were never even taken out of their crate.

Answer: El Rancho

The outside of the club was actually a model. So when the camera panned over the roof and through the skylight to show Susan sitting at a table, they would either have a bolt of lightning separate the model from the actual set or go to a dissolve.

Answer: Governor

Charles Foster Kane made an unsuccessful bid for Governor. Perhaps he would have won, but Kane's opponent, Gettys, blackmailed him when he discovered that he was cheating on his wife (who was the President's niece) with Susan Alexander. Kane refused to step back and the scandal was released to the public with the headline, "Kane Caught In Love Nest With 'Singer'".

Answer: 1941

Charles Foster Kane died alone in Xanadu.

Answer: Sled

"Mister Kane was a man who got everything he wanted and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get or something he lost. Anyway, it wouldn't have explained anything. I don't think any word can explain a man's life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle - a missing piece." (Thompson) True, Rosebud would have explained nothing to them, but it just goes to show that in "Citizen Kane" nothing can really be explained. Rosebud, however, does represent something. To Kane it represents a lost and loveless childhood, something he'd spend the rest of his life searching for.