Hard 'Citizen Kane' (Part 1) Quiz / Test | Citizen Kane .

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Just following the film title the viewer hears ominous music. The picture then fades in to a metal sign hanging on a fence. What is written on this sign?

Answer: No trespassing

Following the image of the 'No trespassing' sign, we are treated to some almost surreal images of the grounds of the Kane mansion. Among the unusual images are monkeys in Kane's zoo, Viking style boats and a golf course, complete with tattered flags identifying the holes. Always in the background are matte photos of the Kane mansion, each making the great house appear sinister and spooky as we pan in closer to a lit window where the dying Charles Foster Kane is about to emit his last word.

2. Following sundry views of the grounds surrounding the Kane mansion, the scene shifts to the inside of the great home. Charles Foster Kane lies alone, dying. Soon, the first word of the film can be heard. What is this word?

Answer: Rosebud

The word 'Rosebud' has almost become synonymous with this film. Fans of Orson Welles' know very well that this was the name of young Charlie Kane's sled. Also well known to fans of Mr. Welles is the rumored secret origin of this term. Apparently, it was a nickname that William Randolph Hearst had provided for certain body parts of his mistress Marion Davies.

There is, of course, no way to substantiate the veracity of this claim.

3. Following the rather gloomy introductory scenes the viewer is presented with a newsreel entitled 'News on the March'. Here, we discover the name of the Charles Foster Kane mansion, Xanadu. This name comes from a poem called 'Kubla Khan', written by which of these great English wordsmiths?

Answer: Coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote 'Kubla Khan' in 1816. Based roughly on the story of Genghis Khan's grandson Kublai, who became ruler of all of China in 1279, the poem describes the great Mongol city of 'Xanadu' (perhaps modern day Beijing). The newsreel includes the first lines of the poem: 'In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree - -'

4. As we see various, non-conforming images of Kane's great estate of Xanadu the announcer also describes its location. In which U.S. state has Kane built his magnificent abode?

Answer: Florida

Welles' fans know very well that, though Kane's estate is built along Florida's Gulf coast, its 'model' is the great Hearst castle (La Cuesta Encantada) at San Simeon, California. The newsreel announcer claims that 100,000 trees were planted on the estate and 20,000 tons of marble used in the creation of the mansion. We are also told of the mansion's contents, which include paintings, statues and other priceless relics; 'enough for ten museums' we are told. Cost of the mansion: no man can say.

5. The introductory newsreel generously provides the viewer with a quick synopsis of Charles Foster Kane's life. During the short film we see, among other things, Kane twice standing with a U.S. president, but which one?

Answer: Teddy Roosevelt

The 'News on the March' film is intended to orient the viewer to the main character of the film, and also to relate this character (Kane) to William Randolph Hearst, the real-life newspaper magnate upon whom Kane was roughly based. Along with the clever film juxtaposition of Kane with Roosevelt, the title character is seen standing alongside other world leaders, including Hitler. Keep in mind that this movie was made over 50 years before Forrest Gump.

6. According to the newsreel, aside from Xanadu, which of these other buildings was Charles Foster Kane responsible for constructing?

Answer: An opera house in Chicago

The newsreel briefly covers Kane's private life, including the scandal that resulted in the end of his first marriage and the beginning of his second. Kane promoted his second wife as an opera singer, and built the Chicago Opera House for her at the cost of three million dollars - a pretty penny back in those days. Xanadu was also built for his second wife, or so the newsreel claims.

7. Along with the viewing audience we discover that a group of journalists have also been watching the introductory newsreel. They weigh its pros and cons and find it severely lacking in its revealing detail. It is decided that a young journalist will snoop around in order to discover more about Mr. Kane. What is the surname of the newsman who will do the investigating?

Answer: Thompson

Jerry Thompson, played by William Alland, is chosen by a Mr. Rawlston to investigate Charles Foster Kane's last word 'Rosebud'. He is to find out the meaning behind Kane's ultimate utterance and report back as soon as possible. This sets the stage for the story ahead, which is revealed in slow chunks, mostly through the recollections of various characters in the film.

8. The first target of the journalistic investigation into Kane's life is his second wife, Susan Alexander. In one of the many marvelous shots of the film, we are shown the name of the nightclub in which she performs on a lit billboard. What is the nightclub called?

Answer: El Rancho

From the dark newsroom, the film dissolves until a painting of Susan Alexander is revealed. The camera then moves up a building during a rainy evening and the billboard sign reading 'El Rancho' emerges. The camera then moves towards and through the sign, and then directs itself down towards a skylight.

This spectacular camera effect is made possible by the fact that the billboard sign is made from two conjoining parts (the billboard is actual size!)

9. In one of the better performances of the film, which actress portrays Kane's second wife, the now bitter and distraught Susan Alexander?

Answer: Dorothy Comingore

Dorothy Comingore started her Hollywood career under her birthname Linda Winters, but became Dorothy Comingore for this role in 'Citizen Kane'. Her career was ended via Hollywood blacklisting in 1951, but not before delivering an excellent performance in 'Citizen Kane' as the initially young and naive, but later jaded and lugubrious, former opera-singing wife of Kane.

Despite Thompson's questioning, Susan Alexander reveals nothing at this early stage in the film about Rosebud or Mr. Kane.

10. After a less-than-satisfying encounter with Susan Alexander, the next stage in the investigation into Kane's life leads the viewer to a library built in memorial to which character in the film?

Answer: Walter Parks Thatcher

The Thatcher library contains a giant statue of the eminent Wall Street banking maven who once had custody of the young Charles Foster Kane. Thompson locates Mr. Thatcher's diary in the hopes that he will locate some information about Rosebud. Soon, the viewer is treated to the first flashback to Kane's earlier years, a topic that will be covered in the second quiz in this series.

Thank you for trying this quiz, I hope you have enjoyed it and will try its sequels.

Source: Author thejazzkickazz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

'Citizen Kane' (Part 1) Trivia Quiz

'Citizen Kane' is one of the true masterworks of Hollywood history. This series of quizzes looks at some of the more superficial details of Orson Welles' 1941 landmark film. I hope you will enjoy...

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