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When RKO Pictures began work on production number 281, no one could have imagined that they were making perhaps the greatest American film of all time. But the moment Orson Welles (played by Liev Schreiber) announced that he intended to make a film based on the life of tyranical multi-millionaire publisher William Randolph Hearst (James Cromwell), they knew that they had trouble on their hands. Welles, the enfant terrible of American theater and a household name thanks to his infamous radio adaptation of H.G. Wells's '+The War Of The Worlds,' was signed to direct films for RKO, and he was given an unusually free hand to make whatever sort of film he wanted. But what Welles didn't count on was the power of Hearst to keep his film from being seen. RKO 281 is based on the true story of the making of Citizen Kane and the war of words between Welles and Hearst. It also stars Melanie Griffith as Hearst's mistress Marion Davies, John Malkovich as screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, Brenda Blethyn as Hearst's movie columnist Louella Parsons, and Roy Scheider as George Schaefer.
19 October 1953, France
6 June 1954, Montreal, Québec, Canada
2 June 1961, Dublin, Ireland
9 August 1957, New York City, New York, USA
11 November 1964, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
9 December 1953, Christopher, Illinois, USA
1960, London, England, UK
15 August 1958, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1942, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England, UK
4 October 1967, San Francisco, California, USA
7 July 1955, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
20 February 1946, Ramsgate, Kent, England, UK
13 October 1923, Highbury, London, England, UK
1965, London, England, UK
24 April 1953, London, England, UK
11 April 1951, Burbank, California, USA
26 October 1953, London, England, UK
10 July 1958, County Cork, Ireland
17 June 1958, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
2 May 1946, Paddington, London, England, UK
July 24, 2001
...factual details aside, Ross and Logan make the history live. "RKO 281" is no Citizen Kane... but in its own way it pays homage to Welles and his film...
October 19, 2004
Wonderful TV movie about the pressures and ego clashes and politics surrounding the making of Citizen Kane.
November 07, 2002
High-pulp look at Citizen Kane's genesis is stylish but shallow.
April 08, 2005
This hardly seen film is a great watch for ANY Welles fan.
August 09, 2002
Excellent. Liev Schreiber IS Orson Welles.
March 11, 2005
entertaining; Schreiber is excellent
July 26, 2002
Liev Schreiber turns in a fascinating performance.
