Media censorship isn’t new to America.
In fact, some of our greatest cultural achievements faced shocking suppression attempts.
And Hollywood was stunned silent when one powerful media mogul nearly destroyed what’s now considered the greatest film ever made.
Orson Welles’ groundbreaking film Citizen Kane made its debut at New York’s RKO Palace Theater on May 1, 1941.
This wasn’t the grand premiere originally planned. The film was supposed to open at the prestigious Radio City Music Hall, but controversy erupted months before its release.
The 24-year-old Welles had already established himself as Hollywood’s rebel genius. His 1938 radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” was so realistic that it caused panic among listeners who genuinely believed aliens were invading New Jersey.
When searching for his first film project under a lucrative RKO Studios contract, writer Herman Mankiewicz suggested Welles base it on publishing titan William Randolph Hearst, who controlled America’s largest newspaper empire from his lavish San Simeon estate.
The film’s protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, was clearly inspired by Hearst – a wealthy media mogul whose power and influence shaped American public opinion.
Early February 1941 previews of Citizen Kane earned glowing critical praise. But one influential viewer wasn’t impressed.
Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper was outraged by the film. She immediately took her concerns directly to Hearst himself.
What happened next revealed the dangerous power of media monopolies.
Hearst launched an aggressive campaign against Welles and Citizen Kane, using his vast media empire as a weapon. He banned all his newspapers from running advertisements for the film.
The publishing baron even enlisted Hollywood power players like MGM’s Louis B. Mayer to join his censorship campaign.
Sources reported Hearst was particularly furious over the film’s portrayal of a character based on his companion, Marion Davies, a former showgirl whom Hearst had helped transform into a popular Hollywood actress.
Welles refused to back down. He threatened to sue Hearst for attempting to suppress the film and warned RKO he would take legal action if they didn’t release it.
When Citizen Kane finally premiered on May 1, 1941, the damage was done. Despite excellent reviews and nine Academy Award nominations, the film bombed at the box office.
Audiences had been poisoned against it through Hearst’s media manipulation.
At that year’s Oscar ceremony, Welles was booed by the Hollywood establishment, and RKO quietly shelved the film.
The power of one man’s media empire had nearly erased what film historians now universally recognize as a masterpiece.
It wasn’t until years later that Citizen Kane received its deserved recognition for its revolutionary camera techniques, innovative sound design, and brilliant storytelling that blended drama, comedy, and mockumentary formats.
Today, it consistently ranks as the greatest American film ever made, holding the #1 position on the American Film Institute’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Films.
After Citizen Kane, Welles created numerous acclaimed works including The Stranger (1946), The Lady from Shanghai (1948), and Chimes at Midnight (1966). He continued working as a narrator and even appeared in commercials during his later years.
When Welles died on October 10, 1985, at age 70, he left behind several unfinished projects – and one undeniable masterpiece that almost didn’t see the light of day because of media censorship.
The “Citizen Kane” story serves as a powerful reminder of what happens when media control becomes too concentrated in too few hands.
It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing powerful figures to silence voices and stories they find threatening – a lesson that remains urgently relevant in today’s media landscape.
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