Synthesized answer
The provided passages describe Orson Welles' promotional tactics for "Citizen Kane," noting that the official trailer featured no footage from the actual film [1]. Instead, Welles himself introduces the film and its actors, including Joseph Cotton, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Dorothy Comingore, and George Coulouris [1, 5]. Welles states that he is speaking for the Mercury Theater and that the trailer is intended to advertise their first motion picture, "Citizen Kane" [1]. He also directly addresses the audience, encouraging them to come to the theater and "decide for yourself" what the truth about Charles Foster Kane is, describing Kane as a complex character who is "a hero, and a scoundrel, a no-account, a swell guy, a great lover, a great American citizen, and a dirty dog" [4]. Welles admits that the chorus girls are included for "ballyhoo" [5].
The passages suggest that Welles' unconventional approach involved presenting himself and the cast directly to the audience, rather than relying solely on clips from the film itself. This method of marketing, which featured introductions to the actors and a direct appeal for the audience to form their own opinions, may have challenged…
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From the book
← Citizen Kane ( 1940 ) by Orson Welles Official trailer → related portals : Film trailers The official film trailer for Citizen Kane, featuring no footage from the actual film. The following is a transcription of a film . The contents below represent text or spoken dialogue that are transcribed directly from the video of the film provided above. On certain screen sizes, each line is represented by a timestamp next to it which shows when the text appears on the video. For more information, see Help:Film . 3816794 Citizen Kane — Official trailer 1940 Orson Welles RKO RADIO PICTURES SOUND…
when Citizen Kane plays here and decide for yourself. A MERCURY PRODUCTION by Orson Welles "Citizen Kane" AN R.K.O. RADIO PICTURE This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was legally published within the United States (or the United Nations Headquarters in New York subject to Section 7 of the United States Headquarters Agreement ) between 1931 and 1977 (inclusive) without a copyright notice. The longest-living author of this work died in 1985, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 40 years or…
Title: Citizen Kane (film) by Orson Welles --- Metadata --- Title: Citizen Kane (Methuen Film) by Orson Welles --- Text ---
little blondie named Susan Alexander he couldn't be elected dogcatcher. I'm going to skin Mr. Charles Foster Kane alive. Emily Monroe Norton I'm gonna marry him next week—at the White House. Jed Leland Emily, I hear you've been stepping out with Charlie Kane. Herbert Carter Gasping Mary Kane Of course I love him, I gave him 60 million dollars. Susan Kane Well of course I love him, he's the richest man in America. Herbert Carter Gasping Jed Leland What all you're [inaudible] say about him, at first. Jim W. Gettys But, you know, I can't help but admire him. Raymond He's crazy. Emily Monroe…
m. Chorus Girls There is a man, a certain man And for the poor, you can be sure, He'll do all he can. Who is this one? Orson Welles Speaking of attractions, all the chorus girls are certainly an attraction. But frankly, ladies and gentlemen, we're just showing you the chorus girls for purposes of ballyhoo. It's pretty nice ballyhoo. But here's some of our real Mercury people. This is the first time you've seen most of them on the screen. Hey, uh, give Joe a little light! Smile for the folks, Joe. Smile! Joseph Cotton, ladies and gentlemen. That's it! Joseph Cotton. I think you're gonna…
More questions about this book
- Orson Welles explicitly states the trailer contains "no footage from the actual film." How does this unconventional choice impact audience anticipation and understanding of *Citizen Kane*, especially when compared to typical film trailers, and what might Welles' artistic intention have been behind this decision?
- Welles directly addresses the audience, even calling elements "ballyhoo." What does this upfront, self-aware narration reveal about his relationship with the audience, his artistic philosophy, and how it might prepare viewers for the film's own narrative style?
- Instead of showing scenes, Welles introduces numerous Mercury Actors by name. Why might emphasizing the *actors* be a more crucial promotional strategy for *Citizen Kane* than showcasing the film's plot or characters directly, and what does this suggest about the film's potential impact or Welles' vision for it?
- Welles states, "I'll turn you over instead to the characters in the fiction. You will see they feel very strongly on the subject." What does this narrative choice — having fictional characters introduce the central figure, Charles Foster Kane — imply about the film's structure, its approach to character revelation, and the audience's role in understanding Kane?