On This Day In History: William Randolph Hearst Stops Citizen Kane Ads

From The History Channel Website
American mogul William Randolph Hearst, owner of the Hearst newspaper chain, forbids any of his newspapers from accepting ads for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, slated for release later in the year. The film was generally interpreted as a psychological study of Hearst, portrayed as the fictional Charles Foster Kane.
In March 1941, Welles threatened to sue Hearst for trying to suppress the film, and RKO if it failed to release the film. The film premiered May 1, 1941, at the RKO Palace in New York and became one of the most highly regarded films of all time.
Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and raised in Chicago, Welles was well versed in Shakespeare before he finished grade school. He excelled in poetry, music, cartooning, and magic. After high school, Welles-the son of an inventor and a concert pianist-chose to travel the world rather than attend college, and he launched his acting career in Ireland in 1931.
He came back to the United States in 1932 but was snubbed by Broadway, so he traveled to Spain, where he performed as a bullfighter. He returned to the United States soon thereafter and this time landed the role of Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway. In 1937, he founded the Mercury Theater, home of innovative stage and radio drama. A noted radio artist, Welles' version of The War of the Worlds was so realistic that many listeners actually believed Martians had invaded New Jersey.

At age 25, Welles produced, directed, co-wrote, and starred in the Academy Award-winning Citizen Kane, his first foray into motion pictures. The film told the story of Kane, who muscled his way from rags to riches using unscrupulous tactics, while his desire for power destroyed his marriage and alienated his friends. The manager of Kane's newspapers was named after Dr. Maurice Bernstein, a Chicago physician who raised Welles after he was orphaned at age 12. Though Citizen Kane wasn't commercially successful, the film won praise for its unique camera and sound work, which influenced filmmakers around the world. Indeed, it topped the list in the American Film Institute's 1998 poll of America's100 Greatest Films. After Citizen Kane, Welles' diverse works included everything from Shakespearean adaptations to documentaries. Some of his acclaimed films included The Stranger (1946), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), and Chimes at Midnight (1966). In his later years, he narrated documentaries and appeared in commercials, and he left behind numerous unfinished films when he died in 1985. He was a recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.