RKO 281
RKO 281 | |
---|---|
![]() Australian poster | |
Genre | Historical drama |
Based on | |
Written by | John Logan |
Directed by | Benjamin Ross |
Starring | |
Music by | John Altman |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Producer | Su Armstrong |
Cinematography | Mike Southon |
Editor | Alex Mackie |
Running time | 86 minutes |
Production companies | |
Budget | $12 million |
Original release | |
Network | HBO |
Release | November 20, 1999 |
RKO 281 is a 1999 American historical drama television film directed by Benjamin Ross, written by John Logan, and starring Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, Roy Scheider, and Liam Cunningham. The film depicts the troubled production behind the 1941 film Citizen Kane. The film's title is a reference to the original production number of Citizen Kane. It premiered on HBO on November 20, 1999.
Plot
[edit]In 1940, Orson Welles, RKO studio head George Schaefer, and screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz struggle in making what will be considered the greatest American film, Citizen Kane. Welles and Mankiewicz attend a party at Hearst Castle where meeting the hypocritical and tyrannical William Randolph Hearst gives Welles the inspiration to make a film about Hearst's life. Mankiewicz is against it because he knows Hearst's wrath will be horrible, but Welles says this is the film. Mankiewicz finally agrees.
At first, Welles tries to take credit for everything, including the script, and Mankiewicz is furious with Welles—he faces him, and Welles says he has every right and cuts ties with Mankiewicz. Orson later reconsiders and asks Mankiewicz to continue re-drafting the screenplay, giving him a joint credit. After learning from the gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, who had viewed a press screening, that Welles' film is actually a thinly veiled and exceptionally unflattering biography of him, publishing tycoon Hearst uses his immense power and influence to try to deny the release of the picture. Hearst's mistress, actress Marion Davies, endures the embarrassment of having their private lives exposed and vilified. Hopper threatens to do the same to the studio executives of Hollywood if they release the film. Later on in their relationship many years after the release of Citizen Kane Marion gives Hearst money when his finances begin to diminish (by selling all the jewelry he gave her and giving him the money in the form of a check).
In the end, after considerable delays and harassment, plus the disintegration of the professional relationship between Welles and Mankiewicz and a costly blow to Schaefer's career, the film is finally released. Its publicity is muted by Hearst's ban on its mention in all his publications and its commercial success is limited. Welles ultimately has the satisfaction of having created one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time.
Cast
[edit]- Liev Schreiber as Orson Welles
- John Malkovich as Herman J. Mankiewicz
- Roy Scheider as George Schaefer
- James Cromwell as William Randolph Hearst
- Melanie Griffith as Marion Davies
- Liam Cunningham as Gregg Toland
- David Suchet as Louis B. Mayer
- Brenda Blethyn as Louella Parsons
- Fiona Shaw as Hedda Hopper
- Anastasia Hille as Carole Lombard
- Roger Allam as Walt Disney
- Simeon Andrews as John Houseman
- Jay Benedict as Daryl Zanuck
- Ron Berglas as David O. Selznick
- Sarah Franzl as Dorothy Comingore
- Joseph Long as Harry Cohn
- Oliver Pierre as Sam Goldwyn
- Adrian Schiller as Paul Stewart
- Kerry Shale as Bernard Herrmann
- Tim Woodward as Jack Warner
- Angus Wright as Joseph Cotten
- Bobby Valentino as Clark Gable
- Lucy Cohu as Dolores del Río
Production
[edit]The script is based in part on the 1996 American documentary film The Battle Over Citizen Kane written by Thomas Lennon and Richard Ben Cramer.[1]
Producer Ridley Scott wanted to film in the Hearst Castle, but was refused access.[2] RKO 281 was filmed in the United Kingdom, mostly around London. The Gothic stairwell in Hearst Castle was filmed in the St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel. Hearst's private quarters and office, including a marble fireplace, were filmed in the high-ceilinged Gamble Room in the Victoria & Albert Museum.[2] The fireplace mantelpiece seen in the room was saved from Dorchester House prior to that building's demolition in 1929.[3] The Hearst castle dining hall and ballroom was filmed in the Great Hall of the London Guildhall.[4]
Reception
[edit]On aggregate review site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a "fresh" rating of 93%, based on 14 reviews.[5]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000
|
American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television | Alex Mackie | Nominated | [6] |
Artios Awards | Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week | Lora Kennedy | Won | [7] | |
Columbus International Film & Video Festival | Chris Award (Entertainment) | Won | |||
Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Won | [8] | ||
Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film | Liev Schreiber | Nominated | |||
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Melanie Griffith | Nominated | |||
Online Film & Television Association | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Won | [9] | ||
Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Liev Schreiber | Won | |||
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | James Cromwell | Nominated | |||
John Malkovich | Nominated | ||||
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Brenda Blethyn | Nominated | |||
Melanie Griffith | Nominated | ||||
Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Won | ||||
Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Won | ||||
Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best Editing in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Won | ||||
Best Lighting in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Won | ||||
Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best Music in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best New Theme Song in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best New Titles Sequence in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best Production Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best Sound in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Won | ||||
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie | Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Diane Minter Lewis, Chris Zarpas, and Su Armstrong |
Nominated | [10] | |
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Liev Schreiber | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | James Cromwell | Nominated | |||
John Malkovich | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Melanie Griffith | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Benjamin Ross | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | John Logan | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Maria Djurkovic, Lucinda Thomson, and Tatiana Macdonald |
Nominated | |||
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Lora Kennedy and Joyce Nettles | Won | |||
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Roseann Samuel, Elaine Browne, Karen Z.M. Turner, Aileen Seaton, and Lesley Noble |
Nominated | |||
Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | John Altman | Won | |||
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Alex Mackie | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie | Clive Derbyshire, Mark Taylor, and Mike Dowson | Won | |||
San Francisco International Film Festival | Best Television – Drama-Television Feature | Benjamin Ross and Su Armstrong | Won | ||
Satellite Awards | Best Television Film | Nominated | [11] | ||
2001
|
Nastro d'Argento | Best Foreign Director | Benjamin Ross | Nominated | |
Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Adapted | John Logan; Based in part on the documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane (from American Experience) |
Won[a] | [12] |
See also
[edit]- Mank (2020)
Notes
[edit]- ^ Tied with Thomas Rickman for Tuesdays with Morrie.
Sources
[edit]- ^ Linden, Sheri (January 28, 1996). "The Battle Over Citizen Kane". Variety. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Gritten, David (1999-09-05). "The Los Angeles Times Television Section September 05, 1999". Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ "Chimneypiece". Victoria and Albert Museum. 1873. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ "The City of London - Guildhall". Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ "RKO 281 Review". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ "Nominees/Winners". IMDb. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "2000 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- ^ "RKO 281 – Golden Globes". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ "4th Annual Television Awards (1999-2000)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "RKO 281". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ "International Press Academy website – 2000 4th Annual SATELLITE Awards". Archived from the original on 1 February 2008.
- ^ "Writers Guild Awards Winners". WGA. 2010. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- 1999 television films
- 1999 films
- 1999 drama films
- 1990s American films
- 1990s English-language films
- 1990s historical drama films
- American drama television films
- American historical drama films
- Best Miniseries or Television Movie Golden Globe winners
- Citizen Kane
- Films about films
- Films about Orson Welles
- HBO Films films
- Historical television films
- Scott Free Productions films
- Films with screenplays by John Logan (writer)
- Works about William Randolph Hearst
- Cultural depictions of Orson Welles
- Cultural depictions of William Randolph Hearst