Citizen Kane trailer

About the production

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Made in its country of production around 1940, Citizen Kane trailer belongs to World War II-era screens. Its story of orson welles, cast and crew present staged glimpses of citizen kane in a four-minute promotional reel shot before the feature's release spoke to audiences of the day through familiar genres and topical settings.

Why this film matters

Archivists and historians still cite Citizen Kane trailer when tracing how World War II-era screens filmmakers staged orson and welles on screen.

Making of

Production details for Citizen Kane trailer are sparse in surviving records. Direction is attributed to Orson Welles.

What critics said

Reviews from 1940 weighed Citizen Kane trailer on pacing, performance, and novelty. Later criticism reads its emphasis on orson, welles, cast through modern standards of craft and representation.

Did you know?

• Directed by Orson Welles.
• Production country: United States.
• Release year commonly listed as 1940.
• TMDB identifier: 1595690.

Visual style

Photography follows the World War II era conventions for feature staging.

Innovations

Surviving prints help researchers study editing and camera placement typical of the World War II era.

Music

As a sound production, music was supplied by the production team.

What audiences thought

Patrons who saw Citizen Kane trailer during initial runs judged it alongside other feature releases of the day.

Film restoration

Preservation status varies; consult major film archives for surviving materials.

Where to watch

• Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citizen%20Kane%20Trailer%20(1940).webm