Orson Welles Wins Despite Hollywood's Hearst Controversy

# The Day Orson Welles Changed Everything: January 29, 1942

On January 29, 1942, a 26-year-old wunderkind experienced what might be described as the most bittersweet moment of his career. This was the day the New York Film Critics Circle awarded Orson Welles their Best Picture prize for *Citizen Kane*, a recognition that would prove prophetic even as the film itself was drowning in controversy and commercial disappointment.

What makes this date so remarkable isn't just the award itself—it's what it represented in the midst of one of Hollywood's most infamous battles. By January 1942, *Citizen Kane* had already been released for nearly a year and had become a lightning rod of controversy. William Randolph Hearst, the powerful newspaper magnate who recognized himself as the inspiration for Charles Foster Kane, had waged a scorched-earth campaign against the film. Hearst banned all mention of *Citizen Kane* from his newspapers, allegedly offered RKO Pictures $842,000 to destroy the negative, and used his considerable influence to limit the film's theatrical distribution.

The New York Film Critics Circle's recognition on this date was therefore an act of artistic courage. While the Academy Awards (which wouldn't happen until February) were bowing to industry pressure—*Citizen Kane* would ultimately lose Best Picture to *How Green Was My Valley* despite nine nominations—the New York critics were declaring that innovation and artistry mattered more than power and influence.

And what innovation it was! Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland had revolutionized visual storytelling with deep focus photography, allowing foreground and background to remain equally sharp—a technique that fundamentally changed how directors could compose shots. The film's non-linear narrative structure, its dramatic use of shadow and light, its overlapping dialogue, and its audacious ceiling-equipped sets (most Hollywood sets had no ceilings to allow for lighting) were all radical departures from conventional filmmaking.

The January 29 award represented film criticism's declaration that *Citizen Kane* was important, even if audiences weren't flocking to see it. The film had grossed only $23,000 in its first week and would ultimately lose money on its initial release. But the critics understood they were witnessing something unprecedented—a film that simultaneously told an compelling story while pushing every technical and narrative boundary available.

History, of course, would vindicate this January day's decision spectacularly. *Citizen Kane* would eventually be recognized as perhaps the most influential film ever made, regularly topping "greatest films" lists for decades. Its techniques became standard vocabulary for filmmakers worldwide. Film schools would dissect every frame. The word "Rosebud" would enter popular culture.

But on January 29, 1942, none of that was certain. On that day, a group of critics simply looked at what Hollywood's power structure wanted to bury and said: "This matters. This is art. This is the future." They were right.


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