Moments of Movie Wisdom: Dangerous Associates in ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)

A scene in "Citizen Kane" set in the Inquirer's office. Public Domain

Commentary

How often do you read someone’s bio and wonder whether important chapters in his story have been omitted? Many people today are in important positions because of nothing more than one particular qualification, but their beliefs and values often aren’t taken into consideration. No matter how qualified a person may be for a job, he could undermine the principles of the organization if he doesn’t hold the standard.

Today’s moment of movie wisdom is from “Citizen Kane” from 1941. It takes place 40 minutes into this 119-minute film. Charles Kane (Orson Welles), the owner of the New York Inquirer, is throwing a party to celebrate his acquisition of the prestigious writing staff of rival newspaper the Chronicle for his publication. Amid the revelry, his best friend, Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), confides to Kane’s business manager, Bernstein (Everett Sloane), that he fears the hiring of these new staff members will ultimately compromise the values of the paper and Mr. Kane himself.

The iconic image of Orson Welles as "Citizen Kane" from the 1941 film. Public Domain

“Citizen Kane” is the story of a man who gained the whole world but lost his very soul. Beginning with the death of media mogul Charles Foster Kane, the storyline follows the quest of a faceless, uncredited newspaperman (John Smith) to discover the secrets of Foster’s life and the meaning behind his dying words. To do so, he interviews Foster’s former employees, best friend, ex-wife, and lawyer. The film is told through a series of flashbacks, showing how he went from a poor farm boy to become one of the most influential men in the world.

As a 25-year-old man, he decided to drop out of college and concentrate on running the newspaper he inherited. He quickly built it into a huge newspaper empire, amassing a fortune. Along the way, however, he becomes jaded and ruthless, alienating his first wife and his old friends in pursuit of his own way.

The Scene

The scene I’m discussing was hotly discussed at the Production Code Administration (PCA) when the film was in production, since the PCA was concerned that the party would not meet the Motion Picture Production Code’s standards of decency. This is because the scene was originally set in a brothel. Ultimately, the PCA’s concerns were heeded, and the scene was staged in a banquet room in an office building. The only trace of the scene’s tawdry origins is a group of chorus girls, who perform a song and dance routine in Kane’s honor.

Promotional still for the 1941 film "Citizen Kane." Public Domain

The scene includes a lot of cheering, singing, and hubbub. The party’s purpose is for Charles Foster Kane to show off how fabulous he is and have everyone agree with him because he is rich and powerful. However, Jedediah, who has been Charles’s best friend since his paper’s humble beginnings, is disturbed to see the direction Kane is taking the Inquirer as well as his life. “These men were with the Chronicle. Weren’t they just as devoted to the Chronicle policy as they are now to our policy?” Bernstein counters that they are the best men in their business, adding that Kane will turn them into “his kind of newspapermen” in a week. “There’s always the chance, of course, that they’ll change Mr. Kane,” Jedediah replies, “without his knowing it.” This whole conversation is conducted with voices raised to be heard above the party’s din, since the music and other background noise isn’t muffled. This creates a very realistic atmosphere of wise concern amid chaotic revelry.

Its Significance

This scene is a big turning point for Charles Foster Kane, the Inquirer, and Jedediah’s relationship with both. When he took over the newspaper, Kane printed a statement of his editorial principles on the front page. Jedediah was so proud of his friend’s noble ideals that he asked to keep the original draft of the statement. Thus, it saddens him to see Kane begin abandoning those principles in search of a larger circulation, more notoriety, higher profits, and greater acclaim. He knows that his lust for more wealth and power will change his character.

Charlie Kane is a practical businessman who goes after what he wants, no matter the cost. He wants to make his paper as successful as the Chronicle, which has almost twenty times the circulation of his paper. He recognizes that the other paper’s success is thanks to its top-notch writing team, which it acquired over twenty years. Within six years, he has hired the entire editorial staff for his paper, but by that point he’s completely forgotten the principles with which he started. Only Jedediah is perceptive enough to notice the shift in Kane’s priorities and brave enough to speak the truth. Eventually, it’s this commitment to the truth which creates a rift in their friendship.

Promotional still for the 1941 film "Citizen Kane." Public Domain

Dangerous Associations

The point which Jedediah makes in this scene reminds me of Operation Paperclip, the project which recruited German scientists from the Nazi Party to work for the U.S. government after World War II. Just as Charles Foster Kane filled his staff with writers from the Chronicle because they were the best in the business, NASA competed in the Space Race with former Nazis because they were brilliant scientists. However, the knowledge, research, and technology they employed in the moon missions and other space expeditions were begun in service to Hitler’s inhumane, maniacal quest to conquer the world. After being devoted servants of the Third Reich’s totalitarian state, how could they change to patriotic supporters of the United States’s principles of freedoms any more than the Chronicle employees could become devoted supporters of the Inquirer’s policy?

In pursuing excellence and success, it’s easy to be swayed by prestige. However, success is meaningless if it can only be achieved by dangerous associations. If it comes at the price of your very principles, there is no profit in success.