Quote:
Originally Posted by Suki
MMM, I took a class on Welles today.  Got me thinking about what we discussed here a few days ago. We pretty much talked about The Magnificent Ambersons, the one he made after Citizen Kane, and apparently the RKO released a final version of the film that was totally different from what he had initially planned. He pretty much didn't get a say in anything and they included scenes that Welles didn't mean to put in the film. I wonder how much of that was the result of the failure that was Citizen Kane at that time. I didn't get to ask if Welles really had no one to answer to while he was filming Citizen Kane, but it got me thinking... despite having control over everything during the process, I think the RKO supervised the process closely.
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Yes, Welles was put on a short leash after Citizen Kane, as, in the studio's eyes, it was not considered a success. It wasn't until a few years later people were able to take another look and appreciate it for what it was. (I believe it was the French critics that revived CK, although it was lauded by many critics stateside.) Even classic movies by Welles like Touch of Evil and The Third Man have major studio changes. A few years ago Criterion released what they think would be Welles' version of the film based on his notes and letters he wrote to the studio. Definitely worth checking out... one of the most amazing one-cut opening sequences of all time in Touch of Evil. The sound is just as incredible as the visuals.