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With the 75th anniversary of Citizen Kane in May 2016, Harlan Lebo has written the full story of Orson Welles' masterpiece film. The book will explore:--Welles' meteoric rise to stardom in New York and the real reason behind his arrival in Hollywood--Welles' unprecedented contract with RKO Studios for total creative control and the deeper issues that impeded his work instead--The dispute over who wrote the script--The mystery of the "lost" final script, which the author has in his possession, and the missing scenes, which answer questions relating to the creation of the film--The plot by Hearst to destroy Welles' project through blackmail, media manipulation, and other tactics--A detailed look behind the scenes of a production process that was cloaked in secrecy--The surprising emergence of Citizen Kane as an enduring masterpieceUsing previously unpublished material from studio files and the Hearst organization, exclusive interviews with the last surviving members of the cast and crew, and what may be the only surviving copy of the "lost" final script of the film, Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey recounts the making of one of the most famous films in Hollywood history.



About the Author

Harlan Lebo

Harlan Lebo is an author and senior fellow at the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg. Lebo's current book -- 100 Days: How Four Events in 1969 Shaped America -- was published by Rowman & Littlefield in June 2019. Lebo writes about cultural history, science, the humanities, society, and the impact of digital technology. Lebo has written six books for Doubleday, Simon & Schuster, St. Martin's Press, Rowman & Littlefield, and private publication. Four of his books explore the creation of a trio of America's finest films: The Godfather Legacy; Casablanca - Behind the Scenes; and two books on Citizen Kane: a coffee-table project for the film's 50th anniversary in 1991, and a comprehensive book for the 75th anniversary titled Citizen Kane - A Filmmaker's Journey, published in 2016. His book on 50 years of vision science at UCLA was published in 2017. Reviews of Lebo's previous books have included: "The definitive book on America's best motion picture. . ." "Libraries should be sure to have this on their shelves. . ." "Lebo is a superb investigator. . ." and "Lebo's book is a must for film buffs."Lebo is also the 16-time author of "Surveying the Digital Future," the annual study by the Center for the Digital Future that explores the impact of the internet and digital technology on users and non-users. He also writes the Center's international projects and specialty studies on transportation, money/banking, and health.Lebo served as the historical consultant to Paramount Pictures during the 50th anniversary release of Citizen Kane.Lebo is also a communications consultant for organizations involved in core research, health care, higher education, technology startup, and social communication. He served as the historical consultant to Paramount Pictures during the 50th anniversary release of Citizen Kane.



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