May 1, 1941 –
A young filmmaker, obsessed with his debut project, reportedly drank over 30 cups of coffee a day, pushing himself into caffeine poisoning. Switching to tea in hopes the brewing time would slow him down, he undermined the plan by having an assistant make it—so efficiently that he drank so much his skin reportedly changed color.
The once universally praised film has, strangely, slipped a little in modern eyes. Citizen Kane, long perched at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, now sits at a mere 99%, having been edged out—bizarrely—by Creep 2.
On this date 84 years ago, Orson Welles’ groundbreaking Citizen Kane, a film ostensibly about a man’s unnatural affection for his sled, premiered in New York City.
Film making was never the same.
The Haus of Dcaligari 