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Citizen Kane
The Corrected Transcript: Revised September 2020
This document is the complete transcript of the dialogue for
Citizen Kane
. Also included are basic descriptions of the plot. This document was created to address the problem of inaccurate transcripts of
Citizen Kane
that circulate online and are posted on most websites. If you did not download this document from Scribd, you can see the original posting there, and encourage others to use it for their reference. It is posted on Scribd
under the name, “
Citizen Kane -- corrected transcript September 2020
.”
This transcript is based on: 1) the complete written record of the film (called a
“
cutting continuity
”
) prepared by RKO Studios in February 1941, and 2) extensive revisions based on viewings of the film in September 2020.
Overlapping dialogue
Among the many notable elements of
Citizen Kane
is the overlapping dialogue, which became
a trademark of Orson Welles’ direction.
We have included as much of the overlapping dialogue as possible in this transcript, without interfering with the readability of the document.
More information and the book on the making of
Citizen Kane
For questions, comments, or to correct errors or omissions in this document, please contact Harlan Lebo at Leboprojects@gmail.com.
For the complete dialogue, scene directions and camera positions, see the corrected cutting continuity of the film, posted on Scribd as
“Citizen
Kane -- cutting continuity
corrected September 2020.”
That document includes many revisions to correct errors in the original cutting continuity produced by RKO Studios in February 1941.
You can learn more about the writing of the original script for this film in
Citizen Kane:
A Filmmaker’s Journey
by Harlan Lebo, the only book that includes the full story of the creation and release of the film. For more about the book, visit Citizenkanebook.com.
NOTE: This document is for research and educational purposes only. It is not to be sold or published.
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Citizen Kane
Opening Credits
(Black screen) (FADE IN: RKO logo with spinning globe and radio tower
–
text appears:)
An RKO Radio Picture
(FADE TO BLACK SCREEN
–
text appears:)
A MERCURY PRODUCTION
(FADE IN)
by ORSON WELLES
(CUT TO)
C I T I Z E N K A N E
(FADE TO BLACK)
The death of Charles Foster Kane: Xanadu, Florida Gulf Coast
(FADE IN) (Sign on chain link fence
–
NO TRESPASSING
–
DISSOLVE TO twisted wire fence
–
dissolve to decorated iron gate
–
dissolve to top of gate with
“K”
and Xanadu palace on mountain top
–
dissolve to monkeys in zoo cage [Xanadu and a lit window at the top always in right side of these images] - dissolve to two gondolas on water with decaying pier
–
dissolve to moat with statue - dissolve to unkempt golf course - dissolve to small stone structure
–
dissolve to closer shot of Xanadu castle with light in top window.) (Camera shoots through window to bed inside, light lit; light goes out.)
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(LAP DISSOLVE) (
Inside Kane’s bedroom, with
covered form on bed.) (LAP DISSOLVE) (Snow falling, DISSOLVES to snow-covered house inside of GLASS GLOBE.) (LAP DISSOLVE) (Inside of GLASS GLOBE, camera moves back
to show Kane’s
hand holding globe.) (
CLOSEUP of Kane’s mouth –
lips move.)
KANE
Rosebud.
(
Kane’s hand holding glass globe
, drops it, rolls down steps, lands on floor, breaks.) (Reflection through broken glass of door opening and nurse entering.) (
Nurse folds Kane’s
arms on his chest, covers his body.) (FADE OUT) (Shadow of body lying on bed
–
light shines through the window) (FADE OUT)
The
“
News on the March
”
newsreel
(Drawing of flags)
NARRATOR
News on the March!
(LAP DISSOLVE) (Drawing of flags
, with “News on the March” logo
)