Orson Welles was a pioneering filmmaker in the 1940s and 1950s. His most endearing works include " Citizen Kane ," " Is Paris Burning? " and " Treasure Island ." He also directed several films throughout his long career. Reuters reports the lone Academy Award won by Welles is up for auction through a Los Angeles auction house.
Here is the story behind the film and the award.
"Citizen Kane"
"Citizen Kane" starred Welles. He also wrote the screenplay and directed the film made in 1941. Made as a psychological examination of humanity, when Charles Foster Kane (Welles) dies, he utters one final word. "Rosebud" became one of the most often-quoted one-liners in cinematic history as the main character utters this single word upon dying. It's then up to the rest of the film to figure out what it means.
Enter reporter Jerry Thompson who is sent in to find out what the word means. It's almost as if Jesus is going to interview God since Kane was a newspaper tycoon himself, even if a very flawed one. The story proceeds with a series of five flashbacks before coming to its surprise conclusion.
The Award
Generally regarded as one of Hollywood's gems, "Citizen Kane" was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1941. Only one was presented, that of Best Original Screenplay. The statuette was given to Welles as he penned the script. He lost out to Gary Cooper in "Sergeant York" for Best Actor. "How Green Was My Valley" beat out Welles' masterpiece in two technical categories as well as Best Director and Best Picture.
The screenplay award was the only Oscar that Welles won in his esteemed career. He died in 1985 and had three daughters to carry on his legacy. The statue came into the possession of Beatrice Welles, the sole heir of her father when her mother and the actor's third wife died in 1986.
Sales
The statue has tried to sell at auctions at least four times, counting the current offering. CNN reports the youngest daughter of the legendary actor recovered the artifact from a planned auction in 1993. The New York Times reported in 2003 she tried to sell the piece again in 2003 but the Academy objected to the sale, saying it owned the rights to the statue. There is a clause signed by every winner since 1950 that any statue that goes up for sale can be bought back by the Motion Picture Academy for $1.
The award became entangled in a legal debate. Welles signed no such buyback agreement. A judge ruled in 2004 the owner of the piece could sell it at will. An auction in 2007 failed to find a bidder. The Nate D. Sanders auction house is selling the Oscar statue in an online auction. The reserve price for the gold-plated eight-pound piece of filmmaking history is between $600,000 and $1 million. The auction lasts until Dec. 20.
William Browning is a research librarian.
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