Un importante magnate estadounidense, Charles Foster Kane, dueño de una importante cadena de periódicos, de una red de emisoras, de dos sindicatos y de una inimaginable colección de obras de arte, muere en Xanadú, su fabuloso castillo de estilo oriental. La última palabra que pronuncia antes de expirar, ”Rosebud”, cuyo significado es un enigma, despierta una enorme curiosidad tanto en la prensa como entre la población. Así, un grupo de periodistas emprende una investigación para desentrañar el misterio.
William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951) was one of the most powerful media moguls in American history.
Hearst inherited a mining fortune from his father and used it to build a newspaper empire that at its peak included more than 30 papers in major U.S. cities, starting with the San Francisco Examiner and later the New York Journal, plus magazines, radio stations, and film production.
He’s considered the father of “yellow journalism” — sensationalist coverage, exaggerated headlines, sometimes outright fabricated or manipulated stories to sell papers.
He’s often credited (though the extent is debated) with helping push the U.S. toward war with Spain in 1898 through inflammatory coverage.
Marion Davies (1897–1961) was an American actress and one of the most popular comedic film stars of the silent era. She met Hearst in 1915 and they became her mistress. He never divorced his wife, but the relationship was public and lasted until his death in 1951.
Hearst used his considerable resources and media influence to promote her career, founding the Cosmopolitan Pictures: a production company partly to showcase her, and pushing his newspapers to cover her favorably.
She turned out to have real comic timing and charm, and became a major star of the 1920s in films like When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922), Show People (1928), and The Patsy (1928). She was known for physical comedy and impersonations of other stars, and worked with top directors of the era, including King Vidor.
The propaganda was that obvious that many film historians argue that actually hurted her reputation, feeding a narrative where she was a mediocre actress needed to be popped up. Far from that, she was a skilled comedic actress.
She had also been reported such as warm, generous, an well-liked in Hollywood. She wasn’t alcoholic. She was known by quietly helping colleagues financially (including the proper Hearst when his empire had financial problems),