1941 Classic, Originally a Box Office Flop, Named 'Best Movie of All Time'

Crowning the best movie of all time remains a somewhat impossible task given the subjective nature of cinema.

However, there are a few classics that generally stand the test of time like Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai, The Godfather or Casablanca. American classic Citizen Kane, though, sits atop two distinct lists as the best movie of all time.

Both the American Film Institute and Metacritic have Orson Welles' iconic masterpiece sitting at the top of their "best movies of all time" lists.

'Citizen Kane' Was Based on William Randolph Hearst - Or Was It?

Those who watched the film upon its release in 1941 immediately drew parallels to newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, though Welles distanced himself from that notion.

"It is not based upon the life of Mr. Hearst or any one else," he said initially.

However, even Welles knew the film couldn't have been made without Hearst's existence as a baron of American business and media.

"On the other hand, had Mr. Hearst and similar financial barons not lived during the period we discuss- Citizen Kane could not have been made," he said in a statement after the film's release.

William Randolph Hearst Pressured Theaters Not to Screen 'Citizen Kane'

Regardless of Welles' statement suggesting the film wasn't specifically about him, Hearst pushed for the film's screenings to remain limited.

The New York Times wrote, "Suppression of the motion-picture Citizen Kane, Orson Welles's first film venture, has been demanded of RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., by representatives of William Randolph Hearst the publisher."

Hearst allegedly banned mentions of Citizen Kane from all of his papers, but that may have been just the start. A "Communist witch hunt" was also launched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

"The plot was 'much more complicated and dark than has been recognized before,' Lebo told Alberge-so dark that it involved a Communist witch hunt against Welles," it said.

"Shortly before the opening of Citizen Kane, the FBI opened a file on Welles that contains a list of his associations that were supposedly 'Communist in character,' from his involvement in the League of American Writers to his support of the Foster Parents' Plan for War Children, a food relief organization for hungry kids whose lives were disrupted by war."

A memo allegedly showed that Hearst's Washington friends supported the investigation.

Following Hearst's commands, Citizen Kane suffered a dismal showing at the box office and reportedly lost $160,000.

Related: 1954 Classic, Which Broke the Mold, Named 'Greatest Western Movie of All Time'

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 10:31 PM.