Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker’s Journey

Lebo pays tribute to Orson Welles’s masterpiece Citizen Kane in this history of the film’s production and release, published just in time for its 75th anniversary. The book honors Welles’s filmmaking genius, but it also goes notably in-depth on Welles’s principal collaborators. Lebo’s detailed examination takes listeners from Welles’s success on the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast to the nuances of the Kane’s production to its complicated release, impaired by publisher William Randolph Hearst, who tried to prevent the film from coming out when he saw too much of himself in the morally shaky title character. Reader Zingarelli’s deep and projective voice is reminiscent of Orson Welles, which makes him a fun choice to read the audio edition. When the text quotes primary sources, he creates distinct voices that do not attempt to imitate the original speakers but are distinguished enough to guide the listener. His energetic pacing keeps Lebo’s prose lively—there is never a dull moment. A St. Martin’s/Dunne hardcover. (May)