25 Great Movies That Flopped
2. Citizen Kane (1941)
Many people believe that it was his influence that led to the movie’s failure. It’s still amazing to think that this was Orson Welles’ first feature, and he was only 26.
Not only was the film not a box office success when it was originally released, it wasn’t a critical success either. Critics initially panned the film for being too dour and overly long.
The original reaction is about as far from the contemporary re-evaluation as you can possibly get considering that it is widely considered to be a stunning example of filmmaking.
Orson Wells caught the attention of Hollywood after his now infamous reading of “The War of The Worlds” was broadcast over the radio in 1938. The story turned out to be a little too exciting for many households who fled their homes in panic believing they were really under attack by aliens.
As well as directing “Citizen Kane”, Welles wrote, produced and starred in the now historic film. The movie tells the life story of Charles Foster Kane after he passes away at his sprawling estate after uttering his mysterious last word, “Rosebud.”
