After a dinner party at Hearst Castle, during which he has a verbal altercation with Hearst, Welles decides to do a movie … RKO 281: Orson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane, despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst. RKO 281 (1999) Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber), all charisma and stubborn vision, is signed to direct films for RKO Pictures with a startling amount of creative freedom. A fascinating and erudite look at the strange case of Leopold and Loeb, by the man who later brought us PENNY DREADFUL. Orson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane (1941), despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst. One of the best is a PBS documentary entitled The Battle over Citizen Kane, though if you'd like a fictional version, there's RKO 281, starring Liev Schreiber as Welles and James Cromwell as Hearst. The notorious battle was detailed in Thomas Lennon's and Michael Epstein's Oscar-nominated documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996), and it was retold in HBO's cable-TV film RKO 281 (1999) (the film's title refers to the project numbering for the … RKO 281 : the battle over Citizen Kane. Logan's early play is a quick read and a whirlwind of facts and speculation about the minds and desires of two teenage boys who murder another one as part of a sexual pact. RKO 281 is a 1999 American historical drama film directed by Benjamin Ross and starring Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, Roy Scheider and Liam Cunningham. RKO 281 (1999) Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber), all charisma and stubborn vision, is signed to direct films for RKO Pictures with a startling amount of creative freedom. However, the feud that erupted between the two men is as fascinating as anything that Welles ever put on the big screen. That's how good Citizen Kane is: we got multiple other good movies based solely on efforts to destroy it. RKO 281 is a fact-based drama about the making of the legendary film, Citizen Kane. Summary: RKO 281 is an easy rental for anyone interested in knowing more about the making of "Citizen Kane." The rights to The Battle Over Citizen Kane were acquired by Scott Free productions in 1997 and adapted into a screenplay for the 1999 HBO movie RKO 281, directed by Benjamin Ross. RKO 281 (DVD) : Coming to Hollywood as a celebrated boy genius featuring a spectacular career arc in New York including his "War of the Worlds" radio hoax, Orson Welles is stymied on the subject for his first film. 281 was the number assigned by RKO studios to identify the production internally. Item Description: RKO 281 based in part on the documentary "The battle over Citizen Kane" from the American Experience. Citizen Kane (DVD) : Citizen Kane: Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance. Plot Summary. This film was also the basis for the HBO film RKO 281. He is the creator and writer of the Showtime series Penny Dreadful. RKO 281 (DVD) : Coming to Hollywood as a celebrated boy genius featuring a spectacular career arc in New York including his "War of the Worlds" radio hoax, Orson Welles is stymied on the subject for his first film. With Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich. Our branches may be closed, but our collection is still here for you! Although the movie runs too short and doesn't provide as much history as it could have, I found RKO 281 to be a 1.