RKO 281

Two strong-willed titans clash over the making of one of the greatest films of all time, Citizen Kane--originally known as studio production RKO 281. 1940. After triumphs on Broadway and radio, 24-year-old wunderkind Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber) arrives in Hollywood to make his first movie--with a guarantee of total control. Despite the warnings of his collaborator, screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz (John Malkovich), Welles makes a thinly veiled biography of media magnate William Randolph Hearst (James Cromwell). The formidable, 76-year-old Hearst refuses to allow ads in his newspapers for any RKO Studio films. And when the studio forges ahead with its plan to release Citizen Kane, Hearst resorts to even further blackmail. The HBO Pictures presentation RKO 281 is the 1999 Golden Globe winner for Best Miniseries or Movie Made for TV. (official distributor synopsis)