SAN SIMEON, Calif., March 13 (UPI) -- Friday's screening of Citizen Kane at the iconic Hearst Castle's Hilltop Theater is now sold out.
Fifty moviegoers paid $1,000 a ticket to watch the 1941 classic, which was loosely based on the life and career of William Randolph Hearst, the publishing magnate who built and lived in the castle in San Simeon, Calif.
This will be the first time the picture is shown in the location, which has been designated a state and national historical landmark. Upon its initial theatrical release, Hearst banned mentions of Citizen Kane in any of his newspapers because he felt it was an unflattering portrait of him. Hearst died in 1951 at the age of 88.
Friday's event is a joint fundraiser for the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and Friends of Hearst Castle, which supports conservation of, and education about, Hearst Castle. The evening will include a VIP tour and a sunset reception overlooking the San Simeon Coastline, the festival's website said.
SLOIFF Spotlight Award recipient John Milius, producer/director Greg MacGillivray, and Warner Bros. executives will be among special guests attending the event. Ned Price, the studio's restoration expert, will also be on hand to briefly discuss his process of restoring the movie. The film will be introduced by TCM's Ben Mankiewicz, the grandson of Citizen Kane co-screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz.
Mankiewicz and Orson Welles earned an Oscar for writing the movie, which is still regarded by many as the best ever made. Welles also directed, produced and starred in it.
