HOLLYWOOD -- A consensus of film critics and historians Monday named 'Citizen Kane' as the best American movie ever made. John Ford was selected as best director.
The study conducted by Douglas A. Lonnstrom, a professor of statistics, and Thomas O. Kelly II, a history professor, listed the top 10 American films, and the top 10 films in 10 various categories.
'Citizen Kane,' the story of the rise to power of an American newspaper tycoon played by Orson Welles, rated No. 1, well ahead of second place 'Gone With the Wind' and third-place 'Casablanca.'
Rounding out the top 10, in order, were: 'It's a Wonderful Life,' 'On the Waterfront,' 'The Searchers,' 'The Godfather,' 'Birth of a Nation,' 'The Wizard of Oz,' and 'City Lights.'
The national survey of 113 critics and historians, conducted by New York's Siena College Research Institute, was announced at a news conference sponsored by the Hollywood Centennial Committee at the Roosevelt Hotel -- site of the first Academy Award ceremony in 1929 -- as part of the community's 100th birthday celebration.
'I think I can say that in terms of expert opinion, this is THE list,' Kelly said.
'We hope that it will generate a great deal of interest in films and a desire to see the movie again, which is possible through video rentals,' he said.
But Kelly, anticipating an uproar among film buffs, said he considers the list less than definitive.
'I don't even agree with the list myself,' he said. 'For example, I think 'Citizen Kane' is a boring movie, but when I teach film history, it's a great film to teach about.
'All of the technology that existed in 1941 is there, but if I were stuck on a desert island, I'd rather have 'Gone With the Wind' or 'Casablanca.'
The top 10 directors list was headed by John Ford, who was followed by Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Frank Capra, John Huston, Stanley Kubrick, D.W. Griffith, Billy Wilder, Howard Hawks and Woody Allen. The top films in other categories were:
-Comedy, pantomime/slapstick: 'Duck Soup'
-Comedy, sophisticated/screwball: 'It Happened One Night'
-Western: 'The Searchers'
-Musical: 'Singing in the Rain'
-War: 'All Quiet on the Western Front'
-Horror: 'Psycho'
-Science Fiction: '2001: A Space Odyssey'
-Mystery, Crime: 'The Maltese Falcon'
-Action, Adventure: 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
-Silent Film: 'Birth of a Nation'
The Siena Research Institute at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., investigates political, educational and historical issues. Previous surveys have been on the effectiveness of U.S. presidents, American first ladies and Soviet leaders.
