I enjoy a recollection of Welles himself (or was it someone discussing him?) characterizing his experience of arriving in Hollywood and being given his carte blanche contract by RKO, as feeling like "a kid in a candy shop," in regard to having all these fun new pleasures at his disposal.
I've searched online trying to pin that quote down, but w/o success. Can anyone locate it?
thanks,
Colmena
OW as "kid in a candy shop" quote?
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Colmena
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Roger Ryan
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Re: OW as "kid in a candy shop" quote?
"Six years ago, I looked at a picture of the world's greatest newspapermen. I felt like a kid in front of a candy store. Well tonight, six years later, I got my candy - all of it. Welcome gentlemen to the Inquirer."
The quote is actually a line from CITIZEN KANE, spoken by Kane after he has acquired the majority of the staff from the rival newspaper The Chronicle. Perhaps you're thinking of this quote...
"This is the best electric train set a boy ever had"
The line sounds like something Welles would have tossed off, but I suspect it was given its quotable context by Mercury publicity manager Herbert Drake who included it in one or more press releases issues after Welles signed with R.K.O.
The quote is actually a line from CITIZEN KANE, spoken by Kane after he has acquired the majority of the staff from the rival newspaper The Chronicle. Perhaps you're thinking of this quote...
"This is the best electric train set a boy ever had"
The line sounds like something Welles would have tossed off, but I suspect it was given its quotable context by Mercury publicity manager Herbert Drake who included it in one or more press releases issues after Welles signed with R.K.O.
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Colmena
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Re: OW as "kid in a candy shop" quote?
Yes, that's it. Thanks!
And it makes sense that I would mistakenly transpose this quote to Welles' initial Hollywood chapter, since it is during the two scenes of the very beginning of the Inquirer, from Thatcher's memoir then Bernstein's retrospective, that we find Kane at his most Wellesian. They are overlapping in age and in manner. We see Kane all excited at taking on this new project, running the Inquirer, just as Welles' genius and pleasure and energy was released by plunging into a new medium, film. You have Kane at his most charming, handsome, happy... taking control... trying anything.... eating! etc. Just as Welles was while directing CK.
Thatcher pulls aside "GALLEONS OFF NJ COAST," and voila! There we suddenly come upon Kane and Welles in the bloom of youth.
And what is Kane's first move, once he is wealthy and empowered?
He's returned to attacking Thatcher-- but with a Newspaper, instead of a sled.
And it makes sense that I would mistakenly transpose this quote to Welles' initial Hollywood chapter, since it is during the two scenes of the very beginning of the Inquirer, from Thatcher's memoir then Bernstein's retrospective, that we find Kane at his most Wellesian. They are overlapping in age and in manner. We see Kane all excited at taking on this new project, running the Inquirer, just as Welles' genius and pleasure and energy was released by plunging into a new medium, film. You have Kane at his most charming, handsome, happy... taking control... trying anything.... eating! etc. Just as Welles was while directing CK.
Thatcher pulls aside "GALLEONS OFF NJ COAST," and voila! There we suddenly come upon Kane and Welles in the bloom of youth.
And what is Kane's first move, once he is wealthy and empowered?
He's returned to attacking Thatcher-- but with a Newspaper, instead of a sled.