1999 33c Celebrate the Century,1940s: Orsen Welles' "Citizen Kane"

US #3186o
1999 Orsen Welles’ “Citizen Kane” – Celebrate the Century (1940s)

• Part of the fifth sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Honors the film “Citizen Kane”
• Includes text on the back with historical details

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: February 18, 1999
First Day City: Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia
Quantity Issued: 188,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.5
Tagging: Block Tagging

Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate the release of Orson Welles’ famous movie “Citizen Kane.” It proved popular with audiences and remains a highlight in film history.

About the stamp design: Pictures a reproduction of a photograph from the original movie. Includes the following text on the back: “Released in 1941, Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” was hailed for its artistic and technical innovations. The psychological study of a newspaper tycoon, it has consistently been considered one of the best movies in the history of film.”

First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Dobbins Air Force Base Fuel Cell Hangar in Georgia.

About the Celebrate the Century series: The USPS launched the Celebrate the Century series in 1998 to mark the end of the 20th century and herald the arrival of the 21st. The series includes 10 sheets of 15 stamps (150 in total), with each honoring important moments from a different decade (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s). At the time of completion, it was the longest and most ambitious commemorative stamp series in US history.

History the stamp represents: Regarded as one of the most influential films ever created in the United States, “Citizen Kane” was Orson Welles’ first film. His dramatic use of lighting and music, as well as innovative narrative techniques, established him as a master filmmaker.

Welles wrote, directed, produced, and starred in “Citizen Kane.” The movie tells the story of a powerful newspaper magnate, based on the lives of publisher William Randolph Hearst and his mistress Marion Davies. Hearst’s failed attempts to block the film’s release in 1941 made his connection with the story even more obvious to critics and movie-goers.

The opening scene of “Citizen Kane” shows Xanadu, Charles Foster Kane’s immense estate, blanketed in fog. Looming above he mist, atop a man-made mountain, sits a castle with a single light shining from a window. Inside lies the dying Kane, clutching a crystal globe enclosing a winter scene. He utters one word, “Rosebud,” then dies. It is then up to a reporter to find out who the real Kane was, and the significance of “Rosebud.”