Who Wrote Citizen Kane?

<p>This book offers a solution to one of film history���s major controversies: the long-running dispute over Orson Welles��� and Herman J. Mankiewicz���s contributions to the <em>Citizen Kane </em>screenplay. It establishes the vital importance of computing and statistics to solving previously intractable puzzles in the arts and humanities.</p><p><em>Citizen Kane </em>(1941) is one of the most acclaimed films in the history of cinema. For 50 years it topped the <em>Sight & Sound </em>film critics��� poll. Orson Welles directed the film and is credited with co-writing the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. But the co-writer credit generates furious disputes between those who argue Mankiewicz is the sole author of <em>Citizen Kane </em>and those who claim that Welles collaborated fully with its writing. </p><p>The author employs computing and statistics to answer two questions<i>: What are the distinguishing features of Welles��� and of Mankiewicz���s writing?</i>And<i> What did each contribute to the writing of the <em>Citizen Kane </em>screenplay? </i>To answer these questions the author bypasses opinions and impressions and instead subjects the language of the <em>Citizen Kane </em>screenplay to a ���forensic��� examination. </p><p>Employing linguistics basic statistical tests plus computer technology and software<em> </em>the author identifies the stylistic signature of each author ��� the combination of consistent and regular linguistic habits that make each<em> </em>author���s writing distinctive. This book replaces impressionistic discussions of Mankiewicz���s and Welles��� contributions<em> </em>to the <em>Citizen Kane </em>screenplay with a rigorous experiment-driven statistical analysis. Earlier statistical studies of authorship have discovered that small unassuming language features (such as punctuation pronouns and prepositions) in statistically significant quantities constitute a screenwriter���s distinctive writing habits. Only with the extensive experimentation carried out in this volume did the author decide Mankiewicz���s and Welles��� specific habits and their contributions to <em>Citizen Kane</em>.<i></i></p><br><p></p>