Citizen Kane: 85th Anniversary!

The State Theatre is bringing Citizen Kane back to the big screen on Sunday, August 30, as part of the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series. It's the 85th anniversary of the film, and the screening is presented by the Paramount and Stateside Theatres at 655 Congress in downtown Austin.

Citizen Kane (1941) is one of those rare movies that actually lives up to the reputation. Written, directed by, and starring Orson Welles, it's a landmark of cinema that still tops 'greatest films of all time' lists. The story follows Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper magnate who's a thinly veiled version of William Randolph Hearst, and it's remembered for its incisive writing and revolutionary cinematography. It's 119 minutes, black-and-white, and will be shown as a DCP. Along with Welles, the cast includes Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, and Agnes Moorehead.

The venue itself has its own history. The Paramount Theatre has stood on Congress Avenue for over a century, built in 1915, making it the city's oldest surviving theatre. It's a City, State, and National Register of Historic Places landmark and one of the few remaining 'hemp houses' in America. It anchors Austin's arts community, hosting the Moontower Comedy Festival and red-carpet film premieres alongside the Austin Film Festival and SXSW. It's run with the neighboring State Theatre by The Austin Theatre Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Doors open at 6 PM, and the show starts at 7 PM. The screening is part of the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series, which brings older titles back to the big screen throughout the season.