MANK - Netflix biopic on Herman Mankiewicz

[Roger Ryan]

In a post-Kane airing on TCM last week, a three-way conversation between Ben Mankiewicz, Joseph Mankiewicz's daughter Alex and Mankiewicz biographer Sydney Ladensohn Stern established that Joseph was so disdainful of his brother Herman's accomplishments that he refused to allow a joint tribute to both brothers to happen in the 1980s. This would have been over thirty years after Herman's death, but Joseph refused to share the spotlight with his brother.

[Le Chiffre]

Shades of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine. Of course, if you look at imdb, you can see that, despite CITIZEN KANE, Joseph's career does pretty much dwarf Herman's.

"All About Kane"--a classic!

Or Citizen Eve?

Orson Welles on Betty Davis: "I could never stand to look at her, so who wants to watch her act?" - My Lunches With Orson

[Gordon]

I think that this new film could be a danger to the truth about the authorship of Citizen Kane.
This is not an amateur home movie.
This an established director and he is using major talent.
For those reasons, the theme of the film will be given credibility.
The impact of Carringer's excellent scholarship may be lost over time due to the power of film vs. books.

I wonder if it might be a good idea to have an academic program on the authorship of Citizen Kane.
I know that there cannot be in-person events at this time, but using zoom etc. is widely accepted.
There is almost no cost to a virtual event and it could further the process of setting the record straight.

We would need to find an institution to sponsor.
We could approach one of these organizations to possibly host:
DGA, WGA, AMPAS, AFI, USC, UCLA, IU, Chapman, Columbia, UCI, UMich., CalArts, NYU, SFSU,
Stanford, OCC, LMU, DePaul,Wesleyan, Emerson, UTexas or BU

[tonyw]

I think there is little likelihood of this happening so alarm bells should not be ringing.

Should this travesty appear, then it would be subject to the criticism of well-known figures such as Peter Bogdanovich,Jonathan Rosenbaum, Joseph McBride, wellesnet.com and Robert Carringer whose work will not be forgotten.

In view of the precariousness of production in the current crisis, it is doubtful if it will ever be made.

If it does, could Netflix face such a damning assault on its current reputation in view of the work it has done so far?

[Gordon]

Filming on "Mank" wrapped in February of 2020. The New York Times wrote:
"Netflix might be tempted to push year-end awards films like David Fincher’s “Mank” and Ron Howard’s “Hillbilly Elegy” into 2021."

I think that over time, Awards films have more influence on popular perception of what the truth is, than film books have.

[JMcBride]

Jeff Wells on his Hollywood Elsewhere blog thinks
the mendacious Kael-stoogery MANK script by Fincher's late father, Jack, is
"brilliant" and that the film will be a top
Oscar contender. The script may have been
rewritten, although the production company
isn't saying, but this is an indicator from a leading Oscar blogger of how
people may have a kneejerk positive reaction
to the film without knowing the facts about subject.

[tonyw]

If so, this will be a crying shame similar to the disgraceful comment made by Richard Dreyfuss on receiving an Award when he praised Irving Thalberg for interference with von Stroheim's films.

Kael's baleful influence extends beyond the grave, another reason, perhaps, for regarding MACBETH as an accused play, though Orson did make a really good version far better than most of Oliver's Shakespeare adaptations.

[JMcBride]

What Kael did to SALT OF THE EARTH is just as damaging,
inexcusable, and shameful. And she walked
out of THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE and panned it without
seeing the whole film, which used to be considered
a firing offense. She was a disgrace to her profession.

[Wellesnet]

Coming in October:
https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/mank- ... 202237138/

[Wich2]

I love Orson, or I would not be here; but many things (including my long friendship with Arthur Anderson) have informed my opinion that he did not walk on water.

Also, as a guy who labors in the field a bit myself, I know that Drama is not Documentary.

So, as with the charming valentine STAN & OLLIE that some uber-purists crucified, I will give this one a fair chance.

- Craig

[Le Chiffre]

Me too. I prefer to go into things with an open mind. Any film having to do with Welles by a top-flight director like Fincher will be worth checking out at least.

Roth added about the film, “It’s an incredible piece. He did a black-and-white ’30s movie. It looks like a ’30s movie and feels like one.” The producer also joked, “Six people will go see it, but it’s pretty amazing.”

Fincher reportedly spent an entire week shooting one scene, which would attest to the seriousness of this effort.

[Wellesnet]

The "What's on Netflix" site has released an info sheet on "Mank":
https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/d ... t-07-2020/

[Roger Ryan]

The "What's on Netflix" site has released an info sheet on "Mank":
https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/d ... t-07-2020/

The reason for the R rating would be because of Mankiewicz’s history of alcoholism.

Welles (and Mankiewicz himself) managed to convey Susan Alexander's history of alcoholism in Kane in a general audience film under the Production Code! Surely, the restricted rating is due to language, right? I suspect Mankiewicz, Welles, and Houseman will have some rude things to say to one another.

[JMcBride]

The operative word might be Roth saying, "It's an incredible piece." We shall see.

[Gordon]

This film will be on Netflix this fall.
"Mank" along with Aaron Sorkin's 'The Trial of the Chicago 7', will be heavily promoted in October.
"Mank" is likely to wrongly leave millions of viewers with the impression that Orson Welles stole the Oscar winning screenplay credit for Citizen Kane from its alleged sole author, Herman Mankiewicz.

I would like to work on a Zoom Conference which could try to set the record straight against the unfortunate efforts of TCM, Netfix and others to distort the truth about the authorship of Citizen Kane.

If anyone would like to be participate in, or be a speaker at, a Zoom Event in October, on 'The Citizen Kane Authorship Question' ; or if anyone would like to help me to organize such an event, please write me at LGordon at OCC.cccd.edu .