"A piece in a jigsaw puzzle": Citizen Kane turns 70

Yesterday was Orson Welles’ birthday. Born May 6, 1915, he would have been 96. His debut film premiered in New York on May 1, 1941. After 70 years, Citizen Kane has now outlived its creator whose dazzle faded to black in 1985. Still shocking — horrifying, really — to think how close we came to never seeing Citizen Kane at all. Here’s a clip from a 1991 BBC documentary first broadcast on the film’s 50th Anniversary (and rarely seen since), to remind us how important it is to faithfully preserve our fragile movie heritage, posted here as a birthday tribute to Welles and a celebration of the pinnacle of his legacy that very nearly didn’t survive.