The film Citizen Kane by Orson Welles tells the story about William Randolph Hearst . One of the most influential films of all time was Orson Welles ' 1941 film Citizen Kane , which was loosely based on parts of Hearst 's life ( Welles and co-writer Herman J. Mankiewicz added bits and pieces from the lives of other rich men of the time , among them Harold McCormick , Samuel Insull and Howard Hughes , into Kane ) . Hearst used all his resources and influence in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the film 's release .