Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Film ·242 of 348
"Rosebud."
They never said that.
What people say
"Rosebud."
What was actually said
Rosebud. Charles Foster Kane — Citizen Kane (1941)
Why it stuck
Correct — but everyone who has not seen the film remembers it as a climactic confession. It is Kane's first word onscreen, dying alone.
The Hearst-press campaign against the film turned "Rosebud" into a cultural password before most audiences had a chance to see it.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.