Movie-A-Day #210: The Magnificent Ambersons (1942).

Today marks the birth of American author Booth Tarkington, whose novel “The Magnificent Ambersons” was adapted by Orson Welles as his second film and follow-up to the legendary “Citizen Kane.” Sadly, battles with the studio over budget, final cut and the size of Welles’ ego got in the way, making this an imperfect, truncated masterpiece. But what is there is enough to hint at the tantalizing possibility of just how great this film could have been. And I’m not sure what director besides Welles could give the novel the treatment it deserves, so we may never see it done right.