Tough sledding to remake ‘Citizen,’ suit reveals

ONE OF THE greatest movies ever made barely escaped being turned into a TV series.

A plan to adapt “Citizen Kane” for the small screen failed after the owner of the rights to the classic Orson Welles film backed out of a deal, a new lawsuit charges.

Papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court Tuesday pit television producer Keith Patterson — a relative newcomer to the entertainment industry — against Ted Hartley, the 92-year-old former investment banker who owns the rights to RKO Pictures’ library of films.

RKO produced numerous classic movies, including “Citizen Kane” and “King Kong,” and was once run by Howard Hughes.

Patterson says that last year he pitched Hartley and RKO Vice Chairwoman Mary Beth O’Connor on a series of television projects using a “unique television financing fund.”

Among the projects: a remake of “Kane,” the 1941 film about an immensely wealthy yet lonely newspaper publisher who discovers a downside to the American Dream.

“Mr. Patterson would employ his unique production model to create television series based upon the valuable library of films controlled by RKO . . . including ‘Citizen Kane,’ ” the suit reads.

They agreed “that the updating of ‘Citizen Kane’ was an important, long overdue project,” according to papers. The three discussed in detail the logistics, tone, setting and appropriate actors for the series, the suit says, without naming potential stars. The collaboration even yielded the slogan: “RKO Television: The Golden Age Starts Now.” But the deal began to collapse in February following a dispute over personnel, the suit says. Patterson blames O’Connor, who he believes “maintains an unusual, highly controlling relationship with Mr. Hartley, who is over 90 years old,” the suit says. Patterson seeks damages to be determined at trial for ruining his reputation in the television industry. “Any claim by Mr. Patterson is baseless,” O’Connor said.