10 Directors Who Peaked With Their First Movie

by Shaun Munro

1. Orson Welles (Citizen Kane)

Superbad of all films is the one which put in my mind how drastically Orson Welles peaked with the release of his iconic directorial debut, Citizen Kane. When Seth is lamenting how early his sex life appears to have peaked, he remarks, "I honestly see now why Orson Welles ate his fat ass to death."

It's a hilarious line, though filled with truth, because while Welles produced a number of significant and quite excellent films in the wake of Kane - The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, and my personal favourite, Touch of Evil - none of them achieved the same iconic status as his ground-breaking debut, which is frequently cited as the greatest movie ever made.

So yes, Welles peaked as a wunderkind and never found a way to overcome it, but when that film has garnered such an inestimable, immeasurable legacy, I think that's alright; so what if he couldn't find a way to top it?

Which other directors peaked right out of the gate? Let us know in the comments below.

Contributor
Contributor

Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.