Orson Welles' Oscar to be auctioned

The Academy Award that Orson Welles won for writing the film 'Citizen Kane' is set to be auctioned next week.

It will be sold on 20 December at the auction house Nate D Sanders with the targeted price of the coveted award not being released.

Since 1950, the Academy has asked Oscar winners to offer to sell their awards back to the academy for $1 before trying other means. It has refused to comment on the auction.

'Citizen Kane' was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1942 but only took home Welles's writing honour.

Welles' first public release was 'Citizen Kane', which he wrote, directed and acted in. It was a commercial failure but has since proved to be regarded as one of the best films ever made.

He married Rita Hayworth in 1943 and they had one child before divorcing in 1948.

Other films starring Welles included 'The Magnificent Ambersons' and 'Chimes at Midnight'.

He died in 1985 at the age of 70.