The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Writers:

Sherwood King (novel)
Orson Welles (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

9 June 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

One who keeps his nature keeps his original nature in the end.

Plot:

Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Cruise | Court | Yacht | Partner

Cast

Rita Hayworth	...	Elsa Bannister
Orson Welles	...	Michael O'Hara
Everett Sloane	...	Arthur Bannister
Glenn Anders	...	George Grisby
Ted de Corsia	...	Sidney Broome (as Ted De Corsia)
Erskine Sanford	...	Judge
Gus Schilling	...	Goldie
Carl Frank	...	District Attorney Galloway
Louis Merrill	...	Jake
Evelyn Ellis	...	Bessie
Harry Shannon	...	Cab Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Alland	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jessie Arnold	...	Schoolteacher at Aquarium / Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Wong Artarne	...	Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Jack Baxley	...	Guard (uncredited)
Steve Benton	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Vernon Cansino	...	Man (uncredited)
Doris Chan	...	Chinese Girl (uncredited)
George Chirello	...	Man (uncredited)
Wong Chung	...	Li (uncredited)
Eddie Coke	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Peter Cusanelli	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Al Eben	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Edythe Elliott	...	Old Lady (uncredited)
Heenan Elliott	...	Guard (uncredited)
John Elliott	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Errol Flynn	...	Man in Background Outside of Cantina (uncredited)
Joseph Granby	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Robert Gray	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Alvin Hammer	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Maynard Holmes	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Byron Kane	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Preston Lee	...	Chinese Man (uncredited)
Grace Lem	...	Chinese Woman (uncredited)
Billy Louie	...	Chinese Girl (uncredited)
Charles Meakin	...	Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Port Steward / Officer Peters (uncredited)
Sam Nelson	...	Captain of Yacht Circe (uncredited)
Mary Newton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Joe Palma	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Guard (uncredited)
Gerald Pierce	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Joe Recht	...	Garage Attendant (uncredited)
Mabel Smaney	...	Woman (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Norman Thomson	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Policeman / Thug (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Old Woman (uncredited)
Blackie Whiteford	...	Big Coke Drinker with Vest (uncredited)
Richard Wilson	...	Assistant District Attorney (uncredited)
Jean Wong	...	Ticket Seller (uncredited)

Directed by
Orson Welles		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Sherwood King		(novel "If I Die Before I Wake")
Orson Welles		(screenplay)
William Castle		uncredited
Charles Lederer		uncredited
Fletcher Markle		uncredited

Produced by
William Castle	....	associate producer
Orson Welles	....	producer
Richard Wilson	....	associate producer
Harry Cohn	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld

Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.
Rudolph Maté		(uncredited)
Joseph Walker		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Viola Lawrence

Art Direction by
Sturges Carne
Stephen Goosson		(as Stephen Goossón)

Set Decoration by
Wilbur Menefee
Herman N. Schoenbrun		(as Herman Schoenbrun)

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director
William Castle	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lodge Cunningham	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Donald Ray Cory	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Edward Cronenweth	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Irving Klein	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Richard H. Kline	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Don Murphy	....	grip (uncredited)
Ned Scott	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Herschel Burke Gilbert	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Dorothy B. Cormack	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Errol Flynn	....	technical advisor: yacht scenes (uncredited)
Virginia Van Upp	....	story continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Mercury Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Columbia Films (1947) (France) (theatrical) (35 and 16 mm/as Columbia Films S.A.)
• Columbia Film (1948) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1949) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Union Film Wien (1950) (Austria) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

87 min | UK:92 min (original release) | West Germany:81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (f: fr,16) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #12111) | UK:A (original rating) (1948) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Acapulco Bay, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Filmed in 1946, not released until 1947.

Goofs:

Continuity: Narrator mentions they arrive back in San Francisco on early-October, but in the document (prepared by Grisby) that Wells signs verifying his killing of Grisby, it is dated August 9th, supposedly the next day.

Quotes:

Michael O'Hara:[First lines] When I start out to make a fool of myself, there's very little can stop me. If I'd known where it would end, I'd never let anything start... if I'd been in my right mind, that is. But once I'd seen her, I was not in my right mind for some time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Amado Mio

Good film, Great ending

Okay, the chemistry between Welles and Hayworth was not great, and, to put an end to the "even though they were married" lines, they divorced two weeks after the release of the film. However, as a film-noir and a piece of Orson Welles' body of work, this film is top notch.

Its biggest flaw, besides Welles accent, is that the beginning of the movie is very slow. However, it is necessary for the ending to payoff. It's unfortunate that the current world is moving at light speed, and that movies are chastised for taking ample time to develop their world. A modern example of length being put to good use is The Count of Monte Cristo. Still, that film doesn't compare to "Shanghai".

Once the trial, which is often hilarious, begins, the movie reaches the heights of greatness. It all climaxes with a visually stunning ending in the mirror room of a fun house and a fantastic performance by Hayworth.

The film sticks with you.

Also recommended: The Third Man