Touch of Evil (1958)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Orson Welles (screenplay)
Whit Masterson (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

8 June 1958 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

The Overwhelming Drama of a Strange Vengeance

Plot:

Stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in Mexican border town.

Plot Keywords:

Mexican | Border | Investigation | Honeymoon | Motel

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas
Janet Leigh	...	Susan 'Susie' Vargas
Orson Welles	...	Police Captain Hank Quinlan
Joseph Calleia	...	Police Sergeant Pete Menzies
Akim Tamiroff	...	'Uncle' Joe Grandi
Joanna Moore	...	Marcia Linnekar
Ray Collins	...	District Attorney Adair
Dennis Weaver	...	Mirador Motel Night Manager
Valentin de Vargas	...	Pancho - Grandi Hood
Mort Mills	...	Al Schwartz - District Attorney's Assistant
Victor Millan	...	Manelo Sanchez
Lalo Rios	...	Risto - Grandi's Nephew
Michael Sargent	...	Pretty Boy
Phil Harvey	...	Blaine
Joi Lansing	...	Zita
Harry Shannon	...	Chief Gould
Marlene Dietrich	...	Tanya
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Strip-Club Owner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Basulto	...	Young delinquent (uncredited)
Yolanda Bojorquez	...	Bobbie (uncredited)
Joseph Cotten	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Domenick Delgarde	...	Lackey (uncredited)
Jennie Dias	...	Jackie (uncredited)
John Dierkes	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Eleanor Dorado	...	Lia (uncredited)
Billy House	...	Construction site foreman (uncredited)
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Gang leader (uncredited)
Arlene McQuade	...	Ginnie (uncredited)
Ken Miller	...	Gang member (uncredited)
Ramón Rodríguez	...	Gang member (uncredited)
Gus Schilling	...	Eddie Farnham (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Wayne Taylor	...	Gang member (uncredited)
Rusty Wescoatt	...	Detective Casey (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Customs officer (uncredited)
Keenan Wynn	...	Marcia Linnekar's attorney (uncredited)

Directed by
Orson Welles

Writing credits
Orson Welles		(screenplay)
Whit Masterson		(novel "Badge Of Evil")
Paul Monash		(additional scenes original theatrical release) uncredited
Franklin Coen		contributing writer: reshoots (uncredited)

Produced by
Rick Schmidlin	....	producer (1998 restoration)
Albert Zugsmith	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Russell Metty		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Walter Murch		(1998 re-edit)
Aaron Stell
Virgil W. Vogel		(as Virgil Vogel)
Edward Curtiss		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Robert Clatworthy
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Merle Reeves	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Vincent Romaine	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Maurice Seiderman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
F.D. Thompson	....	production manager (uncredited)
Foster Thompson	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Bowles	....	assistant director
Harry Keller	....	director: reshoots (uncredited)
Terence Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
William Hooper	....	sound effects editor (1998 restoration)
Richard LeGrand Jr.	....	supervising sound editor (1998 restoration)
Bob McNabb	....	sound effects editor (1998 restoration) (as Robert McNabb)
Walter Murch	....	sound re-recordist (1998 restoration)
Peter Reale	....	sound re-recordist (1998 restoration)
Harry E. Snodgrass	....	sound effects editor (1998 restoration) (as Harry Snodgrass)
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recordist (1998 restoration)
Frank H. Wilkinson	....	sound (as Frank Wilkinson)
George Ohanian	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)
Walter White	....	sound technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Kevin Braun	....	lead digital compositor (1998 restoration)
Kevin Braun	....	visual effects supervisor (1998 restoration)
Sandy DellaMarie	....	digital production coordinator (1998 restoration)
Chris Flynn	....	digital paint artist (1998 restoration)
Mark Freund	....	visual effects supervisor (1998 restoration)
George Gervan	....	digital paint artist (1998 restoration)
Richard Gervan	....	digital paint artist (1998 restoration)
Maureen Healy	....	digital paint artist (1998 restoration)
Lynn Tigar	....	digital paint artist (1998 restoration)

Stunts
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James V. King	....	camera operator: Venice canal locations (uncredited)
Philip H. Lathrop	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John L. Russell	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Clifford Stine	....	camera operator: additional photography (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Eric Aijala	....	negative restoration (1998 restoration)
Sean Cullen	....	assistant editor (1998 restoration)
Bob O'Neil	....	picture restoration (1998 restoration)
Ernest J. Nims	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Jonathan Rosenbaum	....	consultant (1998 restoration)
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
Robert Tafur	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Robert Tafur	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Thanks
James Naremore	....	special thanks (1998 restoration) (as James Narmore)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MFA Filmdistribution
• Mundos de Cine
• Universal Home Video (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pay Television (1998) (USA) (TV) (1975 alternate version)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (DVD)

Other Companies

• 77 Kob Albuquerque  special thanks (1998 restoration)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes (uncredited)
• Cineteca del Comune di Bologna  special thanks (1998 restoration) (as Cineteca Comunale Di Bologna)
• Deborah Ross Film Design  title design (1998 restoration)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Lilly Library, Indiana University, The  special thanks (1998 restoration) (as The Lilly Library)
• Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences  special thanks (1998 restoration) (as The Margaret Herrick Library)
• Pacific Title/Mirage  digital restoration services (1998 restoration) (as Pacific Title/Mirage Restoration Division)
• Pacific Title/Mirage  titles (1998 restoration) (as Pacific Title/Mirage Optical Division)
• USC Cinema and Television Library  special thanks (1998 restoration) (as USC Cinema-Television Library & Archives of Performing Arts)
• Universal Studios  restored by (1998 restoration) (as Universal Studios Restoration Services)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and drug content. (1988 restoration)

Runtime:

95 min | Germany:111 min (1998 alternate version) | USA:108 min (1975 alternate vesion) | USA:112 min (director's cut) | Spain:106 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Germany:16 (restored version) (re-rating: 2005) | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:15 (2003) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12 (restored version) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Germany:18 (restored version) | Norway:15 (re-rating) (1999) | Norway:16 (1985) | Spain:13 (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 (restored version) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #18506) (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (No. 36039) (re-rating) (1998 restoration) | USA:Unrated (restored version) | West Germany:16 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

According to Orson Welles, Universal didn't want the film to be screened at the Brussels World's Fair, but the head of distribution had such faith in the film that he submitted it without the studio's knowledge. He was subsequently fired once it was awarded the top prize.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the famous opening tracking shot, you can see the sky beginning to change to daylight but the rest of the shots in the sequence happen in the dead of night.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Border Cop: Uh, you folks American citizens?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Suburban Girl (2007)

Soundtrack:

Tana's Theme

The Best of the best

Touch of Evil has, perhaps, the BEST cinematography and lighting in ANY film ever made. Not just in the film noir genre, but in all categories. Orson Welles tended to use wide shots for all of his films, and Touch of Evil's use of wide shots took filmmaking to another level, especially with the amazing opening shot. The camera techniques and lighting are too spectacular to fathom, it is the grandmaster of all movies. Brilliant is an understatement. See this film, if not for the excellent acting and sheer brilliance in terms of the camera (this film had a GREAT D.P.!!), but for entertainment value. But if you are a film student or just want to see great camera work, Touch of Evil will astonish you.