Touch of Evil (1958)

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Orson Welles (screenplay)
Whit Masterson (based on the novel "Badge Of Evil" by)
(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 | Honeymoon | Investigation | Police

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Mike Vargas
Janet Leigh	...	Susan 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 (as Valentin De Vargas)
Mort Mills	...	Al Schwartz
Victor Millan	...	Manelo Sanchez
Lalo Rios	...	Risto
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		(based on the novel "Badge Of Evil" by)
Franklin Coen		contributing writer: reshoots (uncredited)
Paul Monash		additional scenes (uncredited)

Produced by
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		(film editor)
Virgil W. Vogel		(film editor) (as Virgil Vogel)
Edward Curtiss		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Robert Clatworthy
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin		(set decorations)
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
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
Frank H. Wilkinson	....	sound (as Frank Wilkinson)
Peter Berkos	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Robert L. Bratton	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Donald Cunliffe	....	sound technician (uncredited)
Ed Hall	....	sound technician (uncredited)
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
Sherman Clark	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ledge Haddow	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
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)
Roy Vaughn	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Claire Cramer	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Nevada Penn	....	wardrobe (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
Richard Nash	....	musician: trombone (uncredited)

Other crew
Armondo Linus Acosta	....	consultant (uncredited)
Fred Banker	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Charles Baqueta	....	coordinator (uncredited)
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (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) (presents) (as Universal International)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pay Television (1998) (USA) (TV) (1975 alternate version)
• MFA Filmdistribution (2000) (Germany) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Mundos de Cine (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Süddeutsche Zeitung (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Eureka Entertainment (2011) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (limited edition)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2012) (Canada) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

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)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and drug content (re-rating) (1998 restoration)

Runtime:

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

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

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) | Germany:16 (restored version) (re-rating: 2005) | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:15 (2003) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

At first, Orson Welles wanted nothing to do with the picture. He reluctantly agreed after a contract deal forced him to.

Goofs:

Continuity: At about the 50-minute mark, Vargas tells Quinlan that he knows the shoebox did not contain dynamite, and that ten minutes earlier he knocked it onto the bathroom floor and it was empty. But ten minutes earlier the audience saw Vargas knock the box into the bathtub, not onto the floor.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tequila Body Shots (1999)

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.