IMDb RATING
8.0/10
103K
YOUR RATING
A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town.A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town.A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
103K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Orson Welles(screenplay)
- Whit Masterson(based on the novel "Badge Of Evil" by)
- Franklin Coen(contributing writer)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Orson Welles(screenplay)
- Whit Masterson(based on the novel "Badge Of Evil" by)
- Franklin Coen(contributing writer)
- Stars
- Awards
- 7 wins & 1 nomination
Videos2
Valentin de Vargas
- Panchoas Pancho
- (as Valentin De Vargas)
- Director
- Writers
- Orson Welles(screenplay)
- Whit Masterson(based on the novel "Badge Of Evil" by)
- Franklin Coen(contributing writer) (uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Mexican Narcotics officer Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas has to interrupt his honeymoon on the Mexican-US border when an American building contractor is killed after someone places a bomb in his car. He's killed on the US side of the border but it's clear that the bomb was planted on the Mexican side. As a result, Vargas delays his return to Mexico City where he has been mounting a case against the Grandi family crime and narcotics syndicate. Police Captain Hank Quinlan is in charge on the US side and he soon has a suspect, a Mexican named Manolo Sanchez. Vargas is soon onto Quinlan and his Sergeant, Pete Menzies, when he catches them planting evidence to convict Sanchez. With his new American wife, Susie, safely tucked away in a hotel on the US side of the border - or so he thinks - he starts to review Quinlan's earlier cases. While concentrating on the corrupt policeman however, the Grandis have their own plans for Vargas and they start with his wife Susie. —garykmcd
- Taglines
- The Overwhelming Drama of a Strange Vengeance
- Genres
- Certificate
- K-12
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaJanet Leigh's agent initially rejected her participation in this film due to the low salary offered without even consulting the actress. Orson Welles, anticipating this, sent a personal letter to the actress, telling her how much he looked forward to their working together. Leigh, furious, confronted her agent telling him that getting directed by Welles was more important than any paycheck.
- GoofsThe car that blows up four minutes into the film has the Texas plate AG 3724; 32 minutes into the film, police car number 10 also has the Texas plate AG 3724.
- Crazy creditsIn the 111-minute restored version, there are no credits at all until the end of the film.
- Alternate versionsA new version, running 111 minutes, has been restored by Universal and debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in September 1998. This version has been re-edited according to Orson Welles' original vision, as outlined in a 58-page memo that the director wrote to Universal studio head Edward Muhl in 1957, after Muhl took editing out of Welles' hands. The new version has been prepared by editor by Walter Murch, sound recordists Bill Varney, Peter Reale and Murch, and picture restorer Bob O'Neil under the supervision of Rick Schmidlin and film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. One difference between the two versions is that the famous opening tracking shot is now devoid of credits and Henry Mancini's music, featuring only sound effects.
- ConnectionsEdited into American Cinema: Film Noir (1995)
- SoundtracksMain Title (Touch of Evil)
Written by Henry Mancini
Performed by United International Orchestra;
Rolly Bundock (bass); Shelly Manne (drums); Barney Kessel (guitar); Jack Costanzo, Mike Pacheco (percussion); Ray Sherman (piano); Dave Pell (baritone sax); Plas Johnson (tenor sax)Conrad Gozzo, Pete Candoli, Ray Linn (trumpets) ;Red Norvo (vibes)
Top review
Heston is fine as a Mexican!
When anyone mentions this masterpiece they usually make some ignorant remark about Charlton Heston not being believable as a Mexican. Apparently such people think all Mexicans resemble the ones they've seen in the US who are mostly mestizo - 60% of Mexicans are Mestizo, 30% Indian and about 10% European. Well, Mexico's ruling class is predominantly of European ethnicity, and today many are educated in the US and so they speak fluent English with an American accent. Charlton Heston is playing a man who is a member of that elite and is thus believable in the role in terms of his physical appearance and possibly even his accent. The only problem came when his character had to speak Spanish! Now there he had a problem...
helpful•147
- coisty
- Dec 16, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- En djävulsk fälla
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $829,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,247,465
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $70,725
- Sep 13, 1998
- Gross worldwide
- $2,285,063
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content

Recently viewed
You have no recently viewed pages














































