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Touch of Evil ()

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A Mexican official and his American wife are targeted in a Texas border town by the crime family he's trying to put behind bars for drug trafficking, as his concern grows over the tactics of the local detective whose cooperation he needs.
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Photos and Videos

123 photos | 2 videos

Cast verified as complete

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Mike Vargas
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Susan Vargas
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Police Captain Hank Quinlan
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Police Sergeant Pete Menzies
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'Uncle' Joe Grandi
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Marcia Linnekar
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District Attorney Adair
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Mirador Motel Night Manager
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Pancho (as Valentin De Vargas)
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Al Schwartz
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Manelo Sanchez
Lalo Rios ...
Risto
Michael Sargent ...
Pretty Boy
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Blaine
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Zita
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Chief Gould
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Tanya
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Strip-Club Owner
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Basulto ...
Young Delinquent (uncredited)
Ray Beltram ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
Yolanda Bojorquez ...
Bobbie (uncredited)
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Dance Spectator (uncredited)
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Coroner (uncredited)
Domenick Delgarde ...
Lackey (uncredited)
Jennie Dias ...
Jackie (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
Eleanor Dorado ...
Lia (uncredited)
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Stripper Sitting at Bar (uncredited)
Jeffrey Green ...
Rudy Linnekar (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
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Construction Site Foreman (uncredited)
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Police Officer (uncredited)
John Marlin ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Gang Leader (uncredited)
Arlene McQuade ...
Ginnie (uncredited)
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Gang Member (uncredited)
Ralph Moratz ...
Man in Uniform Running Down Street (uncredited)
Ray Pourchot ...
Police Officer (uncredited)
Ramón Rodríguez ...
Gang Member (uncredited)
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Eddie Farnham (uncredited)
Cap Somers ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Marcia Linnekar's Attorney (uncredited)
Wayne Taylor ...
Gang Member (uncredited)
Rusty Wescoatt ...
Detective Casey (uncredited)
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Customs Officer (uncredited)
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Bartender (uncredited)

Directed by

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Orson Welles

Written by

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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

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Albert Zugsmith ... producer

Music by

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Henry Mancini ... (music)

Cinematography by

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Russell Metty ... director of photography

Editing by

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Walter Murch ... (1998 re-edit)
Aaron Stell ... film editor
Virgil W. Vogel ... film editor (as Virgil Vogel)
Edward Curtiss ... (uncredited)

Editorial Department

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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)

Art Direction by

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Robert Clatworthy
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by

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John P. Austin ... (set decorations)
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by

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Bill Thomas ... (gowns)

Makeup Department

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

Production Management

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Foster Thompson ... unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Phil Bowles ... assistant director
Harry Keller ... director: reshoots (uncredited)
Terence Nelson ... assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Leslie I. Carey ... sound
Harry E. Snodgrass ... sound designer: Reconstruction
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

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Kevin Braun ... lead digital compositor (1998 restoration) / 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

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David Sharpe ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Sherman Clark ... still photographer (uncredited)
William N. Clark ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Ledge Haddow ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Vic Jones ... gaffer (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

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Claire Cramer ... wardrobe (uncredited)
Adam Gottbetter ... wardrobe (uncredited)
Nevada Penn ... wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department

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Joseph Gershenson ... music supervisor
Richard Nash ... musician: trombone (uncredited)
Ethmer Roten ... musician: flute (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Betty A. Griffin ... script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Armondo Linus Acosta ... consultant (uncredited)
Fred Banker ... unit publicist (uncredited)
Charles Baqueta ... coordinator (uncredited)
Wayne Fitzgerald ... title designer (uncredited)
Robert Tafur ... dialogue coach (uncredited) / technical advisor (uncredited)

Thanks

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James Naremore ... special thanks (1998 restoration) (as James Narmore)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

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. Written by garykmcd

Plot Keywords
Taglines The Overwhelming Drama of a Strange Vengeance See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Badge of Evil (United States)
  • La Soif du mal (France)
  • Im Zeichen des Bösen (Germany)
  • Sed de mal (Spain, Catalan title)
  • Sed de mal (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 95 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $829,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United States $70,725, 13 Sep 1998

Did You Know?

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Trivia Janet 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. See more »
Goofs The 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. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Film Noir (1995). See more »
Soundtracks Main Title (Touch of Evil) See more »
Crazy Credits Opening statement (restored version): In 1957, Orson Welles completed principal photography on TOUCH OF EVIL and edited the first cut. Upon screening the film, the Studio felt it could be improved, shot additional scenes and re-edited it. Welles viewed this new version and within hours wrote a passionate 58-page memo requesting editorial changes. This version represents an attempt to honor those requests and make TOUCH OF EVIL the film Orson Welles envisioned it to be. "... I close this memo with a very earnest plea that you consent to this brief visual pattern to which I gave so many long hard days of work." -- Orson Welles See more »
Quotes Quinlan: Come on, read my future for me.
Tanya: You haven't got any.
Quinlan: Hmm? What do you mean?
Tanya: Your future's all used up.
See more »
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