Touch of Evil (1958) | |
| Director(s) | Orson Welles |
| Producer(s) | Rick Schmidlin, Albert Zugsmith |
| Top Genres | Crime, Film Adaptation, Film Noir, Thriller/Suspense |
| Top Topics | Book-Based |
Featured Cast:
Touch of Evil Overview:
Touch of Evil (1958) was a Crime - Film Noir Film directed by Orson Welles and produced by Albert Zugsmith and Rick Schmidlin.
SYNOPSIS
A story of studio meddling became one of the most talked about movies of 1998 upon release of a restored version based on notes that Welles had sent to Universal in response to their reediting. Right from the first shot, which many consider the finest opening sequence in movie history (and which the studio decided to run credits over), Welles takes a tawdry crime melodrama and turns it into dark poetry. Heston, a Mexican cop, is heading for a honeymoon with Leigh, but they are distracted by a car bombing as they cross the border. When Heston offers to help in the investigation, he begins a twisted journey into a seedy night time world of drug smugglers, prostitutes, and, most magnificently, "a great detective, but a bad cop" played by Welles. Leigh falls into a snare set by drug kingpin Tamiroff as her husband goes mano a mano with a murderous Welles. An absorbing noir, and a triumphant story of film preservation.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.Touch of Evil was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1993.
Touch of Evil BlogHub Articles:
Touch of Evil (1958)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Nov 30, 2023 From 4 Star FilmsOn even a cursory level Touch of Evil has all the ready hallmarks of Orson Welles the auteur. Working in tandem with veteran Universal cinematographer Russell Metty (they had collaborated before on The Stranger), they develop the director’s preferred mise en scene from claustrophobic dutch ang... Read full article
Film Noir Review: Touch of Evil (1958)
By Danilo Castro on Dec 30, 2021 From Classic Movie Hub Blog“Your future’s all used up.” Orson Welles was an architect of film noir before the style had even been identified. His debut release, Citizen Kane (1941), was revolutionary for the artform as a whole, but the film?s shadowy visuals and elaborate flashbacks had the biggest impact... Read full article
Touch of Evil (1958) – Film-Noir
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jul 1, 2013 From 4 Star FilmsStarring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Orson Welles, this film is one of the last examples of what is considered true film-noir. In a small, dangerous, run down,?border?town, a mysterious car bombing murder takes place. A Mexican investigator who is a?newlywed?(Heston) and a hardened American?po... Read full article
Touch of Evil (1958) – Film-Noir
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jul 1, 2013 From 4 Star FilmsStarring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Orson Welles, this film is one of the last examples of what is considered true film-noir. In a small, dangerous, run down,?border?town, a mysterious car bombing murder takes place. A Mexican investigator who is a?newlywed?(Heston) and a hardened American?po... Read full article
Touch of Evil
By RBuccicone on Sep 14, 2012 From MacGuffin MoviesTouch of Evil (1958) It had been probably seven years since I had seen Touch of Evil, so when the opportunity presented itself to see it on the big screen, I said, sure, why not? I probably should have been shouting from the rafters because in the interim I had completely forgotten just how much of ... Read full article
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Quotes from Touch of Evil
Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas: I'm saying more than that, Captain. You framed that boy. Framed him!
Mirador Motel night manager: It STINKS in here!
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Facts about Touch of Evil
The entire film was shot on real locations, apart from the infamous ten-minute take in the Mexican shoe store clerk's apartment, which is actually a set. The studio wanted the entire film to be shot on sets, even going so far as to build numerous locations on its lots, but Orson Welles insisted on filming in a real city, settling for Venice, California, when he couldn't get his initial choice of Tijuana.
When Orson Welles first met with Dennis Weaver, he asked Weaver what he thought was the most important characteristic of "Chester," the role Weaver played on the hit TV show Gunsmoke, Weaver said that Chester was very deferential and always hung behind the other characters. Welles then told Weaver that for "Touch of Evil" he wanted Weaver to be just the opposite - very pushy and in-your-face.
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