IMDb > The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
The Lady from Shanghai
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The Lady from Shanghai (1947) More at IMDbPro »

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The Lady from Shanghai (1947) -- Trailer for this murder mystery starring Rita Hayworth

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   7,077 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Writers:

Sherwood King (story)
Orson Welles (screenplay)
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Contact:

View company contact information for The Lady from Shanghai on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

9 June 1948 (USA) more

Tagline:

One who keeps his nature keeps his original nature in the end. more

Plot:

Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot. full summary | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)

Michael Fassbender Takes A Single Shot
 (From Screenrush. 5 November 2009, 3:29 AM, PST)

The Sandbox: Shake Your Money Maker
 (From IFC. 24 April 2009, 10:39 AM, PDT)

User Comments:

Orson Welles takes on a pulp-noir novel and, at the least, makes it his own more (98 total)


Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Rita Hayworth ... Elsa Bannister

Orson Welles ... Michael O'Hara
Everett Sloane ... Arthur Bannister
Glenn Anders ... George Grisby
Ted de Corsia ... Sidney Broome (as Ted De Corsia)
Erskine Sanford ... Judge
Gus Schilling ... 'Goldie' Goldfish

Carl Frank ... District Attorney Galloway
Louis Merrill ... Jake
Evelyn Ellis ... Bessie (Bannister maid)
Harry Shannon ... Cab Driver
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

Black Irish (USA) (working title)
Take This Woman (USA) (working title)
The Girl from Shanghai (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:

87 min | Germany:79 min | UK:92 min (original release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Cantonese

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) (1948) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #12111)


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Errol Flynn's own pet dachshund is seen in the yacht scenes, since it is Flynn's yacht Zaca in the film. Flynn also did all the aerial photography for that film's yacht scenes and is in the film incognito. more

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the Crazy House, Mrs. Bannister's lips do not match the line "we could have gone off together." more

Quotes:

Michael O'Hara: When I start out to make a fool of myself there's very little can stop me. more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Lost: The Economist (#4.3)" (2008) more

Soundtrack:

Na Baixa do Sapateiro (Bahia) more


FAQ

Who is the lady from Shanghai?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "The Lady from Shanghai" based on a book?
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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful.
Orson Welles takes on a pulp-noir novel and, at the least, makes it his own, 12 January 2004
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States

As I watched one of Orson Welles' last contributions to Hollywood as a filmmaker, I knew I was watching a great movie unfold, though at times I did not know why. The story in The Lady from Shanghai has the prime elements of a film-noir: average-Joe lead, femme fatale, conspicuous supporting characters, and a comprehensible if somewhat convoluted plot structure. It is an entertaining ride, and it's filled to the brim with Welles' unique gifts as a director, but there are scenes that tend to just not work, or don't feel complete in what was Welles' full vision (the latter is unfortunately too true- executive producer Harry Cohn and the Columbia execs are to blame for that).

Welles co-stars with his then wife, the profoundly gorgeous Rita Hayworth, as Mike O'Hara, an Irish worker who can and does get angry at the right people. Hayworth is Mrs. Bannister, married to Mr. Bannister (Everett Sloane, who played Mr. Bernstein in Citizen Kane), who is accompanied by a friend Mr. Grisby (Glenn Anders, who has great control in his eyes). They want to go sailing on their yacht and take O'Hara along for the ride, and at first he's reluctant, but agrees since he's falling for the married Mrs. As their journey unfolds, O'Hara finds that Bannister and Grisby are not pleasant to be around, and more so with Grisby, who at first seems out of his gourd. Yet as the plot unfolds, O'Hara is drawn into a scam that Grisby is planning for insurance money, with results that I dare not reveal (although they have been discussed over and over by others).

Whatever liabilities pop up here and there in the mystery part of the story (and those few noticeable moments where shots were studio dictated), the performances and the look of the film are what remains striking after over fifty-five years. Though he doesn't have the terrific Greg Tolland (Kane's DP) at his side, dependable Charles Lawton Jr. assists Welles in creating an atmosphere that is both elegant and stark, covered in shadows, deep focus, low angles, the works. A particular accomplishment is the fun-house mirror scene, which is merely a highlight among others. Welles himself is always dependable as an actor- even if his accent isn't anything special- and Hayworth herself makes a scene a little more lush, despite her path in the story.

The Lady from Shanghai is worth checking out, especially for Welles, Hayworth, or film-noir buffs (fans of the Coen brothers might find this fascinating as well). It may just take a little while, repeat viewings (as was for Touch of Evil), for the underlying motives in the plot to sink in.

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It's so bad it's GREAT! Plot, accents, etc... Felonious-Punk
Scene in Chinese puppet theater svengali12
TRIVIA: What ethnicity is Orson Welle's CHARACTER in this movie??? weirdal_27-1
2 Questions zachhh
New York Locations behollins
Shanghai on IMDB Top 50 Film Noir alexkalognomos
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