IMDb > Touch of Evil (1958)
Touch of Evil
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Touch of Evil (1958) More at IMDbPro »

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Touch of Evil (1958) -- Stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in Mexican border town.
Touch of Evil (1958) -- Stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in Mexican border town.

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Overview

User Rating:
8.4/10   30,413 votes
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Down 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Orson Welles (screenplay)
Whit Masterson (novel)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Touch of Evil on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 June 1958 (France) more
Tagline:
The Overwhelming Drama of a Strange Vengeance more
Plot:
Stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in Mexican border town. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
3 wins more
User Reviews:
The B-films would never be the same. more (210 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Charlton Heston ... Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas

Janet Leigh ... Susan 'Susie' 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 - Grandi Hood
Mort Mills ... Al Schwartz - District Attorney's Assistant
Victor Millan ... Manelo Sanchez
Lalo Rios ... Risto - Grandi's Nephew
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)
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Directed by
Orson Welles 
 
Writing credits
Orson Welles (screenplay)

Whit Masterson (novel "Badge Of Evil")

Paul Monash (additional scenes original theatrical release) uncredited

Franklin Coen  contributing writer: reshoots (uncredited)

Produced by
Rick Schmidlin .... producer (1998 restoration)
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 
Virgil W. Vogel  (as Virgil Vogel)
Edward Curtiss (uncredited)
 
Art Direction by
Robert Clatworthy 
Alexander Golitzen 
 
Set Decoration by
John P. Austin 
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
F.D. Thompson .... production manager (uncredited)
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
William Hooper .... sound effects editor (1998 restoration)
Richard LeGrand Jr. .... supervising sound editor (1998 restoration)
Bob McNabb .... sound effects editor (1998 restoration) (as Robert McNabb)
Walter Murch .... sound re-recordist (1998 restoration)
Peter Reale .... sound re-recordist (1998 restoration)
Harry E. Snodgrass .... sound effects editor (1998 restoration) (as Harry Snodgrass)
Bill Varney .... sound re-recordist (1998 restoration)
Frank H. Wilkinson .... sound (as Frank Wilkinson)
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
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)
 
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
 
Other crew
Jonathan Rosenbaum .... consultant (1998 restoration)
Wayne Fitzgerald .... title designer (uncredited)
Robert Tafur .... dialogue coach (uncredited)
Robert Tafur .... technical advisor (uncredited)
 
Thanks
James Naremore .... special thanks (1998 restoration) (as James Narmore)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some violence and drug content. (1988 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)
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Germany:16 (restored version) (re-rating: 2005) | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:15 (2003) | 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)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Orson Welles said that this was the most fun he'd ever had filming a picture, unlike most of his Hollywood films, because he wasn't troubled by studio interference (until after he completed the picture, anyway), he was given a healthy budget and he was working with a crew of some of his favorite actors on a script that didn't involve as much symbolism and all-out cinematic tricks as something like Citizen Kane (1941). more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: As the couple is getting into the car at the beginning of the movie, there is exhaust coming from the tailpipe well before we hear the ignition noise. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Border Cop: Uh, you folks American citizens?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Best of Film Noir (1999) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Tana's Theme more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is this movie based on a novel?
Any recommendations for movies similar to "Touch of Evil"?
more
36 out of 53 people found the following review useful.
The B-films would never be the same., 29 January 1999
10/10
Author: walrus-5 from Porto Alegre, Brazil

Orson Welles made this film over 15 years after "Citizen Kane", but even though it doesn't reach the level of "Kane", he never lost his genius touch. With a basic story and regular budget he made the most famous B-film ever. His majesty in the camera control and the editing jump out of the screen. His director geniality is seen through the outstanding performances by great actors like himself, Janet Leigh and Marlene Dietricht, and actors not that great, like Charlton Heston. Several lines of this motion picture are amongst the greatest of all times, specially the Dietrich ones. The credits scene, that runs uncut for about 3 minutes, is one of the greatest moments in the film history, along with the pianola tune at Tanya's place. Some might say that "Touch of Evil" is banal and boring, but these are the people that don't like real motion pictures, and we all know that, so we don't care about them.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Heston as a Mexican? Please... hannahp1
Opening scene timflower
Final Scene: Oil field location pullgees
Uhh... Marlene Dietrich was 57? ThatSoapsALittleHard
What happens to Orson Welles in 17 years or so.. simplyfsl
Like a cubist painting fluffyburger
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