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| 1948 |
| 87 minutes |
| Columbia Pictures |
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Principal Cast: |
| Orson Welles: Michael O'Hara |
| Rita Hayworth: Elsa Bannister |
| Everett Sloane: Arthur Bannister |
| Glenn Anders: George Grisby |
| Principal Crew: |
| Director: Orson Welles |
| Script: Welles, William Castle, Charles Lederer, Fletcher Markle, others |
| Editor: Viola Lawrence |
| Photography: Charles Lawton Jr. |
| Producer: Harry Cohn |
Based on Sherwood Anderson's novel If I Die Before I Wake, The Lady From Shanghai marked Welles' fourth completed studio film and fourth (counting It's All True) film victimized by studio interference. Filming began in October of 1946 and finished in February of 1947, featuring location work in Mexico, as well as using Errol Flynn's yacht, the Zaca. The film was initially to have been a quick, low budget affair, but Rita Hayworth saw the opportunity for a reconciliation with Welles and a plum role in Elsa. The attempt at making the marriage work failed, and Columbia head Harry Cohn hated the film, forcing Welles to insert "glamour" shots of Hayworth and a musical number ("Please Don't Kiss Me"). Also, Welles' music and sound plans for the film were left ignored, as the studio gave scoring responsiblities to Heinz Roemheld, a company hack who cranked out a fast, unimaginative score that does great damage to the picture. Cohn held the picture back from release for a year, eventually releasing it with little fanfare. Despite the awful score, Lady From Shanghai remains a fascinating film, with deliriously great performances from Glenn Anders and Everett Sloane. The famous funhouse finale has been "paid homage" (ie copied) numerous times over the years. The film would remain Welles' last major Hollywood film until Touch of Evil ten years later.
ADVERTISING MATERIALS
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Link
to Rita
Hayworth site with LFS promo photos
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Still
of Bannister convincing O'Hara to work
for him
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VIDEO
