Touch of Evil (1958), is considered one of the last examples of film noir in the classic era (from the early 1940s until the late 1950s). It was directed by Orson Welles, who also appeared as corrupt policeman, Captain Hank Quinlan. The black-and-white film also features Charlton Heston as Mike Vargas, a Mexican narcotics agent on his honeymoon, Janet Leigh ("at her most perversely innocent" as one critic put it) as his bride, and Marlene Dietrich as Tana, a cigar-smoking Mexican gypsy brothel owner. The movie was written in two weeks by Welles based on Whit Masterson's novel Badge of Evil.

The plot

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The movie opens with a famous three minute continuous tracking shot, which shows a man placing a bomb in a car and then the journey of the car to the US/Mexican border crossing. The scene ends with Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston) and Susie Vargas (Janet Leigh), newlyweds, kissing. The scene then cuts to the car, containing a man and a stripper friend, exploding, and the rising action of the movie begins. Mike Vargas, an important police official within the Mexican government, realizes the implications of a Mexican bomb exploding on US soil and begins to investigate. The police chief Pete Gould (Harry Shannon) and district attorney Adair (Ray Collins) arrive shortly on the scene, as well as police Captain Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles) and Quinlan's friend and partner, Pete Menzies (Joseph Calleia). The scene sets up all the important characters, as well as introduces the idea that Quinlan doesn't like Vargas, primarily because Vargas is Mexican. The scene also reveals that Vargas has been on the hunt of a large dope ring led by the Grandi family, and that Vargas will testify at the trial of Vick Grandi later in the week.

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I was supposed to get "Storytelling" and "Touch of Evil" today. Get it together Netflix. 1 day shipping, assholes.
HurrcaneGustavo (Gustavo Bernal) Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:07:30 -0000
I was supposed to get "Storytelling" and "Touch of Evil" today. Get it together Netflix. 1 day shipping, assholes.
@Beathhigh did you realise it was the studio restored version of Touch of Evil last night & not the Walter Murch edit based on Welles' memo?
SHM5 (Stephen HellerMurphy) Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:06:42 -0000
@Beathhigh did you realise it was the studio restored version of Touch of Evil last night & not the Walter Murch edit based on Welles' memo?
@Biancovic touch of evil.
didokruger (dido krüger) Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:26:13 -0000
@Biancovic touch of evil.
I love this film: 'Touch of Evil ' ▶ http://bit.ly/8MxRkl
porcoppc (PorcoPPC) Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:11:42 -0000
I love this film: 'Touch of Evil ' ▶ http://bit.ly/8MxRkl
I rated 'Touch of Evil ' 5 out of 5 stars ▶ http://bit.ly/8MxRkl
porcoppc (PorcoPPC) Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:09:08 -0000
I rated 'Touch of Evil ' 5 out of 5 stars ▶ http://bit.ly/8MxRkl
. @Filmhouse really disappointed last nights Touch of Evil was the studio release & not the Murch recut based on Welles' 58 & 12 page memos
SHM5 (Stephen HellerMurphy) Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:03:33 -0000
. @Filmhouse really disappointed last nights Touch of Evil was the studio release & not the Murch recut based on Welles' 58 & 12 page memos

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