The Lady from Shanghai (1947) User Reviews (239)

Orson's Corrections

[Narrator_Jack_dot_com · 8/10 · 21 February 2006]

These are excerpts from a nine-page "Memo to Mr. Cohn from Mr. Welles", written after Orson had seen studio mogul Harry Cohn's edited version of the picture (he took an hour out):

"...The preview title music was written by a first rate composer, George Antheil. Although not written for our picture at all, this temporary title music had an atmosphere of darkness and menace combined with something lush and romantic which made it acceptable...The only musical idea which seems to have occurred to this present composer (Heinz Roemheld) is the rather weary one of using a popular song--the "theme"--in as many arrangements as possible. Throughout we have musical references to "Please Don't Kiss Me" for almost every bridge and also for a great deal of the background material. The tune is pleasing, it may do very well on the Hit Parade--but Lady from Shanghai is not a musical comedy...Mr. Roemheld is an ardent devotee of an old-fashioned type of scoring now referred to in our business as "Disney". In other words, if somebody falls down, he makes a "falling down" sound in the orchestra, etc., etc...If the lab had scratched initials and phone numbers all over the negative, I couldn't be unhappier about the results...Just before I left to go abroad, I asked Vi (Viola Lawrence, the editor) to make a cut which would involve dropping the near accident with the taxi-cab and also quite a bit of dialogue. I am convinced that this would have been an excellent cut...saving much needed footage in the slow opening sequence (this was not done, accounting for the main weaknesses of the film's opening reel)...There is nothing in the fact of Rita's diving to warrant a big orchestral crescendo...What does matter is Rita's beauty...the evil overtones suggested by Grigsby's character, and Michael's bewilderment. Any or all of these items might have inspired the music. Instead, the dive is treated as though it were a major climax or some antic moment in a Silly Symphony: a pratfall by Pluto the Pup, or a wild jump into space by Donald Duck...There is no sound atmosphere on the boat. A little wind and water is sorely missed. There's no point in photographing a scene on a real boat if you make it sound as though it all happened in front of a process screen...At the start of the picnic sequence...in the temporary score, we used a very curious, sexy Latin-American strain...This has been replaced with a corny "dramatic" sequel--bad stock stuff...This sort of music destroys that quality of strangeness which is exactly what might have saved Lady from Shanghai from being just another whodunit...There is a big musical outburst after Grigsby's line, "I want you to kill him." This is absurd...The Hawaiian guitar music which comes out of the radio...was supposed to be corny enough to make a certain satirical point. As it stands now, it's on about the same level as the rest of the scoring. Nobody in the audience could possibly suspect that we're kidding...The aquarium scene needs more echo. "Please Don't Kiss Me" is in again!...A bad dubbing job and poor scoring has destroyed the character of Michael's run down the pier. From the gunshot through to the phone call, a careful pattern of voices had been built up with the expenditure of much time and effort. For some reason, this has all been junked in favor of a vague hullabaloo. As a result, the whole sequence seems dull...The audience should feel at this point, along with Michael, that maybe they are going crazy. The new dubbing job can only make them feel that maybe they're going to sleep...The gun battle with the breaking mirrors must not be backed with music...The closing music again makes reference to "Please Don't Kiss Me"...This finale is obvious to the point of vulgarity, and does incalculable injury to the finish of the picture."

All of these edits from Orson were ignored

Welles' camera seemed almost to caress Rita Hayworth...

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 3 May 2005]

After all, you do not go to an Orson Welles movie to see a nice simple little plot and a burnishing of the image of a happy-ever-after star…

You go to see theatrically heightened characters locked in conflict against colorful and unusual settings, lighted and scored imaginatively, photographed bravely, and the whole thing peppered with unexpected details of surprise that a wiser and duller director would either avoid or not think of in the first place…

As usual, as well as directing, Welles wrote the script and he also played the hero – a young Irish seaman who had knocked about the world and seen its evil, but still retained his clear-eyed trust in the goodness of others… Unfortunately for him, he reposed this trust in Rita Hayworth, whose cool good looks concealed a gloomy past and murderous inclinations for the future… She was married without love, to an impotent, crippled advocate, acted like a malevolent lizard by the brilliant Everett Sloane…

There is a youthful romanticism underlying it all, and this quality came into exuberant play in "The Lady from Shanghai." Before the inevitable happened, Welles escaped – to a final triangular showdown in a hall of mirrors, which has become one of the classic scenes of the post-war cinema …

Welles did not miss a chance throughout the whole film to counterpoint the words and actions with visual detail which enriched the texture and heightened the atmosphere… His camera seemed almost to caress Rita Hayworth as the sun played with her hair and her long limbs while she playfully teased the young seaman into her web

Looks Like It Could have Been a True Classic, But....

[Don-102 · 8/10 · 21 April 1999]

After CITIZEN KANE in 1941, Hollywood executives turned their cob-webbed backs on the great Orson Welles. With the exception of KANE, Welles lost all creative control on MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS, JOURNEY INTO FEAR, and many other films to come. Welles was an innovative and creative genius, the most unconventional of filmmakers when Hollywood was in need of a few more. THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI is yet another example of the misunderstood view of Welles' films at the time, a movie that seems a bit choppy and non-fluent. It has a conventional 1940's premise told in a most unconventional way, and I am sure some scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. It is now legend that Columbia mogul Harry Cohn stood up during its initial screening and asked what it was about. In hindsight, many old grumps that ran the studios back then had not one clue as to the cinematic techniques and master story-telling of Orson Welles and THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI is only nearly great because of their intrusion.

Beside being arguably the greatest director of all-time, Welles was also quite a performer as an actor. At 25, we all know what he did as "Charles Foster Kane", perhaps the most famous character in film history. Here, he inhabits a rare character of dim wit and not much intelligence, something unfamiliar to those familiar with Welles other great work. Instead of a slick, wise tongue, he speaks with a rough, Irish twang. Rita Hayworth (his unhappily married wife at the time) plays an unhappily married wife of a lawyer who puts Welles in a spell and is able to draw him into a job that will take him to the limits of deception and disillusionment. He is a large lug who may have even murdered a man, but the real mystery lies in the relationship between Hayworth (with stunning blonde hair) and crippled hubby Everett Sloane (Mr. Bernstein from CITIZEN KANE). A creepy partner of Sloane's is along for the sail around the country to set off a number of peculiar events that has Welles' "Michael O'Hara" head spinning. Welles narrates the picture as O'Hara, but things are still unclear throughout. See for yourself and realize that it takes at least 2 viewings to fully know exactly what's up.

An uncharacteristically strange courtroom sequence centers around "O'Hara", with Sloane defending him. It is an oddly comedic scene with some quirky courtroom methods, including Sloane cross-examining himself. I didn't really laugh here because the film stalls at this point after a first portion that never gets to take off anyway. Up to this point, the cinematography is great, some scenes are shot with craft and skill (aquarium love scene), but there is no distinct line drawing the elements and us, the audience, in. Reportedly, the court scene was re-shot against Welles' requests (10 closeups of Hayworth were ordered) and a makeshift song sung by the starlet was thrown in at Cohn's insistence. A gaudy score infuriated Welles, who once again, was left out of the editing process. Thank Welles himself for saving the film entirely with a tour-de-force ending that will always be treasured. The so-called "Hall of Mirrors" scene brings buffs back time and time again, rightfully so.

It must be seen to be believed and it does a good job of wrapping up some confusing ideas presented. The crash of the mirrors represents "O'Hara's" disillusionment and the "crazy house" itself is a masterpiece of art and set decoration. It seems more like a state of mind than an actual place and is indeed "crazy", twisted and turned like a Dali painting. This is a great ending to a flawed picture that if left alone would probably have made the AFI's Top 100. Then again, 3 or 4 more of Orson Welles films may have made all collective "best of" lists if he had been left alone to create his own magic.

NOTE: Look for the Mercury Players that are so prominent in Welles pictures. They pop up all over. RATING: 8 of 10

Highly underrated exercise in style

[mrwelles · 10/10 · 27 October 1998]

Orson Welles' "The Lady From Shanghai" does not have the brilliant screenplay of "Citizen Kane," e.g., but Charles Lawton, Jr.'s cinematography, the unforgettable set pieces (such as the scene in the aquarium, the seagoing scene featuring a stunning, blonde-tressed Rita Hayworth singing "Please Don't Love Me," and the truly amazing Hall of Mirrors climax), and the wonderful cast (Everett Sloane in his greatest performance, Welles in a beautifully under-played role, the afore-mentioned Miss Hayworth--Welles' wife at the time--at her most gorgeous) make for a very memorable filmgoing experience. The bizarre murder mystery plot is fun and compelling, not inscrutable at all. The viewer is surprised by the twists and turns, and Welles' closing line is an unheralded classic. "The Lady From Shanghai" gets four stars from this impartial arbiter.

This Is One Wild-And-Crazy Film Noir!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 13 October 2005]

Of all the film noirs of the 1940s and 1950s, this has to rank as one of the strangest, and most fun to watch. I say that because of the four main actors: Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Everett Sloane and Glenn Anders.

The first two names are familiar to everyone but it was the last two that made this movie so entertaining to me, especially Anders. His character, "George Grisby," is one of the strangest people I've ever seen on film. His voice, and some of the things he said, have to be heard to be believed. Slaone isn't far behind in the "strange" category. Hayworth is not as glamorous with short, blonde hair but still is Hayworth, which means a lot to ogle if you are a guy. Welles' is as fascinating as always. One tip: if you have the DVD, turn on the English subtitles. His character in this movie is an Irishman and you need the subtitles to understand everything he says.

Welles also directed the film which means you have great camera angles and wonderful facial closeups. You also have a unique ending, visually, with a shootout in a house of mirrors. Great stuff! As bizarre as this film is, I still thought the buffoon-like carnival atmosphere at the trial near the end was too much and took away from the seriousness of the scene. Other than that, no complaints.

This is great entertainment, which is the name of the game.

Good film, Great ending

[jkerr216 · 10 August 2004]

Okay, the chemistry between Welles and Hayworth was not great, and, to put an end to the "even though they were married" lines, they divorced two weeks after the release of the film. However, as a film-noir and a piece of Orson Welles' body of work, this film is top notch.

Its biggest flaw, besides Welles accent, is that the beginning of the movie is very slow. However, it is necessary for the ending to payoff. It's unfortunate that the current world is moving at light speed, and that movies are chastised for taking ample time to develop their world. A modern example of length being put to good use is The Count of Monte Cristo. Still, that film doesn't compare to "Shanghai".

Once the trial, which is often hilarious, begins, the movie reaches the heights of greatness. It all climaxes with a visually stunning ending in the mirror room of a fun house and a fantastic performance by Hayworth.

The film sticks with you.

Also recommended: The Third Man

Tino Martinez

[triple-x · 6/10 · 9 October 1998]

I saw a re-release of Orson Welles' "classic" this afternoon. It's not a particularly well-made film, but what with its eye-candy set-pieces and bizarre characters, one can almost overlook that the film seems to have been written by about a dozen different writers who never spoke to each other: the plot moves in fits and starts, with scenes abruptly ending and beginning, it's wildly over-narrated, and the plot doesn't make a bit of sense. Still: the hall of mirrors. It's a frustrating film, but impossible to completely dislike. However, it makes me think about the re-release craze that seems to be going on these days. It's easy money for the studios, but is every movie made before the Kennedy administration a "classic"? It's getting out of hand.

Mirror, mirror...

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 1 April 2004]

One can only imagine the film Mr. Welles might have finished without the interference of the studio! This film is a flawed Welles, but worth every minute of it because one can see the greatness of perhaps America's best motion picture director of all times!

We can see the toll it took on Orson Welles the filming of this movie. The story has a lot of holes in it, perhaps because of the demands of the studio executives that didn't trust the director.

It is curious by reading some of the opinions submitted to IMDB that compare Orson Welles with the Coen brothers, Roman Polanski, even Woody Allen, when it should be all of those directors that must be regarded as followers of the great master himself. No one was more original and creative in the history of American cinema than Mr. Welles. Lucky are we to still have his legacy either in retrospective looks such as the one the Film Forum in New York just ended, or his films either on tape or DVD form.

Rita Hayworth was never more lovingly photographed than here. If she was a beauty with her red hair, as a blonde, she is just too stunning for words. Everett Sloan and Glenn Anders made an excellent contribution to the movie.

The only thing that might have made this film another masterpiece to be added to Orson Welles body of work, was his own appearance in it. Had he concentrated in the directing and had another actor interpret Michael O'Hara, a different film might have been achieved altogether. Orson Welles has to be credited for being perhaps a pioneer in taking the camera away from the studio lot into the street. The visuals in this film are so amazing that we leave the theater after seeing this movie truly impressed for the work, the vision and the talent he gave us.

Smart, devilishly intertwined stylistic film noir

[Roman-pc · 6/10 · 23 June 2020]

Much like Tierney's LAURA, this is not a realistic or all that plausible film noir: heavily stylized, in costume, dialog, character, plot, the movie works only because of the self-conscious and self-aware nature of all the players in it. Not for one moment do we feel as though these are real people in real situations: Rita Hayworth looks stunning, but in a statuesque, other-worldly way--and all the men who revolve around her as moths around a lamp are archetypes. The older husband (Banister), the younger "stronger" Michael, Banister's associate/lawyer colleague George all move, talk, behave as literary tropes rather than real people. This is not a criticism as such, but an observation.

So whether or not you'd enjoy this depends on your opinion about stylized dramas--I usually prefer scenarios that are earthier, more real. Hence, while there are entertaining aspects definitely--Rita Hayworth's beauty and Orson Welles' voice-over narration alone are worth the price of admission--this movie still wouldn't make my list of noir favorites.

Orson Welles takes on a pulp-noir novel and, at the least, makes it his own

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 12 January 2004]

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.

thought provoking

[fauxface · 6/10 · 11 November 2009]

Aside from the beautiful camera-work and scenery (including a few familiar places in Mexico), "Lady From Shanghai" doesn't have much to offer besides a mushy pile of screwed morals and a head scratching twist.

At the conclusion of the film, i was not really sure what i was watching. The plot was easy enough to follow, but the meaning of the film is still a bit fuzzy. It is enough to keep you thinking well after the movie is over. The mental imagery in the film compliments what is seen on screen and the plot very well. When O'Hara tells the story of the sharks eating each other, it serves two purposes- to foreshadow the fate of the elite seen in the film and when they finally kill each other, it is used as a simile.

The plan worked out by the scheming seductress Elsa is curiously portrayed. It is frustrating to watch unfold because the whole time O'Hara knew better than to get mixed up with her.

A Noir Experience

[objxs · 8/10 · 23 March 2003]

Made in 1946 and released in 1948, The Lady and Shanghai was one of the big films made by Welles after returning from relative exile for making Citizen Kane. Dark, brooding and expressing some early Cold War paranoia, this film stands tall as a Film-Noir crime film. The cinematography of this film is filled with Welles' characteristic quirks of odd angles, quick cuts, long pans and sinister lighting. The use of ambient street music is a precursor to the incredible long opening shot in Touch of Evil, and the mysterious Chinese characters and the sequences in Chinatown can only be considered as the inspiration, in many ways, to Roman Polanski's Chinatown. Unfortunately, it is Welles' obsession with technical filmmaking that hurts this film in its entirety. The plot of this story is often lost behind a sometimes incomprehensible clutter of film techniques.

However, despite this criticism, the story combined with wonderful performances by Welles, Hayworth and especially Glenn Anders (Laughter) make this film a joy to watch. Orson Welles pulls off not only the Irish brogue, but the torn identities as the honest but dangerous sailor. Rita Hayworth, who was married to Welles at the time, breaks with her usual roles as a sex goddess and takes on a role of real depth and contradictions. Finally, Glenn Anders strange and bizarre portrayal or Elsa's husbands' law partner is nothing short of classic!

Complex and outlandish thriller in which an Irish sailor , magnificently played by Orson Welles , joins a bizarre yachting cruise

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 3 December 2014]

This suspenseful as well as courageous movie contains intrigue , thrills , plot twists and layered dialog prevail . Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister (Rita Hayworth), a somewhat naive seaman Michael O'Hara (Orson Welles) joins a sea cruise along with a seductive and amoral wife , her lawyer husband (Everett Sloane) , his colleague (Glenn Anders) and ends up mired in a complex murder plot . At the final takes place a riveting and known climax in the hall of mirrors at San Francisco's old Oceanfront Playland .

Noir film with a twisted and offbeat intrigue in which an Irish man becomes involved a pawn in a game of killing . This excellent and utterly compelling thriller is packed with thrills , emotion , betrayals , turns and a hard plot , including a climatic ending scene . Well based on novel by Sherwood King , being scripted , produced and directed by the same Orson Welles who includes a tongue-in-cheek approach to retelling . ¨Lady from Shanghai¨ is an interesting and fascinating flick , other titles considered for the film were "Black Irish" and "If I Die Before I Wake," the title of the novel upon which the film was based . The yacht on which much of the action takes place was the "Zaca", which was rented from its owner, Errol Flynn . Flynn skippered the Zaca between takes, and he can be spotted in the background in a scene outside a Cantina . Awesome acting by main cast , Orson Welles is top-notch as an ingenuous adventurer , made cat's paw in a criminal scheme, who joins seductive Rita and accompanies her husband aboard a bizarre sea cruise . Orson Welles' decision to have Rita Hayworth cut her hair and bleach it caused a storm of controversy, and many in Hollywood believed it contributed to the film's poor box-office returns . Columbia Pictures chief Harry Cohn thought the movie would ruin his star, Rita Hayworth, and held the release of the picture back for one year . Cohn ordered director Orson Welles to insert "glamour" close-ups of Hayworth . Very good performance by support cast such as Everett Sloane as a repulsive advocate in law , and Glenn Anders as his scheming partner . Evocative and atmospheric cinematography in black and White by Charles Lawton Jr , including usual lights and shades from Noir Cinema .

Lady from Shanghai was well directed by Orson Welles , a genius who had a large and problematic career ; though Orson Welles' original rough cut of this picture ran 155 minutes, numerous cuts made by Columbia Pictures executives included a shortening of the famous "funhouse" final ; in fact these scenes were supposed to be unscored, to create the sense of terror. In 1938 he produced "The Mercury Theatre on the Air", famous for its broadcast version of "The War of the Worlds" . His first film to be seen by the public was Ciudadano Kane (1941), a commercial failure , but regarded by many as the best film ever made , along with his following movie , The magnificent Ambersons . He subsequently directed Shakespeare adaptation such as Macbeth , Othelo and Chimes at Midnight or Falstaff . Many of his next films were commercial flops and he exiled himself to Europe in 1948. In 1956 he directed Touch of evil (1958); it failed in the U.S. but won a prize at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. In 1975, in spite of all his box-office flops , he received the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 1984 the Directors Guild of America awarded him its highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award. His reputation as a film maker has climbed steadily ever since.

Visually stunning, but badly written and acted film noir

[harunmushod · 5/10 · 23 September 2003]

Apparently Welles made this film to help finance a Mercury Theatre production. It shows. It's sloppy.

The film noir plot is complex. Too complex for Welles, it's riddled with holes. The whole thing hinges on O'Hara behaving in ways that only a fool would even consider. Hayworth is stunning but equally idiotic as the femme fatale. However, Everett Sloane and Glenn Anders are good fun as the Hayworth's crippled, hot-shot criminal defence lawyer, husband and his giggling, slimy business partner, although their performances hinge on caricature rather than character.

The trial scene is hilarious, but in ways that were probably not entirely intended by Welles. Sloane is defending Welles on a murder charge, but then both Sloane and Hayworth, Sloane's wife, get called as witnesses for the prosecution without notice. The whole thing is farcical, so farcical indeed that Welles's character decides to scarper. Visually the section that follows is one of the most stunning I have seen.

Finally, Welles's Irish accent was awful. There did not appear to be any reason for it. His character could just as easily have been an American for all the difference it made to the plot.

In all, the whole is one of the most laughable film noirs I have ever seen.

Amazing visual intensity and piercing acting make up for any flaws by far

[secondtake · 10/10 · 11 February 2011]

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

There is no getting around talking about the director of a movie like this. Orson Welles made this on a lark, to fulfill an obligation, and you can tell it is loose to the point of careless in some ways. And the plot isn't totally clear as you go, nor are the motivations of the characters.

But this slightly off, slightly illogical, slightly (or very) bizarre construction is exactly what makes the movie work. So, first off, I think this is a masterpiece. The way it veers from telling a story to suggesting one, the way it shows reactions by heightening them to the point of surreal drama, the way scenes that are improbable and invented and made fabulous, as in some kind of dream, all of this is great movie-making, and makes for an interesting movie, too (the one not always leading to the other).

If you asked Godard, he would say this is Welles's best film, and I'm inclined to at least see why. It has the total excess and expressionist eye candy of the best of both "Kane" and "Touch of Evil" but it also has something they don't have, and that's this feeling of being on a journey, floating through the world in a beautiful way, regardless of what happens. And this is what the main character experiences, the man called Michael played by Orson himself (with a terrible and irritating accent that is an attempt at a brogue).

There are fascinating tidbits behind the movie, but maybe the one that you need to know for it's layering of meaning is that the leading woman, Rita Hayworth, had just ended a relationship with Welles. They were still married but were separated, and you can kind of feel their lingering feelings mixed with doubts, on screen. Or so I thought.

The filming--the photography and lighting--is amazing, truly phenomenal stuff. It ranges from moody water scenes (the twilight party is terrific, visually) to close-ups of sweaty faces to the legendary (rightfully) final scene with the mirrors, shattering, multiplying, dissecting. So just for what it looks like this is a terrific ride. But in fact the acting is intense and edgy, and the plot, once it starts to gel halfway through, is clever and fun. The whole Asian slant to the title, and the opening conversation, comes around full tilt with a great ending in San Francisco's Chinatown.

If you like Orson Welles, you've probably seen this by now, but if not, do so. But don't expect the kind of tightly constructed movie you get with his other films. It's almost an art film, with a bigger budget, and is rightfully in its own category. Great stuff.

All's well that ends Welles

[tieman64 · 12 April 2016]

"The Lady from Shanghai" is a 1947 film noir by director Orson Welles. The film was famously "butchered" by Colombia Pictures president Harry Cohn, who removed about half of Welles' footage and replaced it with extensive and expensive re-shoots.

"Shanghai" is narrated by Michael O'Hara (Orson Welles), an Irish sailor who gets swept up in a plot involving crooked lawyers, rich businessmen and sultry femme-fatales (Rita Hayworth). Like most of Welles' film, its aesthetic is busy and bombastic to a fault. Welles assaults us with all manners of trickery, including off-beat camera angles, strange accents, unusual compositions, copious long shots, extreme close ups, grandiose location photography, audacious crane shots, leering shots of Hayworth's bikini-clad body and manic fun house sequences which include a visit to a Hall of Mirrors. Welles so commits to his "throw everything including the kitchen sink" approach, that he even hits us with giant fish, giant octopuses and a courtroom filled with shenanigans too bizarre to describe. There's even an apocalyptic subplot in which characters pontificate the End of the World!

As "The Lady from Shanghai" doesn't represent Welles final vision, Welles intentions for the film remain unknown. Some view it as a film about the dissolution of Welles' marriage to Rita Hayworth, whilst others see it as a tale unreliably narrated by a madman. Others view it through a political lens, O'Hara a disillusioned dissident (he fought against General Franco in the Spanish Civil War, whilst the film's chief villain admits to being pro-Franco) and leftist trapped in a landscape of visual distortions and so forever unable to "fit" into the world. This world, he explains, is one of conniving sharks, humans destined to "eat themselves up" via deranged blood-frenzies. However one reads "Shanghai", it offers one of the most baroque and bizarre handlings of familiar noir tropes.

7.9/10 – See "Out of the Past" (1947) and "Double Indemnity".

Not so lovely Rita

[Lejink · 8/10 · 23 January 2016]

Reading the chequered history of the making of this movie, one will always wonder how close the finished result matched Welles' original vision. Was it just a knock-off version of a cheap pulp-fiction novel Welles just happened upon or was there a deeper artistic intent at work? I personally think that while it maybe started off as a quickie stop-gap thriller for Welles, he unquestionably picked it up and ran with it as only he could and even if Harry Cohn and his cohorts did hijack the finished article in the interests of commerciality, Welles' talent and verve transcend even the skewered and compromised cut we see here.

Sure there are lots of strange, even occasionally surreal aspects to the film, Welles' "Oirish" accent, that he's almost always in three-quarter profile facing the left, the massive close-ups and occasional crazy-cutting, the talking in Chinese to name but a few, but it also contains memorable, bravura scenes which only Orson could devise, like his deconstruction of the clichéd courtroom scene, his and Rita Hayworth's rendezvous at the aquarium with massive shape-shifting marine life glowing and glowering behind them, the upshot in the Chinese Theatre and of course the terrific climax in the hall of mirrors.

The motives of the characters and consistencies of the plot are at times seemingly thrown to the wind but somehow you're swept along, rather like Welles Black Irish Michael O'Hara, like a cork on the sea and left at the end deposited on the shore, breathless, confused but exhilarated. I know there are those who think it's a terrible movie and who blame the money-men saboteurs, but I loved it, warts and all. Although you never get used to that brogue, Welles is great in the lead role, Hayworth too in a misunderstood role. Then characters like the greasy, grisly Grisby and the lame, sardonic husband (the way he drawls the word "lover") really get under your skin as they're meant to. And there's more, those close-ups showing the sweat, dread bewilderment and blankness of his characters' faces, the great dialogue, especially the analogy of humans with sharks, the little dots of humour with the various reactions of the public in the gallery of the court scene ("You're kidding, right?") and the chase scenes so reminiscent of "The Third Man", to name but a few.

Someday I'd love to see the film Welles had in his head, but then you could say that about almost all his projects going right back to "Citizen Kane". I'm a fan and in the end have to be grateful for the small mercies of just whatever he was able to get released through the studio system, flaws, tampering and all. And I love film noir, so this was great for me to watch and I think it is a great watch too.

Watch it for the mirror scene

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 21 April 2023]

Husband-and-wife Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth teamed up for the classic noir The Lady from Shanghai, which featured the femme fatale as another "Gilda" knockoff. She's a seductress with a cruel, crippled husband (Everett Sloane in this one), and the innocent hero falls prey to her charms. She leads him down a dangerous path where crime and vice run rampant. If you liked Gilda, you should definitely check this one out. If you're like me and didn't, you probably won't like this one either.

The big scene that puts this noir on the map is the mirror scene. Even to this day, it's still incredible to watch, so you can give credit where credit is due (to Welles's directing) and watch the movie just for that scene. There's a great scene where a few of the characters are stuck in a house of mirrors, and as much as you struggle to find the camera showing in one of the reflections, you can't! Besides that, there's not much more to this movie than the average noir, except seeing Rita in strange-looking platinum hair.

Michael O'Hara's Femme Fatale

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 10 March 2007]

At the point in time that The Lady from Shanghai was being made, the marriage of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth was disintegrating. The film was as much an effort by Welles to rekindle the old flames as it was to make a classic noir. Not received well at the time, The Lady from Shanghai has gotten more and more critical acclaim as years pass. Gotten better with age so to speak.

Welles is Irish seaman Michael O'Hara who on a fateful night rescues the beautiful Rita Hayworth from three muggers in Central Park. Sparks do fly, but then comes the rub, turns out the lady is married to crippled, but brilliant criminal attorney Everett Sloane. Nevertheless Sloane takes an apparent liking to Welles and hires him to skipper his yacht.

So far this film is starting to sound a lot like Gilda. If Orson had seen Gilda and was not at this point thinking with his male member, he would have skedaddled back to the seaman's hiring hall in Lower Manhattan. Instead he gets himself involved in a lovely web or intrigue and finds himself pegged for two murders and Sloane as his eminent counsel.

Welles for whatever reason decided that his wife would be a blond in this film. Supposedly Harry Cohn hit the roof as Rita was internationally known for her coppery red hair. This may have soured him on the picture as he joined the legion of studio bosses who saw Welles's vision of independent film making a threat to their power.

Stage actor Glenn Anders plays Sloane's partner Grisby who is one slimy dude, he winds up a corpse. The other corpse to be here is Ted DeCorsia, a bottom feeding private detective who tries to go in business for himself.

It's a good noir thriller, showing Rita at her glamorous best even if she was a blond here. The final shoot out in the hall of mirrors is beautifully staged, but I wouldn't recommend seeing it if one is on any controlled substance.

Disappointing

[anthropo · 6/10 · 15 December 2021]

Given the hype around this film and Welles in general, I wanted to like this film. First the positives.. it's technically well-made. Beautifully shot, great camera angles. That's where the positives end. The screenplay is a mess. I won't give the story away here, but it's unbelievable. Welles and Hayworth in the lead are meh. The supporting cast's performances are actually stronger than both Welles and Hayward.

The value in the film is in the technical aspects. A film student will likely enjoy it for that alone. Folks who watch films for storylines and prioritize screenplays may be disappointed.

Rating: a generous 6/10.

"When I start out to make a fool of myself there's very little can stop me."

[elvircorhodzic · 8/10 · 7 August 2016]

I wonder, if necessary with a clear story to make a complex movie. Welles is probably knew what he was doing. I think that some segments are superfluous. While looking at the totality of the movie I really like. I must admit that at times I had the impression that director is bored. Scenery is at the level. Expressionist style is commendable. The atmosphere answer noir, particularly in instances where the narrator sounds dazed. The story of an ordinary guy (sailor), the mysterious femme fatale, murder, love, hate, greed, jealousy, and of course money. Nothing special.

The tension in the shadow of confusion of the main character. He initially acts like he does not feel selfishness, crime or pathetic. The vicious young man, charming blond beauty, a criminal lawyer and frantic enthusiast correspond with noir themes.

Rita Hayworth as Elsa "Rosalie" Bannister is a balm for the human eye. Redhead, blonde ... who cares. A victim of its own deception in hazardous locations. Performance is solid. Its role is perhaps a little vague.

Two lunatics. Sloane as a successful, self-centered lawyer and sick husband. Anders as annoying, vague and delighted enthusiast. Both actors are the right choice.

Orson Welles as Michael O'Hara is playful in its own particular incident. I've used a couple of times a sweet laugh, when the main protagonist tries to be serious. Romance is not passed the exam. The culprit is solely Welles. The best is in the narrative. It was discovered absolutely everything about this movie.

THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI is very exciting movie, in which a little more experimentation. Anthology scene a final settlement in the house of mirrors will certainly be remembered. I will remember the final monologue.

Everybody is somebody's fool.

[sharky_55 · 7/10 · 10 April 2016]

Dave Kehr calls this film a true 'film noir comedy'. It seems to me that this perspective manifests in the way that the universe of The Lady from Shanghai continually and incessantly laughs at Michael O'Hara's misfortune and helplessness. Certainly Welles has obliged stylistically - his strange, morphed compositions increasingly begin to collapse around O'Hara as he is drawn slowly into the mystery of the murder conspiracy. The blocked paths of the actors criss-crossed and circle each other venomously as the aquarium creatures loom large in the background. The narrator seemingly jumps readily inside his own story as the voice-over switches seamlessly into dialogue. And then there is that famous climax in the house of mirrors where all sense of direction and orientation is abandoned for our characters - each shot and each shattering of glass further distorts the space (although the lost footage is apparently much longer and grander). In some instances the cosmic farce is literal in its humour - as the hobbling Bannister ends up on the stand interrogating himself in the trial that is little more than a slapstick affair.

But for all the effort in maintaining this pervasive aura of paranoia and disorientation by ramping up the convention stylistic tones of noir the film falls a little flat. The murder plot itself, which is meant to be increasing hard to follow until that final reveal, is secondary to Welles' atmosphere, so what we have is a distancing effect due to his own plodding, almost bored narration guiding us along. What is supposed to be irregular and affecting merely highlights its own flaws - the clumsy ADR dubbing which does the dialogue no favours, the oddly stilted romance that doesn't quite lure us into a false sense of security (perhaps a casualty of the director and starlet's impending divorce), awkward little zooms and smash cuts that merely draw attention to themselves rather than establish a tone. I would so very much like to see this lost artefact.

Flawed but fascinating

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 10 March 2017]

Being a fan of film-noir, considering Orson Welles' 'Citizen Kane' and 'A Touch of Evil' in particular cinematic masterworks and having liked Rita Hayworth in several of her other films like 'Gilda', 'The Lady from Shanghai' had all the ingredients to want to see it and be good.

'The Lady from Shanghai' isn't perfect, and it is not among Welles' best, but it is a fascinating and very impressive work indeed. It is easy to see why it is so divisive and why it hasn't clicked with some. It does get bogged down by an absurd to the point of farce courtroom scene, and Welles' performance, character and accent are just bizarre and come close to unbalancing a film that is no stranger already to weirdness. Much of the film is very compelling and never ceases to fascinate, but the storytelling does at times get murky and over-complicated.

However, Hayworth is every bit as glamorous as in 'Gilda' and she has never been more dangerous or vamp-ish. Everett Sloane is similarly brilliant, giving a performance even better than that in 'Citizen Kane', while Glenn Anders gives the creeps effortlessly. Despite reservations for his acting here, Welles directs magnificently with some truly jaw-dropping and unique visual and directorial flourishes (especially the climax) and the dialogue scorches.

'The Lady from Shanghai' is visually stunning, with an astounding and vast array of cinematic techniques, while it is atmospherically scored and scorchingly written (even with constant narration, it doesn't feel over-explanatory or pointless like narration can do). Much of the story is a lot of fun and deliciously twisted with a great tongue-in-cheek approach. It is hardly surprising that the Hall of Mirrors climax is so legendary, with it being so suspenseful and so stunning visually, though the aquarium scene is note-worthy too.

Overall, a flawed film noir but fascinating too. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Murder for hire and lusty intrigue.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 27 August 2002]

Screenplay written by, directed by and starring the incomparable Orson Welles. Welles plays a rough and tumble Irish seaman who gets caught up in a murder for hire scheme and at the same time not so secretly smooching with the wife(Rita Hayworth)of his eventual lawyer(Everett Sloane). Film-Noir at its best. Script and story line meanders in that Welles way. Terrific camera angles and positioning. My favorite scenes are the get-a-way from the courtroom and later the very unusual scene in the mirror maze.

Note:This movie has nothing to do with Shanghai, but San Francisco. Hayworth(the soon to be ex-Mrs. Welles in real life)cuts her trademark red hair and dyes it blonde. Welles floats back and forth speaking in an Irish accent as he also narrates this misunderstood movie. And the yachting scenes are filmed on the personal yacht owned by Errol Flynn.

What Makes It Great??

[krocheav · 4/10 · 27 March 2014]

Is this film and its maker great? well only if you make the allowances for ego, uncontrolled creative talent, and perhaps being unsure if you really want to work hard at all. The great 'Kane' from 1941 was certainly Welles' claim to fame, undoubtedly. Yes, it did suffer undeservedly at the hands of political giants and perhaps weak film distribution heads. But I've also heard it said that Welles made the claim: "that he started at the top, and worked his way to the bottom". If this is so, then maybe it tells us much about the man.

He knew from the outset, to surround himself with colleagues who were not simply talented, but also very hungry for success. So what happened...perhaps his ego was too big for even himself to control, or was he simply not able to recognize the good ideas from the bad? As for "Lady" I've tried twice to find the greatness that 'modern' critics are so passionate about. David Kehr calls it a masterpiece, but a masterpiece compared to what!? Here is a film made in 1947 that looks more like it was made during the downward spiral days of the mid 50s. When the el-cheapo directors were cashing in on quickie -'exploitation' films, and many mainstream movies had begun to look more like television productions.

Where is that magic look of 'Kane'?. "Lady from Shanghai" was a film with not one great Director of Photography but three! While it's solely credited to Charles Lawton Jr. who gave '3.10 to Yuma' '57, ~ 'The Tall T' (also '57) even 'The Big Store' '41 a quality cinematic look, how much of that shines here?. The two other (un-credited) photographic masters, namely: Rudolph Mate of: 'Dodsworth' 36 ~ 'Foreign Correspondent' 40 and 'Cover Girl' 44, along with Joseph Walker: 'Mr Smith Goes to Washington' 39 ~ It's a Wonderful Life' 46 ~ 'The Jolson Story' 46 (all 'A' grade looking films) could do little to give 'Lady' that 'special' look and sustain it.

"What about the ending"? I hear people say...a special effects mans dream. Lots of smashing glass, carnival sets, and an ending almost as foolishly indulged as the somewhat over the top courtroom scenes just before it. We're told that Welles had the side show fun-house scene running for an entire spool (that's 22 Min's!) before Harry Cohn had it cut to a more realistic length. I doubt many could have lasted the 2 1/2 Hrs Orson had originally intended this silly story to run. As for the opening scenes...just when it appears as if the main character is 'day dreaming', we find we are supposed to accept the action as 'real'.

Unfortunately I can't help feeling that those who repeatedly sing the praises of this film, and Welles, are those that may belong in the same club. Some, like Welles, made one film that was praised, then also sank rather rapidly to the bottom - could this praise be perhaps for the sake of 'their' own reputations? If so, then more's the pity. Orson Welles had greatness, and will be remembered for it, but didn't necessarily demonstrate that lasting mileage to sustain it. There are just too many other 'great' film makers from the past, whose achievements may be head and shoulders above Orson...but many of these tend to be somewhat sacrificed by certain 'modern' industry people and critics alike. Still, DVD is bringing other great classics from the past (and present) for us to study and fully appreciate.

Footnote: Another reviewer posted a suggestion to check out "The Third Man" as proof of Welles' greatness. Yes, he gives a sterling 'performance', but in 'The Third Man' Welles is being Directed by Carol Reed, from a story by Graham Green. Reed is just one of those great film-makers of sustained effort --over many years' work-- that are rarely acknowledged in the way we continually hear about Mr. Welles....